BMW’s best-selling sports sedan 3 series returns in 7th generation

BMW has unveiled the seventh generation of its best-selling 3 Series sports sedan, the automaker said Thursday.The premium sports sedan series has been the most popular since it was launched in 1975. In the past four decades, at least 15 million units have been sold globally. “The new 3 Series applied BMW’s unique design langauge based on the key concept of ‘precision and poetry.’ We tried to emphasize modern and concise design based on the exterior’s character line,” said a BMW designer Kim Nur

April 11, 2019

[News Analysis] Why SUVs are hot, while sedans are not

From Land Rover’s Range Rover to Hyundai Motor’s Palisade, sport utility vehicles dominate the streets of Seoul, like many other metropolitan cities nowadays.Rugged off-roaders are no longer limited to muddy tracks, steep hills or deep rivers. In fact, this all-terrain ability of SUVs has attracted drivers who prefer a comfortable and satisfying driving experience. The wide range of models -- from large vehicles and pickup trucks to compact crossovers -- gives customers a variety of choices in s

April 9, 2019

Hyundai, Kia’s SUV sales hit record high in US

Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors saw record-high first-quarter SUV sales in the US, where sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks are dominant, industry data showed Sunday. From January to March, Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 155,082 units of SUVs in the US, accounting for 8 percent of their total sales and marking the highest figure since 2011, when the combined figure for both companies was 10 percent.  Kia Motors’ Telluride (Kia Motors)SUVs also made up 53.8 percent of total

April 7, 2019

Hyundai Motor denies ‘advanced’ talks on Saudi plant

Hyundai Motor on Thursday denied that it was building a new manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, after a Cabinet member of the Middle Eastern country said in an interview there had been “advanced” talks on the matter. “We have always taken various plans for review to expand global sales,” said a company official. “There is no plan with regard to (making) investment in Saudi Arabia or any other advanced talks (about that) and we don’t have a plan to build a manufacturing plant there.” (Yonhap)The

April 4, 2019

BMW Korea names president as new CEO

BMW Group Korea, the local unit of the German luxury carmaker, has appointed President Han Sang-yun as the new CEO, the company said Monday.Current CEO and Chairman Kim Hyo-joon will continue to maintain his chairman status. He has led the company for the past 19 years as CEO.  BMW Group Korea CEO Han Sang-yun (BMW Korea)Han is an automobile veteran with 25 years of sales and marketing experience. He headed BMW Malaysia in 2016 and has served president since last year. “Based on Chairman Kim’s e

April 1, 2019

Carmakers present future of connected, sustainable mobility at Seoul Motor Show

ILSAN, Gyeonggi Province -- Envisioning the future of connected and sustainable mobility, an auto extravaganza kicks off Friday with carmakers around the world showcasing a variety of vehicles under development, concept cars and their vision for the world’s 10th largest car market. Taking place at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, 21 car manufacturers and 206 electric vehicle-only makers, parts makers and information technology companies will join the biannual Seoul Motor Show, with seven worl

March 28, 2019

Hyundai names new SUV entry Venue

Hyundai Motor has named its first sport utility vehicle entry model, codenamed “QX,” as Venue, breaking its tradition of naming SUVs after resort cities and luxury residential areas in US.Targeting consumers born after 1980, the carmaker said, “Venue will be marketed as a car that could bring them anywhere they wish to go, a special place where they can have hopes and dreams.”Hyundai’s existing SUVs have been named after US cities Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade.Venue will be unveiled at New

March 27, 2019

[Behind the Wheel] 8th-generation Sonata sets standard for smart mobility devices

Hyundai Motor’s eighth-generation all-new Sonata -- the vehicle’s first new version in five years -- has changed seemingly everything about the car except the name. It has undergone some drastic design changes, featuring hidden lighting and a coupe-like frame for the first time. It has adopted a sloping roofline and low deck lid to make the body look longer. The company said the new Sonata’s design, dubbed “Sensuous Sportiness,” was inspired by last year’s Le Fil Rouge concept that was f

March 27, 2019

Hyundai’s new entry SUV to be called Venue

Hyundai Motor said on March 27 that its all new entry-level sport utility vehicle, to be unveiled at the New York auto show, will be called the Venue. 　South Korea’s largest carmaker said the small crossover, which sits below the subcompact Kona, targets younger people in their 20s and 30s. The vehicle will reach the global market this year.　The company didn’t provide further details, such as the dimensions, powertrain and price of its new car.  　In recent years, the Korean carmaker has strength

March 27, 2019

GM to open Asia-Pacific regional office in S. Korea

General Motors Co. will open its Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in South Korea this week in a move to show its commitment to the local market, the carmaker said Tuesday. The Asia-Pacific regional headquarters will be responsible for managing production, sales, marketing and finances for GM operations in the Asia-Pacific region except China, a GM Korea spokesman said over the phone. The head office is scheduled to open in GM Korea's main Bupyeong plant in Incheon, just west of Seoul, on Thurs

March 26, 2019

BMW highlights heritage and future at Seoul Motor Show

For retro and futuristic vehicle fans alike, BMW Korea will have them covered with 29 new models showcased at the upcoming Seoul Motor Show, to be held in Kintex from Friday, the automaker said Tuesday.In line with BMW Korea’s slogan for the tradeshow -- “Connect with the future of BMW” -- BMW Korea will unveil its BMW i Vision Dynamics and concept model M8 Gran Coupe, displaying the future mobility and design direction of the auto giant. Also at the event, it will unveil for the first time in A

March 26, 2019

SsangYong lauds outgoing CEO for company revival

Despite a slowing economy and growing uncertainties for market growth, South Korean SUV maker SsangYong has put its business back on track in the last four years, the company said Tuesday, crediting its CEO’s leadership for its revival.SsangYong Motor CEO and President Choi Johng-sik joined the carmaker in 2010 as domestic sales head and was appointed to the top post in 2015. The CEO with 43 years of experience in the local auto market has realigned SsangYong’s SUV lineup entirely, set a sales r

March 26, 2019

LG chairman vows sustainable, transparent management

Chairman Koo Kwang-mo of LG Corp., the holding company of LG Group, on Tuesday vowed to pursue sustainable and transparent management to increase public trust in the nation’s fourth-largest conglomerate, while taking pre-emptive measures to take the lead in the fast-changing market.In a statement read by Vice Chairman Kwon Young-soo during the annual shareholders meeting, the chairman said the conglomerate was facing pressure from the changing times, with technological convergence fast reshaping

March 26, 2019

Jaguar Land Rover Korea introduces upgraded Velar

Automobile lovers in South Korea are about to be presented a feast for the eyes with a luxury crossover SUV built with a V8 supercharged engine and diamond-quilted leather interior.Jaguar Land Rover Korea will launch the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition at the Seoul Motor Show, set to begin Friday at Kintex. The new Range Rover Velar SVA-D has been dubbed the top Velar model produced by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team. It is an optimized version of the existing Rang

March 24, 2019

Hyundai Motor shareholders reject Elliott's dividend plans, board member candidates

Ending weeks of arguments over the adequacy of Hyundai Motor’s dividend plans, shareholders on Friday rejected a proposal by US activist investor Elliott Management that urged it to provide a combined 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion) dividends to investors this year.At an annual shareholders meeting held at the carmaker’s headquarters in Seoul, 86 percent of the shareholders voted for Hyundai’s plan of offering 1.1 trillion won in dividends while 14 percent stood by Elliott’s proposals.Shareholde

March 22, 2019

Panel to shape Posco’s new CSR vision

Posco has launched a new committee consisting of outside directors and scholars to enhance the steelmaker’s presence as a socially responsible company, the company said Thursday.The seven-member Corporate Citizenship Committee is chaired by former Sungkyunkwan University President Kim Jun-young, with professor Chang Sea-jin of the National University of Singapore and professor Kim In-hoe of Inha University’s law school serving as panelists. Kim Jun-young, chairman of Posco’s Corporate Citizenshi

March 21, 2019

Hyundai sets new Sonata sales target at 70,000 this year

Hoping to pick up the declining sales of midsize sedans, Hyundai Motor on Thursday said it has set the 2019 sales target of more than 70,000 units for the eighth-generation Sonata, a signature vehicle for more than three decades through which it has built its reputation.“By setting the sales target at 70,000 units this year, excluding (the number of vehicles to be sold) for commercial use, (Hyundai) will cement its No. 1 position in the sedan segment,” said Lee Kwang-guk, vice president for the

March 21, 2019

Hankook Tire strives to be global top-tier OE tire maker

South Korea’s leading tire manufacturer, Hankook Tire, is currently ramping up its research and development efforts in hopes of becoming a world-leading maker of original equipment tires. Hankook Tire is known for supplying original equipment tires to many domestic and foreign automakers. Currently, the company supplies OE tires for models such as BMW’s flagship New BMW 7 Series and the Audi RS5 Coupe.It also recently signed a supply contract for the 2019 Nissan Altima, which will feature the co

March 19, 2019

US states launch investigation into Hyundai, Kia fires

An undisclosed number of US states have launched an investigation into "spontaneous fires" involving cars made by Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp.Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Monday that the investigation is looking into "potential Unfair and Deceptive Acts or Practices" by the South Korean carmakers."My office is one of the leaders of an ongoing multistate investigation into deeply troubling reports of spontaneous fires in Hyundai and Kia vehicles," he said in a statemen

March 19, 2019

Hyundai adopts 3rd-generation platform, starting with revamped Sonata

Hyundai Motor has developed a third-generation platform and used it for the all-new Sonata, set to be launched later this month here, the company said Wednesday.By using ultra-strength and hot-stamped steel, the platform is 10 percent stronger and 55 kilograms lighter than before, it added. (Yonhap)The new platform will help the carmaker design and manufacture safer, energy-efficient and more powerful vehicles. It is the basis of improving the carmaker’s performance and reduce air resistance.The

March 13, 2019