Hyundai and Kia are sister brands that often launch similar models in pairs. Far from competing with one another, the Korean models have always had a distinct personality, catering to different customers. While Hyundai aims to be the more established brand, with an accent on comfort and elegance, Kia played the sportiness card, with a touch of geekiness that makes it more appealing to younger generations. Hyundai-Kia did a good job of differentiating the two brands, which is not something we could say about its arch rival Volkswagen and its many brands.
Three months after Kia officially unveiled its mid-size electric SUV EV9, our photographers spotted a Hyundai Ioniq 7 prototype testing on public roads. The three-row SUV is the size of a Hyundai Palisade, similar to how the Kia EV9 is the electric equivalent of the Kia Telluride. Despite the heavy camouflage, we can already see that Hyundai again opted for a distinct design. Instead of the flat roofline of the EV9, the Ioniq 7 has a curved roof, which resembles that of the SEVEN concept unveiled in November 2021.
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