Renault Samsung Motors, the South Korean unit of French carmaker Renault S.A, continues to see successful sales in Europe’s compact sport utility vehicle segment, with its QM3 ranking the No. 1 best-seller last year, the company said Thursday.Known as “Captur” in Europe, the company sold 212,681 units of the vehicle there in 2017, retaining its best-seller status for four years in a row.“We believe Captur is favored in Europe because it is immensely practical and has a European-style sensuous de

Mobility Feb. 8, 2018

Hyundai Motor, the world’s fifth largest carmaker, is heading full-force into new areas of the auto industry with converged technologies and environment-friendly features.Spearheading Hyundai’s drive is its Nexo, a next-generation fuel-cell hydrogen SUV certified to drive more than 600 kilometers per charge, the longest on record for hydrogen-powered cars.Nexo, which is to be released next month with the aim of selling 10,000 hydroelectric vehicles by 2022, is armed with a slew of heightened saf

Mobility Feb. 8, 2018

Persistent rumors of struggling GM Korea leaving the country seemed closer to reality Tuesday upon comments by General Motors CEO Mary Barra who said the automaker would have to “take action” in Korea against challenging costs.“Clearly, Korea is a challenge for us,” Barra said during a conference call with analysts on Tuesday. “The Chevrolet brand has done well, but the current cost structure has become challenging, and we’re going to have to take action going forward to have a viable business,”

Mobility Feb. 7, 2018

Porsche Korea flagged its best monthly sales in January on the back of strong demands of the new flagship Panamera sports sedan, data showed Tuesday. The German luxury carmaker sold a total 535 units here last month of which the new Panamera sedan, released September last year, made up 337 units, according to data from Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.The entry line of Panamera 4 was particularly in-demand by Korean drivers, which the carmaker sold 285 units.Porsche Paname

Mobility Feb. 6, 2018

Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second-biggest full-service carrier by sales, on Tuesday celebrated the 30th anniversary of its foundation and vowed to restore financial stability.“We will successfully complete efforts to normalize management this year, which marks the 30th anniversary of establishment, on turnaround seen since 2016,” said Asiana Airlines CEO Kim Soo-cheon during a press conference at Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul.“Asiana Airlines takes great pride that we have demolished

Mobility Feb. 6, 2018

Hyundai Mobis has become the auto industry’s second parts maker to mass produce and supply high-tech braking and parking systems with a larger goal to take over the global market, the company said Tuesday.“This has provided an opportunity for Hyundai Mobis, a late comer to braking and parking systems, to gain a foot hold as a leading company worldwide,” the company said. Hyundai Mobis' automated parking system Remote Smart Parking Assist (Hyundai Mobis) Marking the first among companies here, Hy

Mobility Feb. 6, 2018

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s No. 1 carmaker, said Monday that the exact driving range of its latest hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle Nexo has been measured at 609 kilometers per charge, the longest among hydrogen-powered cars so far.“Hydrogen is the ultimate medium when it comes to fostering the arrival of a world of clean energy,” said Pierre Etienne Franc, vice president of Air Liquide, before the media test drive of Nexo at Hyundai Motor Studio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.“The achievement

Mobility Feb. 5, 2018

Hyundai Motor successfully demonstrated its self-driving technology through its next generation fuel cell electric vehicle Nexo and luxury sedan Genesis G80 from Seoul to PyeongChang, the company said Sunday. Marking the first-ever autonomous driving demonstrated on a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, three units of Nexo alongside two units of Genesis G80 equipped with level four automation were used for last week’s test drive.There are five levels of self-driving with five being fully autonomous whic

Mobility Feb. 4, 2018

Amid rising concerns that the government could run out of subsidies for green cars, registrations for electric vehicle subsidies began at 156 provincial governments nationwide, the Ministry of Environment said Thursday.A total of 16 models made by seven local and foreign carmakers are qualified to receive subsidies of up to 12 million won ($11,160) per electric vehicle from the central government, and between 4.4 million and 11 million from provincial governments this year.The amount of subsidy

Mobility Feb. 1, 2018

Volvo Trucks Korea, the No. 1 commercial vehicle importer by sales, aims to sell over 3,100 units this year, as part of its long-term sales goal to reach 4,000 units in 2020, the company said Wednesday.“Last year, we celebrated a successful 20th anniversary of business here. By prioritizing safety and customer service this year, we hope to increase sales by 10 percent from last year,” Kim Young-jae, managing director of Volvo Trucks Korea, told reporters during a New Year’s conference in norther

Mobility Jan. 31, 2018

Hyundai Motor unveiled its fourth generation Santa Fe midsize sport utility vehicle armed with a slew of human-centered technology features with an aim to bolster its SUV portfolio and boost sales in the US.“Made on human-centered philosophy, we meticulously considered customers’ requests. Going beyond its role as transportation, we believe the new Santa Fe is a life companion,” said Hyo-lin Kim, director of Hyundai Motor’s User Experience Planning Group, during the media preview held at Hyundai

Mobility Jan. 30, 2018

With the proportion of visitors in South Korea traveling individually continuing to rise -- reaching some 75 percent last year -- catering to their needs has become crucial in recent years, all the more so with the hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games next month.The country’s state-run railway operator and the tourism agency have been stepping up their moves to improve convenience to foreign tourists who are traveling independently.In March, in anticipation of the hosting the gam

Industry Jan. 26, 2018

Mercedes-Benz Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German automaker, will launch 20 models, including two plug-in hybrids, this year, with an aim to sell over 70,000 units, the company said Monday.“All-time best performance was achieved through active investment and effort to provide differentiated customer experience in 2017,” said Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis during the New Year’s conference held at Hotel Shilla in central Seoul.“It will not be easy to maintain the gr

Mobility Jan. 22, 2018

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s top automotive company by sales, ranked No. 1 in terms of contribution to society in China last year, the company said.This marks the first time that a foreign-based company has been selected first place since the Chinese government began compiling the annual list in 2014. Hyundai scored 91.33 points out of 100 in 2017 and came in first place out of 300 companies operating in China, the company said.“Hyundai Motor Group is an exemplary company, continually carrying o

Mobility Jan. 22, 2018

Hyundai and Kia Motors, South Korea’s top two automotive companies by sales, posted a record-high 995,383 units of newly registered vehicles in Europe last year, industry data showed Thursday.The combined number of newly registered cars made by the two companies rose 5.8 percent on-year in 2017 to 995,383 units from 940,693 units in the previous year, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Registrations of Kia Motors’ cars jumped 8.5 percent on-year to 4

Mobility Jan. 18, 2018