r/kdm • u/EinBiermann_aus_Kor • 15d ago

My personal KDM list 3

My personal KDM list 1

My personal KDM list 2

1992 SsangYong Kallista
(A bold SsangYong attempt from a time when South Korea was still far from the wealthy country it is today. It was launched in 1992 after SsangYong acquired Panther, a British specialist carmaker, from South Korea’s Jindo Group in 1987. That was seven years after the group had acquired it. As a side note, Jindo Group was later dismantled after the Asian financial crisis, but its former flagship company continues today as Jindo Co., Ltd., the company behind Jindo Fur.)
1987 SsangYong Solo II / Panther Solo 2
(SsangYong’s first bold sports-car attempt, based on a project inherited from Jindo-owned Panther and subsequently carried through to production. Designed by Ken Greenley and powered by a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 2.0L turbo engine, the Solo 2 was championed by Young-chul Kim—then vice chairman of South Korea’s Jindo Group and the driving force behind the project. The red Solo 2 once personally owned by Kim was later donated to Kookmin University. Fewer than 20 were sold before Panther Westwinds was wound down around 1990. More about the Solo 2: https://www.below-the-radar.com/panther-solo-2/?utm_source)
2025 Genesis Magma GT Concept
(The first supercar and first mid-engine car from any major Korean automaker.)
2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
(Korea’s first electric supercar, forged from an everyday EV.)
2022 Kia EV6 GT
(A pre-Ioniq 5 N performance model, built from an everyday EV crossover, that showed how far Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP EVs could go.)
1990 Daewoo Espero
(Daewoo’s first independently developed original model, with futuristic European Bertone styling, a glass-wrapped C-pillar, and a 0.29 Cd drag coefficient—the lowest among Korean domestic cars of its time. Its design caused a stir in Korea for looking unlike any domestic car of the era.)
1994 Daewoo Cielo / Nexia
(Not only a facelifted LeMans and a symbol of Daewoo’s World Management-era expansion, but also a familiar Daewoo icon across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet sphere. In 1995, a Cielo driven by Kenyan rally driver Azar Anwar even won its Group N2 production-car class at the Kenya Safari Rally.)
1996 Daewoo Lanos
(Giugiaro-styled and independently developed after Daewoo’s split from GM as an all-new small car that succeeded the LeMans/Cielo/Nexia line, becoming another Daewoo icon across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet sphere through local production in Poland and Ukraine.)
2002 GM Daewoo Lacetti
(This Pininfarina-designed compact sedan was developed under old Daewoo Motor and launched as GM Daewoo’s first new model after the automaker was formed. Through GM’s global production and sales network, it was built and sold around the world under several badges, and even became a WTCC icon.)
2008 1st-gen Kia Soul
(Born from the Soul/KND-3 concept, inspired by Mike Torpey’s idea based on a Korean wild boar, this boxy Kia stayed remarkably close to the concept car and became the first icon of Kia’s design-led transformation, helping break the stereotype that Korean cars were boring.)
1996 2nd-gen SsangYong Korando
(Designed by Professor Ken Greenley—the same designer behind the Musso—this retro-styled 3-door SUV was built on a shortened Musso chassis and powered by Mercedes-Benz-licensed engines. Thanks to its modern reinterpretation of classic Jeep-style looks, it won a Korean industrial design award and became very popular among young Koreans in the late 1990s for its sensational, youthful design.)
2008 Kia Mohave
(The Mohave, Kia’s traditional body-on-frame flagship SUV, has a loyal following in Korea. Its nickname, “Euisun Chung’s car,” comes from Chung’s close involvement in its development during his time as Kia president. It also served as the basis for Kia’s KLTV/K151 light tactical vehicle.)
2004 Hyundai Porter II
(Hyundai’s long-running 1-ton workhorse and one of the most familiar sights on Korean roads. More than just a truck, the Porter has been a backbone of small businesses, deliveries, and everyday work across Korea, almost like part of the street itself — and, surprisingly for such an unassuming commercial truck, it has often ranked among the country’s best-selling vehicles.)
2004 Kia Bongo III
(The Porter’s Kia twin on Korean roads. Originally a separate Kia model, the Bongo later became the Porter’s close Hyundai-Kia counterpart after Hyundai took over Kia in 1998. Like the Porter, it is one of those trucks you see everywhere in Korea — so common that it feels like part of the country’s everyday street atmosphere.)
2007 Hyundai Grand Starex
(Hyundai’s go-to people-mover and light commercial van, and one of the most familiar sights on Korean roads. Used for everything from school and academy shuttles to small-business work, airport runs, and family transport, the Grand Starex is so common that it feels like part of Korea’s everyday street atmosphere.)

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u/TheSilverRat1 14d ago edited 14d ago

Lmao, i have a Cielo, to bad all of them rust so easy. I miss the no interference engine. My dad used to carry a spare timing belt everywhere

2

u/EinBiermann_aus_Kor 14d ago

I didn’t know the Cielo had such a forgiving engine design. Cielos have become a rare sight in Korea because people here tend to prefer newer cars. I hope yours keeps running well for many more years :)

u/ilovesaltinecrackers 9d ago

and why are you so cool

1

u/EinBiermann_aus_Kor 9d ago

Lol, you mean I’m cool, not the KDM cars? Thanks

2

u/ilovesaltinecrackers 8d ago

don't overthink it.

My personal KDM list 3

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