Stellantis will launch the Avenger, the Jeep brand’s first all-electric sports utility vehicle, in Korea in the second half of this year as the global automaker looks to focus on regaining customer trust and bolstering its brand image here, the company’s recently appointed head said Monday. “Challenges and opportunities still co-exist in (the Korean market),” said Bang Sil, managing director of Stellantis Korea, in her first press conference since starting in her role as

Mobility April 1, 2024

INJE, Gangwon Province -- “(Other carmakers) are worried when (they) see snow and rain, but we love it, and I think we’re going to have a great day,” said Robin Colgan, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Korea, as he greeted reporters taking part in the automaker’s test drive for the 2024 all-new Defender in Inje, Gangwon Province, on Tuesday. As the 48-kilometer test drive for the JLR’s flagship sports utility vehicle included on- and off-road routes that had m

Mobility March 31, 2024

Volkswagen Group Korea on Thursday appointed Steve Cloete to become the next head of Audi Korea as the German automaker looks for a breakthrough to turn around ailing sales in the local market. According to the announcement, Cloete will begin this new post at Audi Korea starting May 1. The new chief has over 27 years of experience in the automotive industry having worked at Hyundai Motor Group in South Africa and BMW Group in Bahrain. After joining Audi in 2014, Cloete worked in after-sales and

Mobility March 28, 2024

The Kia EV9, an all-electric large sports utility vehicle, won the World Car of the Year on Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show, marking the third year in a row for South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group to take the prestigious award. The EV9 beat out the EX30, Volvo’s electric subcompact crossover SUV, and the BYD Seal, a midsize sedan of the Chinese EV behemoth, to claim the highest honor. Kia’s electric SUV came out on top of the competition between 38 vehicles

Mobility March 28, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group announced Wednesday a grand plan to invest 68 trillion won ($50.7 billion) in Korea and create 80,000 jobs by the end of 2026 to secure future growth engines as a global first mover in the mobility sector. According to the auto conglomerate, 31.1 trillion won, about 46 percent of the investment, will be assigned to research and development to secure core technologies in improving product competitiveness, electric vehicle transition, advancing software-defined vehicles and int

Mobility March 27, 2024

Genesis, a premium brand under South Korean auto conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group, unveiled two new concept vehicles -- the brand’s first full-size electric sports utility vehicle Neolun and the high-performance GV60 Magma -- at Genesis House New York on Monday, highlighting the future vision of the luxury automaker. “The Neolun Concept was inspired by Korea’s iconic moon-shaped porcelain jars,” said Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer at Genesis. “It’s

Mobility March 26, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group ranked second behind Tesla in terms of electric vehicle sales in the United States in January, a report showed Monday. Citing statistics from S&P Global Mobility, Automotive News said the Korean auto conglomerate’s three brands -- Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis -- combined for 8,262 newly registered EVs in the US in January 2024 to account for 9.3 percent of the total market. According to the report, Tesla registered 48,757 EVs to retain the top spot, while traditio

Mobility March 25, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday that it has joined hands with Red Sea Global to implement eco-friendly future mobility to Saudi Arabia’s development project to open luxurious and pro-nature tourism resorts along the west coast of the Middle Eastern country. According to the announcement, the representatives of the Korean automaker and the Saudi Arabian megaproject signed a memorandum of understanding in Riyadh on Sunday. Red Sea Global, which is entirely owned by the Public Investment Fund

Mobility March 25, 2024

Hyundai Motor's flagship minivan Staria has returned with a hybrid engine powertrain and more comfort and safety options, paving the way for the future of multi-purpose vehicles. The Korea Herald had an opportunity to ride in the back of the Staria lounge hybrid model and got behind the wheel in a test drive in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. The back of the seven-seater minivan gave a feeling of being treated from the beginning as a chauffeur opened the door with a touch of a button.

Mobility March 22, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group said Friday that it had joined hands with the Korean government’s preparatory committee to provide official transportation at the first Korea-Africa summit in June. Under the partnership, the automaker’s luxury brand Genesis will offer a total of 119 vehicles -- 77 units of the G90 flagship sedan and 42 units of the G80 luxury mid-sized sedan during the Korea-Africa summit slated to be held between June 4 and 5 in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The Genesis G90 has b

Mobility March 22, 2024

Mercedes-Benz was dethroned by BMW as the top auto importer in South Korea last year for the first time since 2015. Despite the quantitative loss, Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl says the focus is to offer a great brand experience for the customers. “Our strategy is not to be No. 1 here in the market,” said Vaitl in an interview with reporters from the Korea Automobile Journalists Association at the Korean office of Mercedes-Benz in Seoul on Wednesday. “We are the stronge

Mobility March 21, 2024

Hyundai Motor Group has been winning dozens of awards with its diverse lineup of electric vehicles across the globe and is looking to continue adding more to its trophy collection. According to the South Korean auto conglomerate on Tuesday, the EVs of its three brands -- Hyundai Motor Company, Kia and Genesis -- have won 48 awards in 13 countries over the past six months. Of the awards, 41 came from North America and Europe. The Kia EV9, a large electric sports utility vehicle, led the pack, as

Mobility March 19, 2024

Renault Korea Motors on Monday announced a plan to invest 118 billion won ($88.5 million) in upgrading equipment at its Busan manufacturing plant over the next three years, signifying the French automaker’s efforts to produce hybrid and electric vehicles. Renault Korea Motors CEO Stephane Deblaise and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon signed a memorandum of understanding at the Busan city hall earlier in the day. Renault said it plans to hire 200 new personnel at the Busan plant with the fresh i

Mobility March 18, 2024

The number of eco-friendly vehicles sold by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia across the globe has surpassed five million, achieving the milestone after 15 years. According to the South Korean automakers on Sunday, the accumulated sales of their eco-friendly vehicles stood at 4,995,891 units as of last year. The carmakers logged 111,841 eco-friendly vehicles sold in January this year, bringing up the total to over 5.1 million. The eco-friendly vehicles include hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybri

Mobility March 17, 2024

South Korea on Thursday began the official recruitment process for its new space body, Korea Aerospace Administration, or KASA, hoping to attract the best talent from in and outside the country. The government’s preparatory office for KASA held its first offline recruitment presentation in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, where the KASA headquarters will be launched on May 27. As Korea has repeatedly underlined its interest in drawing in top-tier space professionals regardless of nation

Industry March 14, 2024