Faulty EGR cooler blamed, but some suggest systematic fallout

Amid escalating controversy over some BMW vehicles that allegedly caught fire without external factors here, a fire reportedly started in the engine of a Lamborghini Aventador, burning nearly half of the vehicle, according to authorities and news reports Tuesday.According to the local fire department, a car fire broke out in the rear engine of the 2013 model year Aventador on a road in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, around 2:08 p.m. Monday. The driver pulled over to the shoulder after detecting the fire t

Hyundai Motor’s fourth-generation midsize sport utility vehicle Sante Fe is revamped for the first time in six years, geared with features for higher convenience and cutting edge safety suits.Like the Kona small SUV, the new Santa Fe also carries Hyundai’s trademark features of enlarged and contemporary exterior. The family SUV carries Hyundai’s signature hexagonal cascading grille and a composite light with light emitting diode daytime running lights placed on top of LED headlights.The enlarged

BMW Korea, the local importer and distributer of the German carmaker, vowed to complete the inspection of more than 100,000 vehicles suspected of having faulty parts by operating its service centers nationwide 24 hours a day for the next two weeks.In an announcement released Monday afternoon, the company said that all vehicles subject to its voluntary recall would go through an hourlong inspection service and that the parts would be replaced. Alternative vehicles will be provided during inspecti

Hands Corporation, a local aluminum wheel manufacturer, will complete construction of a factory in Morocco by 2024 with aims to expand its presence in Europe, the company said Monday. The company had announced construction of the Morocco factory in August last year and the groundbreaking ceremony was held in April.“By cooperating with the Moroccan government, we will do our best to become an example of successful expansion there. Also our goal is to post 1 trillion won ($895 million) in earnings

Speculations arise that BMW concealed defects; local branch of German carmaker denies claim

Volkswagen Korea, the local importer and distributor for the German carmaker, is likely to offer a huge price reduction for its latest Passat series, intent to expand sales here.According to local sources, the carmaker has approved dealers to offer nearly 30 percent off the Passat TSI, expected to make its official debut here in mid-August. The retail price of the sedan is projected to be around 36 million won ($32,300), but the final price will drop to around 26 million won, bringing it into th

Hyundai Motor Co. said Sunday that it sold 223 Nexo hydrogen fuel cell cars since its launch in March, and that the company expects record sales for its clean car this year, buoyed by increases in domestic and worldwide demand.Korea's No. 1 carmaker said of the total, 179 of its fuel cell electric vehicles were sold in the home market, with 44 being shipped abroad, up till last month. (Yonhap)It said that while the overall volume is not high, it is close to the 269 Tucson FCEVs sold for the whol

South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor has signed a contract to provide up to 1,200 Ioniq hybrid cars to a Singaporean taxi operator, the company said Thursday.The contract states that Hyundai will provide Ioniq hybrids to Comfort Delgro, a Singaporean logistics company, by the first half of 2019. Ioniq hybrid taxi (Hyundai Motor)Starting with the taxi-version of Hyundai’s sedan Sonata, the carmaker has been providing vehicles for Comfort Delgro since 2007. So far, the carmaker has sold about 24,

Despite improved sales of sport utility vehicles, Hyundai Motor’s profit fell 37.1 percent on-year in the first half of this year, due to the strong Korean won and a rise in production cost.The carmaker saw 47.1 trillion won ($42 billion) in sales, a 1.1 percent decrease, and earned 1.63 trillion won in operating profit, the company said in a statement.The worse-than-expected profit came even though the carmaker sold more vehicles than the same period last year. It sold 2.24 million units, a 4.5

BMW Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German luxury carmaker, will voluntarily recall 106,317 units of the 520d sedan and 41 other models due to a faulty exhaust gas recirculation module following a series of BMW engines catching fire, the government said Thursday.This is the first time in any country for BMW to recall vehicles due to flammable exhaust gas recirculation.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, fires had been set off due to defective exhaust

Hyundai Motor has invested 22.5 billion won ($20 million) in Mesh Korea, a logistics service provider that runs the brand Vroong, the company said Wednesday.The decision is a part of efforts to secure a new growth engine, the company said, citing the last-mile logistics technology Mesh Korea has developed. Hyundai plans to apply its autonomous and connected car technologies to Mesh Korea’s delivery vehicles, with an aim to develop unmanned delivery services in the future. Last-mile technology re

Audi Korea plans to offer a roughly 40 percent markdown on its A3 low-emission diesel compact sedan to comply with low-emission vehicle sales regulated under South Korean law, the company said Wednesday.Some 3,000 units of model year 2018 A3 vehicles will be sold between 23.7 million won ($21,000) and 26.1 million won, equivalent to the price range of Hyundai’s Avante compact car. The official price range of the new compact sedan is 39.5 million won to 43.5 million won.“The exact discount rate h

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s largest automotive company, has signed sponsor partnerships with Italian football club A.S. Roma and German football club Hertha Berlin, the company said Tuesday.With the latest two partnerships, Hyundai has become partners with five European football clubs as part of its sports marketing efforts in the region. The auto firm is posting increasing sales in Europe, despite sluggish growth in the US and China. Andrea Crespi (second left), managing director of Hyundai Mo

From the 1986 BMW 5 Series to newly launched M5, several of the German carmaker’s signature vehicles are starring in the new “Mission: Impossible” movie, maximizing its image of dynamic performance and design.In latest sequel, “Mission: Impossible -- Fallout,” BMW vehicles are featured as super cars for action hero Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise, and his crew.  　Hollywood star Tom Cruise is seen while filming “Mission: Impossible -- Fallout” on the 1986 BMW 5 Series. (BMW Korea)The BMW M5 that