As far as we can tell, the two sides of the Hyundai Kia Automotive group meet only over the chairman's desk.
Oh, they share the huge Technical Centre at Namyang, Korea. The basic technical building blocks - platforms, drive trains, suspension component sets - are also common amongst various models.
But according to top-level people I speak with in the Canadian divisions of both companies, they market independently.
Still, when you see Kia Canada's latest marketing initiative, you have to wonder.
Or maybe they just watch American TV?
Because Kia Canada has just instituted a program which has been very successful for Hyundai in the United States - buy or lease a new Kia, and if you lose your job in the next 12 months, they'll take the car back.
John Verniel of Hyundai Canada says they looked into the program too, but felt that the Canadian marketplace was different, that there wasn't the same degree of concern about job loss here as there is down there.
Obviously, Kia Canada's marketing people think differently.
Any marketing program costs money - you display in an Auto Show, you run a rebate program, you advertise, run a media event, whatever. For something like this, you might put aside some cash reserves to cover the potential losses.
You decide what you think will work for your brand, and put your resources there.
Given that I am not convinced that the marketplace yet makes a huge brand identity distinction between Hyundai and Kia, at least where the product lines overlap (is there anyone driving a Hyundai Accent who wouldn't be caught dead in a Kia Rio?) it'll be interesting to see over the next few months how the respective brands do sales-wise.
One thing for sure - if Hyundai Canada adopts the program in a few weeks, we'll have our answer.
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