Life

Audi Korea is supporting the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama Wedding Impossible with six of its flagship cars, including the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and RS e-tron GT, as well as Audi's all-electric vehicles.The Wedding Impossible, which has been garnering increasing ratings since its premiere on 26 February, is a romance drama that tells the story of Ae-jung, an unknown actress who decides to have a fake marriage with her boyfriend in order to become the first heroine of her life, and Jihan, her brother-in-law, who disapproves of the marriage.The drama stars actors Jeon Jong-seo, Moon Sang-min and Kim Do-wan, as well as other actors with distinctive personalities. Audi Korea is supporting the Audi RS e-tron GT, Audi's flagship high-performance all-electric vehicle, as the car driven by Ji Han (Moon Sang Min), the third-generation chaebol in the film. The Audi RS e-tron GT is Audi's high-performance all-electric Gran Turismo that not only looks great, but also drives dynamically. Ji-han's older brother and the other male protagonist, artist Lee Do-han (Kim Do-wan), is driven by Audi's best-selling mid-size premium SUV, the Audi Q5. The Audi Q5 is one of Audi's flagship SUV models that is consistently loved for its stylish design, stable ride and spacious interior.The Audi A8 L is the car of Hyundai Ho (Kwon Hae-hyo), the grandfather of the protagonist and head of the chaebol. It has a luxurious design, the latest safety and convenience features for driver comfort, and a dynamic driving performance that befits the character of Hyun Ho. In addition, the Audi Q7, a large premium SUV with a sophisticated and sporty design and dynamic performance; the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, an all-electric compact SUV with an urban and sensual design, sporty driving performance and agile handling; and the Audi A6, Audi's flagship business premium sedan, will be featured as the cars of supporting actors Ahn Se-jin (Ye-won), Yoon Chae-won (Bae Yoon-kyung) and Choi Seung-ah (Park Ain), respectively.In addition to the sponsorship of the Wedding Impossible car, Audi will continue to conduct active brand activities in various fields to expand its contact points with customers and focus on the qualitative growth of the brand through enhanced network and service diversification. Article by Roadtest Editorial Department (kyuyongk98@gmail.com)Photo Audi Korea

Hyundai Motor Company has introduced a trade-in programme for electric vehicles that can be bought like electronic devices from the 1st of this month. The aim is to reduce the price burden on consumers who want to buy a new electric vehicle and increase EV sales in the domestic market. The programme allows customers to sell their existing car through a certified used car service and buy a new Hyundai EV model (Ioniq 5-6, Kona Electric). The sale of certified pre-owned EVs will also start this month.Trade-in is a method used mainly in the smartphone market to reduce the price burden on consumers. Consumers can buy a new product at a lower price than the factory price in exchange for returning their old product as used. Consumers who wish to trade-in can sell their old car through the Sell My Car service on the Hyundai-Genesis Certified Pre-Owned Car application or website 15 days prior to the delivery of the new car.Special offers are available for consumers who trade-in to purchase a new electric vehicle. For example, if you own a Hyundai Genesis electric vehicle and sell it to a certified used car service, you will receive a reward in addition to the sale price. The reward can be up to 2% of the sale price. If you buy a new Hyundai electric car, you will also receive a 500,000 won discount on the price.There are also benefits for those who trade in an internal combustion engine or hybrid car for a Hyundai EV model. If you sell your old car, including other brands, to a Hyundai Certified Used Car Service, you can get up to 41 TP3T of the sale price as compensation. In addition, if you buy a new Hyundai EV model, you can get an additional 300,000 won discount. Hyundai has also taken measures to reassure consumers who have concerns about used EVs. The 'battery rating system' is one example. It was developed in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group's R&D Centre based on battery condition and driving range per charge. The battery grading system determines whether the high-voltage battery has failed, and if the driving range does not pass a certain standard, it is judged as a defective product. Only EVs with a battery rating of 1-3 can be sold as certified pre-owned vehicles.Sales of EV certified pre-owned vehicles will begin this month. Hyundai will only sell EV-certified used cars with a mileage of 60,000 kilometres or less and within two to three years of new car registration. In addition, Hyundai plans to enhance customer satisfaction by guaranteeing EV-specific parts for 10 years and 160,000 kilometres or less after new car registration, and high-voltage batteries for 10 years and 200,000 kilometres or less after new car registration."Through the certified used car business, we are able to offer consumers a wider range of choices by defending the residual value of EVs," said Hyundai Motor Company."We will continue to provide various benefits to establish Hyundai Certified Used Cars as a trusted EV trading platform for customers." Article by Roadtest Editorial (kyuyongk98@gmail.com)Photos Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Motor Company will begin pre-orders for the 2024 Staria Hybrid and the all-new 2024 Staria from Wednesday (28th).The Staria Hybrid is powered by a 1.6 turbo hybrid engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, and is a new addition for customers who prefer an eco-friendly car. The 2024 Staria is further enhanced with trim-specific comfort and safety features to enhance its appeal.The Staria 1.6 Turbo Hybrid delivers up to 13 mpg and a system peak output of 245 hp and system peak torque of 37.4 lb-ft (* based on 17-inch wheels with 3/5-seat cargo), and is also equipped with the hybrid model's specialised Traffic Jam Control feature. This function synthesises navigation road information and the vehicle's driving status to strategically change the shift pattern and engine start timing in low-speed traffic jams, reducing unnecessary acceleration and deceleration and enhancing ride comfort.In addition, Hyundai offers the Staria Hybrid as standard with ▲ Front Park Distance Warning ▲ High Pass ▲ Full-automatic air conditioning with fine dust sensor, air purification mode, auto defog and after-blow ▲ 8-inch display audio ▲ Rearview Monitor. The 2024 Staria is a facelifted model that improves basic product features such as a Type-C USB charger, a fourth-generation smart key with the Hyundai logo, and a 2D aluminium emblem. In addition, front parking distance warning and high pass are standard on modern trims to improve convenience, and the power sliding door closing speed has been reduced and a warning sound has been added to enhance safety.The 2024 Staria Lounge has a unified wheel colour of black high gloss to add a sense of luxury. In addition, a new rain sensor that detects rain and automatically controls the wiper speed and duration has been added, the sun visor lamps have been changed to LEDs, and the second row walk-in switch for the seven-seater has been added to improve convenience.The 2024 Staria Cargo model adds a sliding bed to the list of available options, selected through the Customisation Idea Festival. The sliding bed utilises sliding rails for convenient loading and unloading of cargo, can carry up to 300kg of cargo and is available with either the Hybrid or LPI engine option. The Customisation Ideas Festival is a customer-initiated event, and the sliding bed is a product that directly reflects the needs of real customers in a production car. The Staria is priced at KRW 34.33 million for the Cargo 1.6 Turbo Hybrid, KRW 35.13 million for the 3-seat Modern and KRW 35.13 million for the 5-seat Modern, KRW 28.47 million for the 2.2 Diesel, KRW 30.02 million for the 3-seat Smart, KRW 29.16 million for the 5-seat Smart and KRW 31.08 million for the 5-seat Modern, and KRW 29.98 million for the 3.5 LPI, KRW 30.08 million for the 3-seat Modern and KRW 31.07 million for the 5-seat Modern.The Tourer is priced at KRW 30.78 million for the 1.6 turbo hybrid ▲9-seater modern 3,653 million won ▲11-seater modern 3,653 million won, 2.2 diesel ▲9-seater modern 3,238 million won ▲11-seater smart 3,051 million won ▲11-seater modern 3,238 million won, 3.5 LPI ▲9-seater Modern 3,208 million won ▲11-seater Modern 3,208 million won.Lounge is 1.6 Turbo Hybrid ▲7-seater Inspiration 4,614 million won ▲9-seater Prestige 4,110 million won ▲9-seater Inspiration 4,497 million won, 2.2 Diesel ▲7-seater Inspiration 4,284,000 won ▲9-seater Prestige 3,780,000 won ▲9-seater Inspiration 4,167,000 won, 3.5 LPI ▲7-seater Inspiration 4,254,000 won ▲9-seater Prestige 3,750,000 won ▲9-seater Inspiration 4,137,000 won. (※7-seater models are subject to a limited sales tax of 5%)Hyundai is also holding an event to give away various prizes through a lottery among customers who complete the Staria contract by 31 March (Sunday) and participate in the event."The Staria has been enhanced with a hybrid model," said a Hyundai Motor official. "The Staria Hybrid model is an eco-friendly MPV with a spacious cabin, and we expect it to meet the needs of many customers." Article by Roadtest Editorial Department (kyuyongk98@gmail.com)Photos Hyundai Motor Company

Following the recent successful launch of the new Vantage road car and Vantage GT3 race car, Aston Martin is pleased to announce the new Vantage GT4. Aimed at partner racing teams and circuit enthusiasts, the Vantage GT4 completes Aston Martin's GT line-up. The existing...

The approach was different. Unlike Toyota, which staged a rich show with a mix of production and concept cars, premium brand Lexus focused on its future strategy. The LF-ZC and LF-ZL, the next-generation BEV concepts, were the stars of the show. Electrification, luxury and user...

The Kia K5 is one of Korea's leading mid-size sedans, and we drove the 2.0 Signature trim with a naturally aspirated engine. We drove about 500 kilometres round-trip between Seoul and Donghae to find out about the 2.0 powertrain's features, driving feel and fuel efficiency. And...

Hyundai Motor Group and Kia Motors will establish the Hyundai Motor Group-KAIST On-Chip LiDAR Joint Research Centre at KAIST in Daejeon to develop lidar sensors for advanced autonomous vehicles. The lab will develop lidar sensors for autonomous vehicles, which are becoming increasingly competitive in the autonomous driving market...

 Last year, Kia Sorento sold 85,811 units in Korea. It ranks third, behind the No. 1 Granger and No. 2 Porter. It is the best-selling SUV. The hybrid powertrain added from the fourth generation is...