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

South Korea aims to commercialize urban air mobility (UAM) services in the domestic market in 2025 as it strives to tackle worsening traffic congestion in major cities, the transport ministry said Thursday. The government plans to begin offering UAM services initially with one to two routes, or terminals, in the Seoul metropolitan area in 2025 and then to increase the number of terminals to 10 by 2030, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. "The ministry

Audi Volkswagen Korea said Wednesday it has launched four new models each of its premium midsized sedans Audi A4 and Audi A5. The new Audi A4 is the fifth-generation face-lifted model and comes in different versions -- A4 40 TFSI, A4 40 TFSI Premium, A4 35 TDI Premium and A4 40 TDI Quattro Premium -- depending on the engine type. The gasoline engine model, TFSI model, exerts up to 190 horsepower and torque of 32.6 kilogram meters.  The two TDI diesel engine models, TDI Premium and TDI Q

Hyundai Motor Co. said Wednesday it has opened the country's first charging station for hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles in South Korea. Hyundai established the charging station at its Jeonju plant, 240 kilometers south of Seoul. It is the carmaker's first charging station for hydrogen-powered commercial cars and its ninth hydrogen charging station, the company said in a statement. "Hydrogen buses and trucks, as well as hydrogen passenger cars, can charge themselves in the hydrogen

The Korea Automobile Journalists Association said Wednesday it has selected compact sport utility vehicle Renault Captur as car of the month.  The association has been selecting the best model each month among new vehicles and face-lifted versions that were launched within a month, based on five criteria including exterior, interior design, practicality, safety and comfort features, product marketability and purchasing intent.  For the car of the month in June, Audi Q3 and Porsche 9

Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea rose 19 percent in May from a year earlier as strong demand for German vehicles offset weak demand for Japanese ones amid the coronavirus pandemic, an industry association said Wednesday. The number of newly registered foreign vehicles rose to 23,272 units last month from 19,548 a year earlier, the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) said in a statement. "New models released by Audi and Porsche and increased supplies

Hyundai Motor Co. said Wednesday it will launch the upgraded Santa Fe SUV in the domestic market this month to boost sales amid the new coronavirus outbreak. The company has added the face-lifted Santa Fe to its SUV lineup as it strives to offset weak overseas sales with robust local demand for recreational vehicles, a company spokesman said. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to affect Hyundai's vehicle sales in major markets, such as the United States and Europe, due to local shutdowns a