Moon among 12,000 to order Hyundai Casper on opening day

진은수 입력 2021. 9. 14. 18:23
자동요약 기사 제목과 주요 문장을 기반으로 자동요약한 결과입니다.
전체 맥락을 이해하기 위해서는 본문 보기를 권장합니다.

"The purchase was for his personal use and he plans to continue to drive the Casper after retirement."

"Online sales of Casper mean a lot because it is the first Korean car model to be sold directly to consumers amid the accelerating trend for non-contact and digital services," the carmaker said Tuesday. "It will make purchasing a car more convenient for customers."

글자크기 설정 파란원을 좌우로 움직이시면 글자크기가 변경 됩니다.

이 글자크기로 변경됩니다.

(예시) 가장 빠른 뉴스가 있고 다양한 정보, 쌍방향 소통이 숨쉬는 다음뉴스를 만나보세요. 다음뉴스는 국내외 주요이슈와 실시간 속보, 문화생활 및 다양한 분야의 뉴스를 입체적으로 전달하고 있습니다.

More than 12,000 people signed up to purchase Hyundai Motor's new Casper mini SUV as preorders opened on Tuesday, potentially securing buyers for every unit the automaker plans to make this year.
Hyundai Motor's Casper mini SUV [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

More than 12,000 people signed up to purchase Hyundai Motor's new Casper mini SUV as preorders opened on Tuesday, potentially securing buyers for every unit the automaker plans to make this year.

The Casper mini SUV is the first model to be manufactured by Gwangju Global Motors, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor and the Gwangju city government.

The project, a partnership between a local government, private company and labor union, is often held up as a core example of President Moon Jae-in’s initiative to boost jobs.

Moon was one of the 12,000 people who preordered the model on Tuesday, according to the Blue House.

"President Moon logged onto the internet to make a reservation for the model this morning," said Blue House spokesperson Park Gyeong-mi.

"The purchase was for his personal use and he plans to continue to drive the Casper after retirement."

Preorders for the Casper are available only through its online channel with a down payment of 100,000 won ($85). Even when the care is released later this month, purchases will only be available through the online channel.

It is the first Hyundai Motor model to be sold exclusively online.

“Online sales of Casper mean a lot because it is the first Korean car model to be sold directly to consumers amid the accelerating trend for non-contact and digital services,” the carmaker said Tuesday. "It will make purchasing a car more convenient for customers."

The Casper mini SUV will run on a 1.0-liter gasoline engine and a 1.0-liter gasoline turbo engine.

The 1.0-liter gasoline version is able to generate a maximum of 76 horsepower with fuel efficiency of 14.3 kilometers per liter (33.6 miles per gallon). The turbo version can generate a maximum of 100 horsepower with fuel efficiency of 12.8 kilometer per liter.

It also comes with a generous package of smart safety features including lane keeping assistant, lane following assistant and driver attention warning system.

Connected services — some possibly more useful than others — such as an in-car payment system and voice-based ventilation control are also available for the Casper.

The sticker price of the Casper, which is styled like an SUV but on the scale of a compact car, starts from 13.8 million won ($11,800), a relatively high price considering that labor costs at GGM are nearly half as high as those for blue collar workers at other automakers in Korea.

The price of higher trim models starts from 18.7 million won and goes over 20 million won with more options.

Casper's rivals in the market include the Kia Ray, which starts at 12.7 million won, and Chevrolet Spark, at 9.7 million won.

GGM plans to expand the model's annual production to 70,000 units next year.

Its official launch is slated for Sept. 29.

An advertisement board for Hyundai Motor's Casper inside the Roblox metaverse. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]

Copyright © 코리아중앙데일리. 무단전재 및 재배포 금지.

이 기사에 대해 어떻게 생각하시나요?