The eco-friendly compact sedan Ioniq plug-in hybrid electric vehicle does not have a sporty look. Yet, it is far more exciting to drive than expected.A latecomer to the green movement, Hyundai Motor released three different versions of Ioniq. The Ioniq PHEV, tested by the Korea Herald for three days last week, is the latest in the Ioniq series targeted at mass consumers. After three consecutive days of traveling nearly 200 kilometers, the Ioniq PHEV showed fuel economy of 18.7 kilometers per lit

Carmaker to unveil latest connected car service at CES

Hyundai Mobis is developing a driverless system that would direct the vehicle to a safe area when it senses the driver dozing off, the company said Thursday.The system named departed driver rescue and exit maneuver, or DDREM, takes full control of the steering wheel when it determines that the driver is incapable of driving and leads the vehicle to the nearest road shoulder or resting area. The company aims to fully develop it by 2021, after introducing it at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las

Lexus Korea released the LS 500h flagship premium hybrid sedan Wednesday in Jamsil, eastern Seoul. The premium carmaker introduced the fifth-generation model at the Geneva Motor Show in March. It took 11 years to design the fully changed LS 500h.The company highlighted during a press launch that it represents the new segment that has combined premium and hybrid models. The LS 500h flagship premium hybrid sedan (Lexus Korea)The automaker’s flagship models have been targeting the small yet lucrati

SsangYong Motor’s G4 Rexton led the growth of the large sport utility vehicle segment in South Korea this year, according to market data Tuesday.As of October, a total of 77,516 units of large SUVs were sold, a 29 percent increase from last year, according to data compiled by the Korean Automobile Manufacturers Association. SsangYong`s Rexton G4 (SsangYong Motor)Since its debut in May, more than 13,000 units of the G4 Rexton have been sold, taking the top position in the market segment.The G4 Re

In a bid to reclaim the No. 3 spot in the local auto market, Audi Volkswagen Korea, importer and distributor of the German vehicles, has signaled a comeback after a more than yearlong sales suspension resulting from the diesel gate emissions scandal.Last month, Audi Korea launched the R8 V10, a flagship high performance sports car, its first release in one year and three months since the S8 Plus sedan was rolled out in June last year. Models widely expected to be launched in early 2018 are Volks

The Korean auto industry is still reeling from unsettled labor disputes that are likely to extend into next year amid sluggish sales as well as the fallout from a diplomatic row with China this year. Hyundai Motor, the nation’s largest carmaker, and GM Korea, the Korean branch of the US carmaker, are unlikely to reach agreements with their respective labor unions over wages this year, according to industry watchers Monday. (Yonhap)If they fail to narrow differences in the remaining two weeks of

Convenience store chain CU will provide charging stations for Tesla’s electric vehicle at four of its stores. CU announced Monday that a total of seven chargers will be installed at Gapyeong Sangcheon, Cheongpyeong Daein, Uiwang Ojeongongdan, Bibong Premium stores.The stores have been selected based on their less-than-an-hour distance from Seoul, the parking capacity, access to the high way and the suitability as a leisure driving path.  (BGF Retail)Tesla Korea installed its exclusive charging e

Hyundai Motor Group's sales in China fell nearly 30 percent in November from a year earlier due to the fallout from political tensions over the deployment of a US missile defense system in South Korea, the company said Sunday. Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp., which together form the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, said they sold a combined 145,015 vehicles in China last month, down 29.8 percent from a year earlier.Their sales in the first 11 months dropped 38.2 perc

Praising Beijing Hyundai Motor as an example of growth and symbolic of economic cooperation between South Korea and China, President Moon Jae-in pledged support to remove any barriers to the operation of the joint venture during his visit to a plant in Chongqing, southwest China, Saturday.Moon’s visit to the Hyundai plant came in light of slowly recovering sentiment toward South Korean businesses in China, following hostilities over diplomatic tensions regarding the deployment of the US’ Termina

Volvo Car Korea, the local importer and distributor for the Swedish automaker, on Friday said it plans to sell 8,000 units here next year riding on the popularity of XC60 midsize SUV, XC90 large SUV and soon-to-be-launched XC40 compact SUV. “To invest in dealer networks, we need to sell about 10,000 units annually,” said Lee Yoon-mo, Volvo Car Korea CEO, during a lunch meeting with the media. “Our target sales for next year is 8,000 units. We view it as a moderate goal considering recent growth.

Six carmakers will recall nearly 320,000 vehicles in South Korea due to faulty parts, the transport ministry said Friday.This is the latest in a series of recall orders issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to both domestic and foreign carmakers.Six carmakers -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp., GM Korea Co., Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Motor Corp. -- plan to recall 12 different models totaling 319,264 vehicles, the ministry said in a statement. (Yonhap)The model

Hyundai Mobis, the auto parts unit of Hyundai Motor, will hold a technical contest for local startups in search of original technology to invest in or startups to collaborate with, the company said Thursday. Those preparing to open a startup can also register for the event named 2017 M, M standing for Mobis and mobility. Relevant sectors will include automobile, artificial intelligence, future mobility, smart city, robots and energy.“Hyundai Mobis will expand its future technologies together wit

The sales volume of automotive steel processed at Posco’s plant in Suzhou, China, has surpassed the 5 million ton mark, riding on the fast-growing car market in the country, the company said Wednesday. The plant, located west of Shanghai, known as China’s auto cluster, has reached the 5-million-ton mark faster than any other plants operated by Posco around the world, it added in a statement. Workers at Posco Suzhou plant celebrate the plant surpassing 5 million ton mark of selling automotive ste