FCA ROLLS OUT NEW COMPACT SUV -- FCA Korea rolled out a small five-passenger SUV Fiat 500X in Seoul on Thursday. The new SUV is 4.2 meters long, 1.8 meters wide and 1.6 meters high. Its price tag starts from 29.9 million won ($25,700). (FCA Korea)

Ssangyong Motor owner Mahindra & Mahindra said Ssangyong would invest 1 trillion won ($862 million) over the next five years in aims to double its sales.In 2015, Ssangyong sold 145,000 cars, mainly thanks to the success of its latest Tivoli SUV that was released in January that year.Pawan Goenka, an executive director at Mahindra, said by 2021, the Indian conglomerate hopes to increase the figure to 300,000 units.  Mahindra & Mahindra executive director Pawan Goenka. (Mahindra & Mahindra)“We pla

Top Japanese automaker Toyota will push for sales of its hybrids lineup with the launch of the all-new Prius hybrid, setting a goal of lifting the proportion of hybrid car sales to 50 percent from its current 32 percent in Korea, the carmaker said Monday.   TOYOTA PRESENTS FUTURE OF HYBRID WITH NEW PRIUS-- Toyota Korea CEO Akihisa Yoshida (right) poses next to the fourth-generation Prius hybrid at its launch event at Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul on Tuesday. (Toyota Korea)While launching the four

Hyundai Merchant Marine, which is facing a liquidity crunch, signed a debt settlement agreement with bank creditors on Monday. The move came after Hyundai Motor Group denied rumors that it might seek a takeover bid to save the faltering shipper via its logistics arm Hyundai Glovis. HMM is a key affiliate of Hyundai Group and so has been categorized as a member of the pan-Hyundai empire. “It is true that the group was invited to a takeover bid for the shipper, but the group has no interest in the

GM Korea, the local unit of U.S. automaker General Motors, launched the new 2016 Chevrolet Captiva SUV in Korea on Monday. The new Captiva is the latest version of the carmaker’s crossover SUV, encapsulating Chevrolet’s family look and performance.GM Korea’s Chevrolet Captiva SUV (GM Korea)Company CEO James Kim said, “I believe the new Captiva will significantly help the Chevrolet brand to increase its sales volume in the SUV segment, which is now the most competitive sector in the local auto ma

Nissan Korea launched the entry-level model of its flagship electric car Leaf at the 3rd International EV Expo on Jejudo Island on Friday in an effort to raise its domestic market share.The Leaf S is expected to have a price tag of 26.9 million won ($23,140) after government subsidies of 19 million won.“Together with the launch of the entry model, the company has cut the price of existing high-end Leaf SL model. In addition, the firm expanded ties with local partners to enhance the EV sales and

The artificial intelligence craze generated by the Go match between Korean champion Lee Se-dol and Google’s AI software AlphaGo has spread to the automobile industry. Competition is heating up, with not only global automakers but also tech giants like Google and Apple rushing to gain the upper hand in commercializing self-driving cars.Hyundai Motor, the world’s fifth automaker in terms of production, is no exception. It is stepping up its AI drive to keep pace with global front-runners in this p

Jeju Province Gov. Won Hee-ryoung gives a thumbs up during a test drive of Kia's Soul EV in Jejudo.        Jeju ProvinceKorea’s ambitious green project to transform Jejudo Island into a carbon-free island by 2030 is drawing attention from policy makers and electric carmakers from around the world. Jejudo Island is the nation’s largest island with a population of 600,000. Since vision 2030 was presented last year, citizens and visitors there have seen a growing number of electric cars, smart home

The sole exhibition dedicated to pure electric cars transforms into an ideal venue for stakeholders in the market creation for EVs

BYD's K9JEJUDO ISLAND -- Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD is set to make a foray into the market, armed with its electric bus K9, a company executive said.“We are set to enter the fast-growing electric auto market in Korea with our battery-powered bus K9 after forming a partnership with local tech company Suncore,” Liu Xueliang, BYD’s Asia-Pacific general manager, said in an interview with The Korea Herald during the 3rd IEVE. BYD, which started its battery-making business in 1995, has grown i

JEJUDO ISLAND -- Hyundai Motor, the nation’s largest automaker, unveiled its pure electric vehicle version of Ioniq, the company’s first dedicated eco-car platform, at the 3rd International Electric Vehicle Expo in Jejudo Island on Friday. “Ioniq Electric boasts of the longest range among electric cars on the road and advanced driving performance,” the Korean automaker said in a press release.Hyundai Motor's Ioniq Electric (Hyundai Motor)Hyundai’s first pure electric car is able to travel up to

JEJUDO ISLAND -- Samsung SDI, the nation’s leading electric vehicle battery cell maker, showcased its high-efficiency and high-density EV battery cell-making technologies at the international expo that kicked off on Jejudo Island on Friday. Samsung SDI, which joined the event for the first time this year, set up a booth to display its latest EV battery technology and electric vehicle business ecosystem including cells, modules, packs and battery-powered cars.“We expect visitors at the booth to g

JEJUDO ISLAND -- Renault Samsung Motors, which topped in sales of EVs in Korea last year, seeks to double the sales this year, the newly appointed chief executive said during a press day for the 3rd IEVE in Jejudo. “We plan to sell 2,000 units of SM3 Z.E. in the domestic market this year and half of them will be supplied to Jejudo Island, an ideal test bed for EVs,” said Park Dong-hoon, CEO of French carmaker Renault’s Korean unit. Renault Samsung’s marquee EV SM3 Z.E., which ranked No. 1 with s

President Park Geun-hye pledged Friday to support the development of self-driving cars to ensure local carmakers won't lag behind their global competitors.Park said South Korea can compete with Google and other foreign rivals in developing driverless cars and eco-friendly vehicles, including electric cars, citing the technological prowess of local carmakers and information and technology companies.South Korea is the world's fifth-largest automobile producer and is home to Hyundai Motor Co. and i

SK rent-a-car was set to begin long-term rental services of electric vehicles from Mar. 18 on Jejudo Island, where an EV expo is being held, company officials said Friday.This marks the first time for electrically run cars to be available for rental periods stretching up to five years. SK rent-a-car‘s booth is shown at the 3rd International Electric Vehicle Expo that kicked off on Korea’s Jejudo Island on Mar. 18. (SK Networks Co.)The models include Renault Samsung’s SM3 Z.E., Hyundai Motor‘s Io