Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s leading automaker, has become the first carmaker here to receive a temporary permit to test truck platooning, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday.Through the latest test drives, Hyundai is seeking to develop autonomous logistics delivery trucks. Hyundai Motor's self-driving truck (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)Hyundai’s self-driving trucks will mostly run on local highways bound for the Incheon port, such as Youngdong high

South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor has invested in Autotalks, an Israeli chip company that makes vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems for self-driving cars. The exact size of the investment was not disclosed. Under the investment deal, the carmaker has agreed to collaborate with Autotalks for the development of a chipset that works like a human brain for connected cars.The chipset is a crucial part in self-driving technology for vehicles set to be equipped with a computerized system that

Just months after the US surprised trading partners with steel and aluminum tariffs, US President Donald Trump over the weekend reaffirmed his push to slap a 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Trump‘s latest push to implement higher tariffs of 25 percent from the current 2.5 percent has ignited a trade war, intensifying opposition and woes from the global auto industry. Export-dependent South Korean automakers and government officials have approa

LUXEMBOURG -- Mercedes-Benz’s No.1 best-selling model worldwide, the new C-Class is back with a revamped design, engine and safety systems, three years after the release of the fifth generation. Out of nearly 12,000 components that make up the car, some 6,500 parts have been replaced, making the latest face-lift the most extensive for the C-Class so far, amid increasing competition with rivals in BMW’s 3-Series, Audi S4 and Volvo S60. Mercedes-AMG C 43 coupe (Mercedes-Benz Korea)Members of the m

LUXEMBOURG -- Introduced to South Korean drivers in 2003 with the setup of Mercedes-Benz Korea, the German luxury carmaker’s C-Class lineup has since become one of Korea’s most preferred import cars.The first C-Class introduced here was the 203 series equipped with the carmaker’s then-most innovative technology, the Sequentronic automated six-speed transmission.The roots of the globally popular lineup dates back to 1982 when the 190 model was launched as the first of the 201 series, categorized

Saean Motors, a South Korean electric micro carmaker, is in the final stages of entering the Malaysian market as part of its efforts to diversify its business worldwide.A group of working-level officials from Malaysia’s automaker Go Auto are scheduled to visit Korea next month to examine Saean’s office and research centers here, and clinch a final agreement. 　It signed a memorandum of understanding with the Malaysia Automotive Institute, an agency under the Ministry of International Trade and In

Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s No. 1 automotive company by sales, has signed a strategic partnership with Finnish energy firm Wartsila to tap into the energy storage systems market by utilizing used electric vehicle batteries, the company said Tuesday. The move is aimed at securing future growth, while dealing with environmental concerns over used electric vehicle batteries. Hyundai said it is expected to start development of ESS products for industrial use in 2021. “Much spotlight has been put on

The South Korean government and businesses agreed to invest some 2.6 trillion won ($2.33 billion) over the next five years to speed up the country’s hydrogen gas-powered vehicle industrial ecosystem, the Trade Ministry said Monday.Aiming to gain an upper hand in the prospective global fuel cell vehicle market, the 2.6 trillion won will be spent on building plants for fuel cell vehicles and fuel cell stacks, manufacturing fuel cell buses and developing fuel cell storage containers.In doing so, th

Key to retaining popularity in the fast-changing South Korean market is introducing customized editions, according to SsangYong Motor, the South Korean unit of Indian carmaker Mahindra & Mahindra.Competing in the compact sport utility vehicle segment, the carmaker’s top-selling Tivoli SUV launched in January 2015 is credited for igniting demand for compact SUVs here.In the first year of its launch, 45,021 Tivoli SUVs were sold and stood for more than half of 82,308 compact SUVs sold here in the

　Three South Korean vehicle brands, all belonging to Hyundai Motor Group, surpassed their Japanese and German rivals in a United States quality ranking. 　Hyundai luxury brand Genesis, Kia and Hyundai ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the J.D. Power 2018 US Initial Quality Study, for the fewest glitches and design flaws per 100 new vehicles. 　J.D. Power said Genesis ranked highest in overall initial quality with a score of 68 problems per 100 cars. Kia (72) ranked second and Hyunda

South Korean carmakers now face tougher competition at home as their foreign counterparts are becoming increasingly cost-competitive, on top of their preconceived image as being higher-end or safer.Domestic sales of foreign cars led by German automakers rose 21.7 percent compared to a year prior to 26,133 in May last year, while those of locally produced cars sold by automakers like Hyundai and Kia Motors fell 2 percent to 131,638, according to recent data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry an

Affiliates of South Korea’s No. 1 automaker Hyundai Motor Group swept the top three positions in an initial quality study conducted by the US institute J.D. Power, outstripping German and Japanese rivals, the auto group said Thursday. , Genesis ranked highest in overall initial quality with a score of 68, followed by Kia in second place with 72 and Hyundai in third place with 74. The industry average was 93 this year. Initial quality is measured by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehi

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Monday that their regional headquarters in North America, Europe and India will be making key decisions going forward to better meet local market demands.Starting on July 2, Hyundai's regional headquarters in the three regions and Kia's offices in North America and Europe will begin work in earnest, with top managers allowed to take charge of matters involving local output and sales networks, Hyundai Motor Group said in a statement. (Yonh

Benz extends local chief Psillakis‘ term for a year

Automaker completes $2.8 billion debt-equity swap