| [ car ] in KIDS 글 쓴 이(By): hanaro ((((1 로)))@) 날 짜 (Date): 1995년03월04일(토) 06시56분54초 KST 제 목(Title): Growing thunder of Korean invasion :) 호주의 신문에서 발췌한 것입니다. The two huge Korean multinationals Hyundai and Daewoo are replacing the Japanese in Australia as the source of well-priced, good-value, well-made transport. Bill Tuckey reports on their plans for new Australian releases. The thunder of the Korean invasion of the Australian market is set to grow even louder within six months with the global launch of the all-new Hyundai Lantra sedan range, with, for the first time, a station wagon version. Scheduled for unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the new and very stylish cars will hit the Australian market almost at the same time. The Singapore-owned importer, Hyundai Automotive Distributors Australia (HADA), wants to caplitalise on tis amazing success in January, when the new Excel outsold the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai bumped-out Mazda to take number five slot on the sales charts behind the local Big Four makers. As well, both HADA and Hyundai know they can't let any grass grow under their feet, as great rival Daewoo in only six months on this market is already making hevy inroads with an old car and will launch its new Espero at the Melbourne Motor Show next month. The two huge Korean multinationals between them are replacing the Japanese in Australia as the source for well-priced, good-value, well-made transport. Like Daewoo, Hyundai has a swag of new models in the pipeline for release between now and 2000. Both have design studios in the United States and Europe, Daewoo has head-hunted two of the world's leading designed/stylists, and both are spending millions of dollars to buy market share here. The new Lantra, code-named J2 and about the same size as the present car, which arnks with the Toyota Corolla, Mazda 323, Ford Laser and Nissan Pulsar, will be released globally with Korean-made 1.6 and 1.8-litre twin-cam 16-valve gngines, as well as an all-new two-litre performance version believed to develop around 130 kilowatts. The range will include the first Korean-designed wagon, which Australia looks certain to get, as the market has long been starved of a small-medium estate. Schedulaed for March release next year is a new coupe with way-out styling based on the show-stopping HCD-III concept car, using the new two-litre engine. However, Hyundai dealers will have to wait another couple of years for the badly needed replacement for the ageing Sonata, code-named Y3. The car will get another major facelift early next year to carry it through, involving new frontal treatment incorporating the sloped headlights of the Excel, but that may not be enough to lift its game. Daewoo importer Daewoo Automotive Australia, a joint venture between the giant parent corporation and the big Indonesian Starsurya group, will launch its all new Cielo within a few months. Bigger than the coming Espero, it uses the two-litre Family Two four-cylinder engine built by Holden's Engine Company in Fishermans Bend and will be priced in that Lantra bracket. However, next year will see the first of a whole new lineup based around four new platforms being developed by Daewoo as global cars. They will carry engines ranging from 800 cm^3(cubic centimetre) up to 2.5-litre V6, and come in three and five-door hatch and four-door sedan shapes, as well as sporting coupe derivatives. Meanwhile, there is still no decision from the third Korean car maker, Kia, about its plans for Australia. It already supplies Ford with its Festiva and through a subsidiary, Asia Motors, the little Rocsta four-wheel drive. But it has been vacillating for more than two years now about whether to set up its own dealer network here, as it has done in North America, or go with one of the three local importers it has been talking to. The third choice is whether to hand over its range to Ford, which would dearly like the Kia Sportage recreational 4WD, but perhaps not the passenger cars. And there has been no confirmation of continuing rumors that the number four Korean car maker, Ssangyong, will take a foothold here by distributing its big 4WD wagon, called Musso, and running Mercedes-Benz petrol and diesel engines, through selected Australian Benz dealerships. However, a fifth potential Korean entrant is in the wings. The huge multinational Samsung is believed to have overcome Korean Government objections to its becoming an auto maker, and is prepared to spend the billions necessary to get into a business already well over-supplied with production capacity worldwide. FROM THE AGE (23/FEB/95) Noil is short, sliver is long. :) _--_|\ Think globally, act locally. / \ hanaro@werple.mira.net.au \_.--.,/ 즐거운 하루 보내세요~ v |