The Korean force

The Korean car makers are taking massive steps in engine development and also innovation in automotive technology. They are the one to be reckoned with in the next 2 to 5 years as they have moved in the direction similar to the Germans while keeping their production costs low.
While the Japanese have been working hard on their hybrids and EV cars, the Koreans have been working on engine down sizing, diesel engines, hybrids and EV cars. Their emphasis on massive development will pay dividends in the near future as they will be able to offer a wide variety of engine options compared to the Japanese and yet be cheaper than the Germans.
In a recent trip to Korea to visit a motorshow, Hyundai displayed their impressive new 1.6 Turbo engine (gasoline) that promised good power delivery from low RPM and coupled with a twin clutch gearbox. Instead of following the Japanese option of using CVT (which is a flawed transmission), Hyundai followed the Germans to use the far superior twin clutch gearbox for their new Sonata 1.6T. This new 1.6 Turbo engine uses the latest Gasoline Direct Injection technology to boost efficiency and the net result is an impressive 204ps and 265Nm.

The Europeans have been pushing engine down sizing for the last 5 years and it has been paying dividends as their engines all fuel efficient and powerful at the same time. By following this route the Korean will be able to further promote their gasoline engines to be just as fuel efficient and yet powerful. The Korean hybrids are also taking a knock at the Japanese as the Koreans are now using Lithium Ion batteries which are far superior and more efficient than the Nickel Metal Hydride batteries used by the Japanese car makers. The Lithium Ion batteries are more compact and more powerful than the Nickel Metal Hydride variant.

The Korean EVs are also much better looking than the Japanese EVs (such as Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Miev) . Instead of designing the EV to look different from conventional models, the Koreans have adopted existing designs to be EVs. This makes a lot of sense as the cars do not necessarily have to look ugly to be EVs.

The Japanese may have currently have the lead in terms of total market share of car sales around the world but the Koreans are a major force to be reckoned with. Hyundai's aim to be in the top 3 in terms of total world market share is highly possible at their current rate of development.