🇰🇷 South Korea · Autos
26 storiesTesla demonstrates thruster-equipped Roadster, says production will start in 2028
Tesla demonstrated a gas-thruster Roadster at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, on October 15 local time. The car jumped over five vehicles, while Elon Musk said production would begin in 2028.
Hyundai Motor Group plans $15.5 billion investment in India through 2032
Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest about $15.5 billion in India over seven years through 2032, expanding production, research and development and local supply chains. Chairman Chung Eui-sun discussed the plan with Prime Minister Narendra M…
Hyundai inaugurates Pune plant, lifting Indian capacity to nearly 1 million cars
Hyundai inaugurated its Pune plant in Talegaon, India, on October 14, taking its annual Indian production capacity to 994,000 vehicles. The company plans to expand the plant from 170,000 vehicles a year to 320,000 by 2030, alongside a group…
Hyundai Palisade hybrid joins WardsAuto's 2026 top powertrain list
Hyundai said on October 15 that the Palisade's 2.5 turbo hybrid powertrain was selected for the 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems. The award was Hyundai Motor Group's 20th since its first selection in 2008.
Lexus launches eighth-generation ES in South Korea with first electric ES models
Lexus Korea launched the eighth-generation ES in Seoul on October 13, adding the ES line's first battery-electric models. The electric range starts at 71.6 million won, 1.3 million won below the entry hybrid.
Genesis launches first hybrid GV80 in Korea, starting at 7,680만원
Genesis launched the GV80 Hybrid, its first hybrid model, in Korea on Oct. 6 at 7,680만원 based on the 5% individual consumption tax. The company said the 2.5-litre turbo hybrid produces a combined 352 PS, about 16% more than the GV80 2.5 tur…
Hyundai launches 2027 Sonata The Edge with new Black N Line trim
Hyundai Motor launched the 2027 Sonata The Edge, an annual update of its mid-size sedan, on Oct. 7, adding a Black N Line design trim based on the top Inspiration grade with a black Hyundai emblem, black name lettering and 19-inch matte bla…
Hyundai's new Nexo takes about 11% of Japan's hydrogen passenger car market
Hyundai Motor's all-new Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell car took a cumulative share of about 11% of Japan's passenger hydrogen car market from April to August, according to Japan Automobile Dealers Association figures cited by Korean outlets on Oct…
EU weighs safeguard limits on Chinese hybrid vehicle imports, Bloomberg reports
The European Commission is reviewing safeguard measures that would cap imports of Chinese hybrid vehicles and impose tariffs on volumes above that limit, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Chinese hybrids now accoun…
Lamborghini shows Urus SE Performante and Revuelto SV in Seoul, first in Asia-Pacific
Lamborghini unveiled the plug-in hybrid Urus SE Performante SUV and the V12 hybrid Revuelto SV at its first Lamborghini Day Korea, held on 8 October at Grand Walkerhill Seoul, the first showing of both models in Asia-Pacific. The Urus SE Pe…
Genesis opens GV90 exhibition in Suji showing all 16 exterior colours, runs to Nov 8
Genesis said on October 8 it is holding a special exhibition of its GV90, a very large electrified SUV, at its Genesis Suji showroom in Yongin until November 8. The display spreads 16 exterior colours and 10 interior colours, five each for …
Tesla and BYD Korea heads questioned in parliament over FSD, door safety and data
The heads of Tesla Korea and BYD Korea testified as witnesses on 8 October at the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee audit in Seoul. Lawmakers pressed Tesla over Full Self-Driving (FSD) being available only on …
Tesla leads Korea's imported car sales for eighth month as EV share tops half
Tesla sold 12,372 imported passenger cars in South Korea in September, its eighth consecutive month in first place among import brands, according to Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA) data. Total imported passen…
BMW Korea electrified sales top 10,000, a first for a premium import brand
BMW Korea said it sold 10,335 electrified vehicles — battery-electric and plug-in hybrid — in the first nine months of the year, becoming the first premium import brand in Korea to pass 10,000. Battery-electric sales rose about 56% on the y…
LG Energy Solution posts record third-quarter revenue of 9.64 trillion won, up 59%
LG Energy Solution said its third-quarter revenue reached 9.6434 trillion won, its highest for any quarter and 59% more than a year earlier. Yonhap reported that operating profit rose 25.7% to 756 billion won, and that the company's shares …
Hyundai holds media test drive of fifth-generation Tucson with larger body
Hyundai Motor let reporters drive its fifth-generation, fully redesigned Tucson SUV, "The All-New Tucson," on Oct. 7 from Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang to Gimpo and back. The new model is 60 mm longer, 40 mm wider and 20 mm taller, with a 30 m…
Suzuki launches Japan's cheapest electric kei car, undercutting BYD
Suzuki announced on Oct 6 its first passenger electric kei car, the e-Sky, at 2.12 million yen (about 18 million won), Yonhap reported. With government subsidies the effective purchase price falls to 1.55 million yen (about 13.16 million wo…
Hyundai and Kia give first keynote at Aachen Colloquium 2026
Hyundai Motor and Kia said Manfred Harrer, head of their R&D division, gave the opening-session keynote at the Aachen Colloquium 2026, held Oct 5–7 in Aachen, Germany — the first time the companies have keynoted the European automotive tech…
Tesla nears 100,000 Korea imports as BYD passes 20,000
Imported passenger car registrations in South Korea rose 6.3% year on year in September to 34,904 units, with year-to-date registrations up 24.1% to 279,729, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA). …
Hyundai US dealer chief points to new Tucson, Santa Fe EREV for US growth
Jeff Rosen, chairman of Hyundai's US dealer association, said the company's goal in the United States is to move beyond a value-for-money brand to a mainstream brand recognised for product competitiveness, customer experience and long-term …