Hyundai Motor unveils Avante N, instills motorsports spirit in daily driving

Hyundai Motor unveiled its high-performance Avante N on Wednesday, expanding its N product lineup to present how the motorsports experience can be enjoyed in daily driving. The Avante N has been redesigned from the entry-level sedan Avante, released in April 2020, to a sports car that can be used in daily commutes and travels. Introduced under the name Elantra N for the global market, the new vehicle made its debut on the global stage in a YouTube video uploaded Wednesday morning, showing of

July 14, 2021

Hyundai to resume production at Brazil plant this week

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker by sales, said Tuesday it will resume operations of its plant in Brazil this week following a 10-day suspension amid a global chip shortage. Early this month, Hyundai said it will halt the Piracicaba, Sao Paulo plant from July 5-14 due to lack of semiconductor parts.     "The plant will partially resume production on July 15 with one shift despite the parts shortage (after reducing output by one-third late last month).

July 13, 2021

Hyundai, Kia expected to log sharp rebound in Q2 earnings

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. are set to report a sharp rebound in operating profit for the second quarter on strong demand for their vehicles that offset output disruptions by semiconductor shortages, analysts said Tuesday. Hyundai and Kia, which together form the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, are expected to have posted operating profits of 1.86 trillion won ($1.6 billion) and 1.34 trillion won, respectively, for the quarter ended June 30, according to a median for

July 13, 2021

[Behind the wheel] BMW’s New Mini both practical and powerful

South Korea has been known as a tough market to crack for global compact car brands. But that’s not the case for BMW Group’s Mini. Since its debut in Korea in 2005, the premium compact car brand under BMW has posted steady growth rates each year. In 2019, sales volume hit 10,000 units -- a major milestone for foreign car brands here. Last year, the figure grew more than 10 percent from the previous year. Its latest lineup -- the New Mini Family -- consists of three models, the

July 12, 2021

Korean Air’s plan for integrated airline with Asiana to cost W600b

Korean Air’s plan to launch an integrated airline after acquiring its long-term rival Asiana Airlines will cost an additional 600 billion won ($524 million), new data revealed on Sunday. According to data obtained by lawmaker Park Sang-hyuk, the airline will have to foot a total bill of around 2.4 trillion won for the acquisition and the post-merger integration process, which will take place over a period of two years. The plan will see Korean Air integrate its booking and ticketing sys

July 11, 2021

Foreign pilots allege mistreatment by Korean Air during pandemic

Foreign pilots have accused Korean Air of mistreating them ever since the pandemic began early last year and forcing them to leave their belongings behind in South Korea. A former B777 captain at the airline, who wished to stay anonymous, told The Korea Herald he had been placed on unpaid leave for the last 16 months and kept in the dark about his future, while his Korean colleagues had been given the choice to go on paid leave. “They obliged us, in the real sense of the word, to sign th

July 11, 2021

SsangYong Motor to sell plant site in rehabilitation efforts

SsangYong Motor, a debt-ridden automaker, decided to sell the site of its plant in Pyeongtaek as part of self-rescue efforts, the local government said Saturday.    The company has been under court receivership since April, as its Indian parent, Mahindra & Mahindra, failed to secure a buyer for its 75 percent stake in the automaker.    The city government of Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the court-appoin

July 10, 2021

[Behind the Wheel] Genesis poised to take on EV world with G80

Genesis, the luxury brand of South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor, has debuted its first pure-electric car, aiming to take on the emerging electric vehicle mart with high-end models. With the Electrified G80, unveiled in South Korean on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor has aimed to prove that it can offer the gentle yet powerful ride of a premium sedan with electricity. On its launch day, The Korea Herald took the much-anticipated car for a test drive of about 60 kilometers, from Starfie

July 9, 2021

Hyundai Motor forges partnership to develop hydrogen fuel cell system for ships

Hyundai Motor will work with other firms to utilize its car-making expertise and technology for the development of a hydrogen fuel cell system for ships, the Korean automaker said Thursday. Hyundai Motor has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Global Service and the Korean Register of Shipping, a non-profit ship classification body, to jointly develop an FC system package for ships using the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell that is used in cars. The partnership also aims

July 8, 2021

Genesis launches electrified G80 sedan in S. Korea

Genesis, the independent luxury brand of Hyundai Motor Co., said Wednesday it launched the electrified G80 midsize sedan in South Korea, debuting its first electric model. The luxury electric sedan looks similar to the G80, but an electric socket in the front grille gives it a distinct identity as an EV. The G80 EV packs an 87.2 kilowatt-hour battery and can travel up to 427 kilometers on a single charge, Genesis said. The sedan, only available with all-wheel drive, is capable of producing

July 7, 2021

‘More than 50 imported EV models to be unveiled in S. Korea by 2023’

Foreign car brands will introduce at least 54 electric vehicle models here by 2023, South Korea’s imported car association said Tuesday. New executives and board members of the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association noted a clear shift of the industry paradigm toward electrification at their first press conference since their inauguration last year, saying foreign players will be adding momentum to that by presenting more electricity-powered vehicles. “For me

July 6, 2021

Korean automakers face tough road ahead as workers plan for strike

As South Korean automakers move to embrace the trend shift for eco-friendly vehicles, they face difficulties in narrowing differences with labor unions seeking wage increase and job protection. The labor union of Hyundai Motor, the country’s leading automaker, said it is set to vote to strike Wednesday, after failing to reduce the gap in this year’s collective bargaining negotiations. In the 13th round of negotiations held this year, Hyundai Motor management suggested a proposal

July 6, 2021

LG Innotek wins nod from GM for four consecutive years

LG Group’s material and components maker LG Innotek has been recognized for the quality of its auto parts supplied to General Motors, the company said Tuesday. The South Korean firm received the 2020 GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award, marking its fourth consecutive win dating to 2017. GM recognizes partners that meet standards of zero quality defects and strict quality control for automotive components with the award, as quality control is directly related to the safety of drivers,

July 6, 2021

[Behind the Wheel] With K9, Kia makes driving luxury

Kia’s premium flagship sedan K9 has returned with a major technological change, showing off how driving assistance can really make a difference behind the wheel. Often called the “car for CEOs,” the most luxurious model from Kia showed a solid performance, selling 10,878 units in 2019. But its sales dwindled to 7,831 units in 2020 as competition for the title intensified with vehicles from Genesis, the premium automotive brand of Hyundai Motor Group, namely the G80 and G90.

July 5, 2021

Hyundai to sell Staria minivan in Thailand this week

Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday it will begin the sale of the Staria minivan in Thailand this week as it strives to increase its presence in Southeast Asian markets. Hyundai also plans to begin introducing the Staria minivan in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia in the third quarter, a company spokesman said. Last year, Hyundai sold about 4,000 vehicles in Thailand and most of the vehicles were the Starex minivan. The Starex minivan is no longer in production. The maker of the Sonata sedan and t

July 5, 2021

Volvo Concept Recharge reveals what carmaker is going for with EVs

Volvo recently unveiled a concept car that shows where the automaker is going in its electrification drive. The Volvo Concept Recharge, which the firms described as “a manifesto for the next generation of all-electric Volvos,” introduces a host of improvements in car design, functionality and safety features. They include a much roomier interior made possible by the removal of the internal combustion engine and the adoption of the flat floor. By replacing a battery pack under the

July 4, 2021

Hyundai Motor, Kia record all-time high sales in US

Hyundai Motor and Kia witnessed all-time high sales in the United States in the first half of this year, the companies said Friday. The two automotive brands of the largest Korean automobile group sold a combined 804,944 vehicles in the US in the first half of this year, a 48.1 percent increase from a year earlier, according to Hyundai and Kia’s US branches. Hyundai Motor America said its sales grew 49.4 percent on-year, selling 407,135 units, while Kia America sold 378,511 units, up 4

July 2, 2021

Fleets of Hyundai Xcient fuel cell trucks exceed 1m km driving

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday its fleets of Xcient fuel cell trucks have surpassed 1 million kilometers of driving since they hit the roads in Switzerland nearly a year ago. Hyundai Motor has shipped a total of 46 Xcient heavy-duty truck trucks to the European nation since July 2020, which came in service for 25 Swiss companies in logistics, distribution and supermarket fulfillment. Over that distance, the hydrogen-powered trucks, which only emit water, have reduced carb

July 2, 2021

Hyundai, Kia's US sales up 44% in June

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Corp. said Friday their combined sales jumped 44 percent in the United States last month from a year earlier on strong demand for their SUVs. Hyundai and Kia sold 140,951 vehicles in the US in June, up from 98,005 units in the same month of last year, the companies said in separate statements. Hyundai's sales rose 45 percent to 72,465 units last month from 50,135 a year ago, while Kia's also advanced 43 percent to 68,486 from 47,870 during the cited per

July 2, 2021

Renault Samsung’s diesel-powered QM6 offers quiet, eco-friendly driving

Renault Samsung Motors’ sports utility vehicle QM6 is becoming a popular choice for drivers, being offered in three different fuel types -- gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas -- Renault Samsung said on Thursday. Originally born to serve in battlefields, SUVs were loud and prone to vibration with their larger bodies and wheels, and often diesel-centered. The South Korean unit of the French automaker Renault was one of the fast movers to prepare for the exit of diesel cars, the

July 1, 2021