[From the Scene] SsangYong’s Changwon plant responsible for gasoline engines of SUV powerhouse

CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province -- An engine is often dubbed the “heart of a car” as it converts gasoline energy for motion. When it comes to sport utility vehicles, the performance of an engine is even more important because it decides their power. SsangYong Motor, with 30-year-history, has been churning out gasoline engines at its Changwon plant in South Gyeongsang Province.The plant, comprised of two units, spans over 111,500 square meters. The first factory is respo

Sept. 22, 2019

Hyundai Motor to donate $16 million for pediatric cancer research in US

Hyundai Motor America said Friday that it would donate $16 million this year to fund 76 research projects on children’s cancers.Of that amount, $13.2 million will be donated this month to support a pediatric cancer awareness campaign in the US, said Jose Munoz, CEO of Hyundai Motor’s North America regional office.  As part of its community outreach efforts, Hyundai and its dealerships have participated in the Hyundai Hope on Wheels fundraising project since 1998 to fight pediatr

Sept. 20, 2019

SK chief seeks business expansion in US, vows to invest $10b more

Introducing SK Group as a committed business in US, the group’s chief Chairman Chey Tae-won said the South Korean conglomerate would invest $10 billion in next three years in new growth engines.Chey accompanied by CEOs of SK’s subsidiaries, hosted an evening event in Washington on Thursday to present the future vision of the group and its investment plan in US, officials said.  Held in its office there, SK Night attendees included Karen Kelly, deputy secretary of Department of C

Sept. 20, 2019

GM Korea union to launch partial strikes over wages

Unionized workers at GM Korea Co. will stage partial strikes as wage negotiations stalled, the union said Thursday.GM Korea's union will strike for eight hours on Friday and then for six hours per day from Sept. 24-27 and will decide afterwards whether to continue strikes, the union said in a statement."We had a meeting with company officials, including President and CEO Kaher Kazem, but the company only said they will make efforts to accept our demands without giving any concrete time fram

Sept. 19, 2019

Hyundai to install advanced air bags

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday that it plans to install newly developed center-side air bags in its vehicles, without specifying the time frame or any model names.The group has two auto subsidiaries -- Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors.The center-side air bags, developed by in-house engineers, are intended to reduce injuries to drivers and front-seat passengers. This air bag prevents drivers and passengers from colliding during a crash and also protects a lone driver from the impact of glass frag

Sept. 18, 2019

Jeep Camp in Pyeongchang offers genuine off-road experience

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Korea, a local importer and distributor of the Italian-American auto brands, held a two-day event in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, offering a unique off-road experience with its signature Jeep.Held Sept. 7-8 at the famous ski resort Phoenix Pyeongchang, the 65-year-old festivities embodied the US brand’s adventurous spirit, the company said. This was the 14th consecutive year in which Fiat Chrysler held a Jeep Camp in South Korea, and it invited 300 teams with 1,

Sept. 16, 2019

SK Innovation to supply battery for Ferrari plug-in hybrid

SK Innovation Co. of South Korea has been picked to supply a battery pack for Ferrari's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, industry sources said Sunday.After two years of tests of various products, the Italian luxury sports carmaker has chosen SK Innovation as the supplier of the lithium-ion battery pack for its SF90 Stradale model, according to the sources. Germany's Daimler AG and Volkswagen and South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group have already used the firm

Sept. 15, 2019

Assembly opens hydrogen-refilling station

The first hydrogen-refilling station in the world to be built in a national legislature opened in Seoul on Tuesday, marking a step forward in the nation’s vision of creating a hydrogen economy.It is the first commercial hydrogen facility built in central Seoul, as well as the first case of the regulatory sandbox that lifted administrative hurdles to promote the use of hydrogen as traffic fuel, Hyundai Motor said in a statement.The H2 station was built by the South Korean carmaker, dubbed a

Sept. 10, 2019

Hyundai Motor’s Palisade receives Top Safety Pick+ award

Hyundai Motor’s sport utility vehicle Palisade has earned the Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US. The vehicle received the highest grade, “good,” from the IIHS in terms of crash protection in six categories, including the driver-side and passenger-side small overlap, roof hardness and seat safety. Its front collision avoidance system was rated as “advanced.” The Palisade is Hyundai Motor’s 13th vehicle to earn

Sept. 10, 2019

Hyundai, Kia invest in European EV charging venture for clean mobility

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors said Monday that they will invest in Ionity, a joint venture by the world’s leading automobile giants to build a pan-European high-power charging network for electric vehicles.Hyundai Motor Group, parent firm of the nation’s top two automakers, has acquired a 20 percent stake in the joint venture in an effort to demonstrate its commitment to clean mobility, the firms said. Details such as the value of the deal were not provided.  Ionity

Sept. 9, 2019

Genesis recruits world-renowned auto designer Filippo Perini

Hyundai Motor’s luxury brand Genesis said Monday that world-renowned auto designer Filippo Perini will head its design studio in Europe, as the brand tries to notch up its design competitiveness globally. Perini will begin his tenure on Sept. 16 as the chief designer of Global Genesis Advanced Design Studio in Europe, where he is expected to play a key role in designing vehicles and leading the future of smart mobility, Genesis said.The Italian designer has decades of experience in the Eur

Sept. 9, 2019

GM Korea workers stage full-scale strike over wage deal

Unionized workers at GM Korea Co. on Monday staged a full-scale strike for the first time in 22 years as they demand an increase in wages despite warnings from the company's global headquarters.  Some 8,000 workers participated in the walkout at the plants in Incheon, west of Seoul, and Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of the capital, and plan to continue to strike through Wednesday. The union launched four partial strikes last month and has been boycotting overtime work since Aug. 22. &q

Sept. 9, 2019

[Photo News] Hyundai collaborates to turn leftover leather into fashion

Models wearing clothes made from upcycled leather offcuts from car seats pose during Hyundai Motor’s upcycling fashion collection “Re:Style” at Public Hotel in Manhattan, New York, Friday. The automaker said it collaborated with New York-based fashion brand Zero + Maria Cornejo to create an eco-friendly fashion line using leftover leather supplied by its auto parts making unit Hyundai Transys. (ddd@heraldcorp.com)

Sept. 8, 2019

Nissan mulls withdrawal from Korea: reports

Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor is reportedly considering whether to pull out of the Korean market as sales dwindle amid the ongoing diplomatic and trade tensions between the neighboring countries.Multiple news outlets reported Sunday that Nissan’s decision-making officials have been reviewing whether to continue sales in Korea, as the Japanese carmaker has been hit hard by the nationwide boycott of Japanese goods here.Early in July, many here began a boycott of all things Japanese after th

Sept. 8, 2019

GM Korea’s union to stage all-out protest next week

Unionized workers at GM Korea said Friday they have decided to stage a full-time walkout for three days next week in protest against the rejection of their demands during wage negotiations with the management.This is the first time GM Korea workers will stage all-out protests, after the US carmaker acquired now-defunct Daewoo Motor in 2002.The union said it has 8,000 members from GM Korea and also 2,000 workers at GM Technical Center Korea. GM Korea currently has around 13,000 employees. Leaders

Sept. 6, 2019

Coupang launches special sales event for 1.2 million bedding items

Coupang, a leading e-commerce platform, said Friday it has launched a special sales event for a massive number of bedding items for the fall and winter seasons.Its online bedding store offers 1.2 million bedding products in 12 categories -- blankets, beddings, indoor bed tents, electric blankets and carpets.The main page of the category displays a fully furnished bedroom decorated with products so that customers can easily pick products of their choice.  “Coupang newly introduced the

Sept. 6, 2019

SsangYong’s Korando attains top safety rating in Europe

SsangYong Motor’s Korando has received the top safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Program, the company said Friday.The sport utility vehicle garnered five stars in all four categories, proving it has an excellent drive assist program and can protect passengers and pedestrians effectively, it added. “By securing various safety features such as Deep Control system, state-of-the-art vehicle control technology and the (greatest) number of air bags (in South Korea), Korand

Sept. 6, 2019

Han Sung Motor holds Chuseok event for GLC, E-Class customers

In celebration of the Chuseok holiday, Han Sung Motor, the largest official dealer of Mercedes-Benz in South Korea, is holding a promotional event for customers purchasing the GLC or the E-Class this month, the company said Friday. Each of these customers will receive a Mercedes-Benz trolley bag and the chance to enter a lucky draw. Fifty winners will receive invitations to Han Sung’s annual Oktoberfest event at the Grand Hyatt Seoul next month. The company also plans to hold a separate ev

Sept. 6, 2019

Kia hires ex-BMW, Infiniti designer

Kia Motors, sister company to Hyundai Motor, has hired Karim Habib, former designer for BMW and Infiniti, to fill an executive position at its design center. The Canadian designer built his career at BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti.At Infiniti, he worked on design projects including the electric vehicle concepts QX Inspiration and Prototype.Habib will work with Luc Donckerwolke, the former Bentley designer currently in charge of vehicle design for both Kia and Hyundai, the company said.By Cho Ch

Sept. 6, 2019

Kia Mohave scores 7,000 preorders, aims to sell 20,000

YEONGJONGDO, Incheon -- Kia Motors’ premium large sport utility vehicle Mohave has returned with a revamped look and high-tech features, along with an aim to sell 20,000 vehicles a year. The face-lifted SUV has already received 7,000 preorders in 11 days, according to Kwon Hyeok-ho, vice president of Kia Motors on Thursday.Styled as an urban vehicle, the Mohave face-lift embodies the carmaker’s future design direction built on its traditional frame body, he said. The number of preord

Sept. 5, 2019