Kia and Hyundai Classics People Have Forgotten
Kia and Hyundai are two of South Korea's best car brands, but not every car is as famous as the Sportage or Ioniq 5. We've found 35 old Kias and Hyundais that nobody talks about anymore. Keep reading to see how many you remember.
Kia Brisa
First up, we've got the Kia Brisa, which was only manufactured for seven years between 1974 and 1981. It was the brand’s first-ever passenger car, with a slick-looking exterior based on an old Mazda. But as it never maintained production, it's now a very distant memory.
Hyundai Excel
Despite its name, the Hyundai Excel was actually rather average. It was a basic, everyday car that could be bought cheaply, but it was widely criticized for its poor quality and boring build. It was replaced in 1999 and never spoken of again.
Kia Potentia
When we think of Kias, we don't necessarily think of luxury sedans, but the Potentia was a breath of fresh air in the ‘90s. The reason you've probably never heard of it is that it was abruptly discontinued in 2001 due to strict new environmental regulations.
Hyundai Pony
It wasn't a pony car, but the 1975 Hyundai Pony was surprisingly powerful for its time. Hyundai even held a contest to name it, with the name “Pony” winning with around 100 votes. Sadly, it was retired to make way for newer models and subsequently disappeared from memory.
Kia Combi
Kia enthusiasts likely know that the brand has dabbled in minibuses, but even they might not remember the 18-seater Combi! These quirky buses, originally made by Asia Motors, used several good engines, including a Mazda HA diesel and a Hyundai D4DA. Unfortunately, they were also victims of strict new emission regulations.
Hyundai Tiburon
Back in the ‘90s, the Hyundai Tiburon was a great car to buy if you wanted to enter the sports car market on a budget. It was fun to drive and had a decent V6 engine. But in 2008, it was phased out for the much more recognizable Hyundai Genesis.
Kia Pride
The Kia Pride was not necessarily a vehicle that people would have inspired proud feelings, but it was cheap, safe, and easy to drive. Lots of people likely had it as their first car. But as SUVs took over, the Kia Pride quietly took its leave.
Hyundai Grandeur
Say what you like, this old Hyundai certainly lived up to its name! Sometimes called the Azera, the Grandeur was a luxurious, large sedan that combined ‘80s retro styling with futuristic concepts. It’s still sold today, but not seen as much outside South Korea anymore.
Kia Pregio
After just over a decade on the market, the highly practical Kia Pregio quietly retired from the public eye without many people noticing. It wasn’t the best quality van, but it was great value for money and a good option for workers, so it fulfilled its purpose.
Hyundai Equus
You might vaguely recognize the Hyundai Equus because it was around until 2016, but it didn’t really make much of a splash. It looked nice, but it was fairly generic and unimaginative, so of course, Hyundai phased it out for the new luxurious Genesis G90.
Kia Clarus
We only ever see the Kia Clarus in discussions about forgotten cars, so it’s safe to say that most people don’t remember it. It was based on the 1991 Mazda 626, but it did nothing new to excite buyers, so it never made its mark.
Kia Opirus
The Kia Opirus had amazing potential, but sadly never made it past one manufacturing generation. It was discontinued due to lackluster reactions to its “controversial” design choices, which were borrowed from Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, so it never really got the chance to shine.
Hyundai Dynasty
The Hyundai Dynasty looked very similar to the Grandeur because they were built on the same platform, but it had a similarly uneventful run. It was abruptly withdrawn from production in 2005 to make space for more modern Hyundai models.
Kia Sephia
If you like simplicity, you’ll love the old Kia Sephia. But they’re rarely seen nowadays after the model was replaced by the Spectra in 2000, and have been all but forgotten. But if you find an old Sephia, it’ll likely still be in good driving condition.
Hyundai Terracan
The Hyundai Terracan is another old car that had bags of potential but failed to deliver in the end. Despite being a 4x4, it couldn’t handle extreme off-road driving, and the engine regularly overheated. By 2007, sales were so low that Hyundai took it off the market.
Kia Granbird
This isn’t a vehicle for the average driver, but it’s certainly something different! The high-decker Granbird was a great new addition to many coach lineups, but it was technically retired to make way for a Super Premium option, which was grander in every way.
Hyundai Galloper
Rugged off-road 4x4s will never go out of style, but they may leave the market! That’s what happened with the Hyundai Galloper in 2004, and it was for a very unfortunate reason. Its engine pollution system was woefully outdated, so the whole car had to go.
Kia Shuma
The Kia Shuma wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great, so we’re not surprised that it has become obsolete. It was affordable, easy to drive, and dependable, but the handling was boring, and it lacked quality refinement. That’s likely why it only lasted a few years.
Hyundai Veracruz
Hyundai has several popular midsize models, but the Veracruz is no longer among them. It did have some good points, like its upscale interior and comfortable driving experience, but ultimately failed due to its terrible MPG and various engine faults.
Kia Spectra
You probably know the Kia Forte, but did you know its predecessor? The Kia Spectra was a comfortable car suited to daily city driving, but it didn’t blow drivers away, so Kia pulled it to make way for something better. As a result, the Spectra has slipped away.
Hyundai Santro Xing
The Hyundai Santro Xing was only sold in India, so most people never saw one, but even there, it has all but vanished now. It was a budget-friendly compact car with a lively little engine, but it had to be discontinued for the newer Santro in 2015.
Kia Joice
The Kia Joice joined the family car market in 1999, but by 2002, it was already discontinued. From faulty wiper blades to poor fuel economy to stuck trunk latches, people couldn’t stop finding issues with it, so Kia quickly and quietly got rid of it.
Hyundai I40
The Hyundai i40 was around until 2019, but it was only sold for eight years, so many drivers didn’t take notice of it. One problem was its close rivalry with the successful Sonata model, which eventually became its better-known, full-time replacement.
Kia Ray
This quirky build is definitely memorable, so what went wrong with the Kia Ray? It was initially designed as a plug-in hybrid, but it ultimately failed due to a defective electronic parking brake and faulty air suspension. A new EV version was launched to replace it.
Hyundai Scoupe
The Hyundai Scoupe is the definition of a “blind and you’ll miss it” car. From 1990 to 1995, it was a practical sports car option with a unique wedge-shaped design, but it never took off and was quietly removed from the market.
Kia Retona
Kia has some phenomenal military-style jeeps, but the Retona, which was another Asia Motors original, is obsolete now. After five years, Kia was forced to withdraw it due to low sales, which was a shame because the design was incredible.
Hyundai Matrix
Also marketed as the Lavita, the Hyundai Matrix was a decent early 2000s family car. The only issue was that other cars with more modern technology and innovative designs were inspiring better sales, effectively pushing the Matrix into obscurity after 2010.
Kia Bongo
The Kia Bongo is an interesting case because it hasn’t been totally discontinued, but most people don’t recognize it anymore. It used to be a clear-cut workhorse cabover truck, but Kia has released so many variants since the ‘80s that the original Bongo has been forgotten.
Hyundai Atos
The Hyundai Atos was a handy little city car, yet there's pretty much no talk about it anymore. That's probably because it didn't even last 20 years on the market! It got the chop from the modern Hyundai line because it didn't meet newer emissions or safety standards.
Kia Venga
The Kia Venga looks like several of the brand’s other small cars, so many people didn’t notice that it actually disappeared in 2019. With so many other options available, Kia simply didn’t need the Venga anymore, even though it had performed well for a decade.
Hyundai Stellar
It might be a hazy memory now, but throughout the 1980s, the Stellar did great things for Hyundai. Everything about it was durable, reliable, and high-quality, so there was a ready-made market waiting for it. Sadly, it was another model replaced by the Sonata.
Kia Avella
If you ever see a Kia Avella around nowadays, it’ll likely be an old, second-hand option. People liked it, especially as a small city car for running errands in, but there was nothing special about it that inspired Kia to keep producing it.
Hyundai Aslan
In 2014, Hyundai tried something a bit different with the Hyundai Aslan. It was a sophisticated executive car similar to the Genesis, but despite only being eleven years old, it has all but been forgotten due to its abrupt three-year-long manufacturing period.
Kia Mentor
The Kia Mentor was another old car that didn’t even last 10 years, so we’re not shocked that nobody talks about it anymore. It was also considered overwhelmingly mediocre, so it was a no-brainer for Kia to replace it with the Cerato in 2004.
Hyundai Getz
There are hundreds of early 2000s cars that came and went without much fanfare, so let us introduce the Hyundai Getz. It was a decent, affordable commuter car that still exists on the used car market, but is otherwise rarely seen on the roads now.
