Hyundai and Kia finished 2022 with a flourish as the two Korean brands continued to make big inroads in global sales - with electric cars playing a key role. 

The two marques are sister brands with access to the same electric car technologies such as battery packs and motors, forming the basis of a shared electric car platform called E-GMP. And it’s three new models on this platform leading the charge. 

The new Kia EV6 - available in GT form with a 577bhp four-wheel-drive electric powertrain - sold almost 80,000 units in its first year on sale, while its sister model from Hyundai - the Ioniq 5 - was joined right at the end of the calendar year by the new Ioniq 6 saloon, the duo racking up over 100,000 global sales in 2022. 

Kia and Hyundai will bolster these line-ups this year, with Kia set to launch a seven-seat SUV called EV9 and Hyundai looking to introduce a bit of performance to its Ioniq line-up with the Ioniq 5 N, which will be developed by the Korean’s ‘N’ division; think of it as Hyundai’s equivalent of BMW’s M division. A new seven-seat electric SUV called Ioniq 7 is due to break cover, too. 

Of course, both brands also sell electric versions of some of their petrol powered and hybrid models. In the case of Kia, the marque introduced a new version of the popular Niro SUV last year, with fully-electric, plug-in hybrid and conventional hybrid options all offered. 

And to follow, Hyundai has just revealed a futuristic-looking, new version of the similarly sized Kona crossover. It will be on sale in 2023 with the same multiple powertrain options for buyers to choose from. 

Ioniq 6 will join the Hyundai UK line-up later this year