Spyshot All new GM Daewoo Lacetti in korea
September 28th, 2008 — GM, chevrolet, spyshot
Officially 2009 Hyundai i20 Supermini unveiled 5 Doors
September 25th, 2008 — Hyundai
Six new Hyundai models will make their international debut at this year’s Paris “Mondial de l’automobile”, including the new five-door i20, the i20 blue and the Santa Fe blue Hybrid. Multimedia material available includes still images of the models and product info documents.
Introduction
With its fresh and head-turning styling, versatile interior, class-leading safety and engaging driver dynamics, the sparkling new i20 takes centre stage.
Designed and developed in Europe to meet the high expectations of European drivers, and benefiting from Hyundai’s unlimited mileage five-year warranty, the i20 arrives fully armed to succeed in Europe’s ultra-competitive supermini sector. Initially available as a five-door model, a sportier three-door i20 version will debut in January 2009.
Kia Launched Soul in Seoul Korea
September 23rd, 2008 — Kia
Kia Soul is a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, a high roofline and an unusually long wheelbase. Overall length is 4,105 mm with a 2,550 mm wheelbase. Overall height is 1,610 mm, the base of the windshield is 135 mm higher than a typical compact car, the hip-points are 120 mm higher and the ground clearance is raised by 45 mm.
Access to the new Kia Soul’s spacious interior is remarkably easy and the cabin will deliver head, leg and shoulder room that matches or exceeds many larger vehicles. Generous headroom (1020/1005 mm front/rear), legroom (1070/990 mm front/rear) and shoulder room (1403/1400 mm front/rear) will ensure that Soul can accommodate five large adults in genuine comfort.
Kia plans to sell 18,000 units of the new model, called Soul, by the end of the year, and will boost annual sales to 136,000 units from next year, the Seoul-based automaker said in a statement. Exports to Europe and the U.S. will begin in the first half of 2009, it said.
Chairman Chung Mong Koo is betting on new small autos to improve profitability at Kia after operating losses in the past two years. Kia this year began selling a revamped Morning minicar and Forte small car as consumers demand more fuel-efficient vehicles to cope with a 5.2 percent increase in South Korea’s gasoline prices since December.
The Soul is fitted with a 1.6-liter or 2-liter engine, both on petrol and diesel variants. It will sell for between 14 million won ($12,300) and 20.8 million won, the statement said.
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‘Green Car’ Project Launched in Korea
August 24th, 2008 — Hyundai, hybrid vehicle
Korea will launch a large-scale joint government and civilian project to join the group of four leading countries that develop green (future-oriented environment-friendly) cars. Initially, Hyundai Motor, three domestic battery makers — Samsung SDI, LG Chem and SK Energy — the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, and the Korea Automotive Technology Institute will sign a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrid cars at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul on Monday.
The government plans to provide a fund of W40 billion (US$1=W1,062), W8 billion each year for five years from the second half of this year on the project, while the companies will invest more than W1 trillion.
This is the first time that domestic conglomerates have formed an “alliance” to develop batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are expected to become the key power source for future hybrid electric cars. They are over twice as efficient, and cheaper to produce, than nickel-hydrogen batteries.
Following competition in the semiconductor and LCD markets, Korea and Japan now look likely to vie for market dominance of this next-generation growth engine.
2008 Renault-Samsung QM5 CrossoverSUV rebadge of Renault Kaleos production in Korea
November 20th, 2007 — Renault
Renault Samsung Motors, the South Korean unit of France’s Renault SA, Monday unveiled the “QM5,’’ the automaker’s first sport utility vehicle (SUV) in an effort to boost domestic sales.
Company officials said that the mini SUV would be introduced the South Korean market from early December. It is also set to go on sale globally from next month, according to the officials.
The QM5 is the first SUV model of Renault Samsung, ranked fourth place in the country’s automobile industry. It has so far sold only small-, mid- and large-sized sedans, each named as the “SM3,’’ “SM5’’ and “SM7,’’ in South Korea.
Equipped with a two-liter diesel engine outsourced from Renault, the vehicle boasts of a maximum 173hp, which is pretty good for such a modest displacement. A gasoline version QM5 with a 2.5-liter engine will be introduced early next year.
Beat It! GM may drive in new Chevy Matiz M300
November 17th, 2007 — chevrolet
NEW DELHI: After Spark, General Motors’ next small car in India may be the Chevy Beat. The company, which showcased three mini concepts in the New York Auto Show in April (the Trax, Groove and Beat), has indicated that it will commercially produce the Beat.
Sources say the small car, developed by GMDAT (GM Daewoo Auto & Technology) in Korea like the Spark, will target markets like India, China and Korea. The Beat goes into production in Korea in 2009.
Toyota Mulls Prius Hybrid Release for Korea
November 13th, 2007 — toyota
Leading Japanese automaker Toyota is likely to enter the Korean market in the first half of 2009 with its Prius hybrid. The hybrid car combines a battery and a combustion engine to increase fuel efficiency.
A Toyota Korea source said Monday the company is considering releasing the third-generation Prius in Korea, Japan and the U.S. simultaneously on its scheduled release date in April 2009.
Toyota Motor Global Sales Vice President Akio Toyoda, the fourth generation heir of the Japanese motor giant, met with Toyota Korea executives in Japan to discuss a model suitable for the Korean market.
2008-2009 future models of Korean Auto Maker
November 12th, 2007 — GM, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Ssangyong, chevrolet
Hyundai
January 2008 : Large Luxury Sedan (BH Codename)
Fisrt Half 2008 : Tucson Minorchange, Grandeur Minorchange
Second Half 2008 : Next generation of Tiburon (BK codename), Bernard Minorchange, Successor of Click/i20(PB codename) ,Next Gen C8 (Po Codename)
First Half 2009 : successor of Equus, Elantra/Avante Minorchange
Secon Half 2009 : Veracruz Minorchange, New Model Small car
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Kia
9 January 2008 : Borrego/mohave
First Half 2008: Morning/Picanto Minorchange, Soul crossover(AM codename), Pride/Rio Minochange, Successor of Cerato (TD codename), Lotze minorchange
First half 2009 : Next gen Sorento (XM codename), VG (Grandeur badge)
Second Half 2009 : Successor of Opirus (CH Codename share with Hyundai BH), XK coupe (Hyundai BK brother model), SL Suv
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GM Daewoo
First half 2008 : Tosca/Epica minorchange, L4X (stateman replacement)
Second half 2008 :Nubira/Lacetti/Optra (J300 codename),Matiz/Spark (M300 codename)
2009 : New model
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Renault-Samsung
November 2007 : QMX suv (H45 codename share with renault kaleos model)
First half 2008 : SM7 minorchange
First half 2009 : MPV
Second half 2009 : Large SUV (H49 codename), new SM3, new SM5
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Ssangyong
early 2008 : W200 large sedan
lately 2009 : C200 small suv, Y300 suv
2008 GM Daewoo gentra X-T255 of Aveo badge in Korea
November 11th, 2007 — GM, chevrolet
2008 Kia Borrego coming to USA in June 2008 and Korea in January 2008 as know as Mohave
November 6th, 2007 — Auto show / Motor Show, Kia
Seoul, Nov 07 (Korea Newswire)– Kia Motors has revealed that the corporation’s all-new, mid-size, SUV will bear the name Kia ‘Borrego’ when it makes its world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in early January 2008, will be sold in South Korea from January under the brand name “Mohave,” and will be sold in USA in June next years Kia said in a statement.
