It’s been 18 years since Porsche released the Cayenne, its first sport utility vehicle, but skeptics still questioning the vehicle’s “Porsche DNA.” Undeterred, the carmaker has continued to bolster its SUV lineup, and sales show Porsche’s decision was right. Its SUV sales now double those of smaller sports cars in some markets, including the US. In Korea, the Cayenne is attributed as having set the pace for the popularity of premium SUVs. This year, the carma

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday their sales in the United States fell 19 percent in June from a year earlier as the new coronavirus continued to affect vehicle sales. Hyundai, Hyundai's independent Genesis brand and Kia sold a combined 99,434 vehicles in the US market last month, down from 122,890 units a year ago, according to the companies' sales data. The carmakers had planned to focus on boosting sales in the world's most important automobile market thi

Jeju Air's Eastar takeover on brink of collapse amid pandemic Jeju Air Co.'s planned takeover of smaller budget carrier Eastar Jet Co. appears to be on the brink of falling through as Jeju Air asked Eastar Jet to settle all of its debts by mid-July to proceed with the deal. In March, Jeju Air signed a deal to acquire a controlling 51.17 percent stake in Eastar Jet from Eastar Holdings for 54.5 billion won as part of its expansion strategy despite the new coronavirus' growing impact on the air

Hyundai Motor announced Thursday the launch of a small-sized truck Porter 2-based camping car Porest, which can fit up to four adults. Porest -- a combination of “Porter” and “rest” -- was developed under the concept of moving house and will be launched next week here.  Amid increasing consumer demand for camping cars, the automaker said it has focused on making Porest’s interior space practical.  According to government data, the number of registered

Hyundai Glovis, a logistics unit of Hyundai Motor Group, said Thursday that it has clinched an exclusive five-year contract with Volkswagen Konzernlogistik, which deals in the logistics of European carmaker Volkswagen Group, for transporting their cars from Europe to China.  Volkswagen Konzernlogistik is based in Wolfsburg, Germany, and controls logistics, production and sales of vehicles from Volkswagen Group’s 12 finished car brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Bentley.&n

South Korea’s Hyundai Mobis said Thursday it has injected 25 billion won ($20 million) in Silicon Valley tech funds ACVC Partners and MOTUS Ventures, as part of its move to secure future mobility technology and next-generation business opportunities.  ACVC Partners and MOTUS Ventures have been actively discovering and supporting startups which focus on developing future mobility core technologies, including next-generation sensors, biometrics and robotics.  Hyundai Motor Group

GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., said Thursday it will invest 800 billion won ($667 million) as planned in the coming years, despite the new coronavirus outbreak. GM Korea President and CEO Kaher Kazem reaffirmed the company's commitment during his visit to the company's plant in the southern industrial city of Changwon on Wednesday. The Detroit carmaker has three Korean plants -- two in Bupyeong and one in Changwon -- whose combined output capacity reaches 630,000 u

Han Sung Motor, an official dealer of Mercedes-Benz in Korea, said Wednesday it has launched the AMG Playground membership club for its customers, offering opportunities for activities and networking among Mercedes-AMG owners.  AMG Playground has invited new owners of Mercedes-AMG vehicles to join the club. Those who purchased more than two Mercedes-AMG vehicles at Han Sung Motor since 2017 or those who have purchased a vehicle in the Mercedes-AMG GT lineup will be categorized as AMG Mani

Audi Korea said Wednesday the brand’s first electric-powered sport utility vehicle Audi e-tron 55 quattro has been launched in Korea.  Audi e-tron 55 quattro had its world premiere in San Francisco in 2018. Sales began in Europe in March last year.  As the brand’s very first all-electric SUV, the automaker said it focused on the vehicle’s power and high-efficient energy recovery function that works through two electric motors. Audi e-tron 55 quattro exerts a m

South Korea's vehicle sales fell 22 percent in the January-June period from a year earlier, as the new coronavirus outbreak continued to affect the automobile industry, industry data showed Wednesday. The five carmakers in South Korea -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. -- sold a combined 3,033,798 vehicles in the first half, down from 3,866,229 units a year ago, according to data from the companies. Hyundai Motor and Kia

HMM said Wednesday it held a naming ceremony for the world’s largest container ship HMM Hamburg. It is the fifth of the seven ships that HMM ordered from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. The South Korean shipping firm is slated to receive a total of 12 24,000 TEU-class ships -- seven from DSME and five from Samsung Heavy Industries -- by September this year. Among the 12 ships, six vessels have already been deployed on European routes so far, including HMM Algeciras, which

South Korea on Wednesday opened the world's first hydrogen mobility show as it pushes to become a leader in hydrogen vehicles and other related industries. More than 100 companies and research institutions of 11 countries participated in the H2 Mobility+Energy Show at an exhibition center in Ilsan, just north of Seoul, to discuss ways to spread hydrogen energy and seek hydrogen-related business opportunities, according to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, which hosted the hydroge

Hyundai Motor on Tuesday rolled out a face-lifted version of its signature midsized sport utility vehicle Santa Fe, which has been built on a new platform. The new Santa Fe is a refreshed version of the fourth-generation model that was launched in 2018.  The model has gone through drastic exterior and interior design changes, including the T-shape Daytime Running Light and a wide radiator grille which has been designed under a concept “Eagle’s eye,” according to the aut

Mercedes-Benz Korea said Tuesday it has launched the company’s latest electric vehicle model the New EQC 400 4MATIC Premium in Korea, following the first model the New EQC 400 4Matic launched in October here.  The latest model has been upgraded with the addition of a head up display function and a ventilation seat, as well as a leather interior. High-end audio brand Burmester’s surround sound system has been also added.  Mercedes-Benz’ unique infotainment system ca

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday it has tapped Martin Zeilinger, former head director at Daimler Trucks, to lead its research and development of commercial vehicles and hydrogen-powered electric trucks and buses.  Zeilinger will join the South Korean automaker as vice president from Wednesday. He has worked at Daimler Group for over 30 years, specializing in both engineering and advanced engineering of trucks and buses, as well as testing electric powertrains.  “I’m very