AFTER years of technical dependence on foreign manufacturers, the South Korean car industry has come of age.
Daewoo has divorced itself from General Motors and Hyundai - the country's largest carmaker, for many years tied to Mitsubishi designs and engineering - has developed its first true in-house engine.
Christened the Alpha, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine has been put to work powering Hyundai's new Scoupe mini-sports car.
Launched in Hongkong at the end of last year, the Scoupe, along with its Elantra stablemate, has heralded the return of Hyundai to the territory as part of the new Parkview-owned distributor, Korean International Motors.
The Scoupe is no spring chicken, having been available in Britain - where it gained a reputation as the country's cheapest coupe - for two years.
The main differences in the Hongkong version are the new Alpha engine and, more interestingly, a Garrett T15 turbocharger.
