Kia Soluto vs Hyundai Reina: Battle of the Korean subcompact sedans!

Before the Hyundai Reina and the Kia Soluto even came out, there were several cars in their price range that were competing in the subcompact sedan market segment.

But recently just this year, these two were released and of course, they rocked the boat so to speak and inevitably, they also went after each other in terms of sales and popularity.

The Kia Soluto launched last January and of course, everyone talked about the totally new nameplate that seemingly popped up out of the blue. It was really affordable, had a lot of onboard features and quite capable of driving within the city.

Only a day after the Soluto’s launch though, Hyundai launched the really similar Reina. How similar you ask?

Well, both cars make the same power, are both built in China, and they are even made on the same car platform which means they have the same handling characteristics. So if there are any differences between these two: Hyundai Reina vs Kia Soluto, it’s Philkotse.com's job to find out

2019 Hyundai Reina - First Drive Review

2019 Kia Soluto 1.4 LX A/T - Full Review

Now first things first; the looks. While both are very similarly sized, the Soluto and the Reina each have distinctive features of their brands. The Kia Soluto bears that very recognizable Kia feature upfront which is the “tiger-nose grille” and that notably large lower piece intake which also houses the fog lights.

The Reina also has that signature Hyundai grille which is usually seen from their vehicles that follow their Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language. Both have some sporty appeal to them and both are equally elegant.

A side view of the Kia Soluto

We prefer the shape of the Soluto’s front end, not that there’s anything wrong with the Hyundai Reina but the hood of the Kia vehicle seemingly has this lower profile shape that we like.

In terms of size though, this Chinese made, Korean branded sedans are virtually the same save for the Soluto’s width which is narrower by 5 mm.

These two vehicles also have the same silhouette and proportions

Some though have also had eventually brought up the Kia Soluto vs Mitsubishi Mirage G4 in several occasions and somehow we have to acknowledge that too as the Mitsubishi made Mirage also falls within their price range. Surprisingly though, the Mirage G4 is shorter, narrower, but a little bit higher than the Soluto and the Reina.

The rear end of the Kia Soluto

And the Hyundai Reina's

If you’re an avid reader of Philkotse.com, you might have read our Hyundai Reina Philippines reviews in the past where we had the opportunity to get up close with the aforementioned sedan. And one thing is for sure: while the Reina is overall a very good car, one weakness it has is its barebones interior features.

In comparison to the Kia Soluto, this is also where the slight price difference is factored in. While the Reina only has a 1-Din audio system with a Radio, the Soluto’s head unit is an excellent seven-inch touchscreen that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.  

In terms of comfort though, there’s no difference in the amount of legroom and headroom between these two models. Both have decent seats but in terms of design though, we actually prefer the Reina’s more angular interior features over the Soluto’s rounded ones which can be seen from the shape of the AC vents and on several other points on the dash.

Here's a view of the Soluto's dashboard and steering wheel

And here's the one on the Hyundai Reina

>>> Worth your note to check our other car comparison in the same segment: 

• Toyota Camry vs Subaru Legacy: Which rules the premium mid-sized sedans segment?
• Mirage G4 vs Vios: Who takes the honor in B-segment sedan?

From what we can glean from the table above, it is quite plain to see that the Soluto and the Reina have equal footing in terms of performance. Both cars, after all, are equipped with the same engines as such, it would be remiss of us to not mention the close relationship of Hyundai and Kia.

The former of which currently owns around 33.88% of Kia, while the latter in turns owns about 22 % of Hyundai. So yes, it would not be a stretch of the imagination to say that these companies not only share platforms but also specific engines and some technical know-how.

Here's the Kappa engine which uses the Atkinson Cycle. It powers both the Soluto and the Reina

Both the Hyundai Reina and the Kia Soluto also have the same set of available gearboxes: a 4-speed automatic and a 5-speed manual. And both are also practically the same in terms of under-chassis components. This means that if the Kia Soluto 2019 is a nimble, city going car that’d you’d want to daily, the same will go for the Hyundai Reina 2019.

In terms of safety equipment, it is plain to see that the Soluto has more in the form of an engine immobilizer. Apart from that, however, there’s not much one has over the other.  Both models have anti-lock braking systems, electronic locking doors, and the same amount of airbags.

To broaden your search with more options of Hyundai and Kia cars, kindly refer to our:

• Hyundai cars for sale section
• Kia cars for sale section

As you can already surmise, the Hyundai Reina and the Kia Soluto are very similar vehicles. Both are quite affordable, both offer decent comfort, and both can perform just about the same whether on tight city roads or on the highway.

Both aren’t very fast but will be very capable especially in a tighter urban setting. The Kia Soluto does have more in the way of on-board tech for both entertainment and safety. So when it comes down to it, it all boils down to the looks and which car brand you actually prefer as a buyer.

If you are still wander the best option for your next car, kindly refer to our Cars for sale section with the extensive listing of affordable vehicles in the Philippines

So, what is your choice between these two Korean-made sedans?