Hyundai Motor faces autonomous driving dilemma

Hyundai Motor Group is facing a dilemma over its deadlocked autonomous driving business, as the carmaker struggles to find a qualified executive to lead the carmaker’s advanced vehicle platform (AVP) division even after its year-end reshuffle of top management. The automaker completed Thursday the reshuffle of its presidential-level management, but failed to name a successor to former AVP chief Song Chang-hyun. Song resigned from the post on Dec. 5, taking responsibility for the carmaker’s weak progress in the self-driving business. The leadership vacuum has meant delays in planning at a critical time, as both Tesla and Chinese carmakers continue to offer autonomous driving as part of their electric vehicle (EV) sales approaches. The strategic importance of in-vehicle software, which powers advanced self-driving, continues to grow, and was part of the reason for the latest top management reshuffle from the Korean carmaker. Hyundai Motor Group underscored the strategic importance of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) as a keyword, and two out of the carmaker's four newly-promoted preside