Grandeur, Casper, Ray, K8 and K9 are everyday names in Korea. You won’t find any of them on Hyundai’s or Kia’s US, UK or Australian lineup pages.
We compared both brands’ current Korean lineups, leaving out commercial models, with their official US, UK and Australian lineups on October 14, 2026. This guide covers the five models that appear in Korea but on none of the other three, and what each one is.
How we decided what counts
A model made this list only if it was not listed on all three of these pages: the brand’s US vehicle lineup, its UK model range and its Australian model range. “Not listed” means just that. It doesn’t mean the car is sold nowhere else. We only checked these three markets.
We left out Genesis, which is a separate brand, along with taxis and commercial trucks and vans such as the Porter, Bongo, ST1 and PV5. The Staria and the Tasman stayed in the check, because Hyundai and Kia list them among their regular Korean models.
Cars that only change their name abroad, like the Avante (Elantra in the US) or the Morning (Picanto in the UK), aren’t on this list either. Our Hyundai and Kia name lookup table pairs those up.
Hyundai and Kia don’t publish reasons for leaving a model out of a market, so we haven’t guessed at any.
The list at a glance
Powertrains and sizes come from each brand’s Korean spec pages and price lists. Inch figures are our own conversions.
| Model | Korean | Type and length | Powertrains in Korea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Grandeur | 그랜저 | Sedan | 2.5 gas, 3.5 gas, 3.5 LPG, 1.6 turbo hybrid |
| Hyundai Casper | 캐스퍼 | Small car, 3,595 mm | 1.0 gas, 1.0 turbo |
| Kia Ray / Ray EV | 레이 | Light car, 3,595 mm | 1.0 gas, electric (35.2 kWh) |
| Kia K8 | K8 | Sedan, 5,050 mm | 2.5 gas, 3.5 gas, 3.5 LPG, 1.6 turbo hybrid |
| Kia K9 | K9 | Sedan, 5,140 mm | 3.8 gas, 3.3 turbo gas |
Two patterns stand out. Three of the five are sedans, and the other two are small cars sized for Korea’s light-car class. The Grandeur and the K8 are also both offered with an LPG engine in Korea.
Hyundai Grandeur
The Grandeur (그랜저) is sold in Korea as 더 뉴 그랜저 (The New Grandeur), with a separate hybrid model. Hyundai’s Korean price lists show 2.5 and 3.5 gas engines, a 3.5 LPG engine and a 1.6 turbo hybrid.
Hyundai’s global site says the Azera is badged as the Grandeur in some markets, including Korea. We sort out the two names in what happened to the Hyundai Azera.
Hyundai Casper
The Casper (캐스퍼) is a small car, 3,595 mm (141.5 in) long, sold through Hyundai’s separate Casper online store. Its Korean spec page for the 2027 model lists a 1.0 gas engine with 76 PS and a 1.0 turbo with 100 PS, and there’s also a van version.
By its listed size and engine, the gas Casper fits within the same light-car limits as the Kia Ray. Our Ray guide below sets out those limits.
Don’t confuse it with the Casper Electric. That’s a longer car with its own spec page, and it’s on Hyundai’s UK and Australian lineups as the Inster. Our Inster vs Casper Electric comparison shows how the versions differ by market.
Kia Ray and Ray EV
The Ray (레이) is a tall, boxy car that Kia lists in Korea’s light-car class. It’s 3,595 mm (141.5 in) long and 1,700 mm (66.9 in) high. It comes with a 1.0 gas engine or as the Ray EV with a 35.2 kWh battery, in passenger and van versions.
Our Kia Ray guide covers the light-car rules, the EV’s official range and how the Ray compares with the Morning and Casper.
Kia K8
The K8 is a large sedan, 5,050 mm (198.8 in) long on a 2,895 mm wheelbase. Kia’s Korean spec page for the 2027 K8 lists four powertrains:
- 2.5 gas: 198 PS, 8-speed automatic
- 3.5 gas: 300 PS, 8-speed automatic, with an AWD version
- 3.5 LPG: 240 PS, 8-speed automatic
- 1.6 turbo hybrid: 47.7 kW electric motor, 6-speed automatic
Kia K9
The K9 is the longest car on this list, at 5,140 mm (202.4 in), and it’s 1,915 mm wide on a 3,105 mm wheelbase. Kia’s spec page for the 2026 K9 lists two gas engines, a 3.8 with 315 PS and a 3.3 turbo with 370 PS, and no hybrid, LPG or electric version.
Close calls: models that appear in at least one market
These examples are on the Korean lineup and missing from one or two of the three markets, but listed in at least one:
- Hyundai Staria: listed in Australia, including people mover and Load van versions. Not on the US lineup, and marked “Coming soon” on the UK page.
- Kia Tasman: the pickup is listed in Australia in three body styles, but not in the US or UK.
- Hyundai Nexo: the hydrogen SUV is listed in the UK, but not in the US or Australia.
- Kia K5: listed in the US, but not in the UK or Australia.
Without Australia in the check, the Staria and the Tasman would both have made the main list.
Searching for these cars in Korean
Korean reviews, forums and used-car listings use the Korean names in the table above. For the Grandeur, search 그랜저, not Azera. For the Casper, check whether a listing says 캐스퍼 or 캐스퍼 일렉트릭, since those are different cars.
Korean listings often add a prefix such as 더 뉴 (The New) or 디 올 뉴 (The All-New). These usually mark a facelift or a new generation, not a different model. Drop the prefix and search the model name.
The name lookup table also has a search box. Type a Korean name in English or Hangul, or a US or UK name, and it finds the matching row.
Where to check the current lineups
Lineups change with every model year, so check the official pages before relying on this list:
- Korea: Hyundai catalog and price lists, the Hyundai Casper online store and Kia catalog and price lists (all in Korean)
- US: Hyundai USA vehicles and Kia US vehicles
- UK: Hyundai UK models and Kia UK new cars
- Australia: Hyundai Australia cars and Kia Australia (the full range is under the Vehicle menu)
Last checked: October 14, 2026, for the lineups and the Casper, K8 and K9 spec pages. Grandeur powertrains and the Azera note are from Hyundai Korea’s price lists and Hyundai’s global site (checked October 11, 2026). Ray figures and the light-car limits are from Kia Korea’s Ray and Ray EV spec pages and the Motor Vehicle Management Act enforcement rules (checked October 9, 2026). Sources: Hyundai Korea and Kia Korea catalog and price list pages, Hyundai Casper online store specification page, Kia Korea K8 and K9 specification pages, and the Hyundai and Kia vehicle lineup pages for the US, UK and Australia.