Kia Motors Corp., Korea’s second-largest automaker, announced plans last week to raise output at its Georgia plant by 20 percent, underscoring the U.S. industry’s biggest market-share gain this year.Kia, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., raised its U.S. share 0.8 percentage points to 3.8 percent through May, topping gains of 0.7 point for General Motors Co. and 0.6 point for Hyundai, according to

Toyota Motor president Akio Toyoda vowed to become the champion of sales among foreign automakers in Korea by 2014, promising tough competition with German players.During his visit to Seoul over the weekend, Toyoda said, “Though we may not able to restore our brand image all at once, we will make efforts to top the list of Korea’s import car market within three years.”The CEO’s commitment came dur

High-end vehicles lead foreign carmakers’ charge in Korean marketBuoyed by a growing love for sports cars by the well-to-do, foreign luxury car brands are upping their share of the domestic car market.Auto analysts say more are turning to exotic options accompanying fast, topless thrills often with luxury amenities like rain-sensing windshield wipers and automatic climate control with pollen filte

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. saw their U.S. market share exceed 10 percent for the first time in May, mainly thanks to robust demand for new models.The automakers under the wing of Hyundai Motor Group sold 107,426 vehicles in the United States last month, up 21 percent from a year earlier.They captured 10.1 percent of the American market, where the total sales of global aut

MUMBAI (AFP) ― India’s top vehicle maker Tata Motors on Thursday reported a nearly fourfold increase in annual profit, boosted by booming sales and strong demand for British brands Jaguar and Land Rover.Net profit was 92.7 billion rupees ($2.04 billion) for the year to the end of March 2011, up from 25.7 billion rupees in the previous year, the company said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Excha

Jaguar is targeting the Korean market by launching modern sedans and increasing the number of showrooms in major cities here.Its unique and beautiful designs are attracting Korean customers, especially people who want to buy a different type of car.“Many owners of BMW or Mercedes-Benz have replaced their cars with Jaguar models,” a Jaguar-Land Rover Korea spokesman said.“While vehicles of German o

Seoul is projected to capture 11% of the world’s auto production market within four yearsKorea has been striving to become one of the world’s four largest automakers, though the nation ranked fifth for six consecutive years between 2005 and 2010.Though Korea grabbed fourth place in the global auto manufacturing ranking in 1997, it suffered difficulties in the wake of the 1997-98 financial crisis.N

   Hanbul Motors Corp., the local importer and distributor of French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, introduced the new Peugeot 508 in South Korea on Wednesday, also marking the vehicle's Asia debut.   The passenger sedan comes in two trims -- the chaste Allure version with a 2.0-liter engine and the sportier GT version with a 2.2-liter HDi engine.   The Peugeot 508 Allure has a maximum horsepower

Police launched a probe Monday into an illegal strike by an auto parts manufacturer in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, which is prompting work suspension at plants of the nation’s major carmakers including Hyundai Motor in Ulsan.The police said they are considering requesting an arrest warrant for the company’s labor union leaders, as well as for key players behind the strike and the illegal occ

(Yonhap News)  GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of U.S. automaker General Motors Co., on Monday introduced its all-new hatchback, the Chevrolet Cruze5, in South Korea, adding what it called a "sexy and smart" vehicle to its Chevrolet lineup.   Based on GM's mid-size passenger car the Chevrolet Cruze, the hatchback comes in two trims -- with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine or a 2.0-liter turbo diese