Tesla launches Model Y in Korea

Tesla’s Model Y has officially launched in South Korea, with prices starting from 59.9 million won for the lowest trim and is eligible for government subsidy. The automaker started sales of its latest pure electric vehicle crossover here on Friday, presenting three trims -- the standard range, long range, and performance models. The Model Y’s standard range model offers up to 340 kilometers of range on a single charge, while the long range model can go up to 511 kilometers. The

Feb. 14, 2021

Hyundai’s Santa Fe, GV80 among best new cars of 2021

Four vehicles of South Korea’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor Group have been included in a ranking of 12 best new cars of 2021, compiled by a US automotive third-party car listings brand Autotrader. The four are Hyundai Motor’s Santa Fe, Genesis GV80, Kia’s Sorento and K5. Hyundai Motor, Genesis and Kia are all automotive brands owned by Hyundai Motor Group. The 12 vehicles have been selected by a team of experts, who collectively tested and scored new models using a ran

Feb. 14, 2021

Air passenger traffic dips 68% in 2020 amid pandemic

South Korea's air passenger traffic plunged 68 percent last year in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the transport ministry said Sunday. In 2020, the number of passengers on domestic and international routes fell to 39.4 million from 123.3 million a year earlier as countries strengthened entry restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. In particular, the number of passengers on international routes plummeted 84 perc

Feb. 14, 2021

Korean Air offers 'flights to nowhere' amid pandemic

Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, has joined other airlines to offer "flights to nowhere" as a way to ride out the coronavirus crisis, the transport ministry said Sunday. Korean Air plans to use the A380 passenger jet on the route from Incheon to the East Sea, Busan, Jeju Island, the Straits of Korea and back to Incheon on Feb. 27, a ministry official said. The entertainment-packed flight to nowhere will take two hours and 20 minutes. It is priced at 219,000 won-70

Feb. 14, 2021

Turkey gives first approval to Korean Air-Asiana takeover

Korean Air’s plan to take over Asiana Airline has been approved by antitrust authorities in Turkey, the airline said Wednesday. The Turkish Competition Authority, a government organization dedicated to ensuring market competitiveness, gave the Korean airline the green light last Thursday, becoming the first foreign country to clear one of the hurdles facing the high-profile acquisition. Last month, the South Korean national flag carrier filed for a merger and acquisition review to the an

Feb. 10, 2021

Hyundai Motor unveils unmanned mobility vehicle concept

Hyundai Motor Group on Wednesday unveiled its first "uncrewed" mobility vehicle concept as it strives to morph into a future mobility solutions provider. The TIGER robot, which stands for Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot, is designed to operate as a four-wheel drive vehicle or a four-legged walking machine to conduct scientific exploration activities, carry emergency medical kits and deliver products to inaccessible areas, Hyundai said in a statement. The vehicle with

Feb. 10, 2021

[Behind the Wheel] BMW's 4 Series grabs attention with expressive vertical kidney grille

YEONGJONGDO, Incheon -- The second-generation BMW 4 Series has been introduced with a daring look, embracing a vertical kidney grille to show off a new identity. Last week, BMW Korea introduced the renewed BMW 4 Series Coupe and 4 Series Convertible to the Korean market, and presenting the new signature kidney grille that has been made bigger and stretched not to the sides, but vertically. It is the first time the German automaker has introduced the vertical kidney grille to a mass-produced

Feb. 9, 2021

Hyundai, Kia say not in talks with Apple on EV car project

Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Corp. said Monday they are not in talks with Apple Inc. over an electric car manufacturing project in response to reports of their suspended discussions. In separate regulatory filings, Hyundai and Kia, which together form the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, said they are "not in talks with Apple over developing an autonomous vehicle." The carmakers said they are considering forming a partnership with foreign companies in regard to self-dr

Feb. 8, 2021

Korean Air net losses narrow in 2020 despite pandemic

Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, said Thursday its net losses narrowed in 2020 from a year earlier, as it offset the pandemic-caused slump in passenger travel with increased cargo deliveries and enjoyed decent gains from an asset sale. Net losses narrowed to 291.45 billion won ($260 million) last year from 622.76 billion won the previous year, the company said in a regulatory filing. "The proceeds from the sale of its in-flight catering and duty-free business and forei

Feb. 4, 2021

Korean Air set to launch ‘flights to nowhere’

Korean Air is taking steps to launch its own international sightseeing flights without landing, the airline said on Wednesday. “We are taking necessary steps to operate chartered flights and the sales dates are under discussion,” one official at the airline said. The airline’s first international “flight to nowhere” has been given the green-light by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to take off on Feb. 27, the official added. The travel route is y

Feb. 3, 2021

Mercedes-Benz Korea seeks cancellation of hefty fine for manipulating emissions

Mercedes-Benz Korea has requested a Seoul court cancel a multibillion-won fine imposed on the company for manipulating diesel emissions in the country, judicial sources said Tuesday. The German carmaker filed a lawsuit against the environment ministry in October with the Seoul Administrative Court, seeking the cancellation of a 77.6 billion-won ($69.3 million) fine over its emission manipulation, the sources said. Details on the upcoming hearing schedules have yet to be disclosed. As for the

Feb. 2, 2021

Carmakers' Jan. sales rise 4.8% on SUVs

South Korean carmakers' sales rose 4.8 percent last month from a year earlier helped by strong demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) amid the COVID-19 pandemic, industry data showed Monday. The five carmakers in South Korea -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. -- sold a combined 597,213 vehicles in January, up from 569,929 units a year ago, according to data from the companies. Their domestic sales jumped 17 percent to 116,270 u

Feb. 1, 2021

Korea should foster automotive semiconductor industry: report

As electric cars have been the driving force behind the changing automotive industry, South Korea should foster competitiveness in the automotive semiconductor industry, a local think tank said Monday. In its report, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute says there is a need for Korean companies to gear up to meet the rising demands of automotive semiconductors, as cars are developing into “moving IT machines” with new technologies such as self-driving and electric powertrains

Feb. 1, 2021

[Herald Interview] Ford’s ambition to become ‘American vehicle of choice’

In 2020 a particular segment of passenger cars enjoyed strong sales in South Korea, reflecting a desire for road trips amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Recreational vehicles, including sport utility vehicles and car-derived vans, accounted for nearly half of all cars sold here last year, according to data from the Transport Ministry. For Ford Sales and Service Korea, this was an opportunity to solidify its position here as a leader in SUVs and pickup trucks, the company’s Managing Director D

Jan. 31, 2021

No. of airport passengers in S. Korea falls for 1st time in 12 years amid pandemic

The number of passengers using South Korean airports fell sharply last year due to the fallout of the new coronavirus outbreak, marking the first drop in 12 years, data showed Sunday. The number of people using 15 airports across the nation came to 65 million last year, down 58.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the first time that the number of airport passengers declined since 2008, when the country was in the midst of the global fina

Jan. 31, 2021

Auto exports dip 12% in 2020 amid pandemic

South Korea's exports of autos declined 12.1 percent on-year last year due to the fallout of the pandemic, data showed Friday. The country's outbound shipments of cars came to $34.7 billion last year, compared with $39 billion the previous year, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service. In 2020, the country's imports of autos rose 8.8 percent on-year to $12 billion, the data showed. The drop in auto exports was mainly attributable to a fall in demand over the COVID-19 pande

Jan. 29, 2021

Hyundai Motor bets on fuel cell ecosystem

The automotive industry is competing to introduce the most environment-friendly vehicles as global society strives to reach zero emissions. Battery-powered or hydrogen fuel cell cars have emerged as alternatives to gas or diesel-powered automobiles. While battery electric vehicles appear to have a slight lead on the roads for now, Hyundai Motor Group is committed to fostering a “hydrogen society,” in the belief that hydrogen fuel cells will be equally competitive in achieving a

Jan. 28, 2021

Four-way partnership forged for flying cars

Korea Airports Corp., Hanwha Systems, SK Telecom and the Korea Transport Institute have formed a four-way partnership to accelerate the commercialization of flying cars, or urban air mobility vehicles. Leaders from each party signed a memorandum of understanding at KAC’s headquarters in western Seoul on Wednesday as part of efforts to form a “dream team” with the goal of trialing commercial air taxis by 2025, the corporation announced on Thursday. The move will see KAC build

Jan. 28, 2021

Honda Korea bets on hybrid models in S. Korea

Honda Korea Co., the South Korean unit of Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Co., said Thursday it will focus on reviving lackluster sales this year by launching new gasoline hybrid models amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Honda Korea has launched the new all-wheel CR-V hybrid SUV and the upgraded Accord hybrid sedan to regain a share in the Korean market, where its sales plunged 65 percent to 3,056 vehicles last year from 8,760 a year earlier. "We are targeting to sell 3,000 hybrid mod

Jan. 28, 2021

SsangYong Motor says deal with potential buyer is 'still under way'

SsangYong Motor Co., the South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said Thursday that its Indian parent company is still in talks to sell its controlling stake, denying media reports that the deal has fallen through. SsangYong Motor made the statement in response to media reports that Mahindra and HAAH Automotive Holdings, Inc., a California company that imports vehicles for the US market, have failed to reach a compromise for the deal and notified SsangYong's main cred

Jan. 28, 2021