Kia hires ex-PSA designer to beef up style, identity

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's No. 2 carmaker, has hired Oleg Son, a former Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA designer, to differentiate the styling of its vehicles, the company said Wednesday. Starting early November, the French-born Oleg Son, 57, will work with Vice President Pierre Leclercq, a former BMW designer, to develop Kia's long-term design strategy and lead design innovation, the company said in a statement.  This photo, provided by Kia Motors, shows former PSA designer Oleg Son. (Yonha

Oct. 11, 2017

Kia Motors Sept. sales up 7.1% on SUV models

Kia Motors Corp. said Tuesday its vehicle sales rose 7.1 percent in September from a year earlier on increased demand for its SUV models. The country's second-largest carmaker by sales sold 252,254 vehicles in September, up from 235,424 units a year earlier. The gains were driven by robust demand for SUV models such as the Stonic and Soul boxcar, the company said in a statement.  (Yonhap)Domestic sales jumped 25 percent on-year to 48,019 units in September from 38,300. And overseas sales climbed

Oct. 10, 2017

EVs to have little effect on electricity supply, demand

Electric vehicles will have little effect on the electricity supply and demand in South Korea even if the number of emission-free cars reaches 250,000, a local report said Tuesday.The government has set the target figure by 2020, sharply up from this year's goal of 46,000. As of the end of August, the number of electric vehicles stood at 19,022, according to the documents the National Assembly Budget Office provided to Rep. Lee Che-ik of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party upon his request. 

Oct. 10, 2017

New cars increasingly crammed with distracting technology

The infotainment technology that automakers are cramming into the dashboard of new vehicles is making drivers take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel for dangerously long periods of time, an AAA study says. The study released Thursday is the latest by University of Utah professor David Strayer, who has been examining the impact of infotainment systems on safety for AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety since 2013.  Past studies also identified problems, but Strayer said the ``explosio

Oct. 5, 2017

Audi Volkswagen Korea closer to resuming sales

Audi Volkswagen Korea, the domestic distributor of the two German brands, is in the final stage of resuming sales here after a year-long sales ban, mapping out a new online sales plan and ordering recalls of models affected by the diesel emissions scandal, the company said Monday.Volkswagen Korea said it is currently in talks with Korea’s largest mobile messenger service Kakao Talk to review the possibility of selling its vehicles through the Kakao Mobility application by as early as the end of

Oct. 2, 2017

Tesla Korea poised to take over local EV market

Tesla Korea is ramping up efforts to take over the local electric vehicle market, expanding its supercharger network here.The electric carmaker will open its eighth supercharger station at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul this month and complete building six more by the end of the year, the company said Sunday.With six more superchargers to be established nationwide, including Yongsan in Seoul, Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province and Seogwipo on Jeju Island, the total number of supercharg

Oct. 1, 2017

Korean autoparts firms hold trade show in Detroit, Toronto: KOTRA

South Korean autoparts companies held a trade show in Detroit and Toronto this week to promote their products in the North American market, a state-run trade and investment promotion agency said FridayKorea Autoparts Plaza was held in Toronto Tuesday and Detroit Thursday with the participation of 51 South Korean autoparts firms that make information technology, new materials and powertrain parts for car engines, transmissions, drive shafts, suspension and wheels, the Korea Trade-Investment Promo

Sept. 29, 2017

Hyundai tops J.D. Power quality rankings in China

South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. said Thursday it took the top spot in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study for cars sold in China for a second consecutive year, despite its sales being hit hard by diplomatic rows between the two countries. Hyundai Motor was able to retain its No. 1 position this year due to improved vehicle quality and services, beating 42 competitors, such as Volkswagen Group, Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., the company said in a statement. Hyundai hopes the

Sept. 28, 2017

Labor disputes escalate at Hyundai, GM amid stalled wage talks

Tension mounted at production plants at South Korea’s two major automakers ahead of the weeklong Chuseok holiday, with unionized workers pledging to increase pressure on management over stalled wage negotiations.Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor, the nation’s largest carmaker, are set to hold a vote to form a new executive body, with two final candidates, both known as hard-liners, running in the election on Friday. Both candidates have remained adamant, vowing that they won’t compromise with t

Sept. 28, 2017

Benz hosts ‘FC Kids Benz’ in Yeonpyeong for Chuseok

Mercedes-Benz CSR Committee held this week a variety of CSR activities including the “FC Kids Benz” football class at Yeonpyeong Elementary School located in the Yeonpyeong Island, the front line of the West Sea in celebration of the Chuseok holidays, the company said Thursday.For two days from Tuesday, some 20 employees of the Daimler affiliates in Korea and all 66 students of Yeonpyeong elementary school participated in a football class. During the four-hour class, the students were given less

Sept. 28, 2017

Transport minister vows to remove red tape on drones, autonomous cars

South Korea's transport minister on Thursday said the government will expedite plans to remove red tape for fast-changing technologies like drones and autonomous cars to foster innovation and develop the related industries."If the law and system fails to catch up with the speed of technology development, authorities only create regulatory setbacks for technology and industrial innovation," Kim Hyun-mi, minister of land, infrastructure and transport, said in a meeting with reporters. "I will acce

Sept. 28, 2017

Hyundai, Daimler and BMW recall 5,690 vehicles

Hyundai Motor Co., Daimler Truck and BMW issued a recall for 5,690 vehicles sold in South Korea because of faulty parts, the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Transport said Thursday.South Korea's Hyundai Motor is recalling 3,408 Ioniqs manufactured from October to April due to manufacturing defects within the electronic power control unit. The problem allows coolants to come in contact the unit's circuit board resulting in a loss of power, which could increase the risk of a crash.   (Yo

Sept. 28, 2017

Kia releases subcompact sedan tailored for China

Dongfeng Yueda Kia, a joint venture between Kia Motors and Dongfeng Motor, released the Pegas subcompact sedan designed exclusively for the Chinese market to improve sales there, the company said Wednesday.The sedan unveiled at the 2017 Auto Shanghai show targets Chinese urban drivers looking for an economical and efficient first car.Boasting maximum safety among cars in the same segment, the rear disc brakes and back warning system and immobilizer are installed in key trims, the company said. D

Sept. 27, 2017

Volkswagen Korea names new head

Volkswagen Korea has appointed Stefan Krapp, a former marketing expert at its Seoul branch, as its new managing director, effective from Oct. 1, the company said Wednesday. Krapp replaces Thomas Kuehl whose four-year term largely involved dealing with issues related to an emissions scandal.  Stefan Krapp is is named as managing director of Volkswagen Korea. (Volkswagen Korea)“Korea is one of the leading countries in the global automotive industry and (a) strategic market for (the) Volkswagen bra

Sept. 27, 2017

Volvo Korea rolls out SUV designed by first Korean designer

Volvo Car Korea, the local importer and distributor of the Swedish automaker, rolled out a fully changed second-generation model of the carmaker’s best-selling XC60 midsize SUV in the hope of catching up with rivals in the premium luxury auto market here, the company said.According to the Swedish carmaker, the new Volvo XC60 was made as an urban ride built on the carmaker’s latest platform and powertrain. Volvo’s first Korean designer Lee Jung-hyun focused on coming up with a sophisticated Swedi

Sept. 26, 2017

Hyundai opens big data center in China amid THAAD row

Hyundai Motor, the nation’s largest carmaker, said Wednesday that it has opened a big data center in Guizhou, China, as part of its efforts to expand its connected car business overseas.The information technology infrastructure in southwestern China was built to expand vehicle data processing for the development of self-driving cars and to improve customer service, it added.“Hyundai Motor‘s know-how in big data analysis coupled with Guizhou Province’s strong push into big data will surely accele

Sept. 26, 2017

FTC slaps W1.78b fine on Mercedes-Benz Korea, dealerships

South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Tuesday that it has slapped a combined 1.78 billion-won ($1.57 million) fine on Mercedes-Benz Korea and its dealerships for fixing labor costs for auto repairs.Mercedes-Benz Korea, the local unit and importer of German carmaker Daimler AG, allegedly suggested to eight dealerships fixing rates for labor costs in January 2009 to improve its balance sheet, according to the Fair Trade Commission. (Yonhap)A few months later, the dealers, including Hansung Motor C

Sept. 26, 2017

Hyundai, Kia to debut new cars in China to tackle sliding sales

South Korea's leading automakers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. are poised to unveil a series of new cars in China in a bid to help revive slumping sales in the world's top auto market, sources said Tuesday.Industry leader Hyundai Motor and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors have been struggling with plunging sales in China since late last year due to a Seoul-Beijing row over the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system here, which China considers a security threat. This photo p

Sept. 26, 2017

Hyundai, Kia's brand value up on technology, innovation

The brand value of South Korea's top two automakers -- Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. -- rose this year due to their investments in future car technologies and design innovation, respectively, industry data showed on Monday.In the Interbrand Best Global Brands 2017 rankings, Hyundai Motor ranked 35th, with its brand value rising 5.1 percent to $13.2 billion this year from $12.5 billion a year earlier. (Yonhap)"Hyundai Motor is working incredibly hard to realize its vision for Future Mobi

Sept. 25, 2017

Hyundai Mobis supplies parts worth $4.8b for US, China

Until August this year, Hyundai Mobis, South Korea’s biggest auto parts maker by sales, has sealed orders worth a total $4.8 billion in the US and China between, up about five times compared to last year, the company said Monday. “The orders are meaningful in that they were made on quality recognition of our products among partners in North America and China,” said an official of Hyundai Mobis.Last year’s annual total had reached $1 billion. The company does not have more orders to close in the

Sept. 25, 2017