Hyundai Motor Co.’s bet on edgier styling to distinguish its vehicles from competitors has paid off with two straight years of record U.S. sales. Building on those gains is about to get tougher. Emboldened by the success of cars such as the Elantra and Sonata that helped lure customers from Toyota M

Sept. 25, 2011

Ford, the world’s fifth-largest carmaker, is set for a major image makeover aimed at burying the brand’s beefy, gas-guzzling image as it tries to lure smart, fuel-conscious consumers in Asia, said Andrew Frick, vice president for Ford Export and Growth Operations.“I think perception of Ford here is

Sept. 25, 2011

Chung calls on automaker to take on global rivals by offering more modelsHyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo said the company should compete with global rivals in the sluggish European market with new car models.Chairman Chung made the call during his visit to a car assembly line in Czech Re

Sept. 22, 2011

Under new vision, automaker seeks to achieve yearly sales of 160,000 vehicles by 2013Ssangyong Motor has set the goal of pulling up its market share in the local sport utility vehicle industry to 20 percent within five years, from the current 14 percent.The automaker unveiled the local market share

Sept. 21, 2011

Volkswagen AG, General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. led the first increase in European car sales in four months, helped by new models ordered earlier this year. Registrations rose 7.8 percent to 787,435 vehicles from 730,646 units a year earlier, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers

Sept. 18, 2011

Maserati SpA’s new sport-utility vehicle was one of the most sought-after models at the Frankfurt car show last week and Ferrari SpA predicted record sales as executives said ultra-luxury remains recession-proof.“If you go to the Ferrari stand, there aren’t any customers worried about the recession,

Sept. 18, 2011

Volvo Cars Korea has been providing consumers with outdated information over the automaker’s ownership structure on its website for about a year.Though China-based Zhejiang Geely Holding Group completed acquisition of Swedish-founded Volvo Cars from U.S.-based Ford Motor in the third quarter of 2010

Sept. 18, 2011

Kia Motors said Tuesday that the hybrid-version of the K5, or Optima in the U.S., was registered in the Guinness Book of Records by recently posting about 27.5 kilometers per liter in fuel efficiency.Starting Aug 26, the automaker carried out a challenge driving of the sedan for 12,710 kilometers fo

Sept. 13, 2011

The IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, kicking off Thursday, will pit the latest electric cars equipped with the best environmental credentials and designs. High-end brands including BMW, Audi and Volkswagen will showcase the next-generation cars at one of the largest motor shows in the world held biannually

Sept. 13, 2011

South Korea’s largest carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday launched its new fuel-efficient Accent subcompact model on the domestic market. The new “Blue Saver” model of the popular small-sized car can run 17.7 kilometers on a liter of gasoline compared to 16.7 kilometers for the conventional 1.6-l

Sept. 8, 2011

CHICAGO (AFP) ― It’s not every day that a U.S. governor accepts an invitation to the launch of a Japanese-built car, but Nissan’s all-electric Leaf offers environmental credentials that top any nationalistic concerns. “Illinois is laying the groundwork for electric vehicles and a more green economy,

Sept. 4, 2011

A growing number of Korean drivers have complaints about BMW vehicles even as the carmaker is securing the No. 1 position in sales among foreign automakers in the local market.According to the Korea Consumer Agency, BMW Korea saw its sales come to 17,072 units for the first seven months of the year,

Sept. 4, 2011