[Behind the Wheel] Kia EV6 aims to rule road with ‘tiger-like’ performance

Kia has rolled out its first all-electric vehicle, the EV6, racking up over 30,000 preorders. From the appearance alone, the compact sport utility vehicle’s exuberant presence could be felt from its sleek and aggressive exterior design with the “Digital Tiger Face” front. On the road, the vehicle showed off a performance that goes well beyond the favorable first impression, reminiscent of a sports car. The Korea Herald had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Kia

Aug. 30, 2021

Ssangyong Motor to speed up process of seeking new buyer

Troubled automaker SsangYong Motor is speeding up the process of finding a new buyer after undergoing preliminary due diligence. The Korean arm of Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra plans on receiving acquisition proposals until mid-September from potential buyers, according to industry sources Sunday, with a preferred bidder set to be chosen based on the acquisition price and business plan. A total of 11 investors from home and abroad have submitted letters of intent to take part in the

Aug. 29, 2021

Kia workers OK wage deal without strike for 1st time in 10 years

Unionized workers at Kia, South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, voted Friday to accept the company's wage proposals without a strike for the first time in a decade. Kia said 68 percent of 26,945 workers voted in favor of wage offers that include an increase of 75,000 won ($64.30) in monthly basic pay, two months of wages in performance-based pay and cash bonuses worth 5.8 million won. More than 1,600 out of the 28,604-member union abstained. But Kia rejected the union's demand to extend the

Aug. 27, 2021

Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation revamps scholarship program

Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation has revamped its scholarship program to foster 1,100 talents in the next five years, the foundation said Wednesday. Renamed Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Scholarship, the scholarships will support talented people in five different categories: global, future industry, international cooperation, social innovation, and art and culture. The foundation seeks to provide the recipients not only with financial support, but with education opportunities to groom t

Aug. 25, 2021

Han Sung Motor donates Dream Gream online store profits to youth shelters

Han Sung Motor has donated 20 million won ($17,028) earned from running Dream Gream online merch store and more to 10 youth shelters around the country, the official Mercedes-Benz dealer said Monday. The auto dealership opened the online store offering merchandise made by students participating in its Dream Gream art scholarship program in June. As part of its social outreach efforts, Han Sung Motor has been supporting middle and high school students with artistic talents through the progra

Aug. 23, 2021

Specter of labor strike grows at HMM

Unionized longshore workers at South Korea’s largest shipper, HMM, began voting Sunday on whether to go on strike after three rounds of wage negotiations failed. Should they vote in favor of the collection action, it will mark the first strike at the shipper since its establishment in 1796. The longshore workers’ union has around 450 members. Results are scheduled to come out Monday afternoon. The motion is likely to pass, according to local media reports, as the labor union an

Aug. 22, 2021

GM to recall another 73,000 Bolt EVs over fire risks

American automaker General Motors said it will expand the recall of Chevy Bolt electric vehicles equipped with South Korean supplier LG's batteries over fire risks, which is expected to additionally cost about US$1 billion. The latest recall covers 73,000 Bolt EVs and EUVs from model years 2019 through 2022 sold in the United States and Canada to replace the defective battery modules. It is on top of about 69,000 Bolt EVs from 2017-2019 model years included in the previous recall in July over

Aug. 21, 2021

Incheon airport's passenger traffic hits high for 2021 in early Aug.

The number of daily passengers at Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway, rose to the highest point this year in early August as more people traveled during the summer holiday season amid the vaccination drive, data showed Saturday. An average of 10,987 passengers used the Incheon airport a day from Aug. 1-19, up 47 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the data by the Incheon International Airport Corp. On Aug. 13, two days ahead of Liberation Day, 15,55

Aug. 21, 2021

Korean Air to replace A380, 747-8I with smaller planes for efficiency: CEO

Korean Air plans to replace its A380-800 and B747-8I aircraft with smaller planes to increase efficiency, the carrier’s chief executive officer said Thursday. Cho Won-tae, the chairman of Hanjin Group and Korean Air CEO, said he has confirmed the plan to ditch the Airbus A380-800 in the next five years and Boeing’s 747-8I over the next 10 years in an interview with FlightGlobal. Korean Air currently owns 10 units of both the A380-800 with 407 seats and the B747-8i with 368 seats.

Aug. 20, 2021

[Behind the Wheel] Land Rover’s iconic Defender 90 comes back stronger

First launched in 1948, Jaguar Land Rover’s legendary off-roader Defender has made a grand comeback with a completely new look. At first glance, the makeover gives the Defender 90 a futuristic look yet embraces enough of its original features to retain its identity as the iconic sport utility vehicle specializing in off-road driving. One of the most noticeable changes was the round edges of the four-wheel car’s contour, which used to be sharp and angular in the original models.

Aug. 19, 2021

Samsung to sell stake in Renault Samsung Motors after 21 years

Credit card company Samsung Card will divest all of its 19.9 percent stake in automaker Renault Samsung Motors, in a sale that would pull the plug on its parent Samsung Group’s old, botched auto dream. The company said the decision was made recently and has tapped Samsung Securities, Samsung Group’s financial investment arm, to lead the exit. “Though we are pursuing the stake sale, details such as the method of sale, the buyer and the process have yet to be decided,” t

Aug. 19, 2021

Korean child wins Grand Prize at Toyota art contest

Children from South Korea, the Canary Islands and China won Japanese automaker Toyota’s 14th Dream Car Art Contest. Lee Jae-yul, a 7-year-old from South Korea, won the award with a piece titled “Pollution Purifying Car.” The work depicts a time-traveling car that “travels to the past” and “absorbs the polluted air, turning it into fresh air for the future,” the company said. Se Eun Hong and Heng wei Xu from the Canary Islands and China, respectively,

Aug. 18, 2021

Hyundai Motor kicks off US car-hailing service for disabled

Hyundai Motor’s two automotive affiliates, Hyundai Motor and Kia, started a car-hailing service for the elderly and the disabled in the United States, as part of its universal mobility project, the automaker said Wednesday. The South Korean automotive group said it has launched the service, dubbed EnableLA in Los Angeles, with wheelchair-compatible vehicles for passengers. Those who want to use the service can hire a car via a mobile app or calling, and a specially trained chauff

Aug. 18, 2021

Full-service carriers enjoy growing cargo demand as low-cost carriers continue to bleed

Full-service carriers like Korean Air and Asiana Airlines continued to deliver profit thanks to their cargo business, drawing a stark contrast with low cost carriers amid a severe drop in international air travel due to the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Korean Air reported its fifth consecutive quarterly operating profit. Revenue in the second quarter of this year increased by 16 percent to 1.95 trillion won ($1.73 billion) and operating profit by 31 percent to 196.9 billion won co

Aug. 18, 2021

Kumho Tire supplies noise-cutting tires for Kia EV6

Kumho Tire is supplying two different types of tires that have been applied with noise-cutting technology for Kia’s electric vehicle EV6, the tire maker said Tuesday. For a quiet driving experience, Kumho Tire said it is providing its Crugen HP71 and Ecsta PS71 for the EV6. The two models have been applied with K-Silent technology, which the company developed in 2014. Kumho Tire said the technology has been patented in Korea and other countries. The K-Silent tires are made with porous

Aug. 17, 2021

HMM sees operating profit jumps tenfold during Q2

South Korea’s top shipping company HMM’s operating profit rose to a record high during the second quarter on the back of growing shipping costs and strong demand. The company racked up 1.38 trillion won in operating profit, a regulatory filing released on Friday revealed, up over 900 percent compared to the same time one year ago. The figure also surpasses its performance during the first quarter, which stood at 1.19 trillion won in operating profit. Revenue rose 111 percent to 2.

Aug. 13, 2021

Korean Air records operating profit during Q2

Korean Air posted an operating profit for a for a fifth consecutive quarter Friday, citing its efforts to boost cargo operations and reduce costs. Revenue increased by 16 percent to 1.95 trillion ($1.73 million) and operating profit by 31 percent to 196.9 billion won ($174 million) compared to the same time last year. Despite a drop in passenger demand due to the COVID-pandemic, which has dealt a severe blow to the tourism and aviation sectors, the airline’s cargo business racked up a re

Aug. 13, 2021

Hyundai Motor’s Alabama plant hits 5 million mark

Hyundai Motor said Friday its manufacturing plant in Alabama in the US has produced 5 million vehicles in total since the facility began operations in May 2005. Some 2.56 million Sonatas were produced at the plant, as well as 1.48 million Elantras, 0.9 million Santa Fes, 36,989 Tucsons, and 1,784 Santa Cruzes. A Santa Cruz built in late July brought the automaker to the 5 million milestone. “The 5 millionth vehicle represents a tremendous achievement for Hyundai Motor North America. We

Aug. 13, 2021

[Photo News] Kia flagship store opens in western Seoul

Automotive firm Kia launched a flagship store in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. The store features a futuristic interior and will offer car exhibitions, test drives, and other services and events.  Visitors can scan mobile QR codes for information on Kia’s newest cars and services.  Customers can see the latest vehicles in three dimensions via a large media wall installed at the store. Both the interior and exterior of each vehicle will be visible, and customers can see in deta

Aug. 7, 2021

Green Car to expand driver-assistance system to all cars by 2022

South Korean car-sharing platform Green Car will expand its advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) to its entire fleet of cars by the end of 2022 for a safer and more convenient driving experience, the firm said Friday. According to Green Car, about 85 percent of the vehicles it currently manages for its car-sharing service are equipped with each of the car models’ standard ADAS functions. The ADAS functions include autonomous emergency braking, smart cruise control and lane departur

Aug. 6, 2021