GM exec says R&D separation is essential to GM Korea's viability

General Motors Co. Vice President Barry Engle recently flew to South Korea to underscore the necessity of a separate R&D corporation for the viability of its loss-making South Korean unit, GM Korea said Wednesday. GM Korea didn't provide details of the GM executive's schedule in Korea but confirmed he had a meeting with Lee Dong-gull, chairman of the state-run Korea Development Bank, the second-biggest shareholder of the carmaker after GM.  General Motors Co. Vice President Barry Engle (Yonhap)T

Dec. 5, 2018

As Jaguar eyes driverless cars, steering wheels to stay: designer

As the global auto industry prepares to usher in the era of autonomous driving, carmakers are increasingly presenting concept cars with unique exterior and interior designs, breaking away from traditional style.Sharing his thoughts about the role of design in future mobility, legendary car designer with Jaguar Ian Callum said Wednesday that Jaguar’s driverless cars will be equipped with steering wheels, while acknowledging the silhouette of cars in general will undergo change.“I think it will be

Dec. 5, 2018

Hyundai Motor goes all-out in US marketing on signs of recovery

Encouraged by signs of improving sales in the US, South Korean automaker Hyundai is going trendy in marketing its next vehicles in the global market. According to Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, they sold a combined 102,600 units in the US in November, up 1.1 percent on-year. Hyundai Motor’s sales last month in the US market came to 57,082 units, up 3 percent on-year, while Kia Motors saw a 1.8 percent increase at 45,101 units. Increased sales in the US, largely due to the wider range of sport uti

Dec. 4, 2018

KAIST to help build science research institution in Kenya

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the nation’ first research-intensive institution established with a development loan from the US in 1971, will help the Kenyan government build a science research hub starting next year, it said Monday.KAIST has concluded a deal with the Kenyan government to build a science research institution with a 107 billion won ($95.7 million) loan from the South Korean government. KAIST leads a South Korean consortium that includes local builders and

Dec. 3, 2018

Genesis G70 named car of the year by US magazine

MotorTrend’s cover story on the Genesis G70 (Hyundai Motor)The 2019 Genesis G70, a sports sedan under Hyundai Motor’s Genesis marque, was named car of the year by US magazine MotorTrend last week, the company said Monday.The luxury sports sedan competed with 19 other car of the year award contenders, including the BMW3, in the magazine’s annual evaluation. It won the award for being the most competent, desirable and capable vehicle to debut for the 2019 model year, the magazine said in a stateme

Dec. 3, 2018

Hyundai, Kia carry out overseas executive reshuffles

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors conducted overseas executive reshuffles with the goal of strengthening their regional headquarters, the two companies said Friday. The latest change comes less than a month after similar reshuffles in China.Hyundai Motor Group said the purpose of the reshuffles was “to strengthen organizational agility to adapt to a rapidly-changing business environment.”Kim Seung-jin, new head of Hyundai Motor’s global operations division (Hyundai Motor)Hyundai Motor appointed Kim S

Nov. 30, 2018

Hyundai Motor to buy back $227.2m worth of shares amid skidding value

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s leading automotive firm, said Friday that it plans to repurchase 254.7 billion won ($227.2 million) worth of its shares in an effort to boost shareholder value and stabilize the value of its shares.“Repurchased shares will be used to strengthen shareholder value in the mid- to long term as part of efforts made since 2014 (to deliver) improved shareholder value,” Hyundai said.Last week Hyundai’s stock tumbled below 100,000 won per share for the first time in nine year

Nov. 30, 2018

Trump’s tweets on auto tariff further squeeze Korean carmakers

US President Donald Trump’s renewed threats of a tariff on imported vehicles have raised a red flag to South Korean carmakers already suffering from declining production in and out of the country, amid growing protectionist moves and fierce competition. The US president on Wednesday tweeted, in response to General Motors’ massive restructuring plan, that the US carmaker would not have to shut down plants in its home county if the same amount of tariffs were applied, referring to the “chicken tax

Nov. 29, 2018

Used-car market expands, with record sales forecast for 2018

The market for used cars is expanding rapidly, with anticipated sales this year likely to exceed the 2016 record of 3.78 million units, data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport showed Thursday.According to the ministry, 3.16 million used vehicles were registered upon purchase between January and October this year, up 1.2 percent from about 3.12 million tallied in the same time period last year.  An SK Encar representative inspects a used car. (SK Encar)Over the past five year

Nov. 29, 2018

Hyundai unveils Palisade SUV, Soul boxcar at LA auto show

Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea's largest automotive conglomerate, said Thursday it has unveiled the Palisade flagship sport-utility vehicle and the all-new Soul boxcar at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The conglomerate, which encompasses vehicle parts manufacturers and a steelmaker, plans to launch the Palisade SUV made by Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp.'s Soul in the United States and other markets next year to stimulate sales, the company said in a statement.  Hyundai Motor`s Palisade fla

Nov. 29, 2018

LG Innotek develops ultra-slim lighting module Nexlide-L

LG Innotek Co., an electronics part maker under LG Group, on Monday showcased an ultra-slim vehicle lighting module, Nexlide-L, paving the way for carmakers to develop automobiles with unique designs. (Yonhap)Nexlide is the brand name for LG Innotek‘s automotive LED lighting.LG said the latest product, Nexlide-L, is only 3 mm thick, which is significantly slimmer than the 8 mm thickness of existing models. This represents the thinnest LED lighting module in the market at present.The company said

Nov. 26, 2018

GM‘s Chevy launches new Malibu, seeks to ramp up sales in Korea

GM Korea, the local unit of the US automotive company General Motors, on Monday launched the new Malibu midsize sedan in hopes of boosting sales. the new Malibu (GM Korea)GM Korea said the new Malibu adopts Chevrolet’s latest family styling, including a cutting-edge powertrain lineup with improved efficiency and performance alongside upgraded safety with 10 air bags and Chevrolet’s new infotainment system.“Beloved by domestic customers with attractive design and outstanding driving performance,

Nov. 26, 2018

Supercar brands eye fast-growing Korean market

Lamborghini and other foreign supercar makers are ramping up efforts to tap the fast-growing South Korean market by unveiling new models, industry sources said Monday.Italian supercar brand Lamborghini recently held a Lamborghini Day event in Seoul to share its brand vision, strategy and plans with journalists and customers. It was Lamborghini's inaugural event in South Korea and the carmaker plans to hold it annually. From Left: Lamborghini`s super Urus SUV and Aventador SVJ (Yonhap)At the even

Nov. 26, 2018

[Behind the Wheel] QM6: French SUV offers perfect movie night

Fun driving doesn’t have to be all about speed and power. French sports utility vehicle QM6, for instance, offers premium audio inside the cabin, making every driving moment exquisite. Wherever you sit -- front or back – the QM6 delivers a premium sound quality, as if you are sitting on the center of a concert hall, thanks to 13 BOSE speakers that create deep base tone together with sophisticated sound. QM6 GDe are lined up for John Carney’s “Sing Street” at a drive-in theater in Seoul. Renault

Nov. 25, 2018

Hyundai Veloster N off to solid start in Korean market

Hyundai Motor Co.'s performance-oriented Veloster N coupe is off to a solid start in the South Korean market, having sold more than 1,000 units since its launch in June, industry sources said Sunday.Market watchers said that as of Wednesday, South Korea's No. 1 carmaker sold 1,007 units of the N-badged car. Hyundai had initially said it is launching the Veloster N here not to sell a lot of the cars but to showcase its technological prowess and bolster its corporate image among local consumers. I

Nov. 25, 2018

Renault opens vehicle test center in Daegu

French carmaker Renault has opened a vehicle test center in Daegu, southeast of Seoul, in partnership with the city government and the Korea Intelligent Automotive Promotion Institute, the company said in a statement.The center, Renault’s first test unit in Asia, will test vehicles under development in the Asia-Pacific region, it added. Renault Samsung CEO Dominique Signora speaks at the opening ceremony of Renault’s vehicle test center in Daegu, Friday. (Renault Samsung)Vehicles to be tested in

Nov. 23, 2018

GM names senior engineer as head of R&D unit in Korea

General Motors has nominated Roberto Rempel, executive chief engineer for small SUVs and mini vehicles, as the head of its R&D unit that it plans to spin off despite opposition from unionized workers and the state-run Korea Development Bank, the second-largest shareholder of the US carmaker’s South Korean unit.Rempel has been stationed in Korea since 2015. Roberto Rempe (GM Korea)“Roberto Rempel’s experience and deep knowledge of GM’s global engineering and the engineering capability in Korea wi

Nov. 21, 2018

Seoul starts to run hydrogen-powered city bus

The Seoul government said Wednesday that it has started the pilot operation of fuel-cell electric bus for a regular route, in an effort to test the viability of hydrogen-powered vehicles as public transportation in the city. The zero-emission bus developed by Hyundai Motor will travel from Yeomgok-dong, southern Seoul, to City Hall, four to five times a day. Five other major cities will also have a combined 30 hydrogen buses for pilot operations next year, said officials at the trade and environ

Nov. 21, 2018

Nissan chief Ghosn arrested over financial misconduct: reports

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) - Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn was reportedly under arrest in Tokyo on Monday, as his firm accused him of “significant acts of misconduct” and said it would seek to oust him.　Japan's public broadcaster NHK and other media outlets said Ghosn had been arrested after being questioned by Japanese prosecutors for various improprieties including underreporting his income.　“The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office arrested Nissan chairman Ghosn on suspicion of violation of the F

Nov. 19, 2018

Racing drivers clean up at WTCR with Hyundai’s i30 N

Racing teams working with South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor have come first and second overall in the World Touring Car Cup in their official debut season, the company said Monday.It added that a team run by Hyundai had also come second in the World Rally Championship. Hyundai Motor’s i20 rally car was photographed during the WRC Kennards Hire Rally Australia at Coffs Harbour last week. (Hyundai Motor)The team led by French auto-racing driver Yvan Muller, which uses a remodeled version of Hy

Nov. 19, 2018