Owners of Volkswagen AG’s cars in China have reported instances of abnormal vibrations, loss of power and sudden acceleration, state-owned China Central Television said in its annual consumer rights program. The problems are related to the direct-shift gearbox system, the state broadcaster said Saturday in its program marking World Consumer Rights Day. Volkswagen “will contact the involved customers to fix the issue as quickly as we can,” Christoph Ludewig, a VW spokesman, said in an emailed sta

When we compare our Korean customers’ expectations with other markets, we note very high expectations of having showrooms and service centers nearby, the availability of appointments and the quality of service.In many European countries, specific service chains have thrived by differentiating themselves with a no-appointment-needed policy, but in Korea this is the basic service offered by service shops, thanks to the “ppali ppali” Korean culture.The reception areas are much bigger than in other

Ford Motor Co. cut Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally’s compensation by 29 percent last year after the second-largest U.S. automaker fell short of its targets for profit, cash flow and market share. Mulally received $2 million in salary, $3.95 million in bonus and $15 million in stock, options and other compensation, Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford said Thursday in a regulatory filing. That compares with $2 million in salary, $5.46 million in bonus and $22 million in other compensation for 2011.

Without a doubt, Peter Schreyer, the top design executive for both Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, was the central architect behind Kia’s rare success with the “K series.” Among the series, the K5, launched in 2010 and known as the updated Optima in overseas markets, became the series’ flagship model.On the back of this success, Kia turned around its sales revenue, recording an increase of 43 trillion won in 2011, with operating profit reaching 3.5 trillion won.  The famous Tiger Nose grill which

Hyundai Motor, which is gaining sales momentum in Brazil, is expanding social contribution activities as part of its efforts to renew its brand image there. On top of that, it is focusing on supporting young Brazilian talent through internship programs. The Korean auto giant, which entered the Brazil market in 1992, suffered a 29 percent plunge in car sales in the first half of last year after the Brazilian government toughened regulations and increased tariffs on imported car brands. Hyundai, h

Ferrari, Bentley, Jaguar, and Rolls- Royce are roaring back with new leather-swathed models after a drop last year in European sales of ultra-luxury cars.At the Geneva Motor Show last week, Ferrari showed a 1 million-euro ($1.3 million) hybrid called LaFerrari. Bentley exhibited a revamped four-door Continental Flying Spur. Jaguar debuted the XFR-S, its fastest sedan ever. Rolls-Royce is adding a 245,000-euro coupe called the Wraith to its lineup. The highest end of the market ― vehicles costing

British carmaker diversifies engine lineups to reach Korean customers

Automakers led by General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. predict demand for cars and trucks, on pace for the best year since 2007, will remain resilient even as the U.S. was unable to avert government spending cuts that took effect Friday. Vehicles on U.S. roads are the oldest on average in history, and Americans will continue to look to replace them with more fuel-efficient models also equipped with better technology features, the automakers’ sales executives said Friday. Ford reported its best

The Korea Herald, in cooperation with carmakers, offers a test-driving experience to executive officials at Korean or multinational companies or ranking diplomats here. The opinion below is the author’s own. For any inquiry into this column, please contact jylee@heraldcorp.com. ― Ed.When the Panamera was unveiled by Porsche, a renowned brand that represented an uncompromising motor sports for the purists, my feelings were very mixed. Of course, we have the Cayenne SUV, which was an even bigger s

Britta Seeger officially stepped behind the wheel of Mercedes-Benz Korea as chief executive last week.She will be the first foreign woman to head an import car firm.That in itself was enough to make headlines in Korea, where automakers are still defined by masculinity.A host of women recently rose to executive posts in the industry, but Seeger is a rarity in that she is both a woman and a non-Korean. It would be an understatement to say she has a lot on her plate as such. Unlike her predecessor,

Imported passenger cars have seen tremendous growth in South Korea over the last few years. In 2012 for instance, BMW Korea sold three times more cars than it did in 2009. However, contrary to other markets with similar or even higher growth rates, the total domestic market has been quite stable, with annual sales totaling around 1.2 million units. Don’t we forget there was a huge backlog with an exceptionally low segment share of imported vehicles of around 3 percent only a few years ago, where