Another BMW 520d vehicle catches fire on expressway

Another automobile produced by German carmaker BMW 520d sedan caught fire while being driven on a local expressway on Thursday, further fueling safety concerns.Police said the vehicle caught fire at 11:47 a.m. in Gangwon Province in eastern South Korea.BMW Korea said late last month it will recall 106,000 automobiles after several 520d sedans caught fire. The massive recall will cover 42 different models, including the diesel-powered passenger car. (Yonhap)The German carmaker has identified exha

Aug. 2, 2018

BMW, importers of Ferrari, Lamborghini to recall 270 vehicles: ministry

BMW and the importers of Ferrari and Lamborghini models will voluntarily recall 270 vehicles to fix faulty components, the transport ministry said Thursday. The move is part of the latest series of recalls by carmakers and importers to ensure vehicles meet safety requirements.  (Yonhap)The three companies plan to recall 10 different models totaling 270 vehicles. The models are the Ferrari California sports car imported by Forza Motors Korea and the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Coupe imported by

Aug. 2, 2018

BMW Korea offers free car rental for recalled vehicles

BMW Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German carmaker, will provide free car rentals for vehicle owners affected by its voluntary recall issued last week, the company said Wednesday.Owners of the 106,317 vehicles recalled related to an issue with engines catching fire will be able to rent cars free of charge in accordance with Korea’s standard auto insurance policy.In efforts to contain further incidents, BMW Korea plans to complete checkups on about 7,000 BMW vehicles that have b

Aug. 1, 2018

SK Innovation rises six ranks on top global chemical firm list

SK Innovation rose six ranks on a list of this year’s global top 50 chemical companies complied by Chemical & Engineering News magazine, backed by its drive to beef up its chemical venture beyond its oil refinery business, the company said Wednesday.According to Chemical & Engineering News, published by the American Chemical Society, SK Innovation ranked No. 38 out of 50 global chemical firms, climbing up six notches compared to last year and showing the second-biggest improvement among the surv

Aug. 1, 2018

[KH Explains] What caused BMW sedans to catch fire?

It started with smoke coming from the engine or an alert sign going off to advise the driver to add more coolant, according to owners of BMW vehicles that caught fire in motion in recent weeks. Sharing their experiences of watching their BMW vehicles burning on the road, some said via online communities that they at least had time to escape from the vehicles as it was not like the engine exploded.Since December 2017, a total of 30 BMW vehicles have caught fire on motorways here. Of the number, 1

July 31, 2018

Lamborghini Aventador catches fire in Korea

Amid escalating controversy over some BMW vehicles that allegedly caught fire without external factors here, a fire reportedly started in the engine of a Lamborghini Aventador, burning nearly half of the vehicle, according to authorities and news reports Tuesday.According to the local fire department, a car fire broke out in the rear engine of the 2013 model year Aventador on a road in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, around 2:08 p.m. Monday. The driver pulled over to the shoulder after detecting the fire t

July 31, 2018

[Behind the Wheel] Hyundai’s Santa Fe family SUV is bigger, safer

Hyundai Motor’s fourth-generation midsize sport utility vehicle Sante Fe is revamped for the first time in six years, geared with features for higher convenience and cutting edge safety suits.Like the Kona small SUV, the new Santa Fe also carries Hyundai’s trademark features of enlarged and contemporary exterior. The family SUV carries Hyundai’s signature hexagonal cascading grille and a composite light with light emitting diode daytime running lights placed on top of LED headlights.The enlarged

July 31, 2018

BMW Korea vows to complete safety inspection of 100,000 vehicles in two weeks

BMW Korea, the local importer and distributer of the German carmaker, vowed to complete the inspection of more than 100,000 vehicles suspected of having faulty parts by operating its service centers nationwide 24 hours a day for the next two weeks.In an announcement released Monday afternoon, the company said that all vehicles subject to its voluntary recall would go through an hourlong inspection service and that the parts would be replaced. Alternative vehicles will be provided during inspecti

July 30, 2018

Hands Corporation forays into Europe

Hands Corporation, a local aluminum wheel manufacturer, will complete construction of a factory in Morocco by 2024 with aims to expand its presence in Europe, the company said Monday. The company had announced construction of the Morocco factory in August last year and the groundbreaking ceremony was held in April.“By cooperating with the Moroccan government, we will do our best to become an example of successful expansion there. Also our goal is to post 1 trillion won ($895 million) in earnings

July 30, 2018

[Newsmaker] BMW Korea faces lawsuit by customers over faulty engines

A group of customers has filed a lawsuit against BMW Korea and its dealer Deutsche Motors over faulty engine parts allegedly susceptible to fire, demanding compensation. Ha Jong-sun, a lawyer at the Seoul-based Barun Law, said Monday that four owners of BMW 520d sedans lodged a suit with the Seoul Central District Court, seeking 5 million won ($4,475) in damages for safety concerns and a drop in car value. The amount of compensation could go up, depending on the results of vehicle evaluation, he

July 30, 2018

VW Korea CEO hints at Passat TSI markdown

Volkswagen Korea, the local importer and distributor for the German carmaker, is likely to offer a huge price reduction for its latest Passat series, intent to expand sales here.According to local sources, the carmaker has approved dealers to offer nearly 30 percent off the Passat TSI, expected to make its official debut here in mid-August. The retail price of the sedan is projected to be around 36 million won ($32,300), but the final price will drop to around 26 million won, bringing it into th

July 29, 2018

Hyundai sells 223 Nexo hydrogen-powered cars to set new annual record

Hyundai Motor Co. said Sunday that it sold 223 Nexo hydrogen fuel cell cars since its launch in March, and that the company expects record sales for its clean car this year, buoyed by increases in domestic and worldwide demand.Korea's No. 1 carmaker said of the total, 179 of its fuel cell electric vehicles were sold in the home market, with 44 being shipped abroad, up till last month. (Yonhap)It said that while the overall volume is not high, it is close to the 269 Tucson FCEVs sold for the whol

July 29, 2018

Hyundai to provide 1,200 hybrid cabs to Singapore

South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor has signed a contract to provide up to 1,200 Ioniq hybrid cars to a Singaporean taxi operator, the company said Thursday.The contract states that Hyundai will provide Ioniq hybrids to Comfort Delgro, a Singaporean logistics company, by the first half of 2019. Ioniq hybrid taxi (Hyundai Motor)Starting with the taxi-version of Hyundai’s sedan Sonata, the carmaker has been providing vehicles for Comfort Delgro since 2007. So far, the carmaker has sold about 24,

July 26, 2018

Hyundai Motor H1 profit dives

Despite improved sales of sport utility vehicles, Hyundai Motor’s profit fell 37.1 percent on-year in the first half of this year, due to the strong Korean won and a rise in production cost.The carmaker saw 47.1 trillion won ($42 billion) in sales, a 1.1 percent decrease, and earned 1.63 trillion won in operating profit, the company said in a statement.The worse-than-expected profit came even though the carmaker sold more vehicles than the same period last year. It sold 2.24 million units, a 4.5

July 26, 2018

BMW Korea to voluntarily recall 42 models after engine fires

BMW Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German luxury carmaker, will voluntarily recall 106,317 units of the 520d sedan and 41 other models due to a faulty exhaust gas recirculation module following a series of BMW engines catching fire, the government said Thursday.This is the first time in any country for BMW to recall vehicles due to flammable exhaust gas recirculation.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, fires had been set off due to defective exhaust

July 26, 2018

Hyundai Motor invests W22.5b in Mesh Korea for last-mile technology

Hyundai Motor has invested 22.5 billion won ($20 million) in Mesh Korea, a logistics service provider that runs the brand Vroong, the company said Wednesday.The decision is a part of efforts to secure a new growth engine, the company said, citing the last-mile logistics technology Mesh Korea has developed. Hyundai plans to apply its autonomous and connected car technologies to Mesh Korea’s delivery vehicles, with an aim to develop unmanned delivery services in the future. Last-mile technology re

July 25, 2018

Audi Korea to offer 40 percent price cut on A3

Audi Korea plans to offer a roughly 40 percent markdown on its A3 low-emission diesel compact sedan to comply with low-emission vehicle sales regulated under South Korean law, the company said Wednesday.Some 3,000 units of model year 2018 A3 vehicles will be sold between 23.7 million won ($21,000) and 26.1 million won, equivalent to the price range of Hyundai’s Avante compact car. The official price range of the new compact sedan is 39.5 million won to 43.5 million won.“The exact discount rate h

July 25, 2018

Hyundai Motor sponsors A.S. Roma, Hertha Berlin

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s largest automotive company, has signed sponsor partnerships with Italian football club A.S. Roma and German football club Hertha Berlin, the company said Tuesday.With the latest two partnerships, Hyundai has become partners with five European football clubs as part of its sports marketing efforts in the region. The auto firm is posting increasing sales in Europe, despite sluggish growth in the US and China. Andrea Crespi (second left), managing director of Hyundai Mo

July 24, 2018

BMW partners with Paramount for Mission: Impossible sequel

From the 1986 BMW 5 Series to newly launched M5, several of the German carmaker’s signature vehicles are starring in the new “Mission: Impossible” movie, maximizing its image of dynamic performance and design.In latest sequel, “Mission: Impossible -- Fallout,” BMW vehicles are featured as super cars for action hero Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise, and his crew.  　Hollywood star Tom Cruise is seen while filming “Mission: Impossible -- Fallout” on the 1986 BMW 5 Series. (BMW Korea)The BMW M5 that

July 23, 2018

Hyundai Mobis increases AI use for improved efficiency

Hyundai Mobis, the auto parts making unit of Hyundai Motor Group, has implemented artificial intelligence to its software screening process and document search system for improved efficiency and accuracy, the company said Sunday.The move came in line with the company’s latest efforts to shift into a software-centered company and to diversify the use of AI in research and development.The AI-based software screening system, dubbed Mobis Artificial Intelligence Software Testing, jointly made with a

July 22, 2018