Seoul Motor Show highlights green cars
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The biennial Seoul Motor Show opened its doors to the public on April 12, with carmakers focusing on the latest eco-friendly vehicles and technologies. The event ran until April 12 at the KINTEX exhibition center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
Hyundai Kia Automotive Group's two carmakers are displaying a total of 53 vehicles including eight concept and show cars, eight eco-friendly vehicles and 30 production vehicles.
For Hyundai Motor Co. the highlight of the show is the liquefied petroleum gas-electric hybrid version of the compact car Avante that was unveiled for the first time at the press preview yesterday.
Along with Kia Motors Corp.'s LPG hybrid Forte, the new Avante is the world's first hybrid electric vehicle to combine LPG and an electric motor powered by lithium polymer batteries, giving the car a fuel economy of 21.5 kilometers per liter of fuel. Kia Motors, which revealed the LPG hybrid electric version of the compact sedan Forte on March 24, took the opportunity to launch the Sorento R. The Sorento R, which replaces the Sorento SUV that was first launched in 2002, is available with a 2.2-liter diesel, 2.4-liter gasoline or a 2.7-liter LPG engine that respectively generate 200, 175 and 162-brake horsepower. The car's prices range from 23.8 million won ($17,700) to 36.15 million won and the company hopes to sell 30,000 units on the local market and export 110,000 units starting next year.
About the Show
While carmakers participating to the event have done their best to show their latest wares, the lineup of carmakers exhibiting at the event, excluding Hyundai Kia Automotive Group's two commercial vehicle brands, amounted to a disappointing 15. Of the 15, only eight are foreign, less than half of the brands with official distributors in Korea. Foreign carmakers taking part in the show include Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Toyota.
Among U.S. carmakers, Ford was the only one directly represented at this year's Seoul Motor Show. Ford is showcasing three new vehicles - 2010 Lincoln MKZ, Ford Taurus and Mustang -- at the show.
Aside from carmakers, 141 auto parts and accessories makers from nine countries were taking part in the show. Other exhibits included a booth showing the history of the automotive industry whose exhibits were Sibal, the first passenger car to be produced in Korea and the 1918 Ford Model T. The organizers of the show are also gave away a vehicle on each day of the 10-day event. Vehicles up for grabs include dthe compact cars Avante, Forte and the crossover utility vehicle Soul. Also on offer were Honda Civic hybrid, GM Daewoo's Lacetti Premiere and the Ford Escape.
