Hyundai Motor’s luxury brand Genesis said Monday that world-renowned auto designer Filippo Perini will head its design studio in Europe, as the brand tries to notch up its design competitiveness globally. Perini will begin his tenure on Sept. 16 as the chief designer of Global Genesis Advanced Design Studio in Europe, where he is expected to play a key role in designing vehicles and leading the future of smart mobility, Genesis said.The Italian designer has decades of experience in the Eur

Unionized workers at GM Korea Co. on Monday staged a full-scale strike for the first time in 22 years as they demand an increase in wages despite warnings from the company's global headquarters.  Some 8,000 workers participated in the walkout at the plants in Incheon, west of Seoul, and Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of the capital, and plan to continue to strike through Wednesday. The union launched four partial strikes last month and has been boycotting overtime work since Aug. 22. &q

Models wearing clothes made from upcycled leather offcuts from car seats pose during Hyundai Motor’s upcycling fashion collection “Re:Style” at Public Hotel in Manhattan, New York, Friday. The automaker said it collaborated with New York-based fashion brand Zero + Maria Cornejo to create an eco-friendly fashion line using leftover leather supplied by its auto parts making unit Hyundai Transys. (ddd@heraldcorp.com)

Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor is reportedly considering whether to pull out of the Korean market as sales dwindle amid the ongoing diplomatic and trade tensions between the neighboring countries.Multiple news outlets reported Sunday that Nissan’s decision-making officials have been reviewing whether to continue sales in Korea, as the Japanese carmaker has been hit hard by the nationwide boycott of Japanese goods here.Early in July, many here began a boycott of all things Japanese after th

Unionized workers at GM Korea said Friday they have decided to stage a full-time walkout for three days next week in protest against the rejection of their demands during wage negotiations with the management.This is the first time GM Korea workers will stage all-out protests, after the US carmaker acquired now-defunct Daewoo Motor in 2002.The union said it has 8,000 members from GM Korea and also 2,000 workers at GM Technical Center Korea. GM Korea currently has around 13,000 employees. Leaders

Coupang, a leading e-commerce platform, said Friday it has launched a special sales event for a massive number of bedding items for the fall and winter seasons.Its online bedding store offers 1.2 million bedding products in 12 categories -- blankets, beddings, indoor bed tents, electric blankets and carpets.The main page of the category displays a fully furnished bedroom decorated with products so that customers can easily pick products of their choice.  “Coupang newly introduced the

SsangYong Motor’s Korando has received the top safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Program, the company said Friday.The sport utility vehicle garnered five stars in all four categories, proving it has an excellent drive assist program and can protect passengers and pedestrians effectively, it added. “By securing various safety features such as Deep Control system, state-of-the-art vehicle control technology and the (greatest) number of air bags (in South Korea), Korand

In celebration of the Chuseok holiday, Han Sung Motor, the largest official dealer of Mercedes-Benz in South Korea, is holding a promotional event for customers purchasing the GLC or the E-Class this month, the company said Friday. Each of these customers will receive a Mercedes-Benz trolley bag and the chance to enter a lucky draw. Fifty winners will receive invitations to Han Sung’s annual Oktoberfest event at the Grand Hyatt Seoul next month. The company also plans to hold a separate ev

Kia Motors, sister company to Hyundai Motor, has hired Karim Habib, former designer for BMW and Infiniti, to fill an executive position at its design center. The Canadian designer built his career at BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti.At Infiniti, he worked on design projects including the electric vehicle concepts QX Inspiration and Prototype.Habib will work with Luc Donckerwolke, the former Bentley designer currently in charge of vehicle design for both Kia and Hyundai, the company said.By Cho Ch

YEONGJONGDO, Incheon -- Kia Motors’ premium large sport utility vehicle Mohave has returned with a revamped look and high-tech features, along with an aim to sell 20,000 vehicles a year. The face-lifted SUV has already received 7,000 preorders in 11 days, according to Kwon Hyeok-ho, vice president of Kia Motors on Thursday.Styled as an urban vehicle, the Mohave face-lift embodies the carmaker’s future design direction built on its traditional frame body, he said. The number of preord

Taycan uses LG Chem’s battery cell ‘redesigned’ to fit into EV sports car

CEO expresses concern over union’s sit-in protest plan, vows to expand SUV lineup

While it may not have the largest market share in South Korea, Renault Samsung Motors is playing a significant role with its active localization efforts.The local unit of French automaker Renault Group operates a plant in Busan that was ranked No. 8 for productivity out of 148 automobile plants worldwide in a 2016 evaluation by the Harbour Report.The company also contributes to the local economy. In 2017 it brought in more than 2.44 trillion won ($2 billion) for its suppliers, up 11.3 percent on

Imported vehicle sales in South Korea fell 5.6 percent last month due to a slump in sales of Japanese vehicles amid trade tension with Japan, industry data showed Wednesday.The number of newly registered foreign vehicles stood at 18,112 in August, down from 19,206 a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association.  Weak demand for Japanese cars led the overall decline. Sparked by Japan's July trade restrictions against South Korea, anti

Union approves proposal amid growing uncertainties in business environment, cold public eye on ‘aristocratic’ labor