The Hyundai connection can make Kia’s ownership look simpler than it is. A public company is a company whose shares are available to trade on a public stock exchange. That means a company can have many shareholders, even when one shareholder holds the largest stake.
For drivers, these terms can blur together: direct ownership, membership in a corporate group, and the name on a car’s badge. They describe different things. The distinction matters when you want clear information about the automaker, its home country, or the company behind a vehicle. This article explains those links and what they mean for your buying decisions.
Key Takeaways
- Hyundai Motor Company is Kia Corporation’s largest shareholder.
- Kia is publicly traded and has other shareholders.
- Kia and Hyundai are separate automakers in Hyundai Motor Group.
- A vehicle’s model and market affect where it is assembled.
- Check a specific vehicle’s recalls, features, and origin details.
Keep the direct shareholder and the broader corporate group separate as you assess what Kia’s ownership means.
Who Owns Kia?
Hyundai Motor Company is Kia’s largest shareholder, but its 35.17% stake does not make it Kia’s sole owner. It is a public company with other shareholders. The National Pension Service also holds a large stake, and Kia shares trade on the Korea Exchange as KRX: 000270.
At the end of 2025, Hyundai Motor Company held 137,318,251 Kia common shares. That was 35.17% of issued shares. The 36.99% figure covers Hyundai Motor Company and related parties together, so it includes Hyundai Motor Company’s shares.
| Holder or share-capital measure | End-of-2025 figure | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Motor Company | 137,318,251 shares, 35.17% | Direct holding |
| Hyundai Motor Company and related parties | 144,408,540 shares, 36.99% | Combined holding that includes Hyundai Motor Company |
| National Pension Service | 7.25% | Major shareholder |
| Kia share capital | 390,412,998 issued shares, 388,602,725 outstanding shares | Issued and outstanding totals |
The related-party total includes Hyundai Motor Company’s direct holding, so the two percentages describe overlapping shares.
So, who owns Kia and Hyundai? Hyundai Motor Company is Kia’s largest shareholder; Hyundai Motor Company has its own shareholders. Neither company is owned by the other in the way a wholly owned subsidiary would be.
People also ask who owns a Kia SUV or who owns Kia cars. The answer is not a dealer or the driver: Kia Corporation makes the vehicles, while its shareholders own the company. The automaker is based in South Korea, but a country does not own it as a sovereign entity.
The term Kia Motors may appear in older records or everyday conversation, but Kia Corporation is the automaker’s current name. In short, Hyundai Motor Company has the largest stake, and public investors hold other shares.
Treat the 36.99% related-party figure as a combined holding, not as an additional stake to add to Hyundai Motor Company’s direct shares.
Are Kia and Hyundai the Same Company?
Kia and Hyundai are separate automakers, even though Hyundai Motor Company holds the largest stake in Kia. Both sit within Hyundai Motor Group, but they remain distinct companies and brands. Hyundai Motor Company is not the same entity as the wider motor group.
Hyundai Motor Group is the broader corporate group. It includes Kia, Hyundai Motor Company, and other businesses. Kia Corporation runs the Kia automaker and brand, while Hyundai Motor Company runs the Hyundai automaker and brand.
Who owns Hyundai? Hyundai Motor Company is publicly traded and owned by its shareholders. Kia does not own Hyundai, and one private parent company does not own Hyundai Motor Company.
The history helps explain the Kia Hyundai connection. Kia was founded in May 1944 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. After declaring bankruptcy in 1997, Kia received a major investment from Hyundai Motor Company.
Hyundai Motor Company acquired a 51% stake in Kia in 1998. That deal brought the two automakers into a closer business relationship, but it did not turn Kia into the Hyundai brand. Each company kept its own identity and operations.
The company name also changed over time. Kia used the name Kia Motors Corporation from 1990 to 2021. In January 2021, it became Kia Corporation, a change that reflected a wider focus than motors alone.
That name history explains why Kia Motors and Motors Corporation still appear in older records. The current automaker is Kia Corporation, while Hyundai Motor Company and the Hyundai Motor Group describe separate parts of the corporate structure.
Kia’s South Korean origins and Seoul headquarters describe its home base, not a country that owns the company.
Is Kia the High End of Hyundai?
Kia is not the high-end trim of Hyundai; Genesis is Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand. Kia and Hyundai are separate mainstream automaker brands with their own lineups. They share a corporate group, not one simple ladder of car brands.
Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis are part of South Korea-based Hyundai Motor Group. The companies may share vehicle designs and components, but each brand has its own design choices and market position.
| Brand | Place in the group | Positioning |
|---|---|---|
| Kia | Separate automaker and brand | Distinct design identity and lineup |
| Hyundai | Separate automaker and brand | Distinct design identity and lineup |
| Genesis | Luxury brand within the group | Luxury-market positioning |
Shared parts can make some vehicles related under the sheet metal. That does not make the brands identical. Their styling, cabin layouts, feature choices, and model ranges can differ, even when they draw on shared engineering.
For shoppers, Kia Hyundai comparisons work best model by model. A Kia may suit you better than a Hyundai because of its design or features, while a different Hyundai may fit your needs more closely.
Genesis serves buyers looking for a luxury-market car within the wider group. It is a separate brand, not simply the most expensive Kia or Hyundai trim.
Sales, price, and equipment can vary across models and years, so a badge alone cannot tell you which car offers the better fit. Compare cabin space, safety features, warranty terms, and the powertrain on each version.
Compare the specific Kia and Hyundai models on your shortlist instead of treating one badge as a higher trim of the other.
Where Are Kia and Hyundai Made?
A Kia’s assembly location depends on its model and intended market, so the badge alone does not identify its factory. Kia builds vehicles in several countries, and a model’s production can vary by market. Hyundai also makes vehicles across multiple countries.
Kia operates 14 manufacturing facilities in eight countries, including the United States, South Korea, Mexico, and Slovakia. A car sold in North America may come from a different plant than the same model sold elsewhere.
Kia Assembly for the North American Market
Kia’s West Point, Georgia, plant builds several vehicles for the North American market. It assembles the Telluride, Sorento, Sportage, and K5, though each model can have other production sites.
The North American-market Telluride is made at West Point. Sorento assembly also takes place there. The K5 is assembled in Georgia and is also made in Hwaseong, South Korea.
Sportage production has several locations. West Point builds Sportage vehicles, and the model is also made in South Korea, Slovakia, and China. The factory for a particular vehicle depends on its market.
Kia’s Other Assembly Locations
The Carnival is assembled at Kia’s Autoland Gwangmyeong plant in South Korea. Sportage production in South Korea, Slovakia, and China shows why one model name does not point to one factory.
For a quick comparison, Kia and Hyundai both have manufacturing across multiple countries. The place of assembly can vary across brands, models, and markets; a company headquarters does not set every vehicle’s origin.
- Telluride for North America: West Point, Georgia.
- Carnival: Autoland Gwangmyeong, South Korea.
- Sportage: Georgia, South Korea, Slovakia, or China.
A Monroney sticker gives information for an individual new vehicle, while a model name gives only a broad clue about its production. A different factory can supply the same model for another country.
Confirm the plant for the exact model and market rather than assuming every Kia is assembled in South Korea or Georgia.
How Reliable Are Kia Models?
Kia ranked 12th in Consumer Reports’ 2026 brand rankings, but its individual models did not share one reliability result. The brand’s Predicted Reliability score was 3, while model results ranged from best to least reliable. The rankings also gave Kia an Overall Score of 72.
Kia’s Road-Test Score was 83, and its Owner Satisfaction score was 4. These figures measure different things, so one score cannot tell you how every Kia will perform over time.
| Vehicle or ranking | Reliability or score result | Scope or distinguishing detail |
|---|---|---|
| Kia brand | 12th, Overall Score 72, Road-Test Score 83, Predicted Reliability 3, Owner Satisfaction 4 | 2026 brand rankings |
| Carnival Hybrid | Kia’s most reliable model and best in its vehicle category | Latest survey |
| EV9 | Kia’s least reliable model | Latest survey |
| EV6 | Owners reported integrated charging control unit problems | Component shared with Hyundai and Genesis EVs |
| Sportage plug-in hybrid | Average predicted reliability, below gas-only and hybrid versions | Powertrain-specific result |
The Carnival Hybrid was Kia’s most reliable model in the latest survey and ranked best in its vehicle category. The EV9 ranked as Kia’s least reliable model in that survey.
EV6 owners reported problems involving the integrated charging control unit, a component shared with Hyundai and Genesis electric vehicles. That issue concerns a charging-control component, not an engine.
The Sportage plug-in hybrid had average predicted reliability. It scored worse than the gas-only and hybrid versions, a difference that matters if you are choosing among powertrains.
Why do some people warn against buying a Kia? Broad warnings can refer to specific model-year reliability findings or recall concerns. They do not prove that every Kia is problematic.
A brand score can flag a pattern, but it cannot predict every car’s condition or ownership experience. A single model or powertrain result should not become a blanket verdict on Kia Motors.
Check reliability for the exact model and powertrain you are considering, not just the brand’s overall position.
Why Is Kia Discontinuing the Soul?
The Soul’s planned production end applies after the 2025 model year, not to Kia as a whole. The planned change affects one car model, not the company. Kia continued to build vehicles and sell them around the world during 2025.
The Soul was scheduled to end production after the 2025 model year. That schedule concerns the model’s production, not every Kia car or the automaker’s wider sales and manufacturing work.
Kia produced 2.85 million vehicles in 2025, and its global sales exceeded 3.1 million vehicles that year. Those figures show ongoing activity across the company’s many models and markets.
A model’s final production year does not mean that every new Soul disappears from dealer lots at once. Cars built earlier may still be offered as new inventory, while used examples can remain available for years.
Listings can also use a vehicle’s model year rather than the calendar year when it was built or sold. That detail can help you tell a final-year car from an older vehicle still on sale.
No reason for the Soul’s planned production end is needed to understand what the decision means for you. It is a model change, not a sign that Kia Motors is closing or ending all car sales.
Check whether a listing is for the final model year or a remaining new or used vehicle before assuming the model is still in production.
Who Is Kia’s CEO?
Ho Sung Song is Kia’s CEO, while Euisun Chung is its executive chairman. Their roles and personal shareholdings are separate facts. A senior job title does not by itself mean that an executive owns most of the company.
At the end of 2025, Song held 3,500 Kia common shares. Kia listed his ownership as 0.00%, a rounded percentage rather than a claim that he held no shares.
Ho Sung Song’s Role as CEO
As CEO, Ho Sung Song leads Kia’s business. The title describes his executive role, not the size of his personal stake or the full ownership structure.
His end-of-2025 shareholding was small compared with the company’s total share base. A percentage shown as 0.00% can still reflect a shareholding when the underlying number is 3,500 shares.
Euisun Chung’s Role as Executive Chairman
Euisun Chung serves as Kia’s executive chairman. At the end of 2025, he held 7,061,331 Kia common shares, equal to 1.81% ownership.
Chung’s shareholding is larger than Song’s, but it does not make him Kia’s majority owner. Executive roles can carry influence over company direction without giving one person control of most shares.
The word family can come up in discussions of leadership, but a personal share count remains a distinct measure. It does not replace the wider picture of public shareholders and corporate ties.
An executive title does not establish majority ownership, and a personal shareholding does not describe every other shareholder.
Read an executive’s title and personal stake as separate facts, since neither one alone describes Kia’s overall ownership.
How Do Kia Recalls Work?
A VIN lookup can tell you whether a specific Kia has an unrepaired safety recall. A vehicle identification number, or VIN, identifies one vehicle. The lookup does not show safety recalls that have already been repaired.
Check the VIN for the exact vehicle you own or plan to buy. A model name alone cannot confirm whether a particular car has an open recall, since recall status applies to individual vehicles.
Check for an Unrepaired Recall by VIN
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, offers a VIN lookup for unrepaired recalls. Entering the number checks the vehicle’s open safety recall status, not repairs already completed.
A reported defect and an open recall are not the same thing. A recall notice means the manufacturer has a duty to address a safety defect through an approved remedy.
What Happens After a Recall Is Announced
Manufacturers must notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of telling NHTSA about a recall decision. The notice explains the safety issue and the next steps for the affected vehicle.
A manufacturer must remedy a recalled safety defect through one of these options:
- Repair the problem or replace the affected part.
- Offer a refund.
- Repurchase the vehicle in rare cases.
The exact remedy depends on the recall. Keep the notice with your vehicle records, and arrange the repair promptly if the recall calls for service.
If a recall appears, contact an authorized Kia service department to arrange the available remedy.
How Can You Check a Kia’s U.S. Content?
A Monroney sticker gives buyers useful origin details, but it is not a certificate that every part came from the United States. The American Automobile Labeling Act requires a new-vehicle window sticker to show U.S. and Canadian parts content and assembly information.
Those disclosures help you compare vehicles, but they do not mean every component came from either country. A vehicle assembled in the United States can still contain parts made elsewhere.
To check a Kia’s U.S. content, use the sticker as a set of separate details:
- Find the vehicle’s assembly information.
- Read the listed U.S. and Canadian parts percentage.
- Compare assembly location and parts content as separate details.
The listed percentage combines U.S. and Canadian parts content. It is not a measure of U.S.-made parts alone, and the assembly location does not tell you where every part came from.
So, is a vehicle 100% made in America? The Monroney sticker alone cannot establish that every component is U.S.-made. Its disclosures provide useful information, but they do not certify a fully domestic supply chain.
Use the sticker’s assembly and parts disclosures as separate clues when comparing vehicles.
Conclusion
Kia’s place in a larger corporate group does not make its individual vehicles interchangeable with other brands. Ownership, brand identity, and the details of a particular vehicle are separate considerations.
For your next step, schedule test drives in the exact trims and powertrains on your shortlist. Compare cabin fit, visibility, and controls while you drive, since those details shape daily use.
A badge can point you toward a brand, but the right vehicle is the one that suits your routine and feels clear to operate. Test-drive the exact versions you would consider buying and compare how they fit your everyday driving.
FAQ
Is there any vehicle 100% made in America?
No single sticker can certify that every part of a vehicle came from the United States. A Monroney sticker shows U.S. and Canadian parts content, along with assembly information. Those details help you compare cars, but they do not list the origin of every component. A vehicle assembled in America can still use parts made in other countries.
Which is better, Toyota or Kia?
Toyota is often a strong choice when reliability and resale value top your list, while Kia can appeal through design and feature value. Neither brand wins for every driver or every model year. Compare the exact cars you are considering, including price, safety features, powertrain, and warranty terms. A Toyota SUV and a Kia sedan are not direct rivals.
Does Kia use a Toyota engine?
No, Kia vehicles generally use Kia or Hyundai Motor Group powertrains, not Toyota engines. The engine can differ by model, trim, and model year, so check the exact vehicle’s specifications. A shared platform or part within Hyundai Motor Group does not mean a car uses a Toyota engine. If you are buying used, match the engine details to its model year.
Why do people say don’t buy a Kia?
Broad warnings often grow from specific model-year reliability findings or recall concerns, not a rule that every Kia is a poor choice. One car may have a known issue while another has a different record. Check the model year, powertrain, service history, and open recall status for the vehicle you are considering. That gives you a clearer basis than a blanket brand warning.
Is Kia still having engine problems?
The EV6 issue described in this article involves its integrated charging control unit, not an engine. That distinction matters because an electric vehicle’s charging system differs from an engine. To assess any concern, look at the exact model, year, and recall status. A reported problem with one component does not establish that all Kia models have the same issue.
