One challenge many automakers face with sport utility vehicles is how to maintain their off-road capabilities while still appealing to daily SUV users.Jeep, an SUV brand under the Fiat Chrysler Automobile group, faced this challenge with its iconic Wrangler, which maintains its rough and tough off-roader image. Many drivers still believe the Wrangler suits hard-core off-roading enthusiasts driving on dusty, unpaved surfaces. But to break from its conventional image and expand its customer base,

There is no doubt that the Wrangler is the most off-road capable vehicle made by Jeep, the iconic 4-by-4 sport utility vehicle maker with a 70-year history under Fiat Chrysler Automobile group. With an aim to expand the customer base of the Wrangler in Korea, Jeep has completed the full all-new Wrangler lineup here, now with six trims that range from the two-door Sports and Rubicon to the four-door Sports, Rubicon, Overland and Rubicon Power Top.  Jeep's All-new Wrangler (FCA Korea)The Italian-A

Renault Samsung Motors CEO Dominique Signora said Wednesday the company will continue investing in the Korean market, considering the Korean unit’s significance to its French parent company.During a closed-door meeting with Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Oh Keo-don, Signora asked for joint efforts to solve a prolonged labor dispute and to revitalize the city’s export competitiveness through the automaker’s only plant in Busan.  Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Oh Keo-don (left) and Renault Samsung M

Koo Bon-hwan has begun his term as president of Incheon International Airport Corp., the airport operator said Wednesday.Koo, who served at the Transport Ministry for 28 years, said he will push to improve the airport’s infrastructure to accommodate some 100 million passengers annually by 2023. “Along with a paradigm shift in the airport business in recent years, the focus of the airport business has transformed from simply dealing with passengers and shipping to encompassing hotel and resort de

Since its launch in 1975, BMW’s 3 Series models have been considered a benchmark for compact sport sedans, selling at least 15 million units globally in the past four decades. The seventh-generation model of BMW 3 Series drives on the road. (BMW Korea)The Korea Herald drove the new 3 Series on a rainy day on a 100-kilometer route from Southeastern Seoul to Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Despite its slippery road condition, it performed well, proving to be one of the highest-rated in the segment

Under a mountain of debt and pressure from creditors, Kumho Asiana Group’s board of directors decided Monday to sell its core unit Asiana Airlines, a day after the creditors rejected its latest self-rescue proposal amid a snowballing liquidity crisis.“For normalization of Asiana Airlines, we considered the best option and decided that its sell-off will recover trust in the group and the airline,” the group said in a statement. “The sale of Asiana -- with 31-year-long history -- is also for the s

Beauty retailer Sephora, owned by French luxury group LVMH, will open its first store in Korea on Oct. 24, the group said Monday.Sephora said it has decided to enter Korea amid growing interest here in multi-brand health and beauty stores. “It is exciting for us to introduce Sephora to the Korean market, which leads the global beauty trend. Korea is one of the most dynamic markets in Asia. I expect Sephora will serve as a place to exchange domestic and global beauty trends,” said Benjamin Vuchot

The funeral for Hanjin Group and Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho began Friday. Cho’s body was transported to a funeral hall at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul after arriving at Incheon Airport from the US at around 5 a.m. Friday. Korean Air CEO Cho Won-tae enters a funeral hall at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)Cho’s first son, Korean Air CEO Cho Won-tae, and second daughter, former Korean Air Executive Director Cho Hyun-min, were seen leaving the airport on Friday morn

With ongoing market speculation on Hanjin Group’s ownership following its chairman’s death on Monday, head of the country’s Fair Trade Commission said Friday it might delay the designation of the owner of the group. During a radio interview, FTC chief Kim Sang-jo said that considering the current situation, schedule of the designation may be delayed by two weeks to May 15.On May 1 each year, the Fair Trade Commission designates an individual or a legal entity as the business group’s de-facto chi

The funeral for Hanjin Group and Korean Air’s late Chairman Cho Yang-ho will begin from Friday and extend until Tuesday at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, the company said Thursday. They will be flying in the body on Friday from Los Angeles, it added.Cho passed away at a hospital in Los Angeles on Monday, where he had been receiving medical treatment for pulmonary fibrosis since December.The company said Cho’s funeral will be led by Hanjin KAL CEO Suk Tae-soo. Cho will be interred a

BMW has unveiled the seventh generation of its best-selling 3 Series sports sedan, the automaker said Thursday.The premium sports sedan series has been the most popular since it was launched in 1975. In the past four decades, at least 15 million units have been sold globally. “The new 3 Series applied BMW’s unique design langauge based on the key concept of ‘precision and poetry.’ We tried to emphasize modern and concise design based on the exterior’s character line,” said a BMW designer Kim Nur

From Land Rover’s Range Rover to Hyundai Motor’s Palisade, sport utility vehicles dominate the streets of Seoul, like many other metropolitan cities nowadays.Rugged off-roaders are no longer limited to muddy tracks, steep hills or deep rivers. In fact, this all-terrain ability of SUVs has attracted drivers who prefer a comfortable and satisfying driving experience. The wide range of models -- from large vehicles and pickup trucks to compact crossovers -- gives customers a variety of choices in s

Cho Yang-ho, Hanjin Group and Korean Air chairman, has died from a lung disease in the US, Korean Air said Monday. The 70-year-old business tycoon died at a hospital in Los Angeles, where he had been receiving medical treatment for pulmonary fibrosis since December, the company said. His condition had dramatically worsened recently after he had been stressed about losing a board seat at his group’s core unit, Korean Air, a company official said.  Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho (Korean Air)All

Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors saw record-high first-quarter SUV sales in the US, where sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks are dominant, industry data showed Sunday. From January to March, Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 155,082 units of SUVs in the US, accounting for 8 percent of their total sales and marking the highest figure since 2011, when the combined figure for both companies was 10 percent.  Kia Motors’ Telluride (Kia Motors)SUVs also made up 53.8 percent of total

LG Chem, the petrochemicals and battery-making unit of LG Group, has taken over American chemical company DuPont’s technical assets for soluble organic light-emitting diodes to develop its next-generation displays, the company said Tuesday.LG Chem said the acquisition will include DuPont’s approximately 540 patented assets related to soluble OLED materials, key technologies and tangible assets including production facilities. LG Chem Vice Chairman Shin Hak-cheol (right) shakes hand with DuPont V

BMW Group Korea, the local unit of the German luxury carmaker, has appointed President Han Sang-yun as the new CEO, the company said Monday.Current CEO and Chairman Kim Hyo-joon will continue to maintain his chairman status. He has led the company for the past 19 years as CEO.  BMW Group Korea CEO Han Sang-yun (BMW Korea)Han is an automobile veteran with 25 years of sales and marketing experience. He headed BMW Malaysia in 2016 and has served president since last year. “Based on Chairman Kim’s e

Shareholders of Hanjin KAL, the holding company of Korean Air, agreed Friday to keep CEO Suk Tae-soo on the board of directors, with a majority of them voting in favor of the move during a regular meeting Friday. Suk is a close ally of Hanjin Group and Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho, who was voted out as chairman of the board Wednesday. Hanjin KAL CEO Suk Tae-soo (Yonhap)With Suk retaining his board seat, Cho now has time to reorganize control over the group, say market insiders. Since joining

Starbucks Korea, a 50-50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee and South Korean retail conglomerate Shinsegae Group, said Friday that it has appointed David Song as its new CEO. Song’s appointment was confirmed at the group’s shareholders meeting. Song has worked at Starbucks Korea since October 2018 as the head of strategic operations. New Starbucks Korea CEO David Song (Starbucks Korea)His experience of working at diverse global companies for the past 20 years will support innovation, the com

Hyundai Motor’s eighth-generation all-new Sonata -- the vehicle’s first new version in five years -- has changed seemingly everything about the car except the name. It has undergone some drastic design changes, featuring hidden lighting and a coupe-like frame for the first time. It has adopted a sloping roofline and low deck lid to make the body look longer. The company said the new Sonata’s design, dubbed “Sensuous Sportiness,” was inspired by last year’s Le Fil Rouge concept that was f

Kumho Tire’s premium tire the Majesty 9 continues to turn in a strong sales performance, reflecting the market’s positive response to its high quality and upgraded features, the company said Monday. The tire maker said sales of the Majesty 9 SOLUS TA91 had increased 30 percent last year compared with the previous model in the same period in 2017.The Majesty 9 employs technology that helps reduce noise on the road, for a much quieter and significantly upgraded riding experience. The secret is a c