The Korea Herald

Audi Volkswagen Korea names new chief

Dec 3, 2012

Audi Volkswagen Korea said Monday that it has named Johannes Thammer as the new Korean representative of Volkswagen Group, seller of the Audi, Volkswagen and Bentley brands. He will also have the role of managing director of Audi Korea, while Park Dong-hoon remains managing director of Volkswagen Korea, said the Korean unit of the German carmaker. Thammer, born in Germany in 1955, is an automobile expert with more than 30 years of extensive experience ranging from product control to marketing, b
Rolls-Royce cars plans expansion as wealth spreads

Dec 2, 2012

Rolls-Royce, the ultra-luxury car brand owned by Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, plans to increase outlets by 14 percent within five years as it chases growing numbers of wealthy customers. Rolls-Royce targets expanding the number of dealers to 120 from 105 to reach millionaires in markets like Chile, Thailand and Vietnam. Unfazed by Europe’s debt crisis, the Goodwood, England-based carmaker expects the updated version of its $380,000 Phantom sedan will help it reach a second consecutive sales rec
Taking the big cat for a stroll

Dec 2, 2012

The Korea Herald, in cooperation with carmakers, offers a test-driving experience to executive officials at Korean or multinational companies here. The opinion above is the author’s own. For any inquiry into this column, please contact jylee@heraldcorp.com. ― Ed.There’s nothing like a cat. Graceful, intuitive, powerful and proud ― the cat I am describing is the new Jaguar XJ, a 5.0-liter V8 luxury car that I had the pleasure of experiencing both as a passenger and as a driver for three days.My f
Hyundai Motor grapples to satisfy BRIC tastes

Dec 2, 2012

More localized vehicles expected to debut in 4 countries in 2013
Toyota leads Japanese auto firms in cutting China output

Dec 2, 2012

Toyota Motor Corp. production in China fell the most in at least a decade, leading a slump for Japanese automakers, after a sovereignty dispute over uninhabited islets triggered demonstrations and deterred buyers. Japan’s biggest carmaker said today China output in October tumbled 61 percent to 30,591 units in October. Nissan Motor Co. reported production fell 44 percent last month, the biggest decline based on company data stretching back to 2009, and Honda Motor Co. said output tumbled 54 perc
Kia’s pro cee’d receives iF design award

Nov 30, 2012

Kia Motors said on Friday that it received the prestigious iF design award for its three-door coupe pro cee’d.The company said the compact car won in the “Transportation Design” category.Company officials said the award proved that the car, to be sold in the second half of next year, was recognized globally for its outstanding design. The accolade is the fifth iF design award for Kia. “We are very proud to receive this iF product design award for the pro cee’d, which we owe in particular to our
Hyundai, Kia unveil new cars at L.A. motor show

Nov 29, 2012

South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday that they have premiered a new concept car and showcased new models at a U.S. auto show in a bid to strengthen their presence in the world’s second-biggest market.Hyundai said it unveiled its Veloster C3 concept for the first time at the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show that runs through Dec. 9.The new Veloster concept is a three-door convertible with Hyundai’s gamma 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline direct inject
BMW Korea to nurture future scientists

Nov 29, 2012

BMW Korea unveiled Thursday a new program aimed at offering science education to children and nurturing their dreams. The Junior Campus program will start next month, benchmarking one of the programs of BMW Group’s Welt, a multi-functional customer experience and exhibition facility in Munich. BMW Korea Future Fund, the first social contribution organization set up by a foreign carmaker here, will be responsible for operating the program. It is the first time the BMW program will be carried out
Apple adds more Samsung devices to patent suit

Nov 25, 2012

Apple Inc. filed another lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co. for patent infringement on the South Korean tech titan’s six latest mobile products, amid a series of ongoing legal tug-of-war between the two global IT companies, a German patent blog said Sunday. The Cupertino, California-based U.S. firm sued the Korea company on Friday at the U.S. Northern District Court of California for violating its patents with four smartphone models ― Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy S3 and Rugby Pro ―
GM to produce turbocharged engines for small SUVs in Korea

Nov 25, 2012

GM Korea said that the company would make a new investment worth about 100 billion won ($92 million) in its Bupyeong engine plant in Incheon to produce the next-generation four-cylinder turbocharged engines. The new engines will be introduced in the first half of next year for GM Korea’s new small sport utility vehicle Chevrolet Trax and then other Chevy brand smaller cars, said the Korean unit of U.S.-based General Motors. The more fuel-efficient turbocharged gasoline engines have thus far been
Ssangyong seeks to diversify export markets

Nov 25, 2012

Ssangyong Motor said Sunday that it had mapped out strategies to diversify export targets within five years, while more than half of its export-oriented vehicles are shipped to Russia and Latin America.Currently, Russia accounts for 32 percent of the automaker’s export destinations, followed by South & Central American countries with 26 percent.In coordination with its majority shareholder Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., the company said it planned to push ahead with tapping new markets.“By 2016, when
Carmakers turn to TV drama for killer promotions

Nov 25, 2012

Companies bet big on prime-time soap operas to showcase their cars
BMW, Mercedes, Audi widen target market

Nov 22, 2012

German premium brands set to wage battles in Korea’s compact car segment
Fiat faces Brazil challenge as Hyundai threatens profit

Nov 18, 2012

Fiat SpA and Volkswagen AG have dominated Brazilian auto sales for years, holding the top two spots. Now, General Motors Co. and Asian rivals are gaining share in a market the European carmakers had been counting on to offset weak demand in their home region.Brazilian auto production capacity will jump 50 percent by 2014 as South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. and other carmakers ramp up new factories, according to Brazilian supplier organization Sindipecas. The added potential output, which comes as
Hyundai-Kia’s market share hits new high this year

Nov 18, 2012

Hyundai and Kia brands’ global market share posted a record high in the first three quarters this year, a market research firm said Sunday. According to the U.S.-based JD Power, the nation’s top two carmakers, both owned by Hyundai Motor Group, saw their combined market share reach 8.6 percent this year, up 0.1 percent from the same period last year. Hyundai Motor sold about 3.21 million cars to claim 5.3 percent of global car market, while Kia Motors made up 3.3 percent, selling 2.03 million ca