2005-2162 The Buddha’s birthday illuminates Seoul

Design
total sold 255,809 vehicles on the local market, or 14.6
percent fewer than in the first three months of 2007.
But exports plummeted 23.1 percent to 815,886 units.
Even market leader Hyundai Motor suffered a sales
drop of 13.5 percent year-on-year.
At the show last month around 30 cars of the 149
on display incorporated eco-friendly technologies for
better fuel efficiency.
Hyndai unveiled its concept vehicle the Blue Will,
which previously went by the codename HND-4, and
the Avante LPI Hybrid. The Blue Will is a hybrid
equipped with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and 154
horsepower, thanks to a system that injects fuel not
through valves but using cylinders. The vehicle can
travel up to 64 kilometers on a single charge of its 100-
kilowatt battery. When gas-powered the Blue Will has
a fuel efficiency of 21.3 to 23.4 kilometer per liter.
The Avante LPI is the world’s first hybrid vehicle to
incorporate liquefied petroleum gas technology. The
vehicle will be available on the local market in July.
According to Hyundai, the LPI Hybrid is pollutionfree,
and is equipped with the latest lithium polymer
battery and LPG gamma engine. The capacity of the
vehicle is 1,600 cc, and it has a fuel efficiency of 17.2
kilometers per liter.
Finally, Hyundai’s special edition Genesis Prada,
which made its global premiere at the Seoul exhibition,
caught the attention of luxury-minded visitors. The
company made only three of these collaborations with
the global fashion powerhouse Prada. Hyundai will
auction off two of the vehicles, with the profits to be
donated for charity, while the remaining one will never
be sold. Hyundai Motor’s Namyang research and
development center and Prada’s Design Center in Italy
had worked on the project since November 2008.
Kia Motors, the No. 2 local automaker and an affiliate
of Hyundai, unveiled its latest SUV, the Sorento R.
In just a week the vehicle, which previously went by the
code name XM, already has notched up 2,000 orders.
It comes in three models: diesel, gasoline and LPG.
The 2.2-liter diesel-powered SUV meets the Euro 5
emissions standards, which is part of the company’s
efforts to expand its lineup of eco-friendly vehicles.
This version has 200 horsepower and a maximum fuel
efficiency of 14.1 kilometers per liter. The SUV is also
equipped with the latest IT technologies including
Bluetooth, USB and iPod connectors, plus a cuttingedge
cruise control system and smart key.
The company also displayed its Forte LPI Hybrid,
which like the Avante LPI incorporates LPG technology.
The vehicle, which will go on sale a month after
Avante LPI, also gets fuel economy of 17.2 kilometers
per liter.
GM Daewoo, meanwhile, introduced its parent
company’s unique fully electric vehicle, the Chevrolet
Volt, in its first appearance in Asia. It can travel 64
Top, the Renault Samsung SM3. Above, the Kintex convention center.
A redesigned
Renault
Samsung SM3
was the top
passenger car
at the show,
according to
journalists.
kilometers on a single charge and will be
the world’s first plug-in vehicle in a long
time. GM Daewoo and General Motors
both have high hopes it will alleviate
their financial problems. The vehicle
will be commercially available next
year.
GM Daewoo also introduced the
next-generation Matiz, which on the
global market will be sold under the
name Chevrolet Spark. The vehicle
made its global debut at the Geneva
Motor Show earlier this year. The company
plans to retail the compact vehicle
in the European and Asian markets in
2010, and in the U.S. in 2011.
GM Daewoo CEO Michael Grimaldi,
who hopes the Spark will boost the
company’s international sales, said the
delay is because the compact vehicle
[JoongAng Ilbo]
market in the U.S. is relatively undeveloped
compared to Europe and Asia,
where there is a huge demand for small
cars. Grimaldi said GM needed a year to
adapt the vehicle to the preferences of
U.S. buyers. The biggest change from
the previous Matiz is in its size, with the
new version up to 3,640 millimeters longer.
Though actually a five-door hatchback,
the vehicle is designed to look like
a three-door hatchback. The vehicle has
also adopted a more sporty look.
Renault Samsung Motors introduced
its upgraded SM3, based on the
Renault Megane, in the first facelift of
the vehicle since it debuted seven years
ago. It was voted best passenger vehicle
by journalists at the show. The new SM3
is also the company’s first vehicle to use
the H4M engine, developed jointly by
Renault and Nissan. It also uses Xtronic
Continuously Variable Transmission,
which helps raise the vehicle’s fuel economy.
The only other Renault Samsung
car to use this system is the QM5.
Among new midsize vehicles, the
new SM3 is the biggest at 4.62 meters
long. It will be sold on the local market
starting later this year.
The company’s concept vehicle
eXM, which made its world debut at the
motor show, also caught the attention of
visitors. The slick, futuristic car sports
Despite its
current woes,
Ssangyong
had the top
concept car at
the show in its
C200 SUV.
an environment friendly design. It was credited by
Korean designers at the RSM design studio, Renault’s
second-largest design center.
Ssangyong Motors, which is currently under a
court-mandated debt workout program, introduced
its concept SUV the C200. Roughly the size of the
Honda CR-V, it is the first Ssangyong vehicle with a
monocoque body, which helps lower weight, contributing
to fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.
The C200 is equipped with a diesel hybrid engine
with a 34-kilowatt electric motor, which Ssangyong
said raises its fuel efficiency 20 to 30 percent compared
to a gasoline engine. C200 has a six-speed manual
transmission and generates 175 horsepower. The vehicle
was voted the best concept car by journalists.
Import brands also took part. World leader Toyota
showed off its Prius and Camry hybrids in its
first appearance at the Seoul Motor Show.
The Prius was the world’s first hybrid. Since its
appearance in 1997, 1.2 million units have been
sold. The model shown in Seoul is the third generation,
which made its global debut in January at
the North American International Auto Show. It
has a fuel efficiency of 21.3 kilometers per liter.
Honda showed its hybrid New Insight, which
the company said sold 18,000 units in the month
after it went on sale in Japan since February. It get
a fuel efficiency of 30 kilometers per liter.
Germany-based Volkswagen displayed its
Tiguan R Line, with the strongest engine among
compact SUVs, and Passat CC Coupe. Mercedes-
Benz introduced its GLK compact SUV and Audi
showed its Q5 compact SUV. By Lee Ho-jeong
[NEWSIS]
60 korea May 2009
May 2009 korea 61