The Chevrolet Malibu and SM6 midsize sedans have been named safest cars of the year in an annual government safety assessment of new cars launched in South Korea, the transportation ministry said Monday.Both the Chevrolet Malibu and the SM6 received the highest points of 92.1 in the government assessment program that reviewed 14 new cars, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The two cars were followed by the K7 midsize sedan from Kia Motors Corp., which received 91.7 p

Dec. 5, 2016

Ssangyong Motor Co., the local unit of Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., is recalling some 5,200 vehicles sold here for issues related to the car's front bumper shock absorbers, the transportation ministry said Thursday.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the shock absorber may break due to a manufacturing defect, upsetting the balance of the car should part of the absorber also become detached. The 2017 Korando Turismo (Photo courtesy of Ssangyong Motor)The

Dec. 1, 2016

The world’s two leading electric vehicle makers, Tesla Motors and BYD Auto Co, are set to hit the Korean market within this year. But questions remain over whether they can shake up the world‘s 10th-largest auto market that suffers from the sluggish EV sales. The total sales of eco-friendly cars saw a growth of 68 percent in the first 10 months of this year with a total of 53,631 units sold. But 94 percent of the total were hybrid cars with the rest being plug-in hybrid EVs, pure E

Nov. 27, 2016

Forget about the Grandeur that you used to know. The old image of the luxury sedan for upper class, middle-aged drivers is gone with the release of the all-new Grandeur last week. The new Grandeur, the sixth generation of Hyundai’s signature luxury sedan, is young, innovative and sporty.And the market is responding fast. Of all preorders, 48 percent of the drivers were in their 30s and 40s, a 7 percent increase from its previous model Grandeur HG, said Ryu Chang-seung, head of Hyundai’s domestic

Nov. 27, 2016

Hyundai Motor Co. is considering suspending the sales of the Grandeur sedan, exported under the name Azera, in the United States, industry sources said Sunday, due to its sluggish sales there.While Hyundai announced the launch of the sixth-generation Grandeur earlier in November, sources said the company would not introduce the model in the US If South Korea's top automaker makes that decision, it would mark the first time in 16 years for the Azera to leave the US market. Models pose with Hyunda

Nov. 27, 2016

Hybrid automobiles took up 94 percent of eco-friendly cars sold in South Korea through October this year, data showed Sunday, despite the government's efforts to push electric models.According to the data compiled by Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association and the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, the combined number of eco-friendly cars sold here came to 53,631 units through October, soaring 63.8 percent from a year earlier. A police officer recharges a hybrid patrol c

Nov. 27, 2016

The South Korean government recalled more than 21,300 BMW vehicles distributed by local importer BMW Korea over defects found in the engine and airbags, officials said Friday.Of the total, 11,689 vehicles of BMW’s 19 models, including the 530d xDrive and the X6 M50d, are subject to the recall due to defective engine timing belt tensioners. The problem found with the component could make the engine stop while driving, the ministry said, quoting tests conducted by the Korea Transportation Safety A

Nov. 25, 2016

Mercedes-Benz has recently launched two sport utility vehicles, GLS and GLE Coupe, in South Korea to target the growing premium SUV market. “We have achieved the goal of doubling SUV sales this year thanks to the continued rollout of upgraded models,” Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis said at a recent launch event. 　The chief also added that the SUV market in Korea is expected to continue growing, despite the saturated vehicle market here.The German auto giant had sold 7,454 SUVs this y

Nov. 21, 2016

 TOKYO -- US Tesla’s electric vehicles are about to hit the South Korean market with its flagship store set to open in Starfield Hanam, located some 20 kilometers east of Seoul, as early as the end of November. Tesla’s debut in the country has lagged behind other neighboring countries such as Japan and China. The electric-car maker opened its first showroom in Japan in October 2010 and in China in November 2013. In Korea, Tesla started to receive preorders in August. Tesla’s media representative

Nov. 20, 2016

SsangYong Motor’s flagship model Tivoli has retained the top spot in the compact SUV market in Korea with the continued rollout of upgraded models. Tivoli is SsangYong’s first vehicle -- which was released in early 2015 -- since Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group bought the Korean automaker in 2011. It cumulatively sold 91,000 units locally and 130,000 units globally. On its home turf, Tivoli takes up 56 percent of the market share, with sales of around 46,000 units this year through October. Ki

Nov. 20, 2016

South Korea's three largest automakers may fail to meet their sales targets this year amid slow demands at home and abroad, market observers said Thursday.In the first 10 months of the year, top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. sold 3,890,825 cars globally, down 2.6 percent from the same period last year, the company said earlier.The drop was attributed to dips in both domestic and overseas sales, which slipped 6.5 percent and 2 percent on-year, respectively.Kia Motors Corp., the No. 2 automaker here

Nov. 17, 2016

Electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to get wider distribution through rental and car sharing services, bolstered by a government-industry agreement, auto business officials said Thursday.The Environment Ministry and car rental companies struck a pact Wednesday to promote the use of eco-friendly vehicles. The rental firms will provide contracts to lend more than 6,000 EVs a year, while the ministry will offer monetary incentives to buyers of rental cars. Officials said the agreement would make l

Nov. 17, 2016