The Korea Herald

Volvo Cars back in black for full-year 2010

May 22, 2011

China-owned Volvo Cars on Thursday said it was back in the black in 2010 following an 11.6 percent rise in sales over the previous year.“During 2010, we witnessed a turn-around in the car market and we have now returned to profitability,” chief executive Stefan Jacoby said in a statement.Volvo Cars said its operating EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) was $361 million.It added it sold about
Audi Korea launches app for iPad

May 22, 2011

Audi Korea, the local importer of luxury German car brand Audi, said it launched an iPad application for customers to view Audi magazine. The free application allows iPad users to keep up with the latest news about the German cars and promotional offers.Audi magazine, sent to its customers on a quarterly basis, not only covers Audi products but also contains exclusive interviews with sports stars
Toyota starts gearing up U.S. production

May 22, 2011

Toyota released a bit of good news Wednesday as its U.S. operation announced it would return to 70 percent production capacity by June.As Japan’s infrastructure recovers from the mammoth March earthquake and tsunami, parts were flowing again into the important U.S. market. U.S. production had fallen to 30 percent of capacity in May, with most factories closed for much of each week.Toyota said it p
Jaguar Land Rover offers wedding cars

May 22, 2011

Jaguar Land Rover said it is offering wedding cars for couples who have their marriage ceremony at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. An all new XJ, the British carmaker’s flagship model, will be offered to Shilla customers on their way to their honeymoon, the company said.“Young couples nowadays are looking for unique wedding experiences and their taste for wedding cars has been changing fast too. We hop
BMW offers discount on repairs

May 22, 2011

The local unit of German carmaker BMW Group said it will offer a 20 percent discount on repairs for its older sedans and convertibles, including the M3, X3, Z3 and Z4.The “refresh” campaign will be available for BMW customers whose cars have been registered before April 30, 2006. The offer will be available until June 3 at the company’s official service centers across the country. BMW Korea launch
Renault targets 100,000 car sales in return to India

May 22, 2011

Renault SA aims to sell 100,000 cars a year in India by the end of 2013, as the French automaker introduces its first model in the Asian country since exiting a joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. last year.The carmaker will introduce the Fluence sedan May 23 in New Delhi and plans to sell as many as five models by December 2012, when it expects to have 100 dealers across the country, Marc
Two-wheelers gain amid soaring gas prices

May 22, 2011

Rising gas prices may be inconvenient but they make scooters and motorbikes better options, especially with summer just around the corner. Compact motorbikes have been gaining popularity among riders, particularly those in their 20s and 30s looking to add style to their riding experience. Scooters and motorbikes come with fuel efficiency of at least 30km per liter, making them especially attractiv
Hyundai joins Denmark’s green car campaign

May 15, 2011

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automaker, said Friday it has agreed to join Denmark’s efforts to promote clean energy cars in a move to tap the fast growing market for green vehicles in Europe.A memorandum of understanding (MOU) to that end was signed Wednesday in Denmark between the South Korean automaker and the city of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, Hyundai Motor officials said.C
Audi’s workforce to grow 17 percent by 2020

May 15, 2011

Volkswagen AG’s Audi luxury-car brand will increase its workforce by 17 percent through 2020 as the manufacturer expands production beyond Germany to meet growing demand in markets such as China and the U.S.“We’re expecting further growth over the long term beyond 2015,” Chief Executive Officer Rupert Stadler said a speech to be delivered today at the annual shareholders meeting in Neckarsulm, Ger
Hyundai Motor plans 1,000 rural outlets in India

May 15, 2011

Hyundai Motor may build a network of as many as 1,000 rural outlets and introduce a cheaper small car after losing market share to Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG.“We are looking strongly at these markets and want to focus on growing our network there,” Arvind Saxena, the carmaker’s India director for sales and marketing, said in an interview yesterday in New Delhi. He declined to give a timefram
Kia prices Optima hybrid at $26,500

May 15, 2011

Kia Motors America announced that its first hybrid, the 2011 Optima Hybrid, will be priced at $26,500. The Optima Hybrid, with an expected rating of 35 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway, goes on sale in June.The gas-electric Optima shares its hybrid system with the Hyundai Sonata, which surprisingly carries a lower MSRP of $25,800. The full range of Optima trim levels are priced b
Mercedes unveils 2012 models

May 15, 2011

In the 2012 model-year most Mercedes-Benz vehicles are equipped with a more fuel-efficient 7-speed automatic transmission and increased power from direct-injection gasoline engines. That includes a new turbo four-cylinder, a normally aspirated V6 and bi-turbo V8s ― some with ECO Stop/Start technology.Many 2012 models also feature a new viewscreen with a 5.8-inch color display, Bluetooth audio stre
Young Koreans boost foreign auto sales

May 15, 2011

Thanks to globalization, uneasy public sentiment about foreign cars has waned in recent years.In particular, young Koreans have driven the change. Foreign automakers say the general sentiment has turned to “favorable” from “negative” as younger generations, born in the 1970s and 1980s, have become mainstream buyers.They also say the number of Korean female drivers of foreign-made cars has been inc
Mega Mini is fun in traffic, seriously cool

May 8, 2011

The 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman is a big Mini. Big, of course, is relative in this case, but this new four-door’s size rankles purists, who point to the name of the brand itself. You can’t have a super-size Mini.Yes, BMW says, you can.The Mini family, owned by BMW, now includes the various Cooper models, the larger Clubman and the all-new Countryman, which has been described as Mini’s SUV. The b
Chrysler to release New Compass

May 8, 2011

Chrysler Korea will launch special editions of the New Compass in celebration of its 70-year-old Jeep. All Jeep models will be rolled out as new editions to celebrate 70 years of the brand, including the 2011 Jeep Compass 70th Anniversary Edition, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Patriot and Jeep Wrangler. They will come in three exterior colors ― bronze Star, bright silver and black. “The