Nissan Korea, which is shutting down its business operations in South Korea from 2021, has sold out the last batch of its cars with discount promotions in a day, market sources said Wednesday. According to industry insiders, Nissan Korea sold its flagship sedan Altima at a 10 million ($8,383) to 13.5 million won cheaper price, while Maxima was priced 14.5 million won lower. They are about 35 percent cheaper than the original prices, which were around 29.1 million won and 45.2 million won, res

BMW Group’s premium compact car brand Mini is hosting the New Mini Countryman’s World Premier event in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on June 24, Mini Korea said Wednesday. It is the first time in the Mini’s 60-year history to hold a world premiere in Korea, Mini Korea said.  The company said the Korean market’s geographical and national characteristics suit the Mini brand’s identity.  “BMW Group acknowledges Korea as a market where traditional and m

Renault Samsung Motors’ subcompact QM3 sport utility vehicle is one of the bestselling vehicles in a passenger car lineup that includes the SM3 and SM6 sedans, and the XM3 and QM6 SUVs. With practicality and pricing having driven a boom in the local market for compact SUVs in recent years, the QM3 has benefited. It has enjoyed great popularity in the seven years since its release.  While the model was popular for its dainty design and high fuel efficiency, it underwent significant

Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, said Wednesday it has started boarding passengers from back to front to help stem the potential spread of the new coronavirus. On Wednesday, Korean Air began to apply the back-to-front boarding system on all of its domestic and international routes to minimize contact among passengers, the company said in a statement. Airlines usually have priority boarding for first class and business class passengers instead of having passengers in the la

HDC Hyundai Development on Tuesday said it hopes to renegotiate its deal for acquiring South Korean flag carrier Asiana Airlines given the business turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The midsized South Korean builder has requested Asiana’s creditors and its largest shareholder Kumho Industrial to modify the conditions of the takeover. The company said it has not received “sufficient and trustworthy data” about Asiana’s financial status or an explanation for the c

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Tuesday their combined electric vehicle sales jumped 58 percent in the January-May period from a year earlier on demand from Europe. Hyundai and Kia sold 40,182 all-electric vehicles in the first five months, up from 25,454 units in the year-ago period, the companies said. Hyundai sells the pure electric Kona subcompact SUV and the Ioniq Electric in global markets, while Kia sells the Niro EV and Soul EV boxcar. "Demand for EVs

    Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate, Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's two biggest carmakers, said Monday they will extend the suspension of their domestic plants due to disrupted exports amid the new coronavirus outbreak.  Kia will suspend the No. 2 plant in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, from June 25 to 30 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive down overseas demand, a company spokesman said.  The maker of the K5 sedan and the Sorento SUV suspended the No.

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday that with the launch of new models and shifting consumer tastes seeking more driving comfort, sales of its sedans recorded a three-year high.  According to South Korea’s largest automaker, sedans accounted for 48.5 percent of total passenger car sales in the January-May period, the highest figure since 2017, when it hit 50.1 percent.  In 2018 and 2019, sedan sales during the first five months accounted for 43.8 percent and 43 percent, respective

Hyundai Motor Group announced Monday that it will provide its sales and auto parts dealerships 55.7 billion won ($46 million) in subsidies to stabilize their operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Auto dealerships of its main affiliates -- Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Hyundai Mobis -- will be given the subsidies to help them overcome the economic downturn. The size is a 70 percent increase from last year’s funding. Some 1,860 Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors dealerships across the country

Betting big on the South Korean market with a focus on superior customer service, Volvo Cars Korea has introduced a lifetime auto parts warranty here -- the first such guarantee by a carmaker here -- while vowing to increase its network by 25 percent. “The introduction of lifetime warranty will dramatically decrease consumer concerns over the maintenance cost of an imported vehicle, as well as enable them to enjoy the attractive features of our vehicles for a long time,” said Volvo

SK Group, South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate by revenue, has been reviewing to invest some 94.2 billion won ($78 million) for a 10 percent stake in Asia’s largest low-cost carrier Air Asia, after the Korean conglomerate was recently approached by the firm, industry sources said Friday.  SK Southeast Asia Investment Corp., the group’s investment arm operating in the region, recently received a proposal from the Malaysian-flagged Air Asia to make an investment for a

Korean air carriers that have been gradually starting to resume their international routes amid slower spread of COVID-19 are facing hurdles to operating China routes over authorities’ strengthened landing conditions, according to industry sources on Friday.  According to full service carrier Korean Air, it had planned to operate 32 out of 110 international routes from June. Those routes include flights to Chinese destinations Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Qingdao, flying three t

Han Sung Motor, an official local dealer of Mercedes-Benz in Korea, said Thursday it will offer customers free and unlimited service for changing engine oil and oil filter.  The promotion applies to those who purchase a new car from Han Sung Motor in June, regardless of models or trims including Mercedes-AMG lineup.  Through the promotion, customers can enjoy engine oil and oil filter change service at Han Sung Motor’s 20 service centers across the country, even after the offi

South Korean air carriers including Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have extended unpaid leave for foreign pilots amid slowing recovery of the aviation industry after COVID-19, companies said Thursday.  Korean Air said it had extended the unpaid leave period for all 376 of its foreign pilots to the end of July, a month longer than previously planned. They have been away from work since April.  “As the situation shows no sign of abating, we had to extend the unpaid leave period.

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday that it has unveiled a digital content for its global hydrogen campaign in collaboration with K-pop group BTS.  The footage was specially designed to give millennials a better understanding of hydrogen as a future energy source, the company said.  The 1 minute, 28 second video titled Positive Energy features BTS and the company’s hydrogen-powered sports utility vehicle Nexo to deliver the message, “A small drop of water for a better futu