Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, emerged as the No. 1 car seller in Israel last month thanks to strong demand for the Sportage SUV and the Morning city car, industry data showed Friday.  According to the data, Kia Motors sold 2,560 vehicles in Israel last month, emerging as the No. 1 player in sales over Japanese carmaker Toyota, which sold 2,503 units.   The rise was attributed to brisk sales of its major car brands -- the Sportage SUV and the Morning city car.  Kia Mot

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's leading automaker, said Thursday that it joined the list of the top 10 car sellers in Mexico in the first four months of the year.   Hyundai Motor said that it sold a cumulative 6,483 vehicles in Mexico during the January-April period, which accounted for 1.6 percent of the total sales in the country.   The automaker surpassed Japan's Suzuki to become the 10th largest in terms of market share there.   It is the first time for Hyundai Motor to rank among the top 1

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, plans to unveil the Sonata plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in the third quarter of this year as part of efforts to get out in front in the nascent eco-friendly car market, a company official said Thursday.  Plug-in cars make use of both an internal combustion engine and a battery pack that can be recharged from an external power outlet. They are regarded as an improvement from hybrid cars as they can run longer with electricity.   "We plan to unvei

South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. saw its share of the European market inch up in April from a year earlier, while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. managed to retain its portion, industry data showed Tuesday.   Hyundai's share in the 27-member European Union, excluding Malta, came to 3.2 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the previous year, according to data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.   In contrast, Kia saw its market share remain unchange

South Korea's leading carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. is considering a plan to build a third plant in India as part of efforts to expand its presence in the world's second most populous country, the chairman of its parent group said Tuesday.  Hyundai Motor, the flagship of the world's fifth-largest auto giant Hyundai Motor Group, currently operates two plants in Chennai, a port city in the southeastern part of India, which have a combined annual capacity of more than 600,000 units.  "(The plan) is un

Ssangyong Motor Co., owned by India's Mahindra & Mahindra, plans to launch the diesel version of its popular Tivoli compact sport utility vehicle in June for overseas sales, a high-ranking company official said Tuesday.  The domestic sales of the new Tivoli model will start in July and its long-body version will also be unveiled next year, according to Ha Kwang-yong, an executive director in charge of production and quality at its main factory in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul.  "

The South Korean Ambassador to China, Kim Jang-soo, Monday asked the northern Chinese province of Hebei to cut red tape and make it easier for Hyundai Motor Co. to build a new car plant in Hebei.   Kim made the remarks at a meeting with Hebei's Communist Party chief, Zhou Benshun, earlier in the day on the sidelines of an investment fair hosted by the Chinese province, according to a statement released by the South Korean Embassy.   Hyundai began construction of its fourth plant in the Chinese c