motoring news Bahrainthismonth.com December 2023 77 Hyundai Motor Co. broke ground on Monday on a KRW2 trillion (USD1.52 billion) plant dedicated to making electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea, as the automaker accelerates a shift away from petrol-powered cars. Construction of the factory, which is the automaker’s first new factory in South Korea in 29 years, is expected to end in 2025. According to Reuters, the Ulsan complex is Hyundai’s biggest manufacturing site, with its own port and an annual production capacity of 1.4 million vehicles, including exports of 1.1 million units. Hyundai Motor plans to begin mass production from the plant in the first quarter of 2026. The factory in Ulsan, in the southeast, will have an annual capacity of 200,000 units and the company said its first model will be an electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) from its luxury brand Genesis. Hyundai Motor Group, which encompasses Hyundai Motor, Kia and Genesis brands, said in April it plans to launch 31 EV models by 2030. VERSTAPPEN CELEBRATES 18TH WIN Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sang «Viva Las Vegas» after racing to a recordextending 18th victory of the season and joining Sebastian Vettel in third place on Formula One’s all-time winners’ list. The triumph was the 53rd of the triple champion’s career, and sixth in a row, and came after a five-second penalty for forcing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc off track at the start and then a collision with Mercedes’ George Russell. According to Reuters, Leclerc finished second after starting on pole position, losing and regaining the lead and then losing it again before passing Sergio Perez on the final lap to deny Red Bull a seventh one-two of the season. The win was Red Bull’s 20th in 21 races, another record for a single season, and delivered the racing that had risked being swamped in a wave of hype as Vegas hosted a grand prix for the first time since the 1980s. RedBull also completed a sweep of three US wins in 2023 for their 26-year-old Dutch driver, who was also dominant in Miami and Austin. «It was a tough one,» said Verstappen, whose race suit paid homage to the signature jumpsuit of the late «King of Rock and Roll», Elvis Presley. Red Bull played the timeless Elvis song over the team radio, after pop star Justin Bieber waved the chequered flag, and Verstappen showed he is a far better driver than singer by joining in. OF THE SEASON HYUNDAI MOTOR BREAKS GROUND ON USD1.5 BILLION EV PLANT MAZDA LUNCHES NEW LUXURY SUV International Motor Trading Agency, a subsidiary of K.E. Kanoo Group and the sole authorised dealer of Mazda cars in Bahrain, launched its new SUV, the Mazda CX-90, recently. The elegant and comfortable SUV offers enhanced driving pleasure while maintaining safety and environmental standards. The interior is an expression of Japanese aesthetic throughout, incorporating the dynamism of light and natural materials to fashion an orderly and elegant space. The power train mechanism is equipped with a new turbocharged 3.3-litre inline six-cylinder gasoline engine augmented by a 48-volt mild hybrid system making it the most powerful engine ever developed by Mazda. The Driver Personalisation System uses a camera to detect the driver’s eye position, automatically adjusting the seat, steering wheel, Active Driving Display and door mirrors for comfortable positioning. It can recognise up to six drivers’ faces and restore their preferences from a database of over 250 settings. With a safety-focused design, the Advanced Driver Distraction Warning System and advanced crash safety features make the CX-90 a safe drive.
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