Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Diesels lead Busan Motor Show
GM Korea CEO Sergio Rocha stands beside the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Concept, which was featured as the character Bumblebee in the upcoming Hollywood movie Transformers 4, at the Busan International Motor Show, Thursday. / Courtesy of GM Korea
By Park Jin-hai
By Park Jin-hai
The 2014 Busan International Motor Show (BIMOS 2014) kicked off its 11-day run Thursday, showcasing a record number of new production and concept cars.
The seventh biennial motor show, under the theme “Ocean of Vehicles, Feeding the World,” will showcase a record 211 cars from 22 manufacturers at the newly furbished BEXCO venue until June 8.
Instant eye-catchers are various concept cars such as the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro, which “plays” the role of Bumblebee in the upcoming Hollywood movie “Transformers 4: Age of Extinction.”
Based on demand from the domestic auto market, this year’s motor show can be summed up as a passion for “diesel” and “fuel economy.”
Two cars were unveiled to the public for the first time globally, while five had their Asian premieres and 20 their debuts in Korea. Nine concept cars are also featured at the show.
Hyundai motor attracted the greatest attention by unveiling two world premier models: the AG and Grandeur Diesel.
The Grandeur Diesel, the company’s first upper-midsize diesel sedan, has a 2.2-liter all aluminum diesel engine delivering 200 horsepower. The new variant is expected to threaten German rivals with their long history of dominance in the diesel segment. The Grandeur Diesel will be released on the market this fall.
The AG was another source of attraction. The 3.0 gasoline engine and 6-speed automatic transmission premium sedan shares the Grandeur platform but is as big as the Genesis. Although it was a partial showcase for its exterior, its manufacturers believe that it can compete against the BMW 5 series and Mercedes Benz E class.
GM Korea and Renault Samsung Motors are also striving to expand their lineups, encouraged by the popularity of the Malibu Diesel and QM3.
Currently, of all imported cars, diesel-engined ones account for about 70 percent of all sales.
Volkswagen, Audi, BMW doubled their exhibition space from the previous show.
Volkswagen, which has the largest exhibition space, showcased the six-passenger mid-size SUV concept car Cross Blue for the first time in Asia. The diesel engine car, fitted with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology, has a fuel efficiency of 37.8 km per liter, the best fuel efficiency among 4-wheel drive SUVs. Also on display was the PHEV XL1, which boasts the world-record fuel economy of 111.1 kilometer per liter.
The Italian luxury high performance car maker Maserati also showed off its first diesel powered models, the Quattroporte Diesel and Ghibli Diesel, for the first time in Asia. Also, on display was its limited edition Gran Turismo MC Stradale Centennial Edition, commemorating the automaker’s 100th anniversary.
This year, the Japanese carmakers that had previously focused on hybrid models, also joined the diesel bandwagon.
Nissan’s SUV Qashqai had its Asian premiere with the company setting as sales target for this year at 4,500. The small-size SUV will be released here in the latter part of the year.
“Accommodating local customers’ taste for highly efficient diesel cars, we decided to introduce the Qashqai. We expect the model to lead our local sales this year,” said during Takehiko Kikuchi, CEO of Nissan Korea.
Meanwhile, aiming to foster the parts industry, the 2014 Global TransporTech (GTT 2014) opened Thursday. More than 300 buyers from 256 companies in 53 counties are attending the two-day event organized by the Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.