Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Korea. Show all posts

Monday, June 10, 2013

GM Considering Moving "Large Share" of Opel Mokka Production from Korea to Spain


Another day, another report about GM’s plans to move production from its South Korean plants to Europe, China and the U.S.

Following the official announcement that it will shift production of the next-generation Cruze from South Korea to Europe and a report that it is considering the manufacturing of the next-generation Aveo in China and the U.S. instead of South Korea, GM is now purportedly considering a similar move with the Opel Mokka.

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Saturday, June 8, 2013

Girls Falling from the Sky in Korea? Not Exactly…


In any other case, it could be God's gift to man, but not this time, and the only reason we're using a lighter tone on this otherwise painful and dangerous accident is that the woman involved made it out alive.

In the first half of the video that contains footage from the front-facing vehicle dash-cam, we see a young woman, purportedly in Korea, landing on top of the car's bonnet and falling onto the road before she gets up.

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Monday, May 6, 2013

Hyundai Tosses the Wraps Off Redesigned 2014 Tucson ix in Korea


Hyundai has followed a slightly different path with the redesign of its South Korea-market Tucson ix compared to the European version of its compact SUV that is named ix35 and which we saw in facelift form at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Whereas the European ix35 features the same grille (re-trimmed) as the pre-facelift model, and which is similar to the one used on the current North American Tucson, the South Korean model gains a flashier nosepiece with chromed slats inspired by the new Santa Fe series.

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Friday, May 3, 2013

South Korea Enforces Tougher Fuel Efficiency Measuring Rules to Avoid Future Unpleasantness


You may remember the claimed fuel efficiency scandal caused by Hyundai that overstated the economy figures for several of their vehicles. They then had to compensate over 900,000 owners of vehicles sold between 2011 and 2013, with the discrepancy between the stated and actual numbers ranging from 1 to 4 mpg US.

Since Hyundai is a South Korean automaker, the situation was bound to trigger some reaction from back home, as well, and it has. The local Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it was going to reduce the margin for error when it comes to stated efficiency numbers, from 5 percent to just 3 percent.

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Last South Korean Workers Pack and Drive Away from Kaesong Amid Rising Tensions


It would appear that tensions between the North and the South (Korean states) have increased in the last few days, and now, after the closing of a joint labor complex from the border town of Kaesong over a month ago, a group of 175 workers from the South left the northern state with their cars way overburdened with bags. Read more »

Monday, April 8, 2013

Meet Pyeonghwa Motors, North Korea's Only Modern Day Automaker [w/Videos]


As North Korea has been all over the news recently, we thought it would be a good idea to check out the country's recent automotive history, and to our surprise, we actually found something - Pyeonghwa ("peace," in Korean) Motors.

It is a domestic North Korean automaker, which was founded back in 1999 by Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church (from South Korea), as well as the local government-owned Ryonbong General Corporation. Now, despite being out of business, the company is still the only one in the country with the right to build, buy and sell used cars.

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

It's a sEGGway! Hyundai Displays E4U Concept at Seoul Motor Show


It seems that Asian manufacturers area just so much better than the rest of the world at coming up with very weird transportation ideas. The Japanese always seem to be the ones wowing motor show crowds with their contraptions, however the Koreans aren't far behind on the innovation front, or so it would seem. Take this concept from Hyundai, called E4U, which was introduced at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show. Read more »

Thursday, April 4, 2013

GM Mulls Plans to Move Workers, Production Out of South Korea Due to Tensions with North Korea


The tense situation from North Korea is not only causing people all around the world to have unpleasant feelings of insecurity, as if there weren't enough other things for them to think about, but it is also causing major corporations present in South Korea to consider the possibility of moving workers and shifting production out of the country.

The point was made by GM, as the American giant has officially expressed its concern on the matter, through the voice of its CEO, Dan Akerson, who was interviewed this morning on CNBC's Squawk Box.

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

SsangYong Reveals LIV-1 Concept Prior to Seoul Motor Show Debut


SsangYong is known around the world for making some of the least aesthetically pleasing vehicles on the road – the Rodius and Actyon can confirm that more than words ever could. However, we imagine this does not sit very well with the heads of the company, who have decided that the brand needs a stylistic makeover, in order to break new ground. Read more »

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Hyundai's New HND-9 Concept with V6 Turbo Hints at Next Genesis Coupe


Did you know that the 2013 New York Auto Show coincides with this year's edition of the Seoul Motor Show in Korea, as both events will be open to the public between March 29 and April 7? Well, if that doesn't sound interesting, maybe this will: Hyundai has chosen the Korean show for the world premiere of a new concept sports coupe named HND-9.

What makes the ninth concept model developed by Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D Center in Namyang, Korea, particularly interesting is that according to the automaker, it's design and technical specifications hint at its "next-generation luxury sports coupe", by which Hyundai means the replacement to the Genesis Coupe.

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Friday, March 15, 2013

SsangYong Releases Renderings of New LIV-1 Concept SUV Ahead of Seoul Debut


Following the Geneva show debut of the SIV-1 SUV concept, SsangYong has released two renderings of another design study, called the LIV-1. Set to premiere at the Seoul Motor Show on March 28, the LIV-1 is SsangYong’s proposal for a large premium SUV shaped by the brand’s “Robust Aesthetics” design philosophy. Read more »

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Kia's K-DIC System and an Unfortunate but Humorous Translation


We can't comment on how it sounds in Korean, but after Facebook's Bing-based translator went through Kia's posting on the new "K-dic" (we swear that we did not make the name up) follow-me home, smart lighting system, what came out on the other end will have you either rolling on the ground laughing or blushing from shame…

Here's what we read on Kia's Facebook page:

"[K-dic] love is not something to make sure it would. You come when I'm glad heart light. You can be sure my love."

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

SsangYong's Ginormous Rodius MPV can Seat up to 11 Passengers! [47 Photos + Videos]


It may not really improve upon the image we have about the Rodius in all aspects of styling, but SsangYong's new people carrier will more than impress with its spacious interior that features no less than four rows of seats accommodating up to 11 passengers!

While its world premiere will be held at the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March, SsangYong revealed the new generation of the Rodius under the 'Korando Turismo' nameplate today in its home market of South Korea. Besides those two names, the Rodius will also be known as the 'Stavic' in select countries.

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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Hyundai in Shock as Toyota Camry Wins 2013 "Korea Car of the Year" Award


Until recently, South Korea had a taxing policy that made importing cars nigh impossible. It was a means to protect its homegrown automakers, of course, i.e. Hyundai and Kia, from foreign competition. Now, though, it has opened its doors to foreigners, which is fair, as the Koreans face no such restrictions in regions such as North America, Europe or Asia.

Toyota, for one, only entered the South Korean market in 2010. In 2011, it managed to shift 5,020 vehicles. Last year, it more than doubled that number, to 10,795 and, despite the strong competition from German rivals, increased its market share from 4.78 to 8.25 percent.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

SsangYong Teases Brand New Rodius to Succeed the World's Ugliest Car


If you think the mid-1970s AMC Pacer was a design abomination, then you probably haven't laid eyes on the SsangYong Rodius, a large MPV that has been voted multiple times as one of the ugliest cars in production.

The funny thing about the Rodius (aside from its looks), is that it was penned by Ken Greenley, former head of the automotive design course at the Royal College of Art in London, which is one of the world's top automotive design schools.

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Sunday, January 13, 2013

Peter Schreyer Appointed President of both Hyundai and Kia Design Centers


On January 2, the Hyundai Motor Group Chairman and CEO Mong-Koo Chung announced that “brand innovation based on quality” would be the world’s fifth largest automotive group’s new direction.

A few days earlier, on December 28, Kia design chief Peter Schreyer was the first non-Korean to be appointed President of the brand – a remarkable achievement for the 60-year old German and an acknowledgement of his contribution in the carmaker’s success since joining Kia in 2006.

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Monday, January 7, 2013

Scoop: Kia Working on a Subtle Facelift for Optima / K5 Sedan


New spy shots of a camouflaged Kia K5, which is the Korean domestic market name for the Optima mid-size sedan, have surfaced online in the carmaker's home country.

The test car snapped at a parking lot in South Korea was heavily disguised with the only visible part being the headlamps that appear to feature new circular units along with what looks like an LED accent strip sitting on top.

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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Hyundai and Kia Sell 7.1 Million Vehicles in 2012, Up 8 Percent, But Expect Slower Growth in 2013


In the year that just ended, Hyundai and its Kia affiliate delivered a combined 7.12 million vehicles worldwide, which represents an 8 percent growth over 2011, beating their initial annual target of 7 million units.

Hyundai, which released detailed results, sold a little over 4.4 million vehicles in 2012, up 8.6 percent from the previous year, while the brand's December global sales were up 5.4 percent, at 391,152 vehicles.

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Peter Schreyer Becomes Kia's First Non-Korean President


The man who played if not the, one of the most important roles in turning around the global reputation of Kia as the firm's Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, has been appointed to the role of president, the first non-Korean to hold that title in the automaker's history.

Schreyer, who will keep his position as Kia's design boss, is one of three presidents at the company. His promotion is a sign that the Hyundai and Kia group wants design to play an even greater role in the future as it continues its global expansion challenging Germany's car industry.

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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Smart Call by Korean Driver Faced with Out of Control Bus


Sometimes people like to criticize other drivers for not acting promptly when faced with a danger on the road, but truth is, it's one thing watching it from the comfort of your home through a video and a completely different experience when you're sitting behind the wheel and have only seconds - if not less, to make a decision. Read more »

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