All-new Range Rover nears market launch

Jaguar Land Rover Korea said it has received more than 2,000 advance orders for the all-new Range Rover luxury SUV slated to hit showrooms in the first half of this year. Available in five trims, the all-new Range Rover is priced between 196.87 million won ($157,800) for the Standard Wheelbase D350 Autobiography and 222.47 million won for the Long Wheelbase P530 Autobiography. The prices include a five-year service plan. Demand is especially high for the all-new Range Rover P530, fitted with a

April 26, 2022

July flight demand expected to recover 40% of pre-pandemic

The daily average of air travelers is expected to be around 81,000 in July, which is around 40 percent of air travelers from the same period in 2019, right before the pandemic hit the world, according to the operator of South Korea‘s major air gateway Incheon Airport, on Monday. After November, Incheon International Airport Corp. anticipates a 70 percent recovery of the daily average air travelers and is gearing up for normalization of its operations in phrases, officials said in a regula

April 25, 2022

Kia Q1 net falls 0.2 pct amid chip shortage

  Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Monday its first-quarter net profit fell 0.2 percent from a year earlier due to one-off costs amid global chip shortages. Net profit for the three months ended in March fell to 1.032 trillion won (US$825 million) from 1.035 trillion won during the same period of last year, the company said in a statement. Particularly high deferred corporate taxes were factored in the bottom line in the first quarter, a company spokesman said ove

April 25, 2022

In-car subscription service could be more profitable than selling new cars

The market for in-car subscription services such as high-end functions like autonomous driving and entertainment systems could be more profitable than selling new cars for carmakers, market data showed Monday, illustrating reason why major carmakers are moving to develop their own software and in-car programs. According to the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH) report, the world’s top 11 finished carmakers and EV maker Tesla have garnered an average of $109 billion of their a

April 25, 2022

Self-driving car market race heats up; S. Korean regulations lag behind: report

South Korea is lagging behind in revising regulations to prepare for the commercialization of autonomous vehicles compared to other major countries such as the US, Germany and Japan, a Seoul-based think tank said Sunday. The market size of autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles is expected to grow from $7.1 billion in 2020 to $1 trillion by 2035, a report by the Korea Economic Research Institute showed. More than half of the newly launched cars to be sold in 2030 are expected to be equipped with

April 24, 2022

[Weekender] Foreign vacations are back, but come with hefty price tags

Attention travel-starved Koreans. The cost of air travel is rising, with more upward pressure building from high jet fuel prices and soaring tourism demand. If you are fixed on an overseas vacation, don’t wait too long to book it, experts say. “Airlines are selling their flight tickets well and there is a supply shortage. We are in a situation where prices are forced to go up,” an Asiana Airlines official told The Korea Herald. “The number of flights in operation has

April 23, 2022

[KH Explains] Like Tesla, Hyundai bets on software updates, but legal issue remains hurdle

Just like smartphones or any other tech devices, vehicles also receive software for new versions from their manufacturers via OTA -- Over The Air -- updates. Software updates are a significant part of the connected car experience because they include the latest feature enhancements, such as autonomous driving, as well as crucial security patches. Tesla has been offering OTA updates to all its cars since 2012. Rivals such as Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have also been quickly penetrating

April 21, 2022

Han Sung Motor partners CJ Logistics for Superrace Championship

Han Sung Motor, Korea‘s official Mercedes-Benz dealer, announced Tuesday that it has signed a brand partnership with CJ Logistics to support the Superrace Championship, which the logistics company hosts this weekend. The CJ Logistics Superrace Championship is the only stock car race in Asia and is the biggest motor sports event in South Korea. The two-day race kicks off this Saturday at the AMG Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The partnership comes in response to consumer’s

April 19, 2022

[Photo News] Consequence of supply shortage

Units of Hyundai Motor’s compact vehicle Casper ready for shipment are sparsely parked at Gwangju Global Motors, a joint venture manufacturing plant between the carmaker and the Gwangju city government on Tuesday. Located in South Korea’s southwestern city of Gwangju, the plant is capable of manufacturing 200 vehicles a day, but suspended its operations due to a prolonged supply shortage triggered by the Shanghai lockdown.

April 19, 2022

[Newsmaker] Large retailers jump into e-commerce market for designer goods

Large retailers including Hanwha and Shinsegae are keen to jump into the e-commerce market for designer brands as existing online platforms are struggling to beat off a counterfeit luxury goods scandal. Online shopping malls for designer brands such as Mustit, Balaan and Trenbe have enjoyed a boom in Korea by offering convenience and prices lower than department stores or duty-free shops to the country’s growing number of luxury consumers who spent more during the pandemic. These online

April 19, 2022

Hyundai Motor becomes first carmaker to issue community-based NFTs

Hyundai Motor is issuing community-based non-fungible tokens as part of efforts to enhance its brand experience and customer community, becoming the first carmaker to enter the community NFT marketplace, the South Korean auto giant said Monday. Hyundai released a short film introducing the “Metamobility Universe,” the carmaker’s NFT universe concept that was first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The film, featuring Meta Kongz, a popular NFT gorilla cha

April 18, 2022

Asia’s first Porsche exhibition garners attention in Seoul

Asia’s first Porsche exhibition, “Porsche Ikonen,” drew thousands of visitors in its first week in Seoul, Porsche Korea said Friday. Since the general opening to the public Saturday, the exhibition saw around 6,500 visitors as of Thursday, with an average of 2,000 visitors last weekend, according to the automaker. Tickets for the coming weekend have already sold out. Showcasing 18 units of legendary cars including the hypercar concept “919 Street,” Porsche’

April 15, 2022

Kia, Coupang to develop electric truck by 2025

South Korean carmaker Kia and last-mile delivery service firm Coupang announced Friday that they had signed an agreement Wednesday to develop all-electric vehicles for cargo delivery. The two companies plan to launch mid-sized and large electric cargo vans by 2025, with better storage, efficiency and safety than Coupang’s current 1-ton cargo truck. Kia said it would use its experience and technology in the automobile sector to offer diverse solutions and services requested by Coupang to

April 15, 2022

At NY autoshow, Hyundai Ioniq 5 wins World Car of the Year title

Hyundai Motor‘s first all-electric car Ioniq 5 was named World Car of the Year by the World Car Awards for solidifying its position as the carmaker’s signature EV in global markets as well as for creating its unique vehicle design, the company said Thursday. On the announcement made on the eve of the New York International Auto Show, its chief Chung Euisun said the carmaker will continue to push for making competitive all-electric vehicles and also speed up the establishment of the

April 14, 2022

[Herald Interview] ICAO supports opening of inter-Korean airway, but safety check comes first

The United Nations aviation agency supports having direct flights between North and South Korea, on condition of Seoul’s endorsement, but a clear assessment of the safety and security of passengers and flights should be carried out, its chief said Tuesday. 　 “We are interested that these flights are conducted in a safe, secure, efficient manner and we stand ready to support basically if that decision is taken by the government,” said Juan Carlos Salazar, the head of the Intern

April 13, 2022

Newsweek chooses Hyundai Motor chief as ‘visionary of the year’

US weekly magazine Newsweek chose Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun as visionary of the year in Newsweek World‘s Greatest Auto Disruptors Award event on Tuesday. In its special issue on agents of change in the automotive industry, Newsweek detailed Chung’s plans for Hyundai’s future, the carmaker’s progress and challenges in alternative fuels, acquisition of a robotics company, and its focus on vertical integration to become self-sufficient, from components to fi

April 13, 2022

Aviation experts gather in Seoul to prepare for post-COVID era

Aviation experts from around the world gathered in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss ways to promote the aviation industry’s safe recovery in the post-pandemic era. During the 2022 International Civil Aviation Organization’s Legal Seminar hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, South Korea’s Transport Minister Noh Hyeong-ouk pointed out that governments around the world have sought for diverse ways to support the air industry to recover from plunging travel dem

April 12, 2022

Asiana to resume Incheon-Rome route in June

Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's second-biggest carrier, said Monday it will resume the Incheon-Rome route in June to meet pent-up demand amid eased virus curbs. Asiana plans to offer two flights a week to Rome from June 18 and gradually increase the number depending on demand, a company spokesperson said over the phone. The carrier suspended the Rome route two years and three months ago as countries strengthened entry restrictions to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Asiana used

April 11, 2022

Korean Air joins UAM surveillance research project

National flag carrier Korean Air announced Monday that it is taking part in a government-led research and development project of an urban air mobility surveillance information acquisition system. Under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s project, Korean Air will be developing the operating control system and operation simulating system needed for UAM operators, the airline said. The operating control system allows operators to plan, monitor, and schedule flights as well

April 11, 2022

Automotive market faces inflation risks

Inflation concerns are growing in the automotive market, raising prices of both new and used cars here. According to a report by the Korea Automotive Technology Institute released Monday, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is adding to ongoing chip supply shortages and resulting in a continuous price surge in cars worldwide. The report predicted that the current inflation in the car industry could be prolonged, as carmakers are likely to face difficulty in securing semiconductors -- among ot

April 11, 2022