The Korean auto industry has been around since the late 1960s, but it didn’t enter the US market until the 1980s. They started out with unattractive designs for consumers, limited functionality and were everything. just boring overall. They were known to be the ugly duckling in the auto market and were never a priority for people when it came to buying a new car.
However, over the years the Korean market has exploded for a number of reasons. Their cars have improved, much better. In fact, they are now compared to major Japanese and European brands. They can be as reliable and powerful as the Japanese, as luxurious as European automakers, while still being cheaper than both. What the majority of consumers in general are looking for these days, right? The more you can pull off on a small budget, this is something that appeals to everyone. So here we show you the main things we love about Korean cars.
ten
Offers great value
One of the obvious reasons we love Korean cars is the value they offer. You can really get so much for something that won’t cost you an arm and a leg to buy. Base car models usually come with a lot of standard features that you would typically get on higher trim levels for other manufacturers.
You also get a lot of standard safety features, even from base cars. Features such as lane keeping assistance, lane departure warning, reversing camera, hill start assistance, front collision assistance with pedestrian detection, etc. Usually, the availability of these safety features for other manufacturers is either a paid option or available for higher level finishes only.
9
Unique designs
Korean car designs are definitely theirs. They offer distinctive exterior body lines that are easy to fall in love with, that makes you unique. While you may notice other manufacturers with newer designs these days, it seems they are borrowing ideas from each other, and some parts also seem to be borrowed.
Koreans are not afraid to stand out from the crowd, however. Their individuality allows them to easily give their cars their own personality. They have car designs that look original, fun, and practical, while also having subtle and stylish designs.
8
Luxurious features
Yes, despite the lower prices, they offer luxurious features and materials, and they don’t disappoint. Now there is Genesis, which is a standalone name under Hyundai. The Genesis brand has focused on the luxury side of things for the Korean market, and they are directly compared to Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and BMW.
Although the engine options have smaller displacement than their German counterparts, the overall performance aspect of these luxurious Korean cars does not disappoint. For less than half the price, you really get more than you can ask for.
7
Reliability
These Korean cars also have high reliability ratings. JD Power even awarded these Korean cars the 2021 Highest Quality Award. Almost every size in the range had received this award, and his research was gathered from real consumers on the number of issues they had encountered with the car during their period of ownership.
The cheaper price of these cars, along with the high reliability ratings, really make them great value for money. In addition, the maintenance of these cars is also much cheaper. All of this is possible simply because of the overall lower costs to produce these cars in Korea.
6
They can perform well
Yes, the Koreans have their performance cars too, and that’s not something you’d expect. It is much more than that. Hyundai has the N lines, and the first to be produced was the Veloster N which blew up the hatchback category. Being opposed to the Honda Civic Type-R as a direct competitor says a lot about the car. It is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 275 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.
Another from Kia is the Stinger GT. The Stinger is arguably the most exciting Korean car produced. It features a 3.3-liter, all-wheel-drive twin-turbo V6 that produces 368 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. He goes 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. This car is actually designed by Albert Biermann, and if you don’t know him he was the chief engineer of the BMW M series. So yes, this car is well thought out and will have the power to surprise you.
5
Cheaper price
Korean cars are really known to be the cheapest option overall. As an example, the base price of the Hyundai Elantra starts at $ 14,200, and it already gives you plenty of it, including aluminum wheels, Apple Car Play, and Android Auto. While the base price of the Toyota Corolla starts at $ 15,400 and still comes with steel wheels with lids on them.
While again having a cheaper entry price for Koreans, it also offers a slightly higher-quality build interior. While finance and lease rates always depend on your location, Hyundai and Kia rates are also very competitive and aggressive.
4
Practice
Korean automakers have all kinds of sizes available for all kinds of consumers. They have small sedans available perfect for first-time car buyers, midsize sedans or mid-size SUVs for more mature people starting a family, or a full-size van or 7-seater SUV.
Parts availability is not a problem as the distribution of cars is now global, making it a really easy to maintain everyday car. The number of applications for these brands also contributed to this. It’s honestly a very practical choice to make, even when it comes to buying your car, or maybe even upgrading your old one.
3
Excellent security ratings
Even at a cheap price, their safety ratings don’t compromise. They have also won regular awards from the IIHS as their top picks almost every year. So you could say that driving a Korean car does not make it less safe than the much more typical competitors.
These Korean manufacturers definitely thought ahead to enter the global market, and they certainly knew what consumers wanted. They gave them everything they asked for, a safe, reliable and inexpensive car to buy.
2
High quality interior
As mentioned earlier, the luxurious features discussed are truly surprising. The overall build quality of the interiors of these cars is honestly excellent. They don’t joke around and cut corners like putting a bunch of pieces of plastic all over the place and outdated technology just to keep costs down.
They also put in the extra time and effort to make sure the build quality is up to par, they make sure that when it stands out from the crowd, their clients will have a great property experience. They make their car seem dear to the consumer at a competitive price, making it a purchase they won’t regret.
1
They’ve come a long way
Korean cars have definitely come a long way from where they started. From cars that people didn’t even know existed, to cars that people discovered but really didn’t want anything to do with them. Today they are certainly on the map with the latest technology and performance updates, and even other manufacturers are now being pushed further to match their value.
Thinking of making a Korean car your next car purchase? It’s honestly a great option to consider, with everything mentioned about these Korean cars being cheap, safe, fun, and reliable. What more ?
Read more
About the Author
