Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Sunday it will launch its all-electric EV9 flagship SUV in the domestic market this week as part of its electrification efforts. The three-row seater is Kia's second model equipped with Hyundai Motor Group's dedicated electric vehicle platform, called E-GMP, after the EV6 SUV launched in 2021. The two-wheel-drive EV9 comes with a 99.8 kilowatt-hour battery and can travel 501 kilometers on a single charge. An all-wheel-drive mo

General Motors said Friday it has appointed Hector Villarreal, vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing at GM Mexico, as its Korean unit’s new president and CEO, effective from Aug. 1. Kicking off his career at GM Mexico in 1990, Villarreal has held various positions within the company across several branches. He has served as president and managing director of GM Operations in Uzbekistan, managing director of GM Russia and president of GM Southeast Asia. In his most recent p

British luxury carmaker's first EV to be launched in Korea in second half of year

Auto giant spent W1.3tr in acquiring tech startups over past five years

Hyundai Motor's all-electric Ioniq 6, pictured, and Ioniq 5 have been named this year's Canadian Green Car of the Year and the Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year, respectively, the South Korean automaker said Thursday. Organized by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, the awards were based on a review and vote from judges comprising local auto experts and journalists. The automaker said the awards recognize the product value of all-electric vehicles developed on Hy

Jeju Air Co. said Thursday it will open routes from Incheon to Oita and Hiroshima to absorb rapidly recovering air travel demand amid a nationwide move to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. South Korea's biggest low-cost carrier will start services on the Incheon-Oita route on June 22 and the Incheon-Hiroshima route on July 13, the company said in a statement. In the January-March period, Jeju Air shifted to a net profit of 48.19 billion won ($36 million) from a net loss of 64.91 billion won

South Korea's car exports soared nearly 50 percent on-year in May driven by vibrant demand for eco-friendly cars, particularly in the US market, the industry ministry said Thursday. The value of outbound shipments of automobiles came to $6.2 billion last month, up 49.4 percent from a year earlier to reach the highest monthly figure for any May, according to the data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The monthly car exports surpassed the $6 billion mark for the first time in M

Hyundai Motor’s electric compact Kona Electric is set to hit the 300,000 mark in cumulative sales next month, solidifying its position as one of the bestselling electric vehicles manufactured in Korea. As of April, a total of 285,138 Kona Electric cars have been sold since its official debut in 2018, according to the carmaker’s investor relations data released on Monday. Overseas sales accounted for 258,663 units -- nearly seven times the amount of domestic sales. Over 50,000 units w

Norbert Michelisz, Hyundai Motor’s Avante N TCR driver, celebrates after winning the 2023 Touring Car Race World Tour held in Italy from June 6-12. Selected as the No. 1 and 4 best drivers for this year’s season, respectively, Michelisz and another team member, Mikel Azcona, drove the Elantra N TCR in the race. The car is a high-performance model of Hyundai’s flagship sedan Avante.

Capital surplus from foreign units to be exempt from corporate taxes, help improve carmaker’s financial stability

Upgraded 2.5-liter turbo engine highlights performance enhancement

With the yearslong boycotting of Japan-made products in Korea showing signs of abating, Japanese auto giant Toyota is seeking to turn the tables here with the Crown Hybrid crossover utility vehicle, which shows off its latest technological advancements in combining a combustion engine and electric motor. The Crown was Toyota’s first mass-produced car model, with the longest history of 69 years and its bestselling premium sedan at home. But in Korea, the car has long been absent after it

Following announcement of first-ever supply deal, hopes high for business synergy between chaebol rivals

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun highlighted the importance of learning from the past to prepare for the rapidly changing mobility industry, at the opening ceremony for an exhibition honoring the carmaker’s first mass-produced car, the Pony. “With ChatGPT now a buzzword, artificial intelligence and robotics technology are witnessing exponential growth. Under the circumstances, we need to ask what our purpose of existence and future road map are,” said Chung at t

GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., said Thursday it will launch the all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ SUV later this year in line with its parent firm's electrification plan. Lyriq is GM's luxury Cadillac brand's first electric model and is powered by GM's Ultium EV battery platform. It is one of 10 electric vehicle models to be released in the South Korean market by the US carmaker by 2025, the company said in a statement. Starting with the Cadillac Lyriq,