Hyundai Motor eyes top spot with 2nd Vietnam plant

HANOI, Vietnam -- Hyundai Motor has mostly remained No.2 in Vietnam in terms of market share, but it seeks to change that with its new plant in Ninh Binh province, located just South of Hanoi, a senior official at the local unit told The Korea Herald. “Bolstered by our increased annual production capacity due to the second factory that started operating in November, our annual sales in the Vietnamese market next year is projected to jump to at least 85,000 to 90,000 vehicles from the curr

Dec. 12, 2022

Hyundai inches away from double-digit market share in Brazil

Hyundai Motor Group is a small step from seeing double-digit market share in Brazil, 10 years after it first entered the automobile market there. According to data from the Brazil Automobile Dealers Association, Hyundai sold 171,312 vehicles in Brazil in the January-November period, recording a 9.8 percent market share. It marks its second-highest number, following 9.9 percent in 2016. The top-selling car model was the HB20, a subcompact car model exclusively produced for Brazil, selling 89,

Dec. 12, 2022

[Photo News] Hydrogen fuel-cell alliance

Hyundai Motor Group Vice President Lim Tae-won (left) shakes hands with Patrick Hermanspann, CEO at FAUN Group, at the German carmaker's headquarters in Osterholz Scharmbeck, on Thursday, after celebrating a new partnership, under which Hyundai supplies 1,100 hydrogen fuel-cell systems for FAUN's eco-friendly garbage cars and cargo trucks.

Dec. 12, 2022

[Test Drive] All-new Hyundai Grandeur a mix of heritage and future elements

The “square Grandeur” is back. Hyundai Motor’s latest and seventh edition of its flagship sedan combines cutting-edge technology with a heritage design inspired by the first-generation Grandeur. When the Grandeur -- Hyundai Motor’s classic high-end sedan -- made its debut in 1986, the luxury car became an instant hit among CEOs at leading companies across South Korea and became a symbol for successful businessmen. Due to the sedan's front side design, it received the

Dec. 11, 2022

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 wins Japan’s import car of the year

Hyundai Motor Group's Ioniq 5 electric vehicle has won the title of the best import car of the year in Japan, the automaker said Friday. It is the first time the South Korean automaker has made it onto the award-winning list of the Japan Car of the Year Award. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 outranked BMW’s iX, Land Rover’s Range Rover, Renault’s Arkana and other distinguished car models. The award’s executive committee said Ioniq 5 was well-received for its innovative des

Dec. 9, 2022

BMW likely to beat Mercedes-Benz in Korean sales after 7 years

German luxury carmaker BMW is highly likely to top import car sales in South Korea this year, seven years after it lost the No.1 title to its archrival Mercedes-Benz. According to recent data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, BMW sold 71,713 units in the January-November period, outpacing 71,525 unit sales of Mercedes-Benz. With a month left in 2022, industry watchers say BMW is highly likely to take back the No. 1 post this year. The two German brands are the m

Dec. 8, 2022

[Photo News] All-new BMW X7

BMW Korea said Tuesday that the German carmaker will begin selling its flagship sports activity vehicle the New X7 here. According to the carmaker, the New X7 will feature almost a complete face-lift as the model dons a new exterior design and a more luxurious interior. Prices of the different New X7 models range from 145.8 million to 179.6 million won ($111,300-$137,100).

Dec. 6, 2022

[Photo News] Future Mobility

Hyundai Mobis will showcase its latest future mobility technology for the first time at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas from Jan. 5 to 8, 2023, the company said Monday. The concept vehicle named M Vision TO will feature four pillars that operate sensors for autonomous driving and display technology for mixed reality.

Dec. 5, 2022

[Photo News] Instant icon of the year

Hyundai Motor’s N Vision 74, a high-performance hydrogen fuel cell hybrid concept, has been awarded the Instant Icon Award by TopGear.com, the top UK motoring website, the South Korean carmaker said Thursday. Its sibling Kia also won the award for manufacturer of the year.

Dec. 1, 2022

Hyundai Glovis taps financial specialist as new CEO

Hyundai Glovis, a logistics affiliate under South Korean automobile giant Hyundai Motor Group, has tapped Lee Kyoo-bok, an executive with the carmaker, as the company’s next CEO, officials announced Wednesday. Lee, who was also promoted to the group’s executive vice president with the CEO appointment, has served as the head of the carmaker’s sales office in Europe and chief financial officer of the US manufacturing corporation. As an expert in strategic planning for overseas sa

Nov. 30, 2022

Hyundai Motor's creative chief promoted to president

Luc Donckerwolke, Hyundai Motor Group’s executive vice president and chief creative officer, has been promoted to the group’s president, the South Korean auto giant announced Wednesday. Donckerwolke, a Belgian native, has led the growth of the carmaker’s brand identity in the global market since he joined the company in 2016. Hyundai Motor said Donckerwolke has initiated the direction for the company’s various creative projects, including the establishment of Genesis Hous

Nov. 30, 2022

Korean Air offers lie-flat seats for smaller A321neo planes

  Korean Air, South Korea’s largest air carrier, will begin offering lie-flat seats in smaller aircraft -- its recently received Airbus 321neo -- in December, the company said Wednesday. With the introduction of the A321neo, Korean Air will become the country’s first air carrier to have lie-flat seats in a narrow-body aircraft. The A321neo, a single-aisle airplane with 182 seats, will operate on short-haul routes to China, Japan and Southeast Asia, according to Korean Air. Short

Nov. 30, 2022

Volkswagen's Tiguan, affordable SUV with robust perfomance

Volkswagen Korea’s bestselling sport utility vehicle Tiguan has established its position as an affordable and robust performance-based car to Korean drivers. Since making its debut in July 2008, the Tiguan has been the German carmaker’s top-selling car here. As of November, it has sold an accumulative 59,532 units, an equivalent of 270 Tiguans every month. The Korean unit predicted the accumulative sales figure to hit the 60,000 mark by the end of this year. Volkswagen Korea said it

Nov. 28, 2022

[Photo News] Hyundai Motor winning WTCR championship

Nov. 27, 2022

Hyundai to revive Pony Coupe with legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro

Hyundai Motor will re-create the Pony Coupe Concept with the model’s original designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and unveil it in the coming spring, the carmaker announced Thursday at a design talk in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The Pony Coupe Concept is a car lost to history, as despite being unveiled at the 1974 Turin Motor Show with its prototype ready for mass production, the carmaker could not start production due to the domestic economic situation. Almost 50 years later, Hyundai Motor contac

Nov. 24, 2022

S. Korea’s first modern automotive car plant to shut down after 60 years

GM Korea, the Korean unit of the US auto giant General Motors, said Tuesday it is shutting down its No. 2 Bupyeong plant in Incheon on Saturday as part of its strategic shift toward more popular models, putting an end to the decades-old history of the nation’s first modern automotive factory. The plant used to produce the carmaker’s Trax SUV and Malibu sedan. But with sales of the models being discontinued this month, the carmaker has decided to stop the operation of the outdated pla

Nov. 22, 2022

Kia grabs five J.D. Power residual value awards

South Korean automaker Kia said Tuesday it took home five titles on Thursday in US market research firm J.D. Power's ALG Residual Value Awards, winning the most number of awards among its rivals. J.D. Power’s residual value assesses commercial value, quality, brand awareness and sales strategy to recognize vehicle models that are projected to hold the highest percentage of retail price when resold after three years. The awards are the industry’s standard in recognizing vehicle m

Nov. 22, 2022

SsangYong Motor unveils wireless charging platform for EVs

SsangYong Motor unveiled its wireless charging platform for electric vehicles under development on Monday at Coex, Seoul during an event hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT. The carmaker displayed its first all-electric sports utility vehicle Korando e-motion equipped with a 61.6 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery and with a 22kW wireless charging system that can fully charge the electric vehicle in three hours. SsangYong Motor is currently trying to shorten the charging time and also trying

Nov. 21, 2022

Incheon Airport flights to surpass pre-pandemic level by next year

The number of flights landing and departing from Incheon International Airport will exceed pre-pandemic levels by next year. Incheon Airport was allotted 263,004 slots for the next summer season from late March to late October, during the International Air Transport Association Slot Conference held last week, according to Incheon International Airport Corp. on Monday. The Slot Conference is a working conference between IATA and non-IATA airlines worldwide for the allocation of slots at fully coo

Nov. 21, 2022

Korean carmakers to feel IRA pinch next year: report

South Korea’s automotive production is expected to suffer a modest decline next year despite growing global car sales, an industry report said Monday. Some 85.3 million cars are projected to be sold globally next year, a 4.7 percent increase compared to this year’s estimated 81.5 million units, according to the report by the Korea Automotive Technology Institute. The report said the stable supply of automotive semiconductors is driving up car sales overall, despite lingering fears ov

Nov. 21, 2022