[Newsmaker] Mercedes-Benz’ fast growth in Korea meets unexpected bump

Amid German prosecutors’ investigation into defeat devices installed in Mercedes-Benz diesel cars, the Environment Ministry here said Tuesday that some 110,000 units powered by the engines in question were sold in Korea. The ministry started examining 110,000 units across 47 models running on engines codenamed OM642 and OM651, following a report by German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung that said the number of concerned Mercedes-Benz cars totaled over a million units worldwide last week.The Germa

July 18, 2017

Hyundai adds Sonata plug-in hybrid to lineup

Hyundai Motor Co. on Tuesday added the Sonata plug-in hybrid to its lineup in a move to absorb growing demand for environment friendly vehicles. As the government moves to implement stricter regulations against fine dust-emitting vehicles centered generally around diesel cars, automakers are making an effort to highlight their "green" credentials in their lineups. Hyundai Motor`s Sonata New Rise plug-in hybrid model (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor) (Yonhap)The Sonata New Rise plug-in hybrid wen

July 18, 2017

Kia workers prepare to strike amid weak sales

Unionized workers at Kia Motors Corp. will vote on whether to stage a walkout as they press for more wages and benefits, the company's union said Monday. The vote scheduled from Monday through Tuesday comes as Kia's wage talks with the management recently broke up and it struggles with slowing sales in major markets such as China and the United States.  (Yonhap)Members of Kia's 30,000-strong union will cast their votes by 1 p.m. Tuesday, with the results to be made available at around 6 p.m. The

July 17, 2017

Volkswagen Korea steps up efforts to regain consumer trust

Logo of Volkswagen (Volkswagen Korea)Volkswagen Korea, the domestic distributor of the German brand, is accelerating efforts to regain consumer trust by offering improved services, the company said Monday. “Rebuilding customer trust is at the top of Volkswagen Korea’s agenda. Together with dealers we are continuing various measures to move customers to trust us again,” said Volkswagen Korea.In preparation for when it resumes sales here, Volkswagen Korea has opened four new service centers across

July 17, 2017

Hyundai strengthens door-to-door charging services

Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday it will strengthen door-to-door charging services for its Ioniq electric vehicles, a move to promote consumer acceptance of electric vehicles.Hyundai Motor has recently increased the number of service vehicles which offer door-to-door charging services to 60 from 10 across the country. It formerly operated 10 such vehicles in Seoul and Jeju Island, the company said in a statement. In this photo taken on July 17, 2017, Hyundai Motor employees stand before the carmake

July 17, 2017

SsangYong upgrades Tivoli to beat rival subcompact SUVs

SsangYong Motor Co. said Monday it will launch the upgraded Tivoli SUV this week to compete with rivals in the heavily contested subcompact crossover markets. The carmaker's facelifted Tivoli subcompact, equipped with a 1.6-liter gasoline or diesel engine, will go on sale in the domestic market Thursday, the company said in a statement. The move is aimed at maintaining its dominant market share in the rapidly growing subcompact SUV market. Currently, five out of 10 subcompact SUVs being sold in

July 17, 2017

Hyundai workers vote to strike amid weak sales

Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor on Friday voted to stage a walkout as they press for more wages and benefits, the union said Friday.Hyundai's 50,274-member union cast their votes as wage negotiations with the management are underway.In a vote held from Thursday through Friday, 33,145 members, or 65.93 percent, of the union agreed to go on strike if the wage talks break down, a union spokesman said over the phone. "Union leaders will meet on Tuesday to decide on the guidelines for union member

July 14, 2017

Ministry investigating Mercedes-Benz vehicles on alleged emissions fraud

South Korea's environment ministry has launched a probe into some imported Mercedes-Benz vehicles, an official said Friday, amid reports about an emissions fraud scandal involving German luxury automaker Daimler."We have found that there are some 40 kinds of imported Mercedes-Benz vehicles suspected of carrying the emissions manipulation device," the official said on condition of anonymity."We are currently investigating how many cars in question have been sold in Korea." (Yonhap)German and othe

July 14, 2017

Korea pushes for safety features in commerical vehicles

The Korean government is moving to make autonomous safety features mandatory in commercial vehicles, following a series of deadly accidents with large buses.President Moon Jae-in proposed mandating the installment of the Forward Collision Warning System in buses and large trucks during a Cabinet meeting earlier this week.Moon’s comments came after a recent bus accident allegedly caused by the bus driver dozing off led to two deaths and 16 injured. (123rf)To tackle the issue of accidents cause by

July 13, 2017

Kia Motors rolls out Stonic SUV in Korea

Adding the final touch to its full sport utility vehicle lineup, Kia Motors on Thursday rolled out its new compact SUV Stonic, which Korea’s second-largest automaker hopes will revive lagging sales.Kia’s SUV lineup now ranges from the full-size Mohave and mid-size Sorento, to the Sportage, hybrid Niro and compact Stonic. With the Stonic, Kia Motors aims to target consumers in their 20s and 30s, who prioritize price, fuel economy and design, the company said. Starting Thursday, Kia Motors’ subcom

July 13, 2017

Korean car buyers shunning diesel vehicles

Blamed for air pollution and speculation of price hikes down the road has dampened demand for diesel-powered vehicles to a four-year low in the first half of this year, industry data showed Thursday.The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association said among new cars registered in January to May this year, 46.3 percent were diesel-driven vehicles. This is the lowest since 43.5 percent in 2013. The proportion of diesel engine cars had reached as high as 52.5 percent in 2015, before falling to 47.6

July 13, 2017

Mercedes-Benz Korea stands firm as No.1 foreign carmaker

(Yonhap)Mercedes-Benz Korea, the local unit of the German luxury carmaker, ranked the No. 1 foreign automaker here in the first half of this year on the back of a wider range of models being offered, industry experts said Wednesday.A total of 37,723 Mercedes-Benz vehicles were sold between January and June this year, up 13,000 units compared to the same period last year, according to data compiled by the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.“The huge popularity of the new E Cl

July 12, 2017

Hyundai Mobis hires Continental camera sensor expert

Hyundai Mobis, South Korea’s biggest auto parts supplier, hired Gregory Baratoff, head of camera sensor development at Continental, as the vice president of the company’s driving assistant system development earlier this month to step up its competitiveness in autonomous driving, the company said Wednesday. (Hyundai Mobis)The recruitment comes as Hyundai Mobis recently accelerated efforts in securing industry-leading self-driving and eco-friendly vehicle technologies.“Hyundai Mobis will take the

July 12, 2017

[Monitor] Auto industry in jeopardy

Multiple indices show the grave condition faced by the South Korean auto industry due to drastic declines in exports coupled with low domestic demand.The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association showed that in the first half of this year, a total of 1,324,710 domestic car brands were exported, the lowest in eight years. The drop was attributed to some 40 percent cut in the sales in China and GM‘s withdrawal from Europe that led to downsized exports by GM Korea.Domestic sales also dropped by 4

July 11, 2017

Hyundai Motor‘s Kona orders hit 7,100

Hyundai Motor received some 7,100 orders for its new subcompact sport utility vehicle Kona, the company said Tuesday at an event promoting the vehicle. Preorders of the Kona, the company’s first subcompact SUV, surpassed 5,000 before official sales began in Korea on June 27. The total number of orders reached 7,100 two weeks later. Hyundai Motor’s Kona (Hyundai Motor)Hyundai Motor has displayed Kona vehicles at its exhibition centers nationwide over the past week to promote sales.“There are more

July 11, 2017

Toll fees for EVs, hydrogen cars to halve from Sept.

The highway toll charges for electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will halve from September, the transport ministry said Tuesday. The government plans to temporarily operate the discount program for environment-friendly vehicles by 2020, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation said in a statement. Depending on the operation results, it will decide on whether to continue the program or not, it said. In this photo taken on July 7, 2017, Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee answers q

July 11, 2017

Hyundai, Kia launch task force to revive sales in China

Amid Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors’ continued struggles in China, the two companies said Monday they had launched a 100-strong task force last month in an attempt to pick up sales in China.Members of the task force have temporarily been transferred from the companies’ research and development, product and marketing teams to focus on strengthening competitiveness.“The task force was made for Hyundai and Kia to take a look into our competitiveness in the Chinese market,” said the spokesman of Hyund

July 10, 2017

BMW falls behind Mercedes-Benz in Korea in Q1

Mercedes-Benz maintained the top spot in Korea’s imported auto market, beating its rival BMW in the first half of this year, data showed Sunday.According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, BMW sold 28,998 cars in the Korean auto market, while Mercedes-Benz recorded sales of 37,723 units.  (Yonhap)BMW’s market share accounted for 24.54 percent, while Mercedes-Benz’s reached 31.93 percent.In February, BMW rolled out its 5-series with the hope of boosting its sales in A

July 9, 2017

Mercedes-Benz sales gain traction in S. Korea, BMW struggles to keep pace

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz is speeding ahead in terms of sales in South Korea, while its main rival BMW is struggling to keep pace, industry data showed Sunday.According to sales figures released by the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) and other market trackers, Mercedes-Benz midsize E-Class executive sedans reigned supreme in the country despite the release of the all-new BMW 5-series cars in February."BMW's goal of taking back the No. 1 best-selling car

July 9, 2017

South Korean carmakers plagued by labor disputes, poor sales

Carmakers in South Korea are likely to face worker strikes again this summer, as fears mount that the strikes will deal a severe blow to their already faltering businesses hit by poor sales, emerging protectionism and diplomatic disputes. 　Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor, the nation’s largest carmaker, said Thursday that an annual wage negotiation they had been engaged in with the management for the last two months had collapsed, and the group will hold a vote next week to make a decision on

July 7, 2017