Kia Motors marks construction of new facility in Mexico

South Korea's No. 2 automaker Kia Motors Corp. marked the construction of its new production facility in Mexico Thursday, saying it will serve as a forward base for its advance into North and South American markets.A ceremony was also held in Mexico on Wednesday (Mexico time) with some 500 company and local government officials taking part, including Chung Mong-koo, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, the parent company of Kia Motors and its bigger affiliate Hyundai Motor Co."The Mexico plant will

Sept. 8, 2016

Hyundai rolls out new hot hatch i30

South Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor unveiled its new hatchback i30 on Wednesday with the aim of selling 15,000 units in the local market this year. Hyundai Motor also launched its new hot hatch i30 in Europe on the same day, as it has done in the last five years since the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011.The new hatchback, whose design and driving performance has been upgraded, comes with three engine options: a 1.4-liter turbocharged petrol engine, a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine a

Sept. 7, 2016

Electric charging point at gas station starts operation in Jeju

An electric car charging facility installed at a gas station started operation on Wednesday for the first time in South Korea as part of the government's efforts to expand the use of the green energy vehicles, the trade ministry said.Recently, the South Korean government revised related laws to allow filling station operators to set up an electric vehicle charger without the need to install explosion prevention facilities, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.A filling station

Sept. 7, 2016

[Photo News] Hyundai Chief visits US design center

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo (right) talks with Tom Kearns, chief designer of Kia Motors’ design center in California, during his visit to the US on Monday. (Hyundai Motor)

Sept. 6, 2016

Import vehicle sales plunge 12.5%on-year in Aug.

Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea dropped sharply from a year earlier in August, industry data showed Tuesday, following the government ban on sales of 80 Audi and Volkswagen vehicle models in the worst emissions scandal in the country's history.According to the data compiled by the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, 15,932 imported cars were registered here in August, down 12.5 percent from the same month last year.From a month earlier, the August tally marked a 1.

Sept. 6, 2016

Hyundai Motor chairman urges development of luxury, clean vehicles

The chief of South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Group on Monday called for stepped-up efforts to develop new luxury and environmentally friendly cars to meet future demands, saying the future is already here.Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo also stressed the importance of the US market as he headed to the world's second-largest auto market."Good performance in the US, the fiercest battleground for global carmakers, is very important. But what is more important are the changes the auto indust

Sept. 5, 2016

Nissan to recall 7,500 cars sold in Korea

Nissan Korea Co., the South Korean importer of Nissan cars, will recall over 7,500 vehicles sold here for a software defect that may lead to air bag failures, the transportation ministry said Monday.The recall affects 7,574 units of four vehicles models -- the Nissan Q50 sedan, the QX60 crossover SUV, the Nissan Pathfinder SUV and the Nissan Leaf compact hatchback -- according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The ministry said a defect in the cars' occupant classification sy

Sept. 5, 2016

Will Korean battery makers’ struggle in China affect Hyundai?

South Korea’s largest automotive maker Hyundai Motor may face a setback in China with its new plug-in hybrid cars as the issue surrounding battery certification remains unclear. Samsung SDI and LG Chem, which supply car batteries to Hyundai and Kia Motors, have failed to win certifications in June and are yet to resubmit the applications. If they fail to get their batteries certified in China, Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors’ new plug-in hybrid cars may not receive subsidies up to $26

Sept. 2, 2016

Tesla to accelerate charging infratructure with Shinsegae

Tesla announced Thursday that it would open a retail location in the nation‘s largest shopping mall later this year.The American automotive company said the first store would be located in Shinsegae Group’s Starfield Hanam mall in Gyeonggi Province and more shops were expected to open in 2017 and 2018 in other Shinsegae locations.  AP-YonhapTesla plans to expand partnerships with the retail giant to accelerate its charging infrastructure. “Shinsegae will support the rapid deployment of the Tesla

Sept. 1, 2016

Will LG Chem supply battery for BMW’s hybrids?

[THE INVESTOR] Battery firm LG Chem has reportedly inked a supply deal with German luxury sedan maker BMW. The deal is reportedly the second of its kind with the German firm, following the previous one in the latter half in 2015.“LG Chem has stricken a deal to supply its 48-volt lithium-ion battery to BMW with the aim to produce the battery from 2019,” an industry official was quoted by online news outlet News 1 as saying.“I cannot unveil the exact amount, but the deal will be worth, as far as I

Sept. 1, 2016

Renault Samsung to export new SUV to Latin America this year

Renault Samsung Motors Co., the local unit of French automaker Renault S.A., plans to ship its new sports utility vehicle to Latin America and Australia this year, and to Europe next year, company officials said Monday.Renault Samsung is set to sell the QM6 SUV, a new version of its QM5 SUV, in the country next month, with preorders for the vehicle topping 2,000 units a day. (Renault Samsung Motors)Renault Samsung unveiled an all-new version of its QM5 SUV at the Beijing auto show in April. The

Aug. 29, 2016

Tesla's Model 3 forecast to boost Korean demand for EVs

The entry of Tesla Motors Inc.'s more affordable electric vehicle into South Korea next year is expected to boost domestic demand for EVs considerably in light of sharp consumer interest in the envisioned model, an expert said Monday.US electric car maker Tesla is slated to unveil the Model 3 in late 2017, which is capable of traveling more than 340 kilometers before being recharged and is estimated to have a price tag of $35,000, nearly half the price of its flagship and luxury Model S. (Tesla)

Aug. 29, 2016

Hyundai, Kia sales in China surge 30 percent

Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors saw a boost in sales last month in China, thanks to the popularity of sports utility vehicles there and the improved economic conditions, officials said Thursday.Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s largest automaker, and Kia Motors, the second-largest, sold a combined total of 111,021 vehicles in July, up 31.9 percent year-on-year. Separately, Hyundai Motor sold 70,016 units, up 29.3 percent year-on-year while Kia shipped 41,005 cars in July, increasing b

Aug. 25, 2016

[Photo News] World's first compact SUV Convertible

Jaguar Land Rover Korea hosts a showcase for the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, the world’s first compact SUV convertible, slated for launch in Korea in September, at Yeong Bin Gwan, Hotel Shilla in central Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Aug. 24, 2016

Audi to recall over 1,500 A8 cars for coolant leak

German automaker Audi AG will recall certain model years of A8 luxury passenger cars sold in South Korea for a coolant leak that may cause the car to lose power while driving and thus possibly lead to accidents, the transportation ministry said Wednesday.The local government began investigating possible coolant leaks in the Audi cars in June 2014 following a series of reports from vehicle owners here, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The government confirmed coolan

Aug. 24, 2016

Kia Motors' Mexico sales more than double in July

South Korea's No. 2 automaker Kia Motors Corp. again renewed its monthly sales record in Mexico in July, market data showed Wednesday, suggesting its annual target of 50,000 cars will be anything but unattainable.The South Korean carmaker sold 5,510 cars, including light trucks, in Mexico last month, up more than 260 percent from the same month last year, according to the data from AMIA, the Association of Auto Manufacturers in Mexico.Kia only began selling its cars in Mexico in July 2015, but i

Aug. 24, 2016