[Photo News] Ford introduces a mobile app for customers

FORD LAUNCHES MOBILE APP -- Ford Korea said Friday it is introducing a mobile application “Ford Owners App” for maximizing customer satisfaction. Using the app, drivers can obtain information on the location of Ford’s 27 service centers in Korea. It also provides service center call service, round-the-clock emergency dispatch service, and alerts drivers on regular check-ups. (Ford Korea)

April 10, 2016

Jaguar XE surpasses Audi A4 sales in Q1

Jaguar Land Rover’s premium compact sedan XE surpassed the Audi A4 in sales in the first quarter of this year, industry data showed. According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, the Jaguar XE was the third highest selling model in the segment of imported premium compact sedans, breaking into the top three position for the first time since its launch in Korea in September.  Jaguar XE (Jaguar Land Rover Korea)XE’s sales figures came in at 534 units in the January-March

April 10, 2016

Hyundai garners 3 of Germany's top-10 popular import-cars

South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. took up three out of the top 10 best-selling import cars in Germany, industry data showed Saturday, reflecting its robust sales in the European market.According to the data compiled by the German Association of the Automotive Industry, Hyundai sold 2,116 units of Tucson, a sport utility vehicle in the country last month, which ranked third after the Nissan Qashqai and the Fiat 500.The Hyundai Tucson, which first reached the European market in the sec

April 9, 2016

Hyundai to launch world’s first fuel cell car sharing service in Germany

Hyundai Motor said Friday it will debut its car-sharing service -- based on its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle -- in Munich, Germany this summer, partnering with hydrogen fueling supplier Linde Group.It will be the world’s first car-sharing service based on hydrogen EV cars, the Korean automaker said. Hyundai’s Tucson ix35, its hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle. (Yonhap)Under the brand name of BeeZero, Hyundai will deploy 50 Tucson ix35 vehicles. The vehicle can travel about 600 kilometer

April 8, 2016

Q1 car sales in Korea hit quarterly high on tax cut, new models

Domestic sales by automakers in Korea hit their quarterly high during the first three months of this year, bolstered in part by the government's push to extend a tax cut on car purchases, industry data showed Friday.Five automakers, including Hyundai Motor, and Kia Motors, along with two commercial vehicle manufacturers, including Tata Daewoo, sold a combined 368,492 cars during the January-March period. This is up from the previous year's 362,856 units.This represented the best first-quarter sa

April 8, 2016

Tax change hits sales of luxury company cars

Tightened taxation rules affected sales of luxury company cars with price tags exceeding 100 million won ($86,600), most of which are foreign car brands, in the first quarter of this year, an industry source said. According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distribution Association, the number of imported cars registered by companies fell to 19,564 units in the first three months, a 20.5 percent drop from the same period of last year. “Behind the sharp fall is the tightened tax deduction rule

April 7, 2016

Jaguar Land Rover Korea expands used car business

Jaguar Land Rover Korea will strengthen its certified used car business by opening five more preowned car showrooms this year, the company said on Thursday. The firm started the business in 2014, opening the first showroom for its approved preowned cars in Seoul for the first time in the Asia Pacific region. Recently, it opened the second showroom in Janganpyeong where the nation’s biggest used-car market is located.  The showroom for preowned Jaguar Land Rover cars in Janganpyeong, Seoul. (Jagu

April 7, 2016

Kia Motors expected to launch Mexico plant as planned: sources

Kia Motors, Korea's second-ranked carmaker, is expected to start operations at its plant in Mexico as planned amid reports that negotiations over the local government's promised incentives seem to be making some headway, industry watchers said Thursday.Media reports have raised speculation that the May launch of the plant located in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon might face a hurdle as the local government sought renegotiations on incentives and other benefits it earlier promised to lu

April 7, 2016

Porsche to recall 5,908 Cayenne SUVs for brake problem

Porsche Korea, the local unit of the German luxury car brand Porsche, will recall 5,908 Cayenne sports utility vehicles for problems in their foot pedals, the Korean transport ministry said Thursday.A clip may have become dislodged from the pedal bracket, which could lead to a malfunction in the braking system while driving, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The problem has been detected in 5,908 Cayenne SUVs produced between Jan. 15, 2010 and Jan. 11, 2016.Free rep

April 7, 2016

Imported car sales grow in March

Sales of imported cars in Korea grew 8.1 percent in March from a year ago, on benefits of an extended tax cut, data showed Wednesday.According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, a total of 24,094 foreign cars were registered last month, compared to 22,280 units last year. Sales in March also surged 53.7 percent from 15,671 units in February, it added.Sales of foreign cars may have recovered due to the government extending its tax cut program for new car owners until

April 6, 2016

Sales of used cars in Korea hit record high in February

Transactions of used cars in Korea hit a record high in February, government data showed Wednesday, amid a protracted economic slump.A total of 283,875 second-hand cars were registered in February, marking the largest number in any past February results, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.For the first two months of the year, total registrations of used cars reached 572,599, up from 542,225 units tallied over the same period last year.The number

April 6, 2016

GM Korea to keep importing Impala sedan

GM Korea said Tuesday that it has decided to continue importing Chevrolet’s premium sedan Impala instead of producing them here.　“We decided to keep importing Impala to respond to the needs of clients, who want premium value of imported sedans, and to consider the company’s car portfolio under the government’s strict regulations on carbon emissions,” the company said in a statement.Chevrolet’s premium sedan Impala (GM Korea)The automaker said in order to maintain cost competitiveness, importing

April 5, 2016

Hyundai to seek ties with tech giants for connected car

Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s fifth largest automaker in sales, said Tuesday it will seek more tie-ups with global tech giants to take a lead in the heated competition for the development of a connected car, while driving its own research and development activities. “The group will seek more collaboration with leading global information technology and networking companies to develop its ‘hyper-connected and intelligent car’ concept, while increasing investment in its R&D activities,” the comp

April 5, 2016

Hyundai, Kia see China sales drop in March but downward pace slows: data

Korea's top two carmakers--Hyundai Motor and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors-- saw their sales in China decline in March, but the downward pace slowed significantly, showing signs of a possible rebound from a long-haul slump, company data showed Tuesday.The two companies sold a combined 148,599 cars in China last month, down 6.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the preliminary data obtained by the English division of Yonhap News Agency. This marked the third straight month that sales i

April 5, 2016

Hyundai Motor's Genesis sales in U.S. spike in March

Hyundai Motor, Korea's top automaker, saw its sales of the Genesis luxury sedan spike over 30 percent on-year in March in the United States, heating up competition mostly driven by German brands, industry data showed Tuesday.According to the data, Hyundai Motor sold 3,197 units of the Genesis DH in the U.S. last month, up 32.4 percent from a year earlier. The model will be renamed the G80, and will be launched anew later under the automaker's recently separated luxury brand Genesis. Hyundai Gene

April 5, 2016

Car in transit to smart device: Hyundai CEO

Hyundai Motors America CEO David Zuchowski has forecast that a car will eventually evolve into a smart device combining the know-how of both tech firms and automakers. “We need to embrace technology like everybody else is,” Zuchowski said in a recent interview with CNBC. David Zuchowski, CEO of Hyundai Motors America (Hyundai Motors America)He shared insights on the changing landscape of the auto industry. In the face of growing competition from tech giants, such as in the area of self-driving c

April 4, 2016

Model 3 to trigger `big bang’ of EVs in Korea

The unprecedented global attention to preorders of Model 3, the first mass-market model of luxury electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors, is forecast to spur the EV market in Korea. About 198,000 customers globally, including Koreans, put down a deposit of $1,000 to preorder Model 3 in the first two days since Tesla unveiled its low-priced, but high-performance and well-designed electric family sedan in the U.S. on Thursday.  The image of Tesla’s first mass-market model Model 3 Tesla MotorsThe init

April 3, 2016

‘New car effect‘ lifts domestic car sales in March

Domestic car sales by the five Korean carmakers soared 17 percent to 148,888 units in March from the same period last year, bolstered by the “new car effect” and the extension of tax cut benefits on car purchases by June, data compiled by each company said. But the five companies with production lines here -- Hyundai, Kia, General Motors Korea, Renault Samsung and Ssangyong Motor – saw their overseas sales drop 4.3 percent on-year last month, the data showed. When it comes to domestic sales, the

April 3, 2016

Honda Korea targets 20% share in motorcycle market

Japanese automaker Honda Motor unveiled its new dual-sport motorcycle Africa Twin and concept trike Neowing here, targeting a greater share of the Korean market. “We are aiming to sell 16,000 units this year to grab a 20 percent share in the local market,” said Seo Jung-min, an executive of Honda Korea, at the launch of the Seoul Motorcycle Show 2016, held on March 31. Honda’s dual-sport motorcycle Africa Twin (Honda Korea)Honda was the third-largest player in the segment with a 17 percent marke

April 3, 2016

Tesla to enter Korea with Model 3

Tesla’s CEO hinted on Twitter on Friday that the U.S. luxury electric vehicle maker will enter the Korean market with the new Model 3, which is the firm’s first mass-market brand.  (Elon Musk's Twitter)In reference to the countries where preorders of the 2017 Model 3 will be available, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made it clear that Korea is one of the seven countries.There have been rumors over the entry of Tesla into the Korean market since last December when the EV maker reportedly signed a contract f

April 1, 2016