#Korea

Three months ago, Hyundai christened a new Motorstudio in Goyang, one of the satellite cities of Seoul. Open to the public, this experience center is designed to introduce owners and potential customers to the brand.

The 2018 Hyundai Kona subcompact crossover just made its world debut in South Korea.

The Kia K9, code named the KH, is Kia’s sister car to the Hyundai Equus and Genesis, and will be the brand’s first attempt at an upscale rear wheel drive sedan.

We get a full view of the K9 for the first time, out driving in what we assume is South Korea, instead of just  spy photos.

Calling the K9 upscale seems warranted: It seems to be taking design cues from the German luxury car makers BMW and Mercedes. Based on the look we get in these videos, it seems like the K9 will be heavily related to the Hyundai’s Genesis and Equus sedans, though that is purely speculative. We’re guessing the K9 will be run by a 4.6-liter V8, which makes 385 hp sourced from the Genesis, or a larger 5.0-liter V8 that can produce as much as 429 hp.

“This all-new rear-wheel drive large sedan will definitely become the leading model of our lineup around the world, showcasing the best of the best of Kia,” Kia marketing executive Soon-Nam Lee said.

The K9 will likely be on sale in Korea later this year, with the worldwide shipment probably coming by early-to-mid 2013.

Watch the videos of the new K9 below.

Well if you happen to live in Kia’s home market of S. Korea, you could look into their newest offering, dubbed the Ray.

It’s been years since George Bush was in office, but a trade bill from his presidency finally made it past the House and Senate.

Along with things like baseball and celebrities, America is known for its cars. It might surprise you to learn then that in a newly compiled list of the top auto-producing nations, the U.S. of A. doesn’t place very highly. In fact, according to the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association of a total 58,478,810 cars produced last year the U.S. ranks just 7th, responsible for assembling some 1.2 million cars.

Kia will hold off on expanding its production facilities and sales targets in favor of improving the quality of its vehicles, CEO Lee Sam-ung told Automotive News at a launch event for its new Rio hatchback.

Hyundai CEO John Krafcik will keep his company’s focus on being a fuel economy leader, and has ruled out a high-performance sports car, even as he discussed the various ways in which the new CAFE regulations can be gamed to produce low fleet fuel economy ratings.

When I first laid eyes on the Chevrolet Miray concept, I thought: this is what the Batmobile would look like if it was small, silver, and Korean.

While Hyundai CEO John Krafcik didn’t give us full pricing on the upcoming Hyundai Veloster, a tweet by Hyundai’s head honcho did reveal that the highly anticipated sports coupe will start at $17,300 for a 6-speed manual version, while the Dual-Clutch Transmission will cost $18,550, while delivering 40 mpg on the highway.

In addition to a $760 freight charge, options include a “Style” package (featuring 18-inch wheels, a chrome grill, fog lights, a panoramic sunroof, leatherette and an 8-speaker audio system) and a “Tech” package (which must be ordered with the “Style” package and features different 18-inch wheels, navigation, automatic headlights, keyless start, backup sensors and a backup camera).

The Honda CR-Z starts at $19,345 and is capable of 39 mpg on the open road. The CR-Z hasn’t fared well in the marketplace, and Hyundai’s massive marketing machine, cheaper base price and superior fuel economy bragging rights may spell doom for Honda’s own sports coupe.

We’ll be driving the Veloster in early September, so check back for more at AutoGuide.com

Hit the jump to see the official press release

Kelley Blue Book announced today that Hyundai has taken the number 1 spot in brand loyalty, beating out Honda and Toyota, on kbb.com for Q2 2011. Automakers have struggled recently to retain loyal customers due to the economic downturn and consumers becoming more aware of issues such as fuel prices and safety recalls.

GM Daewoo has changed its name to GM Korea and its brand of choice to Chevrolet last March.  Since the name change, customers want to replace the old GM Daewoo emblem with the Chevrolet golden bow-tie.

After an employee committed suicide at a Hyundai plant in Korea, the company reports that it has resumed production.

Hyundai will invest $173 million to modify and expand its Alabama engine plant. The expansion also includes a new engine program for the Hyundai Elantra, with a target completion date of March, 2o12. Hyundai will also hire 214 new workers within the plant to build the new engines.

Hyundai may arguably be the hottest mainstream brand in the auto industry, but when it comes to dealer profitability, Hyundai dealers seem to lag behind their less popular rivals.