[Behind the Wheel] Audi’s most powerful vehicles whizz on Inje Speedium

INJE, Gangwon Province -- A line of high-performance vehicles could be seen whizzing around the racing circuit of Inje Speedium in Gangwon Province on Wednesday, the growls from their engines echoing throughout the venue. It was part of the Audi Driving Experience, an annual event Audi Korea organizes to offer car enthusiasts an opportunity to try out its highest-end vehicles and its latest automotive technologies. This year, Audi Korea presented 10 vehicles, including the electric vehicle

June 7, 2021

Tesla Y top-selling foreign car in May

Tesla’s Model Y dethroned longtime favorite the Mercedes-Benz E-Class to become the top-selling imported car in South Korea in May, industry data showed Thursday. According to market tracker CarIsYou, 3,461 Y vehicles were newly registered with local authorities that month, compared with 2,387 E-Class vehicles. Sales of the Y, the all-electric compact sport utility vehicle and the latest release from the American electric car brand, began in earnest here last month. From January thro

June 3, 2021

Porsche Korea launches Taycan Turbo in S. Korea

Porsche Korea has launched Taycan Turbo, a high-performance model of the brand’s first electric vehicle, the company said Thursday. Taycan Turbo is the third Taycan variant to be launched here in Korea, and stands in between Taycan Turbo S and Taycan 4S, performance-wise. Like the Taycan Turbo S -- the higher-performing variant -- it is equipped with a Performance Battery Plus, with a gross capacity of 93.4 kilowatt hours as standard. Using launch control, the vehicle can exert up to 68

June 3, 2021

Kumho Tire supplies Ecsta HS51 for Renault Samsung’s Arkana

Kumho Tire is exclusively supplying its best-selling tire Ecsta HS51 for Renault Samsung Motors’ compact sports utility vehicle Arkana -- known as the XM3 in South Korea -- distributed in Europe, the company said Thursday. According to the South Korean tire manufacturer, Ecsta HS51 is their best-selling tire in Europe, using rubber and high grip resin for enhanced braking function. The model is noted for a variety of technologies and devices, such as Virtual Product Development simulat

June 3, 2021

Man Truck and Bus Korea designated as regional hub for Austral-Asia region

Man Truck and Bus Korea has been designated as the German truck maker’s regional headquarters, managing 12 countries in the Austral and Asia region, an executive board member from the German headquarters said on Thursday. Participating in a press conference held in Seoul, Goran Nyberg, an executive board member for sales and marketing at Man Truck and Bus, said the Korean branch will be playing a bigger role in the group’s business operations. He also spoke of complaints raised by

June 3, 2021

Tesla's Model Y becomes best-selling imported model in May

US electric vehicle maker Tesla's newly released Model Y was the top-selling foreign car model in South Korea last month, beating German luxury brand Mercedes-Benz's E-Class, industry data showed Thursday. A total of 3,461 Tesla's vehicles were registered in May, sharply up from 76 in April, thanks to the release of new EV models, according to the data by CarIsYou Data Research Center. Tesla's Model Y accounted for most of the Korean sales, selling 3,328 units in May, becoming the best-selling

June 3, 2021

Hyundai, Kia's US sales on roll in May

Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Corp., South Korea's two biggest carmakers, said Thursday their combined US sales again broke their monthly record for the third consecutive month in May thanks to the popularity of their SUV models.  Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 170,315 vehicles in the United States last month, up 64.6 percent from a year ago, according to the companies' sales data. Both Hyundai and Kia, which together form the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, reported the

June 3, 2021

Auto sales rise 41% on robust overseas demand

South Korean carmakers' sales rose 41 percent last month from a year earlier on strong overseas demand amid a quicker-than-expected recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and a lower base effect, industry data showed Tuesday. The country's five carmakers -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. -- sold a combined 608,430 vehicles in May, up from 432,621 units a year ago, according to data from the companies. Their domestic sales fell 13

June 1, 2021

SsangYong's May sales rise 6% on strong overseas performance

SsangYong Motor Co. said Tuesday its sales rose 6 percent last month from a year earlier on increased exports of its SUVs. SsangYong Motor sold 8,750 vehicles in May, up from 8,254 units a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Exports more than quintupled to 3,854 units last month from 711 a year ago, but domestic sales fell 35 percent to 4,956 units from 7,575 over the cited period, the statement said. From January to May, its sales fell 19 percent to 31,660 units from 39,206 units

June 1, 2021

Race to acquire Eastar Jet heats up as more companies enter bidding process

More companies including poultry producer Harim and underwear company Ssang Bang Wool have entered the race to acquire financially troubled budget airline Easter Jet. Around ten companies and private equity funds have submitted a Letter of Intent to acquire the low cost carrier, according to reports citing sources close to the industry. The list includes Kanglim, a crane manufacturer and a subsidiary of Ssang Bang Wool Group, as well as Harim Group‘s shipping company Pan Ocean. The dea

June 1, 2021

Renault Samsung's May sales drop 13% on weak domestic demand

Renault Samsung Motors Corp. said Tuesday its sales fell 13.3 percent last month from a year earlier due to weak domestic demand. The South Korean unit of Renault S.A. sold 10,348 vehicles in May, down from 11,929 units a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Domestic sales tumbled 56.2 percent on-year to 4,635 units last month in the face of toughening competition with other brands. Exports rose more than fourfold to 5,713 units over the cited period as the automaker shipped 4,247

June 1, 2021

Several investors submit LOIs for budget carrier Eastar

Financially troubled budget carrier Eastar Jet Co. has received letters of intent (LOIs) from some investors for its stake up for sale and will select a final bidder next month. Easter Jet, currently under a court-led rehabilitation scheme, has received LOIs from several companies, including a consortium led by Kanglim, a local equipment maker under underwear company Ssang Bang Wool, and other private equity funds, according to industry sources.   The budget carrier selected a preli

May 31, 2021

FTC orders Ford to correct false marketing claim

Ford Sales and Service Korea received a correction order from the Fair Trade Commission for misrepresenting one of its vehicles as having a rear braking support system, the watchdog agency said Monday. According to the FTC, the importer and seller of the US-based Ford advertised in 2019 that its sport utility vehicle the Ford Explorer Limited was equipped with a reverse braking system, which was not true. In brochures and on its official website, the automaker had said the function helped t

May 31, 2021

Hyundai, Kia's eco-friendly car exports up 47% in Jan.-April

Hyundai Motor Group's eco-friendly vehicle exports jumped 46.6 percent in the first four months of this year compared with a year earlier, led by robust demand for its electric vehicle (EVs) and hybrid models, industry data showed Monday. The combined exports of eco-friendly models by the Korean automotive group's two affiliates -- Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. -- stood at 118,321 units in the January-April period, up from 80,689 units a year ago, according to the data by the Korean Automobi

May 31, 2021

Audi Volkswagen Korea promises to go net zero by 2050

Audi Volkswagen Korea is committed to going net zero by 2050 and hopes to set an example for the car industry, the automaker said Friday. In a press conference, Audi Volkswagen Korea Group Managing Director Rene Koneberg said pursuing carbon neutrality is a task that everyone should work together to achieve. To highlight the seriousness of the climate change issue and the importance of reducing our carbon footprint, Audi Volkswagen Korea has also opened an exhibition titled “goTOzero&r

May 31, 2021

Kumho Tire aims to lead local tire market with SOLUS TA51

Kumho Tire is looking to bolster its share of the local tire market with its latest all-season model SOLUS TA51, launched in April. SOLUS TA51 is the tire maker’s first new product in three years, and comes in 34 different sizes, ranging from 16 inches to 19 inches. The tire product will be compatible with most car models in the local market, the company explained. It is a Korean market-only model. It is specially designed to be suitable for use in different weather conditions across

May 30, 2021

BMW Korea boosts benefits for its premium members

BMW Korea plans to add more benefits to its existing premium membership program provided to owners of its Luxury Class models, the global carmaker announced Thursday. For members of the BMW Excellence Club -- made up of owners of BMW’s New 7 Series, New 8 Series and the New X7 model -- the company is expanding its rental car service, which was previously only available in the southern island of Jeju. Beginning in August, BMW Excellence Club members can borrow a BMW X7 for 72 hours for

May 27, 2021

[Behind the Wheel] Solid family vehicle Volvo XC90 made more eco-friendly with B6 engine

Volvo Cars Korea was once one of the back markers in South Korea’s automotive market, but it has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in recent years, thanks to its reputation for safety. As cases accumulated over time that highlighted Volvo cars’ strength, the automaker’s sales, which were still below 2,000 units in 2013, have surpassed the 10,000-unit mark for two years running, setting a new sales record of 12,798 units in 2020. Now, the automaker is charging ahead for

May 27, 2021

LG Innotek recognized for product quality by global car maker

LG Innotek, LG Group’s materials and components maker, received the Jaguar Land Rover Quality Certificate from the global car maker, the company announced Wednesday. 　 Jaguar Land Rover awards a quality excellence certificate to one supplier every year based on quality and the supplier’s adherence to delivery schedule.　 LG Innotek has been supplying a DC-DC converter product to the automaker since 2017. A DC-DC converter is a key component used in hybrid and electric cars. 　 This

May 26, 2021

Genesis G80 earns top safety award from IIHS

South Korean luxury car brand Genesis' G80 sedan has earned the highest safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the US auto safety organization said Wednesday. The G80 earned TOP SAFETY PICK+ by qualifying for a wide range of IIHS collision tests, including front crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle crashes and pedestrian front crash prevention, the US institute said on its website. To qualify for the IIHS' highest safety rating, a vehicle has to earn a high sc

May 26, 2021