[PyeongChang 2018] Moon demonstrates safety of self-driving car ahead of PyeongChang debut

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sought to promote the country's indigenously developed self-driving cars Friday, demonstrating their safety by riding in one himself.The president was joined by an official from the local developer of autonomous cars, Hyundai Motor Co., for a 15-minute ride in a self-driving fuel cell electric vehicle on the Seoul-Busan expressway."Self-driving fuel cell vehicles are a new type of vehicle that are at the very front of the Moon Jae-in administration's drive for

Feb. 2, 2018

Kakao’s AI voice recognition service available on Hyundai, Kia vehicles

An artificial intelligence-powered voice recognition service developed by South Korean mobile messaging giant Kakao will be available on Hyundai and Kia vehicles, the companies said Thursday.Kakao’s voice assistant service can be downloaded at Hyundai and Kia’s membership websites, called Blue Members and Red Members.  Artificial intelligence-powered voice recognition navigation service (Hyundai Motor)Vehicles available for the Kakao service include the i30, Avante, Sonata New Rise, i40, Grandeu

Feb. 1, 2018

EV subsidy registrations begin amid concerns of shortage

Amid rising concerns that the government could run out of subsidies for green cars, registrations for electric vehicle subsidies began at 156 provincial governments nationwide, the Ministry of Environment said Thursday.A total of 16 models made by seven local and foreign carmakers are qualified to receive subsidies of up to 12 million won ($11,160) per electric vehicle from the central government, and between 4.4 million and 11 million from provincial governments this year.The amount of subsidy

Feb. 1, 2018

Volvo Trucks Korea seeks to sell over 3,100 units this year

Volvo Trucks Korea, the No. 1 commercial vehicle importer by sales, aims to sell over 3,100 units this year, as part of its long-term sales goal to reach 4,000 units in 2020, the company said Wednesday.“Last year, we celebrated a successful 20th anniversary of business here. By prioritizing safety and customer service this year, we hope to increase sales by 10 percent from last year,” Kim Young-jae, managing director of Volvo Trucks Korea, told reporters during a New Year’s conference in norther

Jan. 31, 2018

Posco Daewoo seeks to expand natural gas business

Posco Daewoo, the trading arm of South Korean steel giant Posco, is seeking to expand its energy business, in particular in the natural gas sector, by joining the league of energy giants across the world. (Yonhap)Its CEO Kim Young-sang attended an annual meeting hosted by General Electric-controlled Baker Hughes, the world’s largest oil field service company, as a panelist to discuss global energy trends, the company said. As the only Korean panelist, Kim spoke about successful business models t

Jan. 30, 2018

Twizy leads birth of micro EV market

Best for community rides, urban compact electric vehicles are creating a niche market in the fast-growing green car segment, satisfying the need for more personalized, mobile and cost-effective products.The Twizy, imported and distributed by Renault Samsung, opened the market for micro electric vehicles last year. A total of 691 units were sold in the first year, with more than 1,000 requests for government subsidies for the French two-seater electric vehicle. Renault’s Twizy (Renault Samsung)Th

Jan. 30, 2018

Hyundai unveils new Santa Fe SUV, aiming at US

Hyundai Motor unveiled its fourth generation Santa Fe midsize sport utility vehicle armed with a slew of human-centered technology features with an aim to bolster its SUV portfolio and boost sales in the US.“Made on human-centered philosophy, we meticulously considered customers’ requests. Going beyond its role as transportation, we believe the new Santa Fe is a life companion,” said Hyo-lin Kim, director of Hyundai Motor’s User Experience Planning Group, during the media preview held at Hyundai

Jan. 30, 2018

Volkswagen makes comeback with new Passat

Volkswagen Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German carmaker, resumes sales of its vehicles here next month, beginning with the new Passat GT that will open for preorders Thursday. Since its debut in 1973, Volkswagen has sold around 22 million units of the Passat. The new Passat GT is the eighth generation of the brand. “The latest model is expected to become a leader in the mid-size sedan segment here, as it is upgraded with completely new premium options and safety features,” th

Jan. 29, 2018

Genesis G70 named car of the year

The Genesis G70, a sports sedan by Hyundai Motor, was named the car of the year by an association of South Korean reporters covering the auto industry Monday. The Korea Automobile Journalist Association tested 55 models that sold more than 300 units here in South Korea last year, conducting test drive sessions at a driving circuit to evaluate the overall performance of cars. Evaluation categories included maintenance, design, product quality, function and cost effectiveness, it said.  Genesis G7

Jan. 29, 2018

Hyundai, Kia fell behind global rivals in profitability last year: sources

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. fell far behind global rivals in profitability last year due to a strong won and declining sales in China and the United States, industry sources said Sunday.For the whole of 2017, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors posted operating profit margins of 4.7 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively, down 0.8 percentage point and 3.5 percent points from a year earlier, earnings data from the companies showed.The won's strength against the dollar and sharp s

Jan. 28, 2018

Hyundai’s 2017 operating profit low due to THAAD, strong won

Hyundai Motor, the nation’s largest carmaker, saw its net profit last year hit the lowest mark in seven years, due to the strong Korean currency and sluggish sales in China.In a regulatory filing released Thursday, the carmaker posted 4.57 trillion won ($4.31 billion) for its 2017 operating profit, an 11.9 percent decrease from the previous year. It is the lowest figure since the company adopted International Financial Reporting Standards in 2010. (Yonhap)Its revenue last year rose 2.9 percent t

Jan. 25, 2018

Hyundai Motor opens multicultural family center in Vietnam

Hyundai Motor has turned an old college building into a center for multicultural families in the Vietnamese city of Can Tho, to bridge the cultural gap and provide Korean language services, the company said Thursday.The center is a part of a 1 billion won ($943,000) project by the carmaker to help Vietnamese women who are married to, or plan to get married to, Korean men while they are in Vietnam and Korea, and also to support their economic independence later on.  Hyundai Motor officials, commu

Jan. 25, 2018

[Photo News] Sharing Burden

(From left) Hyundai Motor President Chung Jin-haeng, SMEs and Startups Minister Hong Jong-haak and Korea Foundation for Cooperation of Large and Small Businesses, Rural Affairs Secretary-General Kim Hyung-ho shake hands after signing a tripartite agreement to financially support the carmaker’s subcontractors following the government‘s plan to increase the minimum wage, in Seoul, Wednesday.Hyundai Motor

Jan. 24, 2018

Jaguar SUVs ready to take on Korean streets

Riding on the popularity of the sport utility vehicle market, Jaguar Land Rover Korea plans to increase its presence in the local market by launching new SUV lineups this year.Since launching the midsized luxury SUV F-Pace in 2016, Jaguar has proved its market potential here. This year seems to be another milestone for the British brand, as it plans to unveil two new SUVs, one each in the first and the second half, completing Jaguar’s Pace lineup. E-Pace, a compact performance vehicle, is a foll

Jan. 24, 2018

Korea to invest 11.9 billion won in unmanned vehicle sector in 2018

South Korea will invest 11.9 billion won ($11.1 million) in 2018 to develop unmanned vehicles, including the first passenger drones, the science ministry said Wednesday, as the country aims to emerge as a global leader in the sector, The Ministry of Science and ICT said the government finalized this year's plan to boost the development of future-oriented drones, self-driving cars, unmanned ships and agricultural machines.The ministry earlier designated the sector as one of the key strategic indu

Jan. 24, 2018

[Herald Interview] ‘Robo taxis to transform auto industry’

LAS VEGAS -- Consumers have witnessed massive changes in the tech industry in the last decade, with innovative concepts and technologies that, for instance, have combined a camera, the internet and phone into a single palm-sized device. Similar yet more transformative change is likely to begin, with self-driving vehicles in such forms as robo taxis that will hit the road in the next decade, according to a US developer of operating systems for autonomous cars.Robo taxis, or robo cabs, refer to se

Jan. 23, 2018

Mercedes-Benz Korea to roll out 20 models in 2018

Mercedes-Benz Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German automaker, will launch 20 models, including two plug-in hybrids, this year, with an aim to sell over 70,000 units, the company said Monday.“All-time best performance was achieved through active investment and effort to provide differentiated customer experience in 2017,” said Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis during the New Year’s conference held at Hotel Shilla in central Seoul.“It will not be easy to maintain the gr

Jan. 22, 2018

Hyundai ranks as No.1 CSR company in China

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s top automotive company by sales, ranked No. 1 in terms of contribution to society in China last year, the company said.This marks the first time that a foreign-based company has been selected first place since the Chinese government began compiling the annual list in 2014. Hyundai scored 91.33 points out of 100 in 2017 and came in first place out of 300 companies operating in China, the company said.“Hyundai Motor Group is an exemplary company, continually carrying o

Jan. 22, 2018

Cadillac reaps record sales in Korea last year

Cadillac of GM Korea said Friday it had marked the largest-ever yearly sales record in Korea, selling 28,000 units, and aimed to focus on quality growth through new releases and reinforced services this year.“2017 was a special year that can even be described as an inflection point in the history of Cadillac’s entry into South Korea,” Kim Young-sik, president and representative director of Cadillac, said in a press conference in Seoul. Cadillac entered Korea in 1996.Cadillac Escalade (Yonhap)“Th

Jan. 19, 2018

Mercedes-Benz’s EQ makes Korean debut

Mercedes-Benz’s electric vehicle sub-brand EQ has made Korean debut on Friday, by displaying its plug-in hybrid SUV at the new terminal of Incheon International Airport. Mercedes-BenzThe 2018 GLC 350e 4Matic SUV is the first plug-in hybrid from EQ to enter Korea. The name EQ signifies “Electric Intelligence” and is derived from the Mercedes-Benz’s brand values of “emotion and intelligence,” the company said. “What EQ aims for is the smart mobility, the vision which we wanted to share with public

Jan. 19, 2018