The Hyundai Porter and the Kia Bongo are two small trucks sold in Korea. Hyundai pitches the Porter for commercial business use, and its electric version for city deliveries. In Korea they’re sold as the Porter II (포터 II) and the Bongo III (봉고 III), and on paper they’re closer than their different badges suggest.
This guide compares the two as Hyundai and Kia sell them in Korea today: engines, cab types, the electric versions, prices and the license you need to drive one.
How we checked
Specs and prices come from Hyundai’s and Kia’s Korean websites, including their spec pages, Hyundai’s digital catalog and online price lists dated October 1, 2026. We checked them on October 22, 2026. The license rules come from Annex 18 of the Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법 시행규칙).
We didn’t use figures from news reports, dealers or used-truck listings. Neither company says how the two trucks are related, so we’ve compared only what each one publishes.
The short version
- Matching engines: both brands list the Smartstream LPG 2.5 turbo, a 2.5-liter turbocharged LPG (autogas) engine, with the same output and torque.
- Similar fuel economy: both are rated at 6.3 to 7.0 km/L, depending on the version. Kia publishes no rating for its 1.2-ton Bongo.
- Payload ratings: Kia sells the Bongo in 1-ton and 1.2-ton versions. Hyundai’s Korean pages and catalog don’t state the Porter’s payload.
- Electric versions: both have one, with the same motor and range figures and near-identical battery figures.
Side by side
| Hyundai Porter II | Kia Bongo III | |
|---|---|---|
| Korean name | 포터 II | 봉고 III |
| Engine | 2.5 turbo LPG | 2.5 turbo LPG |
| Output | 159 PS automatic, 138 PS manual | 159 PS automatic, 138 PS manual |
| Gearboxes | 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic | 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic |
| Cabs | Regular, super, double | Standard, king, double |
| Payload versions | Not stated by Hyundai | 1-ton and 1.2-ton |
| Drive | 2WD or 4WD | 2WD or 4WD (1-ton only) |
| Official fuel economy | 6.3 to 7.0 km/L | 6.3 to 7.0 km/L (1-ton only) |
| Electric version | Porter II Electric | Bongo III EV |
Both brands quote the higher output with the 5-speed automatic and the lower one with the 6-speed manual. PS is metric horsepower: 159 PS is about 157 hp and 138 PS about 136 hp, by our conversion. Both list a 75-liter LPG tank and a body width of 1,740 mm.
Matching engines, different labels
Both brands call the engine the Smartstream LPG 2.5 turbo, and Kia’s spec page also labels it 2.5 T-LPDi. The displacement (2,469 cc) and torque match: 30.0 kgf·m with the automatic and 26.0 kgf·m with the manual. That’s about 294 Nm (217 lb-ft) and 255 Nm (188 lb-ft), by our conversion.
The fuel economy ratings line up too. The best figure on both is 7.0 km/L, for a 2WD manual with a regular, super, standard or king cab. The 4WD versions are rated at 6.3 km/L. In US terms, that’s about 16.5 and 14.8 mpg by our conversion. These are government-reported test figures, and real-world economy depends on load and driving.
Because both run on LPG, you fill them at LPG stations (충전소), not regular gas pumps. Our guide to gas stations in Korea explains how to find LPG stations and their prices on Opinet.
Where they differ
Cab names. Hyundai’s three cabs are 일반캡 (regular), 슈퍼캡 (super) and 더블캡 (double). Kia’s are 표준캡 (standard), 킹캡 (king) and 더블캡 (double). On the 2WD Porter, the bed is 3,110 mm (about 10.2 ft) long with the regular cab and 2,185 mm (about 7.2 ft) with the double cab.
The 1.2-ton Bongo. Kia sells a 1.2-ton Bongo with 2WD, in standard and king cab form. Kia’s spec page says medium trucks with a maximum payload over 1 ton are exempt from Korea’s fuel economy labeling, so it shows no rating for this version. Hyundai’s Porter price list has no separate heavier version.
4WD and gearboxes. Hyundai says the automatic is offered only with 2WD, and its 4WD Porters come with the manual. Kia’s fuel economy table also lists its 4WD Bongos with the manual only.
Wheelbase names. Hyundai sells its 2WD Porters on an extra-long wheelbase (초장축) and its 4WD Porters on a long wheelbase (장축). Kia’s price list describes the 2WD Bongo as extra-long wheelbase too. Its pages label the 4WD Bongo differently in two places, so we haven’t listed a wheelbase for it.
The electric versions
The Porter II Electric and the Bongo III EV publish nearly identical figures:
- 135 kW motor with 395 Nm of torque
- About 60 kWh battery
- 217 km official combined range (248 km city, 178 km highway)
- About 32 minutes from 10 to 80 percent on a 150 kW fast charger
- About 8 hours 30 minutes from 10 to 100 percent on a 7.2 kW charger
Kia lists the battery as 60.4 kWh. Hyundai shows 60.3 kWh on the Porter’s spec page and 60.4 kWh on its price list. Both brands note that cold weather can lengthen charging times and cut range.
The two electric trucks come in one cab each. The Porter II Electric is a super cab, and the Bongo III EV is a king cab. Our guide to EV charging in Korea covers charger types and rates.
Prices in Korea
These are list prices from Hyundai’s and Kia’s online price lists dated October 1, 2026, in Korean won. They run from the cheapest trim to the most expensive, before options.
| Version | Price range (KRW) |
|---|---|
| Porter II, 2WD | 21,410,000 to 25,130,000 |
| Porter II, 4WD | 23,160,000 to 26,660,000 |
| Porter II Electric | 43,500,000 to 46,450,000 |
| Bongo III 1-ton, 2WD | 20,450,000 to 24,500,000 |
| Bongo III 1-ton, 4WD | 22,500,000 to 25,950,000 |
| Bongo III 1.2-ton, 2WD | 24,550,000 to 25,700,000 |
| Bongo III EV | 43,450,000 to 46,350,000 |
The cheapest 1-ton Bongo starts 960,000 won below the cheapest Porter, by our calculation. Trim names and equipment differ between the brands, so compare the items in each price list rather than the totals alone. We haven’t covered EV purchase subsidies here.
Are they sold outside Korea?
Kia Brazil’s official site lists a Kia Bongo under its light commercial vehicles. When we checked on October 22, 2026, it showed a 2.5-liter turbodiesel with 4×4. That’s a different powertrain from the LPG and electric Bongos sold in Korea, even though the name is the same.
We couldn’t confirm an export name for the Porter on an official Hyundai site, so we haven’t listed one. For passenger models, our model name lookup table and our list of models missing from the US, UK and Australia cover export names. Both leave out commercial vehicles like these trucks.
Which license covers them?
Annex 18 sets out which vehicles each Korean license class can drive. A Class 2 ordinary license (제2종 보통) covers trucks with a payload of up to 4 tons. A Class 1 ordinary license (제1종 보통) covers trucks with a payload under 12 tons.
Kia sells the Bongo as 1-ton and 1.2-ton versions, both well under the 4-ton Class 2 limit. Hyundai doesn’t publish the Porter’s payload, so confirm it for the truck you’ll drive. One exception in the annex’s notes matters for trucks: carrying certain hazardous goods in a truck rated up to 3 tons or 3,000 liters requires a Class 1 ordinary license.
Visitors face a separate rule. Article 96 of the Road Traffic Act bars drivers on an international permit or a recognized foreign license from driving vehicles registered for a passenger or freight transport business. Our guide to driving in Korea on an IDP explains that limit and its rental car exception. If you’re unsure whether a truck counts, ask the police or the Korea Road Traffic Authority (도로교통공단) before you drive it.
Searching in Korean
Korean listings, reviews and owner forums use 포터 (Porter) and 봉고 (Bongo). Add 일렉트릭 for the electric Porter or EV for the electric Bongo. Cab names help narrow a search: 더블캡 for a double cab, 슈퍼캡 or 킹캡 for the extended cabs.
Last checked: October 22, 2026. Sources: Hyundai Korea Porter II page (in Korean), with its spec, price and digital catalog pages and the Porter II Electric pages (price lists dated October 1, 2026); Kia Korea Bongo III spec page (in Korean), with its price pages and the Bongo III EV pages (price lists dated October 1, 2026); Kia Brazil Bongo page (in Portuguese); Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act, Annex 18, revised November 14, 2024 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Road Traffic Act, Article 96 (in Korean).
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