Carmakers to unveil new cars at Geneva motor show

South Korean automakers plan to unveil new cars and facelifted models at a motor show in Switzerland next month in a bid to strengthen their presence in Europe, a company official said Monday.

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s top automaker, will unveil the facelifted model of its Tucson ix35 sports utility vehicle at the International Motor Show Geneva that is set to open on March 5 and run through March 17.

Hyundai also said it will premier a seven-seat sports utility vehicle under the project name NC.

Hyundai’s smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. plans to premiere three-door and five-door Cee’d GT, both of which were overseen by Kia’s President and Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer.

Schreyer, who joined Kia Motors in 2006, now takes charge of long-term design strategy at Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors.

Hyundai plans to sell 415,000 units in Europe this year, down 6.5 percent from a year earlier while Kia plans to sell 335,000 units in Europe, up 1 percent from 2012.

Hyundai and Kia, the flagship companies of Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s fifth-largest automotive group, made the sales projections amid a slump in Europe. Still, the two carmakers seek to maintain their combined market share of 6.1 percent in Europe, a record high share set last year, according to Hyundai.

Ssangyong Motor, the local unit of Indian sport utility vehicle maker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said it will unveil its smart interface vehicle-1 concept for the first time at the upcoming auto show.

The premium concept SUV vehicle is based on smart interface and whose design will be a key part of Ssangyong’s development of new cars, according to the company.

India’s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has recently announced plans to invest 80 billion won (US$73 million) in Ssangyong Motor Co. by participating in a rights offering in an effort to develop new models, according to Ssangyong.

Ssangyong Motor, the smallest carmaker in South Korea, also said it will showcase the Korando Turismo, a diesel-powered multi leisure vehicle, at the auto show.

The carmaker unveiled the 11-seater vehicle in South Korea earlier this month and said it plans to sell 10,000 units at home and 10,000 units abroad this year. (Yonhap News)