A merger between South Korea’s two biggest air carriers picked up pace on Wednesday after they received an unconditional approval from Singapore and as a final decision by the Fair Trade Commission approaches next week. According to Korean Air, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore concluded that the air carrier’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines will not infringe Singapore’s Competition Act. The decision comes after the CCCS conducted a public consultation last

Kia, South Korea’s second-largest automaker, will launch six electric vehicle models by 2027 in China by renewing its joint venture in the country, where it has been losing presence in recent years over soured bilateral ties between Seoul and Beijing. Starting with the EV6 next year, Kia will bring new battery-powered vehicles each year and realign its strategic models with bigger vehicles that are more globally popular such as the Carnival and Sportage. The new China plan was released

Mercedes-Benz has been fined 20.2 billion won ($16.84 million) by the nation’s antitrust watchdog for fiddling with emissions readings in its diesel cars here. According to the Fair Trade Commission on Sunday, the German luxury carmaker falsely advertised some of its diesel vehicles as capable of reducing 90 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions, the main culprit of fine dust, and that it satisfies Euro 6 environmental standards. These claims were advertised extensively through the brand&

Gangnam and Jonggak see biggest drop in passenger numbers amid working from home

The design of the all-new Kia Niro did it all to captivate young drivers, not to mention its fuel efficiency and comfortable driving experience. Looking very much like Kia’s concept car HabaNiro, the all-new Kia Niro infused its ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy into the environmentally friendly SUV by making the body two-toned with a bold boomerang-shaped Aero C-Pillar at the rear that completes the futuristic design of the car. During its four-day long preorder, a total

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor is set to return to Japan’s passenger car market within the first half of the year, according to industry sources and reports Tuesday.　 Hyundai’s reentry to Japan comes 13 years after its withdrawal from the market dominated by domestic carmakers. With its enhanced eco-friendly technology, Hyundai believes that it has achieved a competitive edge to tap into the neighboring country. The carmaker will return with its electronic car lineup, includ

Domestic carmakers that lack green car models such as Renault Samsung, SsangYong and GM Korea are expected to face heavier pressure from the government to increase supply of more sustainable cars this year. According to the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday, it will impose fines on automakers that have not been able to fulfill a certain percentage of car sales with more environmentally friendly cars, including electric and hydrogen vehicles, this year. Carmakers that have sold an annual avera

Mercedes-Benz Korea will focus on launching electric models to complete its EV-lineup in all segments this year, as well as bolstering the supply chain via its online shop, the company said Tuesday. After launching the full-change C-class model in the first quarter, the new EQB will be launched in the second quarter. It is the second compact SUV model following the new EQA. By year-end, the new EQE will be launched, the second model to be based on the modular architecture for premium EV after t

The Polestar 2, the first Polestar car to hit the Korean roads, is a performance-driven car, living up to the reputation of the Swedish carmaker that was once Volvo’s racing skunkworks. With the new model, Polestar aims to compete head-on with the Tesla Model 3, the world’s most popular plug-in EV in 2020. At first sight, one can easily grasp that Polestar 2 displays Scandinavian aesthetics: clean and simple lines and functionality without sacrificing beauty. It has a clean-cut

Hyundai Motor said Sunday it has won five US News and World Report 2022 Best Cars for the Money Awards, outpacing rivals in the awards that put a spotlight on cars and SUVs that represent the best combination of long-term value and excellent ownership experience. The Hyundai winners include: the Elantra hybrid, Tucson hybrid, Kona subcompact SUV, Tucson compact SUV and Santa Fe 2-row SUV. Its smaller sibling Kia Motors’ Telluride also topped the best 3-row SUV for the money category. T

Kia said Friday that its electric SUV model EV6 has been recognized as Car of the Year and Electric SUV of the Year by the UK automotive What Car?’s Car of the Year Awards, Friday. “The EV6 combines a huge real-world range with the ability to charge at speeds that no rival can keep up with, addressing two of the biggest concerns that people still have about electric cars. Kia has been able to take advantage of the compact size of electric motors and produce a car that’s hugely

Hyundai Motor Group’s launch of B2C secondhand car business has met with headwind after the ministry put a halt on the business launch temporarily, according to the industry on Tuesday.  The Ministry of SMEs and Startups last week advised the nation’s largest carmaker to temporarily suspend the launch of the certified used car sales business here. The advisory comes after the country’s association of used car dealership asked the ministry to intervene the automotive congl

From built-in fragrance, easy-close button to sterilization lamp, Genesis uses small, but strong details to differentiate itself

Imported commercial car sales in South Korea surpassed 200,000 units again this year despite an automotive semiconductor shortage, an industry association said Thursday. According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, imported commercial car sales for the January to November period this year increased 3.6 percent from the same period last year, selling a total of 252,242 units. The top selling brands were Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi being responsible for more than

Container volume at Incheon Port, the nation’s gateway for seaborne trade, has tumbled to a six-month low due to severe bottlenecks at major ports around the world and more lucrative offers by Chinese cargo owners. According to Incheon Port Authority on Sunday, the goods volume transported through the port was 1.64 million 20-foot-long containers in the June to November period this year, down 5.5 percent from a year ago. The port said cargo owners around the world, especially those fro