Oh, there are also to be a few Ssangyongs and Renault Samsungs thrown into this Seoul car spotting compilation too.
So a couple of weeks over the Christmas break ago, this writer had spent a rather nice couple of days in Seoul. And being ever the avid car spotter, here are just some of the many cool cars that he had just happened to snap.
And yes, before anyone asks, most of the cars that were papped just so happen to be Korean. Though can you blame this writer? Because we in Malaysia hardly get any of the cool cars that Hyundai, Kia and especially Genesis offer back in their home market!
Hyundai Casper
Malaysia had the Perodua Axia style, South Korea has the cutesy Hyundai Casper. This jacked-up supermini unfortunately does not have the 4×4 ability that its rugged looks suggest, but there is a fully-electric version with even cooler lights!
Hyundai Grandeur
While some may disagree with the current frontal single LED light bar design direction of Hyundai, after seeing the latest Grandeur in person against the backdrop of Seoul though, this writer is now totally sold on the bold new look of this sleek sedan.
As for those who are wondering what a fourth-generation (2005 – 2011) Hyundai Grandeur looks like meanwhile, here it is. Still looks fresh right?
And yes, if you think that you’ve seen this car in Malaysia before, Hyundai actually bought in a couple of these large sedans as the Azera back in period.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Line
Sadly, this writer did not manage to catch a glimpse of the full-fat IONIQ 5 N during his time in Seoul, but hey its sporty-looking counterpart is a good enough substitute right? (Its not.)
Hyundai IONIQ 5 (with Door Mirror Cameras)
Yes, those are cameras replacing the traditional wing mirrors on this IONIQ 5. And no, we don’t have that option available in Malaysia (for now at least anyway).
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Taxi
With how cool and futuristic the IONIQ 5 looks, seeing these EVs around as taxis in Seoul does certainly further give this metropolitan city a cyberpunk vibe.
Hyundai Santa Fe
The camera doesn’t do this colour justice, but the new boxy Hyundai Santa Fe in burnt orange looks absolutely stunning! Note too the headlight signature that makes the letter H.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Fun fact: This generation of Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (together with its Kia Optima Hybrid sister car) was incidentally to be the second best selling hybrid in North America back in 2011, outsold only by the Toyota Prius.
Hyundai Staria
While Hyundai Starias are becoming an increasingly common sight on Malaysian roads, these futuristic-looking people movers (and cargo haulers in van form) are literally to be found on every street corner in Seoul. Here’s just one of the many examples spotted on the road.
Kia Ray
While some might think that this box on wheels should have space for anything anyone could think of, the added roof box suggests that its owner needs even more carrying capacity.
Now notice something different about this photo of another Kia Ray? It has a rear sliding door.
The Ray has a rather unique door layout situation: the passenger side comes with a sliding door, while the driver’s side has a swing-out door. And here’s a good photo showing both sides of the Ray (the left Ray is a post-2022 facelift model, while the right is a post-2017 facelift version).
Also, just because it is a nice picture, here’s a silver-grey Kia EV6 and a Ray of a similar shade.
Kia K8
The catfish-aping face seen here on this Kia K8 has since been replaced by a much blockier snout that is along the same lines as what is seen on the EV9.
Kia Mohave
Up until the recent launch of Kia’s new (and interesting-looking) Tasman pickup, its Mohave SUV was to be the only model in its lineup that features a separate ladder-frame chassis underneath.
This white example pictured here is incidentally the 2nd generation Mohave that came out in 2019. This body-on-frame Kia SUV is currently only available in South Korea.
Kia Carnival Outdoor
The Carnival Outdoor is actually a variant of Carnival that Kia actually sells from the factory with the roof box. A further quick glance through its official brochure from back then reveals for it to also come with heated and cooled cupholders for the first and second row, along with an LED light that swings out from the tailgate to illuminate the ground when the tailgate is up.
Hyundai Porter
Normally this writer pays no mind to trucks, but it was interesting to see that this Hyundai Porter is a double cab, which meant it has seating for five workers on-board (and all their gear) to get to and from a job site.
Tow Truck
The few tow trucks spotted around Seoul were all of the pickup-based variety, like this one pictured here. Surely these more compact tow trucks will be better suited than the large lorry-based ones over here in Malaysia too, right?
Renault Samsung SM5 Platinum
The Renault Samsung SM5: Based on a French car (Renault Laguna), has a Japanese heart under the hood (Nissan engines and gearboxes), designed by South Koreans in Seoul and built in Busan. Though perhaps the most interesting part of this car’s story is the unsuccessful plan to sell them in North America as Mitsubishis.
This version shown above is actually the post-2012 facelift that gained the Platinum suffix, in addition to a new front grille and dashboard.
Renault Samsung SM6
The Renault Samsung SM6 is essentially a Renault Talisman with a different badge. That’s all to say about it really.
Renault Samsung SM7
Now those eagle-eyed might have spotted that the headlights on this SM7 to look rather like the ones on a Nissan Teana, and that is because this large Renault Samsung sedan shared the same underpinnings as the aforementioned Nissan.
For the SM7 anoraks out there, the brash front grille of particular white example papped here identifies it to be a post-2009 New Art facelift variant. The RE badging on its rump meanwhile suggests that under the hood of this specific sedan lies Nissan’s venerable 3.5-litre VQ35 V6 (as found in the 350Z).
Ssangyong Chairman Limousine
A Ssangyong Chairman Limousine attempting to navigate its way down the tight and pedestrian-filled streets of Hongdae. When this massive thing squeezed its way into the street, there was that immediate sense of someone powerful (and perhaps slightly sinister) has come to town.
Ssangyong Tivoli
An interesting factoid about the Ssangyong Tivoli pictured here is that they actually sold an extended version of it (called the Tivoli Air in South Korea) that tacked on another 245 mm behind the rear wheels. This managed to increase the cargo capacity in the rear from 423 to 720 litres.
Ssangyong Torres
No, this is not a Dodge Hornet with a Jeep grille. It is instead the Ssangyong Torres, or as Ssangyong ceased to exist in 2023, this mid-sized rugged-looking SUV is now to be marketed as the KGM Torres.
Genesis G80
The G80 is basically Genesis’ answer to the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. And in the looks department at least, you got to admit that the Genesis has the Germans completely beat!
The blue plates on this particular Genesis G80 below meanwhile indicates for it to be the fully-electric Genesis Electrified G80, which with dual motors that output a combined 370 PS and a whopping 700 Nm of torque, is apparently capable of shooting this sedan to 100 km/h from a standstill in just 4.9 seconds.
Genesis BH330
In what is certainly a grand aim, this premiere Genesis model was initially touted by Hyundai during its launch back in 2008 as offering “the performance of a BMW 5-Series and the interior packaging of a 7-Series at the price of a 3-Series”.
Now those who want an extra bit of oomph with their Genesis back then had the option to step up to the BH380 (pictured below) that came with larger 3.8-litre V6 instead of the 3.3-litre unit in the BH330. There is actually even a 5.0-litre V8 option available, but it was initially strictly for export only. Hyundai eventually later introduced the limited domestic-market only Genesis Prada edition that included the V8.
Genesis GV60
The Genesis GV60: the sleeker (and posher) sibling to the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6.
Kia Sportage (with Massive Rear Spoiler)
Finally in rounding up the car spotting escapade here, bet you haven’t seen a Sportage with a spoiler as big as that before! For more photos of this winged Kia SUV, the owner’s instagram account (as seen on the rear glass) is @g__w__nq5.
