[Weekender] Gliding through the city in style

It’s the coolest thing on the street. Whether on one or two-wheeled devices powered by rechargeable batteries, people who use personal transporters definitely draw attention. And clearly they’ve changed the landscape of urban streets, especially Seoul. Twenty-something guys in chino pants and graphic T-shirts effortlessly glide through the forest of concrete buildings, while people on foot wipe off their sweat and try to walk as fast as they can to get to their destinations on time. They look li

Aug. 23, 2018

[Eye Plus] Feel wind and chills on a go-kart

Here’s a suggestion for excitement seekers and adventurers looking for an activity to relish the last days of the scorching summer before bringing on the fall: go-kart racing.The go-kart racing experience center located at Songpa Tancheon parking lot, near Jamsil Sports Complex in eastern Seoul, is the place to go for drivers of all ages, literally, as it does not require a driver’s license to hop on the mini race cars.The degree of competition and thrill behind the wheel are second only to Form

Aug. 23, 2018

Kia workers reach tentative wage deal

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest carmaker, said Wednesday that it has tentatively reached a wage deal for this year.Under the deal, the carmaker offered to raise workers' basic monthly wage by 45,000 won ($40) and provide bonuses worth 250 percent of basic pay plus 2.8 million won in extra compensation. (Herald DB)Kia Motors' 28,800-strong union is set to vote Monday on whether to accept the tentative agreement.The maker of the K5 sedan and the Soul boxcar sold 1.62 million cars in

Aug. 22, 2018

Hyundai Mobis invests W8b in local startup for self-driving AI tech

Hyundai Mobis, an auto parts supplier, has inked an investment deal worth 8 billion won ($7.1 million) with the Korean startup StradVision, which develops deep learning-based object detection and recognition technology, the company said Wednesday.The latest move comes as the company has vowed to develop sensors required for self-driving, such as lidar and radar, by 2020. StradVision was established in 2014 by graduates of the Pohang University of Science and Technology. It owns deep learning-bas

Aug. 22, 2018

Hyundai’s self-driving truck completes test run

A self-driving truck by Hyundai Motor completed a 40-kilometer highway drive south of Seoul, in the first successful test-run of an autonomous truck here, the company said Wednesday.The 40-ton Xcient, linked with a trailer, was operated with level 3 of autonomy at a maximum speed of 90 kph. The company applied differentiated sensing technology and a control system by attaching 10 sensors including three cameras, two radars and three lidar sets on the front.  A self-driving truck is tested with a

Aug. 22, 2018

FCA Korea releases all-new Wrangler SUV

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Korea has released the all-new Jeep Wrangler, revamped 11 years after its previous model, in hopes of boosting demand for off-road driving, the company said Tuesday.The latest 4x4 sport utility vehicle was revealed at the 2017 LA Motor Show. The carmaker described it as the model that created the SUV segment and the first to introduce the concept of off-road driving.Amid an increase in demand among off-road drivers, 1,425 units of the Wrangler were sold in 2017, up 40.6

Aug. 21, 2018

Samsung denies rumors of acquiring car manufacturer

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that it would not be acquiring a major car manufacturer, refuting market rumors that the South Korean tech giant might re-enter the automobile business.In a message to its workers, the company said it has no plans to manufacture electric vehicles and self-driving cars, or acquire related companies. (AFP)The company will instead focus on the development of displays and chips for a self-driving control system as part of its automotive business, it added.Rumors of S

Aug. 21, 2018

BMW was uncooperative with fire investigation: authorities

The Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KOTSA) under the Transport Ministry on Monday said BMW Korea was uncooperative in transferring technical documents needed to look into engine fires prior to official orders by the ministry.“We confirmed irregularities in the BMW 520d frequently catching fire this June and requested BMW Korea for technical documents on June 25, July 5 and July 19. But BMW Korea did not transfer the files and in some cases, parts of the documents were missing,” said Kwon

Aug. 21, 2018

Transport agency to look into cause of BMW car fires by December

A public transportation agency said Monday it will closely look into the engine fires involving dozens of BMW vehicles with an aim to determine the exact cause by December.  A BMW 520d vehicle is on fire on a highway in North Gyeongsang Province on Monday. YonhapIn a press conference held in Government Complex Sejong, 120 kilometers south of Seoul, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) said it has demanded additional documents involving recent vehicle fires and purchased three second-ha

Aug. 20, 2018

[Behind The Wheel] Revised Tucson: smoother, edgier and interactive

The midsized sport utility vehicle Tucson is the most popular Hyundai Motor product in the world. The South Korean carmaker sold more than 640,000 units globally last year alone -- around 8 percent of its annual sales. And such a title must have had its engineers racking their brains in order to keep its popularity afloat with a newer design and novel features. Rather than a dramatic transformation, however, Hyundai appears to have gone back to the basics.  The new Tucson runs on the highway con

Aug. 20, 2018

Hyundai Motor invests in Indian car-sharing firm

Hyundai Motor has invested in Revv, the second-largest car-sharing company in India, making its first move into the country’s emerging mobility market.The company declined to comment on the size of investment. Koo Young-ki, head of Hyundai Motor India shakes hands with Karan Jain, co-founder of Revv at the carmaker's product quality center in India. Next to Jain is Anupam Agarwal, also a co-founder of Revv. (Hyundai Motor)Launched in 2015, Revv provides car sharing services in 11 cities in India

Aug. 20, 2018

Hyundai, Kia to provide free safety checkups

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, South Korea’s top two automakers, will offer safety inspections of old vehicles free of charge in response to inquiries about vehicles catching fire, the company said Monday.The inspections are starting up in the wake of recent BMW engine fires, which have left drivers here increasingly concerned.Hyundai and Kia vehicles that have been on the roads for at least eight years are eligible for checkups through the end of November at 22 Hyundai service centers and some 1

Aug. 20, 2018

South Korea on alert for vehicle fires: Chrysler sedan catches fire

With Korean drivers on alert for vehicles catching fire in the midst of the BMW engine fire crisis, reports of fires breaking out at vehicles manufacture red by other automakers have been making the rounds recently, reflecting the public’s raised concerns.The most recent case was a fire that reportedly started in the engine of a Chrysler 300C sedan after showing signs of malfunction, according to a local fire department on Sunday. “We are investigating what started the fire in the engine room of

Aug. 19, 2018

Number of new jobs lowest in 8 years

The number of new jobs in July was the lowest in eight years, despite job creation being a priority of the Moon Jae-in administration, data showed Friday.(Yonhap)According to Statistics Korea, the number of newly added jobs last month increased 5,000 from the same month last year, marking the smallest gain on-year since January 2010 when the nation was suffering from the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis.The number of unemployed remained around 1 million for the seventh consecutive m

Aug. 17, 2018

[Newsmaker] BMW blames Koreans’ driving for fires: report

Controversy escalated here on Friday over a BMW executive’s comments, apparently blaming South Koreans’ driving for the vehicles catching fire.In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, BMW spokesperson Jochen Frey identified “local traffic conditions” and Koreans’ “driving style“ as two of the many reasons for a series of incidents where BMW cars burst into flames here. This file photo dated Aug. 13 shows a BMW M3 vehicle that burst in to flames while on highway. (Yonhap)The local branch of t

Aug. 17, 2018

Owners demand government to conduct extensive tests on BMW cars

BMW owners, who have filed a criminal suit against the German luxury carmaker over fire-prone vehicles, on Thursday urged authorities to conduct simulations and stress tests on models subject for recall, citing their psychological damage and the need for an acceptable explanation.They also downplayed recent speculations by some experts that the fires may be caused by software manipulation, instead stressing they believe the problem lies with a defective exhaust gas recirculation module.Speaking

Aug. 16, 2018

[Behind the Wheel] Volvo enters compact SUV market with XC40

POCHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- Sweden-based carmaker Volvo has completed its sport utility vehicle lineup with the launch of the XC40, stepping into the compact SUV market for the first time in the carmaker’s 90-year history. The XC40 is smallest in the XC family consisting of the flagship large-size SUV XC 90 and XC60 midsize SUV.In the hope of continuing popularity garnered by the XC60 last year, the XC40 was released here in June, targeting younger drivers. The Korea Herald had a chance to tes

Aug. 15, 2018

Mystery of BMW fires deepens

A BMW vehicle not subject to the carmaker’s nationwide recall caught fire Wednesday, deepening the mystery of the cause of a series of incidents that have fueled safety concerns here.　A BMW X1 vehicle burst into flames while traveling near a village in Imsil country of North Jeolla Province at 4:17 a.m., according to police and firefighters. No injury was reported. The vehicle, manufactured in 2012, is the 40th BMW vehicle to have caught fire this year. However, the compact SUV powered by a dies

Aug. 15, 2018

Another BMW car catches fire amid safety scandal

A BMW vehicle, which was not included in the German carmaker's massive recall, caught fire on Wednesday, fueling further concerns over safety.Police and firefighters said a BMW X1 vehicle in North Jeolla Province, south of Seoul, caught fire at 4:17 a.m. Smoke was seen coming from the front part of the car when the driver stopped after hearing a rattling sound coming from the car, investigators added. No casualties were reported. (Yonhap)The BMW X1, produced in 2012, is a model not included in t

Aug. 15, 2018

[Breaking] Transport Ministry orders recalled BMWs off the roads

The South Korean government ordered BMW vehicles subject to recall off the roads if they have not gone through an emergency checkup after dozens of cars burst into flames this year.In a nationally televised address, Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee urged the head of municipalities to issue administrative orders to stop BMW drivers from using their vehicles, stressing escalating public safety issues related to the German cars. This is the first case of the government banning the operations of a sp

Aug. 14, 2018