South Korea auto news

Report: CEO Krafcik says to expect more family vehicles from Hyundai, not trucks

Hyundai has been hitting on all cylinders of late, adding the Elantra Coupe and Hatchback, the Veloster Turbo and the upcoming Azera. That's a lot of new metal for one calendar year, and it appears the Korean automaker is just getting warmed up.

Fox News reports that Hyundai USA CEO John Krafcik hinted to a new entry into the six- and seven-passenger crossover segment. The affable exec pointed out that Hyundai needed to do a better job of attracting families to the brand, adding "it's probably fair to say we need more presence in the six and seven passenger crossover segment where we have the Veracruz now."

Hyundai is also expected to unveil a new Santa Fe at the New York Auto Show, so the automaker's CUV offerings are definitely looking up. As we reported back way back in June of 2010, we expect Hyundai to eventually offer a long-wheelbase three-row version of the new Santa Fe to replace the slow-selling Veracruz, though the automaker has yet to confirm this development.

But while Krafcik hints that some new CUV metal is coming, fans of the Italic H shouldn't hold their breath in anticipation of a pickup truck. Krafcik reportedly told Fox News that the automaker could build a truck if it wanted to, but the brand will instead focus on more efficient vehicles.

Teased: Kia releases sketches of RWD flagship sedan

Kia has released a trio of teasers for its forthcoming range-topping sedan - codenamed KH - that will launch in the first half of this year. Our trusty spy photographers recently caught the KH out testing in the cold, and looking at these sketches side-by-side with the spy shots, we can get a better look at that full-LED headlamp setup. Moreover, the KH (a.k.a. K9, a.k.a. Opirus) nicely blends in with the rest of the automaker's design, with many cues from the Optima being carried over, as well as design elements from the large GT concept that debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show (we see a little bit of BMW 7 Series in there, too, but perhaps that's just in the sketches)

The KH is expected to ride on the same rear-wheel-drive architecture as the Hyundai Genesis, and while no powertrain details have been confirmed, it makes sense to assume that the Hyundai's 3.8-liter V6, 4.6-liter V8 and 5.0-liter V8 will carry over. Then again, the GT concept was powered by a unique twin-turbo V6, and while it'd be very interesting to see Kia launch this vehicle with an all-new engine not available elsewhere in the Hyundai/Kia portfolio, we won't get our hopes up.

Soon-Nam Lee, the company's overseas marketing director, says that the KH will go on sale in the first half of this year, "showcasing the best of the best of Kia." The car will initially launch in Korea, making its way to all other major markets throughout the year. Well, almost all other markets - Kia's press release clearly states, "There are no plans to launch the vehicle in mainland Europe and the car will not be coming to the UK." Bollocks.

Hit the jump for Kia's official release, and be sure to check out the KH teasers for yourself in the high-res image gallery below.

Spy Shots: Kia's RWD K9 flagship caught testing in the snow

Kia has taken the company's K9 to Northern Sweden for a little winter testing, and our spy photographers were on hand to catch a glimpse of the vehicle as it went dashing through the snow. The vehicle will borrow from the rear-wheel drive architecture pioneered on the Hyundai Genesis, though will likely boast design cues inspired by the Kia GT Concept. Judging by these photos, full LED headlights will make their way to the model, at least on some trims. Odds are the K9 will boast power from both a 3.8-liter V6 and a 4.6-liter V8 as well as a more powerful 5.0-liter V8 engine borrowed from the Genesis R-Spec.

A standard eight-speed automatic transmission is likely to handle gear-swapping duties, but rumor has it Kia is also working on a new 10-speed transmission, and there's a chance that gearbox will be available in the K9 in the near future. Look for the vehicle to make a full debut later this year as a 2013 model.

Report: GM to build Cruze and other Chevy models in Europe?

Automotive News reports General Motors may begin manufacturing the Chevrolet Cruze in Europe. The vehicle would likely be produced at an Opel plant in Poland, while a handful of other Chevrolet models may see their production move elsewhere in Europe. The move is said to be the first step toward moving GM European operations toward profitability. The automaker would pull some production out of South Korea, which would then free up the company to proceed with cost-cutting measures at Opel. Automotive News reports Opel has lost approximately $13 billion since 1999.

Under the plan, Cruze production would find a home in Gliwice, Poland. Meanwhile, GM would spread the vehicles currently built at the facility across other Opel plants in the EU. Additionally, GM is considering moving the Orlando crossover to the Opel facility in Bochum, Germany. That plant currently builds the Zafira minivan, and has been rumored to face a closing in the future.

Last year, GM exported around 250,000 vehicles to Europe from South Korea.

Video: Revisiting Hyundai's first 'sporty two-door, the Scoupe

It's no secret Hyundai has come a very long way from the company's humble roots - and it's done so in a startlingly short period of time. One needs only to cast an eye towards the automaker's current sports car offerings to see what we mean. With hardware like the soon-to-be-updated Genesis Coupe range and the new three-door Veloster, Hyundai has proven itself as a manufacturer capable of building vehicles to run with the best the market has to offer. But it wasn't always so. The Korean automaker first dipped a toe into the sports car market with the 1991 Scoupe. Based on Excel, the two-door featured sportier notchback styling along with a Lotus-tuned suspension.

At its heart, the front-drive Scoupe made use of the same wheezy 81-horsepower four-cylinder engine found in the Excel, which was good enough to get the coupe to 60 mph in 11.4 seconds. Like it's arch rival, the Toyota Paseo (remember?), these were the kind of machines that demanded patience. Click past the jump to take a look at a 1991 MotorWeek segment on the Scoupe LS for a quick trip down memory lane.

Continue reading Revisiting Hyundai's first 'sporty two-door, the Scoupe

Report: Hyundai/Kia predict slower sales growth in 2012

Hyundai and Kia have experienced phenomenal growth over the past few years, even as the rest of the auto industry was embroiled in an ugly downturn. In fact, 2011 was a terrific year for the Korean automaker, as sales jumped by double digits globally.

But while Hyundai/Kia has been on fire of late, Reuters reports that company officials feel that 2012 isn't likely to return the same gains. The automaker is reportedly looking for a still-impressive six percent sales growth in 2012. One reason for the somewhat conservative expectations is that the automaker is stretched thin on capacity, and Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo (above) wants to concentrate on quality.

The markets weren't all that impressed with the Hyundai Group's announcement. Hyundai stock dropped by .9 percent, while Kia shares shrunk by .3 percent. That's not good for the portfolio, but if Hyundai and Kia can manage to improve product quality, then both investors and car buyers should be plenty impressed.

Official: New Kia Ray is Korea's first production EV

Kia has unveiled the automaker's very first production electric vehicle. The Kia Ray EV will offer buyers a range of around 86 miles depending on driving conditions and will include a fast-charge option that should top off the cells in around 25 minutes. Otherwise, expect the 16.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack to take around six hours to charge on a 220-volt circuit. A 50 kW electric motor provides power to the front wheels, which is good enough to get the EV to 62 mph in 15.9 seconds. That may seems slow by most standards, but its worth noting that the internal combustion Ray with its 1.0-liter gas engine makes due with significantly less torque.

Kia says that Ray EV boasts 123 pound-feet of torque, which is 77 percent more than the 1.0-liter machine. The boxy EV also uses a new type of regenerative braking system in which the electric motor generates boost for the hydraulic brake assist - just like on an internal combustion vehicle. The automaker says that the result is a linear brake that still manages to recuperate energy that would otherwise be lost during deceleration. As wonky brake feel is one of our chief sticking points with all EVs, this comes as welcome news.

Kia will manufacture 2,500 Ray EVs for government agency use in Korea, so don't expect to be able to get your hands on one anytime soon. Click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading New Kia Ray is Korea's first production EV

Official: Kentucky-built Toyota Camry headed to South Korea

For years Detroit automakers carped about the low value of the Japanese yen versus the U.S. dollar, but these days, the opposite is true. The yen has rocketed up in value versus the dollar, and Japan's automakers are taking significant measures to mitigate its bottom-line-killing effects. In October Toyota demanded lower prices from its Japanese supply base, and now the Camry will be built in the U.S. and shipped overseas.

Toyota notes in the post-jump press release that it will build 6,000 Toyota Camry units in Georgetown, Kentucky and ship the units to Korea. The massive Georgetown plant employs nearly 7,000 employees working around the clock. This marks the first time Toyota will export the American-made Camry, yet Toyota isn't new to U.S. exports. The automaker exports 100,000 vehicles built in the U.S. annually, shipping them to 19 countries.

The announcement is likely an exciting one for workers at the Georgetown plant, and Toyota feels more exports could be forthcoming. Toyota's North America President, Yoshimi Inaba, states "we look forward to other opportunities to continue growing exports from our American operations." Hit the jump to read over the press release.

Continue reading Kentucky-built Toyota Camry headed to South Korea

Official: Kia shows first images of Korea-only Ray

Kia is giving Korean small-car buyers something to smile about with the new Kia Ray subcompact. The vehicle looks to have taken a cue or two from its bigger brothers with stylized headlights and a very corporate mesh grille. We see plenty of Soul in the design, but there's more to the boxy machine than a quick glance would suggest.

Look closely and you'll note that the driver's side wears two traditionally hinged doors while the passenger side boasts a sliding rear door akin to what we typically expect to see on a minivan. Why abandon symmetry? Kia says that the company wanted to give buyers more flexibility when it came to ingress and egress in tight parking spaces.

The design is also expected to give the pint-sized Ray more versatility than buyers are accustomed to from the segment. Right now, Kia says that the Ray is only slated to show up on Korean dealer lots, which means we won't be seeing the vehicle on our shores anytime soon. No engine specifications have been released at this time, either, but we can imagine that the Ray won't boast eye-popping performance.

Spy Shots: Hyundai lets slip two official shots of 2013 Genesis Coupe

The Korean-language Hyundai blog has let slip a few more photos of the 2013 Genesis Coupe, giving us an even better idea of what the vehicle will look like once it receives a formal introduction at the Detroit Auto Show in January. From the looks of things, the performance coupe will fall in line with the Hyundai corporate design language, complete with a more complex front fascia that borrows heavily from the Veloster. The vehicle's stylized headlights are a sharp touch, however, and LED fog lights nestled low in the front fascia help give the vehicle a splash of class as well.

Speaking of reworked lighting, the tail lamps have been significantly redesigned, as well. The finished product appears significantly more aggressive than the current model. What other changes can we expect to see? Hyundai hasn't tipped its powertrain hand just yet, but we expect to see the current engine line to carry over, albeit with slight upgrades. There is some word that Hyundai may offer a supercharged version of the 3.8-liter V6, and we fully expect the revised six-cylinder powerplant from the Genesis sedan to be fitted under the coupe's hood. We'll know for sure come January.