[Behind the Wheel] New BMW 4-series more dynamic, but stable

New BMW 4-series are seen on a test drive in Busan, Friday. (BMW Korea)BUSAN -- BMW Korea, the local unit of the German luxury carmaker, unveiled Friday an upgraded version of its 4-series, adding variety to its popular series.The new lines introduced were the 4-Series coupe, convertible and gran coupe, as well as the high-performance models M4 coupe and M4 convertible.“The new 4-series cars have bodies that are 40 millimeters lower than 3-series cars. Enhanced suspension and a new control syste

July 30, 2017

SsangYong Motor’s G4 Rexton diversifies SUV market

SsangYong Motor, the local unit of India’s Mahindra & Mahindra, has added diversity to South Korea’s sport utility vehicle market with its latest premium full-size G4 Rexton SUV, the company said Thursday. The G4 Rexton replaced the Mohave SUV made by Kia Motors as the best-selling large-size SUV here for two straight months since its release in May. The model recorded sales of 2,703 units in May and 2,708 units in June, according to the company. SsangYong Motor’s premium large-size SUV, the G4

July 27, 2017

SsangYong Motor workers OK wage deal

SsangYong Motor Co.'s union has accepted a wage deal to avoid any production losses amid tough competition from rivals, the company said Thursday."The company and its union shared the view that a stable labor-management relation is essential in increasing sales of the G4 Rexton SUV and maintaining its leading status in the subcompact SUV market," the company said in a statement. The 3,451-member union held a vote to decide whether to accept this year's wage deal or not. A total of 3,295 workers

July 27, 2017

Kia Motors Q2 net plunges 53% on China woes

Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday its second-quarter net profit plunged 53 percent from a year earlier on weaker demand for its vehicles in China and the United States.For the three months that ended on June 30, net profit declined to 389.6 billion won ($350 million) from 825.8 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement. "On top of political tension with China over the installation of a US missile defense system in South Korea, which Beijing objects to, high US incentive costs and

July 27, 2017

Hyundai Motor‘s Q2 earnings drop, sluggish sales continue

(Yonhap)Hyundai Motor, South Korea‘s largest automotive company by sales, showed a decline in earnings in the second quarter of this year due to weakened profitability, the company said Wednesday.The company’s profits totaled 24.3 trillion won ($21.6 billion), down 1.5 percent on-year between April and June this year, while its operating profits plummeted 23.7 percent on-year to 1.3 trillion won.The net profit for the second quarter this year was drastically slashed 48.2 percent compared to the

July 26, 2017

New QM3 highlights French chic, fuel efficiency

Jumping into the market for B-segment crossovers in South Korea, Renault Samsung, the local unit of the French automaker, unveiled a revamped QM3 on Wednesday, highlighting the design heritage of the European country.Known as the Captur in Europe, the crossover utility vehicle was No. 1 in the segment in the market there three years in a row. But to make it appealing in Korea, where masculine German designs are favored, Renault Samsung added “charismatic features” to the existing design. “The ne

July 26, 2017

[Monitor] Vehicle recalls to hit record-high in Korea

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has ordered local and multinational automakers to recall a combined 1.3 million vehicles so far this year. The number is expected to hit record high by the year’s end. The past record has been 1,369,925 vehicles in 2004.The spike in the number this year is driven by compulsory vehicle recalls by Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, which are ordered to recall a combined 979,687 cars this year, a ministry official said.

July 26, 2017

Auto recalls to set record high this year

South Korea has ordered carmakers, domestic and multinational, to recall more than 1.3 million vehicles so far this year, with the figure expected to set a record high in 2017, the transport ministry said Wednesday. A total of 1,308,758 vehicles have been ordered to be recalled this year through Wednesday in 172 cases, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation.In the next one to two weeks, the number of cars subject to recalls is expected to exceed the country's record

July 26, 2017

Kia Stonic proves to be competitive, fuel-saving entry-level crossover

NAMYANGJU -- A 150-kilometer, two-and-a-half hour drive proved that Kia Motors Corp.'s Stonic subcompact sport utility vehicle is perfect for people wanting an entry-level fuel-efficient crossover that is responsive to drive.In a mix of urban and expressway driving that took place from western Seoul to Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province, the Stonic subcompact SUV achieved unrivaled mileage numbers while proving to be an excellent performer, well-suited to wooing customers in their 20s and 30s.After

July 26, 2017

Kia wins 2,500 orders for Stonic subcompact SUV

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's No. 2 carmaker by sales, has received 2,500 orders for its new subcompact SUV since its launch two weeks ago, the company said Tuesday.Kia Motors came up with the Stonic subcompact SUV to absorb growing demand for recreational vehicles amid a global economic recovery and low oil prices.The B-segment SUV market has grown more than five times in the past five years since 2013 to 110,000 units in South Korea, the carmaker said. Kia Motors` Stonic subcompact SUV (Yonh

July 25, 2017

Debate grows over who is liable when self-driving cars crash

(123rf)Amid heated debate over who is responsible when car accidents occur in self-driving mode, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Rep. Park Young-sun has proposed a law recognizing artificial intelligence robots as “electronic personalities,” thereby holding them responsible if necessary. “Robots have become more than electronic devices. They can now learn information by themselves and their data processing abilities equate to higher-level thinking of humans,” Park said through a statement

July 24, 2017

Hyundai, Kia outsells Toyota in Mexico

Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company Kia Motors Corp. outsold Toyota Motor Corp. in Mexico in the first half of this year, the South Korean carmakers said Monday. The strong sales comes as Hyundai and Kia reported weak numbers in the key US and Chinese markets due to a lack of new models and diplomatic rows, respectively.The two Korean carmakers sold a combined 61,616 vehicles in Mexico in the first six months, up a solid 53 percent from 40,264 units a year earlier. Sales by rival Toyota ros

July 24, 2017

Korea’s Environment Ministry to inspect Mercedes-Benz diesel cars

South Korea’s Environment Ministry said Friday that it would start investigating Mercedes-Benz’s vehicles over alleged breaches of diesel emissions regulations. Starting August, the ministry will conduct periodic inspections as well as defect investigations for 47 Mercedes-Benz models, powered by OM642 or OM651 diesel engines.  (Yonhap)The number of vehicles in question is around 110,000 units, according to the company. The National Institute of Environmental Research will be responsible for the

July 23, 2017

Hyundai Motor invests W300b to upgrade factory

Hyundai‘s second plant in Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province. Hyundai Motor GroupHyundai Motor, South Korea’s largest automaker, will invest 300 billion won ($270 million) through Sept. 17 to upgrade its second factory in Ulsan, the company said Sunday.This is the second major reconstruction this year, following the rebuilding of the first factory in Ulsan last February for which Hyundai spent 220 billion won, the company said.Seeking to expand productivity, all stages of production, including ass

July 23, 2017

Genesis G90 selected top luxury car in US quality ranking

The G90 luxury sedan by Genesis Motors was the top of its class in the latest US vehicle quality awards, the company said Friday. The flagship vehicle of the stand-alone sub-brand of South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. was No. 1 in the luxury segment for the 2017 Total Quality Impact report released this week by US automobile market survey firm Strategic Vision, the carmaker said. The G90, also called the EQ900 in South Korea, scored 761 out of 1,000 points in terms of design, driving perfor

July 21, 2017

Kia upgrades Sorento to maintain edge in midsize SUV market

Kia Motors Corp. on Thursday domestically launched a face-lifted Sorento crossover to maintain its edge in the midsize SUV market. The upgraded Sorento incorporates a new grille and front and rear graphics and LED accents that make the car sharper. It can be equipped with a choice of 2.0-liter turbo gasoline, a 2.2 diesel or 2.0 diesel engine with buyers given the option of an eight-speed automatic transmission, the first of its kind for a locally produced midsize SUV, the company said in a stat

July 20, 2017

Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin ordered to recall 24 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin will recall 24 vehicles in South Korea for faulty parts, the transport ministry said Thursday. This is the latest in a series of recall orders issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to both domestic and foreign carmakers. The carmakers plan to recall two different models totaling 24 units. The models include Mercedes-Benz's AMG E63 4MATIC high-performance car and Aston Martin's DB11 super car, the ministry said in a statement.  (Yonhap)The pro

July 20, 2017

Hyundai to widen access to performance cars

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- The N project by Hyundai Motor does not ring a bell at first glance, despite its sleek slogan of high-performance driving. But when taking a ride in the passenger seat for a test drive of the Racing Midship, the flagship symbol of the project, one begins to understand what South Korea’s largest automaker is setting out to achieve.Dubbed N project’s “rolling test-lab,” the Veloster-based RM16 is the fastest car by the South Korean carmaker to date, as it surpasses 1

July 19, 2017

[Herald Interview] Hyundai cautious on separating N brand

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- Having Genesis as an independent brand from Hyundai Motor was intended to maximize its image. But when it comes to the N project, the carmaker’s drive to produce high performance vehicles on a commercial level, Hyundai seems to be more restrained.“As for whether Hyundai will launch a separate division or brand for high performance vehicles like Mercedes-Benz’s AMG remains to be seen,” said Im Se-bin, director of the High Performance Vehicle Development Group at Hyu

July 19, 2017