American classic sport utility vehicle brand Jeep sold 10,251 units in Korea in 2019, joining the “10,000-unit club” here for the first time, the company said Monday. The 10,000-unit mark is a standard that measures whether foreign carmakers have made a safe landing here.According to Jeep, it saw a 35.1 percent increase in annual sales last year from the year prior, bringing it to seventh among foreign carmakers and second among imported SUV brands.  It is the first time for the

Hyundai Motor said Monday it has launched Kona Electric 2020, an upgraded version of the country’s most-sold electric vehicle last year.A total of 13,587 units of Kona Electric were sold in the domestic market last year, maintaining its top position in the EV market for two years in a row.  The automaker said all trims of Kona Electric 2020 have adopted 10.25-inch navigation, offering drivers with wider, clearer screen as well as various multimedia contents. The navigation program is

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors said they have seen their combined electric vehicle exports more than double last year.In 2019, the two carmakers exported 63,414 EVs, up from 27,798 units a year earlier.Their other eco-friendly vehicles including plug-in hybrid and fuel cell EV models also increased 16 percent to 226,581 units last year.Hyundai’s all-electric models include the Ioniq and the Kona Electric. Kia sells the Niro Electric and Soul electric boxcar in global markets. H

The country’s airlines are expanding their numbers of flights ahead of Seollal and throughout the holiday, industry sources said Friday. Seollal, the Lunar new year, is one of the biggest holidays in Korea. This year’s Seollal falls on Jan. 25, with the holiday running from 24th until 27th.  Korean Air said it would add a total of 26 more domestic flights connecting Gimpo to Jeju, Cheongju to Jeju and Gimpo to Busan, from 23rd to 27th.Asiana Airlines said it will add 12 mor

Carmakers are rushing to launch new models in the first half of the year -- mainly market-dominating sport utility vehicles -- seeking opportunities to recover sales, according to industry sources.Hyundai Motor’s first-ever Genesis SUV GV80 opens up this year’s new vehicle lineup. The automaker released images of the luxury SUV GV80 on New Year’s Day, raising market expectations for the model set to debut in mid-January.  The three-row SUV from Hyundai Motor’s l

Hyundai Motor’s luxury brand Genesis unveiled its first sport utility vehicle on Wednesday, raising market expectations for the much-anticipated model set to debut in mid-January. The GV80, a three-row SUV, is the fourth model of the brand, which consists of the G70, G80 and G90 sedans.  The “V” in its name represents the “versatile” aspect of the luxury SUV, while the number 80 indicates its large size, Hyundai Motor said. Under the design concept of

After a bumpy year with flat consumer sentiment and global trade uncertainties, the automotive market is likely to face a similar business environment in 2020, with sport utility vehicles, electric vehicles and luxury cars remaining popular, according to market analysts.Hyundai Motor Group’s think tank for global business research and development center noted that the global auto market is estimated to record sales of 86.95 million units in 2019, down 5 percent from the previous year. This

Group chairman reportedly kicks up storm at mother’s house

Mercedes-Benz said Sunday its luxury flagship sedan the new Mercedes-Benz S 560 e has landed in South Korea, as part of the efforts to diversify its plug-in hybrid sedan lineup here. The German automaker’s S-Class sedan is conspicuous by its long wheelbase, spacious interior, innovative suspension system and high fuel efficiency, being a 70-year-long steady-selling luxury sedan, Mercedes-Benz Korea said.With the third-generation plug-in hybrid new S 560 e launching in Korea, the company sa

Air carrier’s huge debt and unstable cash flow still heavy burden for midsized construction firm

BMW Korea has virtually won a lawsuit against the over 60 billion-won (US$51.7) fine imposed by the government over the auto company's gas emission verification, sources said Saturday. In September, the Supreme Court of Korea convicted BMW Korea of illegally skipping the compulsory gas emission verification process and forging related documents in the period of 2012-2017, leading to the government's imposition of a 62.7 billion-won fine on the company. Protesting the decision, BMW Kore

HDC Hyundai Development Co., a midsized construction company, signed a deal on Friday to acquire Asiana Airlines Inc. as the South Korean builder strives to diversify its business portfolio.In their board meetings held early Friday, HDC and Kumho Industrial Co., a construction unit of Kumho Asiana Group, approved the deal.The signing comes after the consortium formed between HDC and Mirae Asset Daewoo was picked the preferred bidder last month to acquire a 30.77-percent Asiana stake held by Kumh

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday its affiliate Mocean Lab has joined hands with the country’s car rental business association to develop a mobility service ecosystem in the rental car market. The mobility service venture set up by the parent group of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Rental Car Business Association for collaboration in the future mobility business. The association is the country’s largest group of car rent

The latest bone of contention between the labor union and management at Hyundai Motor was unforeseen in a country that boasts one of the highest internet penetration rates -- Wi-Fi use.On Tuesday, the automaker changed its decision to allow employees to use Wi-Fi at its manufacturing plant in Ulsan, and placed restrictions on use only during meal times and break hours. The decision was taken after criticism that employees spent a lot of their time surfing the internet or watching YouTube vi

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Monday its face-lifted Grandeur sedan has received more than 50,000 preorders in just over a month since the vehicle's launch at home. Hyundai said it received orders for 52,640 new Grandeurs as of last week since the preorders started on Nov. 3.Hyundai said consumers in their 40s were the biggest buyers of the upgraded Grandeur, as they accounted for 31 percent of the total preorders. They were followed by consumers in their 50s, who made up