By Choi He-suk

Hyundai Motor Co. yesterday released images of the newly designed dashboard for the liquefied petroleum gas-electric hybrid version of the Avante compact sedan. The car, which will be launched next month, is the country's first hybrid electric that comes with a 1.6-litre LPG engine that manages 17.8 kilometres per litre of fuel.

The dashboard has an image of a plant that lights up if the car is maintained at the highest fuel efficiency.

The dashboard also has an Eco Guide display that tells the driver how economically the car is being driven.

Kia launches 2010 Forte in Korea

The 2010 Forte is already available at Kia Motor's showrooms. The latest version of Kia's compact sedan comes with improved steering.

With the launch of the new model year vehicles, the company has added a 2-litre engine to the Forte lineup. The 2-litre gasoline engine newly available in the Forte puts out 156bhp, 32bhp more than the 1.6-litre gasoline engine and 28 more than the 1.6-litre diesel engine.

Test drive Lexus IS250C for a week

Toyota Korea is offering four people a chance to test drive the new convertible IS250C for a week. The company will be receiving applications through the Lexus website and the micro site for the IS250C (www.is250c.co.kr) until July 2. The four winners will be able to test drive the vehicle for a week and take part in various events organized by the company.

The winners will be announced through the IS250C micro site on July 3.

Chrysler offers lifetime warranty

Chrysler Korea will provide lifetime warranties for selected models bought in June.

For 300C Signature 3.5 vehicles purchased during the month, the company will provide lifetime warranties for the engine, transmission and other selected components. The warranty is valid for only the initial buyer.

The company is also offering a 36-month lease program with monthly payment of 370,000 won for the 300C Signature 3.5.

For the 300C Signature 3.0 Diesel, the company is offering a choice of between a 36-month lease program with monthly payment of 390,000 won and acquisition and registration tax coverage.

cheesuk@heraldm.com