Kia unveils new pickup brand Tasman

Korean automaker Kia on Thursday officially unveiled its first-ever pickup truck, the Kia Tasman, setting its sights primarily on the Australian market with a diesel-powered model planned for 2025. The Tasman, whose name pays homage to the Tasman Sea that lies between Australia and New Zealand, represents Kia's most direct nod to Australian culture. It is the first Kia product to bear an Aussie-inspired name. The name also reflects the country’s deep affinity for pickup trucks, colloquiall

April 11, 2024

[Photo News] New bullet train

Hyundai Rotem said Tuesday that it has completed a quality inspection of the KTX Cheong-ryong, its newest bullet train that has a maximum speed of 320 kilometers per hour, before it gets handed over to the Korea Railroad Corporation for operation. Hyundai Rotem's new bullet train has undergone over 180,000 km of test rides on railroads across the country since October 2022. The KTX Cheong-ryong will begin operations next month. (Hyundai Rotem)

April 9, 2024

Hyundai, Kia expand role in India’s EV localization

Hyundai Motor and Kia announced Monday that they have signed a strategic partnership with Exide Energy, a leading battery company in India, to speed up India’s transition into electric vehicles and expand the Korean automakers’ presence there. Under the partnership, Exide Energy will develop lithium-iron-phosphate, or LFP, battery cells and supply them to the automakers’ manufacturing footholds in India. The LFP battery cells will be loaded onto the carmakers’ India-speci

April 8, 2024

Mercedes-Benz charity run raises record donations

Mercedes-Benz’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee said Monday that the Give ‘N Race charity event, held in Busan on Sunday, raised an unprecedented 1.017 billion won ($751,500), with the engagement of 20,000 participants. Initiated in 2017 as part of its commitment to social responsibility, Mercedes-Benz has consistently organized the Give ‘N Race to support vulnerable children and youth in Korea by merging philanthropy and running. This year’s event, the 11th, br

April 8, 2024

[Photo News] Mobility for dogs

Innocean, a global marketing and communications affiliate under Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group, said Monday that it has drafted a virtual mobility campaign for dogs by using generative artificial intelligence. Launched on April Fools' Day, the so-called "Dogbility" campaign uses images drawn by generative AI, including vehicles specifically built for dogs. Innocean said the images reflect Hyundai Motor's vision -- "Progress for Humanity" -- for not only human

April 8, 2024

[Herald Interview] Porsche zeroes in on making more fans with new Panamera

The chief of the Porche's Panamera line said building a bigger local fandom will be the carmaker's most important goal as the sporty sedan's third-generation was rolled out in Korea. “The question is not only ‘how do we get the customers to the brand and how do we get them not only as customers and drivers of our cars' (but also) 'How do we get them as fans of the brand?’” said Thomas Friemuth, the head of Porsche’s Panamera product line at

April 7, 2024

[KH Explains] Hyundai Motor’s bet on robot dog befalls murky outlook

Hyundai Motor Group has found itself at a crossroads as Boston Dynamics, a US-based robotics company that the Korean auto conglomerate acquired in 2021, struggles to find a breakthrough amid mounting losses. Over two years have passed since Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun appeared on stage with Boston Dynamics’ four-legged, dog-like robot, Spot, at the CES 2022 in Las Vegas. “Robots are getting closer to humans. Just like you are carrying your phone today, in the

April 7, 2024

Kia to invest W38tr through 2028 with focus on automation

Kia on Friday unveiled a plan to invest 38 trillion won ($28.1 billion) through 2028 in an investor relations event held at Conrad Seoul, vowing to lead the global auto industry’s automation. According to the Korean automaker, 65 percent of the large-scale investment will be injected into automation, 19 percent will be used for developing purpose-built vehicles, which were redefined as "platform beyond vehicles" at CES in January, 8 percent will be spent on the transition to soft

April 5, 2024

EV sales drop 25% in S. Korea in Q1; hybrid car sales jump

Electric vehicle sales in South Korea plunged 25 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, while gasoline hybrid model sales jumped 46 percent during the same period, according to a market tracker Friday. From January to March, the country's EV registrations fell to 25,550 units from 34,186 in the same period of last year as global EV sales growth slows, CarIsYou said in a statement. It is the first time for the first-quarter EV sales to fall compared to a year earlier, the statemen

April 5, 2024

Renault Korea announces rebrand for fresh start

Renault Korea, the Korean branch of the French automotive firm, announced on Wednesday a significant rebranding initiative and the 2025 launch of the Renault Scenic E-Tech, an all-electric compact crossover SUV, in the Korean market. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Renault Seongsu flagship store in eastern Seoul. The rebranding sees Renault Korea shedding its previous moniker, Renault Korea Motors, in favor of a sleeker identity that simply reads "Renault Korea.&q

April 3, 2024

Hyundai Mobis' media platform gets digital face-lift

Hyundai Mobis, a key subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Group specializing in automotive components, unveiled Wednesday a comprehensive refurbishment of its media website, Mobis Live, aiming to bolster its communication channels. Mobis Live serves as the firm’s official platform to provide insights into the broader mobility industry and the latest developments within the company. This revamp is a part of the strategy to solidify its position as a central hub for mobility-related narratives th

April 3, 2024

[Photo News] Hyundai's new delivery robot

Hyundai Motor Group on Wednesday unveiled DAL-e Delivery, the auto giant's upgraded indoor delivery robot for use in buildings. According to the auto conglomerate, the robot, which is based on four plug-and-drive modules, can move at a speed of up to 4.32 kilometers per hour -- equivalent to the average walking pace of an adult. The robot can also load up to 10 kilograms. The robots will be dispatched to the Factorial Seongsu office building in western Seoul in the second quarter of this ye

April 3, 2024

LG Energy Solution rolls out 1st battery cell at Tennessee plant

LG Energy Solution said Tuesday that it has delivered the first battery cells produced at Ultium Cells’ manufacturing plant in Tennessee to its client. The battery products made at the Tennessee site will be loaded onto General Motors’ third-generation electric vehicles, including the Cadillac Lyriq. The Tennessee plant is the second battery production site of Ultium Cells, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and General Motors. According to LG Energy Solution, the first batte

April 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Seoul anchors Rolls-Royce's Asian luxe

Seoul is soon to be the third city hosting a Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office, an exclusive design studio where clients can work closely with bespoke managers and designers to create their own custom Rolls-Royce. “The Seoul Office covers clientele from the whole Asia-Pacific, not just Korea, like the Dubai Office is for the Middle East and the Shanghai Office for China. Believe me, our team looked at 60 places across Asia for a whole year to find the perfect spot. And we’ve dete

April 2, 2024

Hyundai Motor grabs triple win in World Car Awards

Hyundai Motor Group has once again triumphed at the 2024 World Car Awards, with its vehicles being named World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle, and World Performance Car of the Year. The World Car Awards is an annual event organized by automotive journalists globally to honor excellence in the car industry across multiple categories. This accolade marks the third consecutive victory for Hyundai Motor Group in the World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle of the Year categories, be

April 2, 2024

[Photo News] New Panamera in Korea

Porsche on Tuesday launched the new Panamera in the Korean market. The third-generation sporty sedan boasts the new plug-in hybrid model equipped with the newly developed electric motor and revised four-liter V8 turbo engine. The upgraded hybrid powertrain can create a system output of up to 650 horsepower. With the advanced battery, the new plug-in hybrid vehicle can drive up to 91 kilometers on a single charge. The prices of the new Panamera 4 and Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid begin at 176.7 million

April 2, 2024

Hyundai Motor's March sales down 3.7 pct on weaker demand in S. Korea

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's leading automaker, said Monday its monthly sales fell 3.7 percent in March from a year earlier due to sluggish demand in its home market. Hyundai Motor sold 369,132 vehicles last month, down from 383,396 units a year ago, the company said in a statement. Domestic sales sank 16.1 percent on-year to 62,504 units last month, and exports edged down 0.7 percent to 306,628 units during the cited period. Hyundai Motor said it sold 15,302 sedans, including 6,100 Grandeu

April 1, 2024

First Jeep EV to make Korean debut in H2

Stellantis will launch the Avenger, the Jeep brand’s first all-electric sports utility vehicle, in Korea in the second half of this year as the global automaker looks to focus on regaining customer trust and bolstering its brand image here, the company’s recently appointed head said Monday. “Challenges and opportunities still co-exist in (the Korean market),” said Bang Sil, managing director of Stellantis Korea, in her first press conference since starting in her role as

April 1, 2024

[Test Drive] All-new Defender trumpets return of off-road champ

INJE, Gangwon Province -- “(Other carmakers) are worried when (they) see snow and rain, but we love it, and I think we’re going to have a great day,” said Robin Colgan, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Korea, as he greeted reporters taking part in the automaker’s test drive for the 2024 all-new Defender in Inje, Gangwon Province, on Tuesday. As the 48-kilometer test drive for the JLR’s flagship sports utility vehicle included on- and off-road routes that had m

March 31, 2024

[Photo News] Robotaxi passes DMV road test

Hyundai Motor Group on Saturday posted a video of an autonomous robotaxi model of the Ioniq 5, the Korean automaker's all-electric compact sports utility vehicle, passing the driver's license test, on its global YouTube channel. The four-minute video shows how the self-driving vehicle gets through the road test without a driver but with a certified DMV examiner overseeing the process from the passenger seat, in the state of Nevada. (Hyundai Motor Group)

March 31, 2024