South Korea’s hybrid vehicle sales dropped sharply in October despite high fuel prices, local industry sources said Tuesday.Consumer demand for the fuel efficient vehicles that run on both combustion engines and electric power posted a double digit slump in sales despite concerted efforts by carmakers and the government.Seoul has moved to cut taxes levied on hybrids to bolster sales, while producers have offered favorable warranties to attract consumers.Hyundai Motor Co. South Korea’s largest ca

South Korea's hybrid vehicle sales dropped sharply in October despite high fuel prices, local industry sources said Tuesday.Consumer demand for the fuel efficient vehicles that run on both combustion engines and electric power posted a double digit slump in sales despite concerted efforts by carmake

Han Sung Motor, the official Mercedes-Benz dealer in Korea, announced Friday that it will name Ulf Ausprung as its new chief executive.The new CEO’s 18 years of experience in automobile industry, which mainly focuses on sales and marketing, were decisive factors for him to be selected, the company said in a statement.His experiences encompass working in a variety of regions including China, where he worked as a senior manager at a local deaer for six years. The CEO also spent few years in the Mi

U.S. sales of vehicles made by Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. are expected to surpass the 1 million mark for the first time this year, fueled by a surge in consumer demand, the carmakers said Thursday.The two companies, part of the world’s fifth-largest automaker Hyundai Motor Group, said their combined sales in the U.S. market jumped 26 percent on-year to 950,411 units in the first 10 months of this year.Hyundai, South Korea’s largest carmaker, said it sold 545,316 cars in

Four vehicles made by top South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. have won 2011 Middle East Motor Awards, industry sources said Wednesday.The cars that ranked first in their respective sections were Hyundai’s Accent subcompact and Elantra compact and Kia’s Optima mid-size sedan and Sportage compact sport utility vehicle.The two automakers are the flagships of Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s fifth-largest car manufacturer, with Hyundai sales in the region risi

Honda Motor Co., Japan‘s No. 2 carmaker, plans to launch more than 10 new models in the growing South Korean market, the company’s global CEO said Wednesday.Takanobu Ito said in a meeting with reporters that South Korea has become an important market for the Japanese carmaker and said all available resources will be used to boost competitiveness here.He did not give the names of the car models Honda wants to sell in South Korea or a time frame for their release but said the launching of the 2012

HONG KONG (Yonhap News) ― South Korea’s smallest automaker Ssangyong Motor Co. said Tuesday it will unveil its flagship luxury sedan for the first time in China in an effort to expand its presence in the world’s No. 1 auto market.The Chairman W will be showcased at the ninth annual Guangzhou International Motor Show, which is set to kick off on Nov. 22 for a seven-day run in the southern Chinese city.Ssangyong Motor, the Korean unit of the Indian sport utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra L

German luxury carmaker BMW AG on Tuesday launched a coupe version of its popular Mini small-sized car to meet South Korean consumer demand for sporty vehicles, the company said.The Mini Cooper Coupe is the first two-seater and the fifth model of the compact, fuel efficient vehicle that has been on the market for a decade.The new coupe, which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, has a 1.6-liter, inline four cylinder engine that generates a maximum 122 horsepower with 16.3 kilogr

GM Korea launched its sales of the Malibu, a midsize sedan of Chevrolet series, in the local market a week ago.Though the company is pinning hope on the Malibu for its goal to grab more than 10 percent of the Korean market, data showed that the sedan fell behind the similar sedans of major competitors in terms of fuel efficiency, engine performance and price competitiveness.According to each company’s data for sales at dealerships, the gasoline-fueled Malibu with an engine capacity of 2.0 liters

Hyundai Motor has been closely competing with Toyota Motor to become No. 1 in automobile sales in Africa, posting about 60 percent in growth since to the beginning of the year.The company saw its sales in Africa reach 16,011 units in October, compared with 10,051 units in January.Hyundai has ranked second with a 12.8 percent share of the African market while Toyota captured 14.7 percent of the market.Hyundai has surpassed Toyota in the five major countries ― Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Angola and t

HAMBURG (DPA) ― Land Rover and Mercedes are planning new models of their Range Rover and GL models next year, with increased demand for large, luxury sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in China and Russia, Germany’s Autobild newspaper reports.The new Mercedes GL, built on the basis of the M-Class, is expected to be ready early next year, with only small changes to the exterior, the report said.Both the Mercedes GL and the new Range Rover, which is expected to weigh some 300 kilograms less than the p