Porsche unveils first-ever electric sports car Taycan

FUZHOU, China -- German super car maker Porsche unveiled its first electricity-powered sports car Taycan on Wednesday, combining the premium brand’s heritage and innovation in terms of sustainability and digitalization. The world premiere of Taycan was held simultaneously in three countries -- the US, Germany and China -- given the three countries’ importance as markets for electric cars. According to Porsche, the four-door sports saloon is the first EV in the market that u

Sept. 5, 2019

GM Korea launches Chevrolet Traverse for growing large-SUV market

SOKCHO, Gangwon Province -- Targeting a young market that is led by Hyundai’s first large sport utility vehicle the Palisade, GM Korea on Wednesday launched the Chevrolet Traverse, highlighting its “aggressive” price strategy, quality features and American heritage.Introducing the vehicle as a “super SUV,” the carmaker said the Traverse will expand the choice of Korean customers wanting to experience premium outdoor activities with driving convenience. The three-row

Sept. 4, 2019

Renault Samsung stands out in crowd with deep localization

While it may not have the largest market share in South Korea, Renault Samsung Motors is playing a significant role with its active localization efforts.The local unit of French automaker Renault Group operates a plant in Busan that was ranked No. 8 for productivity out of 148 automobile plants worldwide in a 2016 evaluation by the Harbour Report.The company also contributes to the local economy. In 2017 it brought in more than 2.44 trillion won ($2 billion) for its suppliers, up 11.3 percent on

Sept. 4, 2019

Aug. foreign car sales dip 5.6% on weak Japanese car demand

Imported vehicle sales in South Korea fell 5.6 percent last month due to a slump in sales of Japanese vehicles amid trade tension with Japan, industry data showed Wednesday.The number of newly registered foreign vehicles stood at 18,112 in August, down from 19,206 a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association.  Weak demand for Japanese cars led the overall decline. Sparked by Japan's July trade restrictions against South Korea, anti

Sept. 4, 2019

[News Focus] No-strike, wage deal clears hurdle for Hyundai Motor in H2

Unionized workers and the management at Hyundai Motor reached an agreement early Tuesday on this year’s wages, after the union voted not to stage sit-in protests amid intensifying uncertainties over the business environment and the local auto industry. In a vote held Monday, 56 percent of Hyundai Motor workers approved a revised wage and collective bargaining deal, according to the union. The union formally approved the management’s proposal without a strike for the first time in eig

Sept. 3, 2019

Hyundai Motor union OKs wage deal without strike

Hyundai Motor Co.'s union approved this year's wage and collective bargaining agreement, avoiding a strike for the eighth consecutive year, the union said Tuesday.In a vote held Monday, 56 percent of 43,871 participating Hyundai workers cast a ballot for a revised wage and collective bargaining deal, the union said in a statement.  "The union has voted to finally approve the company's revised proposals as uncertainties in business environments grow further due to an escalating US-China

Sept. 3, 2019

Hyundai’s sales in Europe race ahead of Toyota, Honda

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday that sales of its cars in Western Europe have surpassed that of Japanese rivals Toyota Motor and Honda Motor over the last 7 1/2 years. Its auto affiliates -- Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors -- sold 552,701 cars in the January to June period, about 70,000 more than those sold by Toyota and Honda. The two carmakers together make up roughly 6 percent of all automobiles sold in Western Europe.In the first half of this year, the combined sales of Hyundai and Ki

Sept. 2, 2019

Hyundai's Aug. sales fall 6.2% on low emerging market demand

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest carmaker, said Monday its sales fell 6.2 percent last month from a year earlier due to lower demand in emerging markets. Hyundai Motor sold 363,045 vehicles in August, down from 386,885 units a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Domestic sales declined 9.7 percent to 52,897 units last month from 58,582 a year ago, while overseas sales were down 5.5 percent to 310,148 from 328,303 over the cited period, the statement said."Lower demand in

Sept. 2, 2019

Volkswagen to bolster SUV lineup with launch of five new models by 2020

Volkswagen plans to launch five more models of sport utility vehicles in Korea by 2020 to bolster its SUV lineup, the head of the automaker said Thursday.Amid increasing demand for larger multipurpose SUVs here, the company will relaunch its bestselling model Tiguan in October and the third-generation Touareg in November.The compact SUV T-Roc, large SUV Teramont and upgraded seven-seater Tiguan Allspace will be launched next year, completing the German carmaker’s SUV lineup here with vario

Aug. 30, 2019

Hyundai Motor introduces new commercial vehicles Pavise, County EV

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday unveiled two new mass-produced commercial vehicles, midsized truck Pavise and electric bus County EV, under a plan to complete its commercial vehicle lineups by 2025. In 2017, Hyundai Motor has introduced its first-ever zero emission electric bus, called Elec City, and test-operated it during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. According to Hyundai Motor, it plans to release 17 types of eco-friendly commercial vehicles by 2025, un

Aug. 29, 2019

[From the Scene] Where 20,000 BMW auto parts are sent out daily

Anseong, GYEONGGI PROVINCE -- BMW’s Regional Distribution Center in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, can be described as an automotive version of Amazon’s warehouses. It opened in 2017 to facilitate auto parts supply for customer satisfaction. Piles of cardboard boxes of different sizes are stacked on shelves at the BMW RDC, where approximately 20,000 lines, or auto parts, are sent daily to dealerships nationwide. Each employee works with a handy scanner, moving on personal cart

Aug. 28, 2019

Making a U-turn, Hyundai Mobis to build new EV parts plant in Ulsan

Marking the first case of a Korean conglomerate bringing its overseas manufacturing facility back home, Hyundai Mobis said Wednesday it will build a new plant to produce electric vehicle components in Ulsan, injecting 300 billion won ($247 million) in fresh investments.The new plant will be capable of producing core EV parts for 100,000 vehicles a year, with its operation starting in 2021, the company said.The auto parts maker’s decision of making a “U-turn” investment raises h

Aug. 28, 2019

Hyundai Motor union OKs tentative wage deal without strike

Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co. have reached a tentative wage and collective bargaining agreement, averting strikes for the first time in eight years, the company and the union said Wednesday.  "The union has decided to accept the company's revised proposals as uncertainties in business environments grow further due to uncertain political and economic situation stemming from an escalating US-China trade war and Japan's restrictions on exports (of key materials) to Korea," u

Aug. 28, 2019

Hyundai Motor’s built-in type foldable e-scooter unveiled

Hyundai Motor Group unveiled Tuesday a prototype of a foldable electronic scooter that can be charged by using electricity from Hyundai and Kia Motor vehicles.According to Hyundai Motor, the latest e-scooter will be built into Hyundai and Kia Motor vehicles and can be automatically charged by using electricity generated from driving a vehicle. Hyundai’s e-scooter runs on a 10.5Ah lithium-ion battery, allowing a 20 kilometer range on single charge. The top speed will be 20 kilometers per ho

Aug. 27, 2019

Volvo’s premium sedan the New S60 lands in Korea

Swedish carmaker Volvo’s third-generation midsized premium sedan the New V60 launched in South Korea on Tuesday, billed by the company as a reasonably priced model with an iconic Scandinavian design.The carmaker said the New S60’s exterior had been completely redone for the first time in eight years. Its vertically arranged front grille and Thor’s hammer-style LED headlights give the New S60 a stronger, bolder and sportier look, the firm said.Compared with its predecessor, the

Aug. 27, 2019

Renault Samsung may slash jobs; others consider restructuring

Carmakers here are mulling job cuts and restructuring as they enter the fog of uncertainties over a sharp drop in sales, continued confrontations with labor and the delayed launches of some new vehicles.Renault Samsung Motors, the Korean unit of the French carmaker, said Sunday that it may consider slashing jobs in response to declining production volume at its plant in Busan and sluggish sales. The management met union representatives last week to notify the union of its plan to reduce producti

Aug. 26, 2019

[Photo news] GM Korea launches Chevrolet Colorado in Korea

Brent Deep, vehicle performance manager at GM North American Headquarters, presents Chevrolet’s Colorado at Welli Hilli Park in Gangwon Province on Monday. GM Korea launched the US-made Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck in hopes for it to perk up lackluster sales. The Colorado pickup comes with a 3.6-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine with up to 312 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The pickup truck segment now accounts for 2 percent of the country’s automobile mark

Aug. 26, 2019

Hyundai Motor opens hydrogen showroom in Shanghai

Hyundai Motor has opened a multimedia showroom in Shanghai to promote its hydrogen technology for the next two weeks, the company said Monday.Named Hyundai Hydrogen World, the showroom will display the South Korean automaker’s technologies in fuel-cell electric vehicles powered by hydrogen and its vision for the hydrogen economy, officials said. The 406-square-meter space has five zones to demonstrate air purification function developed for its latest FCEV Nexo, and to visualize the concep

Aug. 26, 2019

[Behind the Wheel] Korando gasoline upgrades style, sophistication

The name Korando, SsangYong Motor’s signature sport utility brand and the oldest such brand in Korea, has represented power, firmness and masculinity for the last 37 years. The all-new Korando that returned to the market early this year after an eight-year hiatus, however, flips the common image of the SUV on its head. It is stylish and sophisticated, yet affordable. The Korando gasoline model, launched six months after the 2.0-liter diesel version, showed no major flaws throughout the med

Aug. 25, 2019

Kia’s Soul EV picked ‘most competitive compact EV’ by Auto Zeitung

Kia Motors said Sunday its subcompact crossover Soul EV has been picked as the most competitive compact-size electric vehicle by German automotive magazine Auto Zeitung, beating rivals including BMW’s i3s and Nissan’s Leaf e+.  Soul EV received the highest marks in most evaluation categories including body, driving comfort, powertrain and environment/cost, except in driving dynamics, winning 2,989 out of 5,000 points. BMW’s i3s and Nissan’s Leaf e+ received 2,894 poi

Aug. 25, 2019