Three U.S. automakers are expected to pick up their marketing and sales in Korea to battle Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, which will take effect early next year.In addition, a great number of Japanese cars produced in the U.S. will likely be imported under the coming slash in tariff on automobiles.Tariff on made-in-U.S. automobiles will be lowered from 8 percent to 4 percent under the bilateral trace pact. Further, the 4 percent tariff will be removed in

Hyundai’s Accent sedan ranked first in the small sedan segment in the Chinese market, customer satisfaction survey showed Wednesday.This was the first time that Hyundai topped the list in a product rating for satisfaction among Chinese consumers, which was conducted by U.S.-based J.D. Power and Associates.The Accent, dubbed Verna in China, garnered 854 points out of a maximum 1,000 in the poll among consumers who bought automobiles between October 2010 and June 2011.The Hyundai sedan tied with t

Korea’s automakers saw their exports to European countries surge 40.1 percent on a year-on-year basis, which could be interpreted as an outcome of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement that took effect in early July.Five carmakers including Hyundai Motor posted 347,207 units in exports to EU countries for the first 10 months of 2011, compared to 247,909 units over the same period last year.The 40.1 percent growth is noteworthy, considering the growth of their total exports around the world was 13.2

Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. delivered more vehicles in the U.S. than analysts estimated as auto demand climbed to the highest of the year. Toyota sales in November grew 6.7 percent from a year earlier, the first increase in seven months, and Leaf-maker Nissan posted a 19 percent gain, according to statements yesterday. South Korea’s Hyundai and affiliate Kia had a combined increase of 29 percent. Deliveries at Honda Motor Co. fell 6.7 percent, the

Korea’s major automakers once again recorded contrasting sales performances at home and abroad in November.Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors saw their exports increase in November from a year earlier, but their sales at home dropped.Hyundai Motor sold 320,790 units, including exports and overseas production, abroad last month, up 26.1 percent from a year ago.Five major overseas plants in the U.S., China, India, Russia and the Czech Republic posted steady growth in sales, the company said in a stateme

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp., South Korea’s two largest carmakers, have been tapped as top automotive brands in the U.S. market, industry sources said Monday.Hyundai and Kia both received “A-plus” marks from TrueCar.com in the latest Grades for Manufacturers and Brands review, they said, adding only Jeep received the same high marks in the monthly evaluation by the U.S. automotive solutions and information provider.Japanese carmakers such as Honda and Subaru received the

GUANGZHOU, China (DPA) ― The first Chinese cars built in Europe started rolling off the conveyor belt this year when Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd. built a plant in Bulgaria together with Litex Motors.The Voleex C10 was the first vehicle off the assembly line of the plant near the town of Lovech last week with tests of the production facilities and installations set to continue for the rest of the year before the first sales are launched at the beginning of 2012.The Hover H5 sports utility vehicle an

MACAU - China’s superrich want supercars. That’s what the makers of world‘s most exotic and expensive sports cars are hoping as they gather in Macau this week for the first Asian edition of Monaco’s annual Top Marques show that began eight years ago.The supercar companies are chasing growth in China, which is churning out scores of new millionaires each year and is home to the world’s biggest auto market.Ferraris and Lamborghinis sat alongside rare and beautiful automotive works of art from less

DETROIT (AP) — You can‘t drive far in the U.S. without seeing a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord or Ford Fusion.Midsize sedans have been America’s favorite cars for decades. That‘s changing. More people are choosing small cars like the Chevrolet Cruze and even smaller ones like the Honda Fit because they’re worried about gas prices and car payments. There‘s another reason, too: Small cars are no longer the cramped econoboxes of the 1980s and 1990s, and they have many of the same features as larger car