Most Popular
-
1
Court refuses injunction on medical school expansion
-
2
Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
-
3
Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
-
4
Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
-
5
S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
-
6
Is NewJeans headed for a long 'break'?
-
7
[KH Explains] Hyundai-backed Motional’s struggles deepen as Tesla eyes August robotaxi debut
-
8
Police raid popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house over hit-and-run suspicions
-
9
Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
-
10
New Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office chief vows full-fledged probe into first lady
-
Chevrolet Trax wins safety award in U.S.
The 2015 Chevrolet Trax, General Motors’ small sport utility vehicle, won the top safety award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States on Feb. 24, GM Korea said in a press release. “The Trax received a good rating in all test categories, including the small-overlap test,” the company said. The small-overlap test is a stringent test that replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object. The IIHS also has reaffirmed t
March 1, 2015
-
Korea’s new diesel emissions standards lure global truck makers
As Korea started applying tighter emission standards, Euro 6, to new diesel-powered commercial vehicles weighing more than 3.5 metric tons, from January this year, foreign truck makers are seeking to capitalize and grab a bigger market share. At present, the domestic truck makers continue to dominate with around 70 percent market share. Daimler Trucks, a commercial vehicle unit of Daimler AG, is one such global truck maker that considers the Korean market as high-growth potential. The company de
March 1, 2015
-
Hyundai Motor's Accent tops subcompact market in China in Jan.
Hyundai Motor Co.'s Accent topped the subcompact car market in China in terms of sales last month, reflecting its growing appeal among local customers keen on quality and affordability, industry data showed Friday. Hyundai Motor sold a total of 26,515 units of the Accent last month in China in January, the largest monthly sales in the subcompact segment, according to the data. The Accent known as the Verna in China was trailed by Shanghai Volkswagen's Polo which sold 21,014 units last month.
Feb. 27, 2015
-
Low oil prices unlikely to hurt hybrid car sales much: Toyota Korea
Fuel efficiency is one of major factors for people to consider when buying hybrid vehicles, but there are many other elements that could keep customers interested in such environmentally friendly cars that generate less emission and less driving noise, the head of the South Korean unit of Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday. Japanese automaker Toyota Motor is known for its high-profile hybrid models such as the Camry and the Prius. Historically low crude oil prices have been cited as a major downs
Feb. 26, 2015
-
Major supercar brands to join Seoul Motor Show
Major supercar brands will join the 2015 Seoul Motor Show to be held at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, from April 3-12, the exhibition’s organizing committee said Tuesday. The committee said during a news conference that Italian supercar brand Lamborghini will join the nation’s largest auto exhibition for the first time, with three models. Bentley Motors, a U.K.-based supercar manufacturer, will make a comeback to the biannual auto expo after eight years.Luxury sports car brand Maserati, w
Feb. 24, 2015
-
Hyundai aims to widen client pool with turbo-added 2015 Sonata
South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. is, without a doubt, best known at home for its Sonata midsize sedan lineup, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year since the name first entered the market in 1985. So far, the carmaker, under the wings of the world's No. 5 auto giant Hyundai Motor Group, has sold a cumulative 7.31 million units of its various editions under the Sonata label in 72 countries, according to the company's data. Recently, however, other segments have become po
Feb. 24, 2015
-
S. Korean car buyers in 20s shrink amid job hunt struggles
South Koreans in their 20s have been cutting back on buying cars over the past four years as they cope with tough job-searching amid adverse business conditions, industry data showed Tuesday. Last year, a total of 109,671 vehicles were purchased by people in their 20s here, down 1.7 percent from the 111,558 units in 2013, according to the data by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association. The figure has been on a downtrend since 2011 when the number of newly registered cars to owners in
Feb. 24, 2015
-
Kia's Soul EV becomes best-selling electric car in S. Korea last year
Kia Motors Corp.'s Soul electric vehicle was the most widely sold model among battery-powered cars in South Korea last year, data showed Monday, with two other local autos ranking second and third. A total of 414 units of the Soul EV were sold here in 2014, taking up more than a third of the 1,183 electric cars sold in the country over the one-year period, according to the data compiled by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association. Industry watchers said the popularity of the Soul EV is
Feb. 23, 2015
-
BMW Premium Selection celebrates 10th anniversary
German luxury carmaker BMW is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Premium Selection collection. With the success of its premium used-car dealerships, the company has reinforced its checkup services and expanded its showrooms to satisfy people with different needs. The Premium Selection is available for all BMW and MINI cars that have been driven less than 100,000 kilometers in less than five years. A 72-point check is conducted before a car is granted Premium Selection status, which includes
Feb. 22, 2015
-
Tivoli sales going strong
The Tivoli, Ssangyong Motor’s new flagship compact SUV, is gaining popularity well beyond market expectations, analysts say. According to market insiders, 9,500 oders for the Tivoli were received by mid-February, one month after its market debut on Jan. 13 orders are expected to exceed 10,000 by the end of the month. The figure is more than one-quarter of Ssangyong’s initial target of 38,500 units in the first year. Insiders say that buyers will face waiting times to receive their cars. “The Tiv
Feb. 22, 2015
-
Tivoli sales reach 25 pct of annual target in one month
Ssangyong Motor Co.'s Tivoli sport utility vehicle, just launched last month, easily surpassed initial expectations as its sales reached nearly one fourth of the sales goal for the entire year, industry data showed Sunday. A total of 9,500 units of the SUV by South Korea's smallest carmaker were sold as of Tuesday since its Jan. 13 introduction, according to industry data.The figure marks 24.7 percent of Ssangyong Motor's original yearly sales target of 38,500 units for the car, which is the fir
Feb. 22, 2015
-
Hyundai Motor to increase production of commercial vehicles
Hyundai Motor, the nation’s top automaker, announced Monday that it would invest 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in raising its annual production capacity of commercial vehicles to 100,000 units ― a 54 percent increase from the current 65,000 units ― by 2020.“About 80 percent of the investment will be allocated to research and development, while the remaining 20 percent will be spent on expansion of the commercial auto production line in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province,’’ the company said in a press
Feb. 16, 2015
-
Maserati domestic sales soar to record high
Sales in Korea of the Italian luxury sports car brand Maserati soared to a record high of 723 units last year, up 469 percent from 2013, a company executive said last week. The jump was the highest among markets in the Southeast Asia and Pacific region.Sales of the Italian company’s luxury vehicles with price tags of over 100 million won ($91,000) grew at 252 percent on average in the same period. “If we look at Korea, this is the strongest and the biggest market in the (SEAP) region, accounting
Feb. 15, 2015
-
Japanese car makers seek former glory
Sales of Japanese vehicles in Korea, which dominated the Korean import car market in the mid-2000s, are picking up again, boosted by falling oil prices, a weak yen and new car launches. Currently, four German brands ― BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Audi ― hold the top four spots in the market, with a combined 68 percent market share last year. The market share of five Japanese brands ― Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Nissan and Infiniti ― stood at 12.26 percent in 2014. “The business environment has b
Feb. 15, 2015
-
Han Sung Motor expands youth art program
Han Sung Motor, the largest Mercedes-Benz dealer in Korea, is strengthening its social contribution this year by expanding its young artist development program, Dream Gream. The program, which offers a variety of art classes, a summer camp and mentoring, has nurtured 20 teenage students from financially challenged families as young artists every year since 2012. The company decided to double the number of sponsored students to 40 this year, motivated by impressive feedback from all stakeholders
Feb. 12, 2015
-
GM Korea, union agree on single-shift system at Gunsan plant
GM Korea Co. and its labor union agreed to scale down its work shift at its struggling Gunsan plant, a move aimed to reduce costs amid falling overseas demand following its withdrawal from Europe, company officials said Wednesday.The workers will go on a single work shift instead of the current double shift, but they have been assured of keeping their jobs through relocation to other duties, they said.The two sides also agreed to lower the number of vehicles produced each hour from 54 to 48 as i
Feb. 11, 2015
-
[Newsmaker] Can Ssangyong Motor regain its past glory?
For Ssangyong Motor, spring appears to have arrived earlier than expected. The labor strife-marred automaker is poised to celebrate the high unexpected sales of its new compact sport utility vehicle Tivoli and select its new leader in six years.The automaker said on Wednesday it sold more than 8,000 Tivoli vehicles in the first month since its market debut on Jan. 13.“The morale of employees is riding high due to the sales,’’ a company official said. The Tivoli, rival to small SUVs like Renault
Feb. 11, 2015
-
Hyundai launches upgraded turbo-powered Sonata at home
Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top carmaker, said Wednesday it has released a redesigned edition of its Sonata turbo model in the home market to attract younger customers with its improved fuel efficiency and more polished look. The new model of Hyundai's flagship midsize sedan has an in-house developed "new theta-i" 2.0-liter turbo gasoline direct injection powertrain that packs a maximum horsepower of 245 and 36 kilogram-meters of torque. The newest Sonata also sports a mileage of 10.8 k
Feb. 11, 2015
-
Ssangyong Motor's Tivoli sales top 8,000 units in less than one month
Ssangyong Motor Co. said Wednesday that it has sold more than 8,000 Tivoli compact sport utility vehicles in less than a month after its debut, possibly making it one of the biggest hit models for this year. Ssangyong Motor, the smallest carmaker in South Korea, started to sell the Tivoli compact SUVs on Jan. 13, the first new model the company unveiled since it was purchased by India's Mahindra & Mahindra Group in 2011. The sales of the SUV may well top 10,000 units by the end of this month i
Feb. 11, 2015
-
EV Expo woos Tesla
The organizing committee of the second International Electric Vehicle Expo on Tuesday invited U.S. EV-maker Tesla back to the event. “The Jeju governor and I have visited the Tesla Motor manufacturing site and we have sent a joint invitation but have yet to receive an RSVP,” said Kim Dae-hwan, chairman of the expo organizing committee, at a press conference later in the day. The expo is slated to be held at the ICC Jeju from March 6-15 with more than 80,000 visitors expected. “If Tesla learns ab
Feb. 10, 2015