Thursday, October 9th, 2008
Alfa Romeo is back in US, well partially. After exiting the US market in 1995 due to slumping sales and discontent customers, the brand is making a come back by launching the Alfa 8C Competizione , the $200,000 high performance coupe that has captured the fancy of automobile lovers across Europe.
The Alfa 8C Competizione is now officially available across USA through designated Maserati dealers selected to sell the car. But it doesnt matter as of now beacuse all the 8C’s earmarked for the US market for the year have already been spoken for.
The spyder version will come in later, by 2010. After the full operations are started in the USA, the whole Alfa range will be available throughout the dealerships, from Brera coupe to the 159 sedan or their replacements MiTo and the 149. The company is also looking at a large rear wheel drive car which will be based on a Jaguar platform.
[Via: indianautoblog]
Posted in Alfa Romeo | No Comments »
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
Maruti Suzuki has reported a 5.27% jump in total sales (including exports) during September 2008, at 71,000 units, against 67,448 units in the same month last year. The company’s domestic sales stood at 64,682 units in September this year, compared with 63,086 units in the same month a year ago, up 2.53 percent. Maruti’s exports grew 44.84% in September 2008, at 6,318 units, against 4,362 units in the corresponding month last year.
Sales of the M800 went down by 33.6% in September 2008, at 3,467 units, against 5,221 units in September last year. A2 segment (comprising Alto, Zen Estilo , Swift and WagonR ) sales stood at 45,621 units in September 2008, against 46,216 units in the same month last year, a decline of 1.29%.
Maruti posted a growth of 51.75% in the A3 segment (consisting of SX4, Swift Dzire and Esteem) at 7,413 units in September 2008, against 4,885 units in the corresponding month last year. The company’s total passenger car sales went up by 1.99% to 63,917 units in September 2008, against 62,672 units in the same month last year.
[Via: Indiaautomotive]
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Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
Struggling General Motors Corp. is talking to Isuzu Motors about selling its truck business, in what would mark the first Japanese takeover of a business from the US Big Three, a report said Friday. Isuzu, Japan’s second biggest truck maker, is “positive” about the deal, which would be worth tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars), the Nikkei business newspaper said in its evening edition.
But an Isuzu spokesman denied the report. “The company has not been approached by General Motors,” he said. The US Big Three automakers have been suffering major losses as soaring oil costs and a slowing US economy sap sales.
GM is widely expected to lose its nearly eight-decade-old crown as the top world automaker this year to Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. Needing cash, GM decided in 2006 to sell its minority stake in Isuzu - most of which was bought by Toyota.
The Nikkei, which is usually well-informed, said GM approached Isuzu this month about buying its business in mid-sized trucks, most of which are sold in North America.
The newspaper, which did not identify its sources, said it was not yet clear whether GM would sell its truck-making plant in the economically ailing US state of Michigan to the Japanese company. If the deal were to go through, Isuzu - whose main business is small trucks - would surpass Toyota affiliate Hino Motors as Japan’s top truckmaker, the report said.
GM is also believed to be considering selling part of stake in DMAX Ltd., an existing joint venture with Isuzu making diesel engines, so that the Japanese company’s share would rise from 40 to 50 percent, the report said. GM posted a massive 15.5-billion-dollar net loss in the second quarter.
[Via: autoblog]
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Friday, September 19th, 2008
Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, has joined the global advisory board of the US-based Nanobiosym, one of the leading nanotechnology companies in the world. ‘I am inspired by his example, which provides us with a practical roadmap for bringing cutting edge technologies into emerging global economies,’ said Dr Anita Goel, Nanobiosym’s Chairperson and CEO.
‘Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the way we tackle key issues facing the world today, and Nanobiosym is working at the forefront of this revolution,’ said Ratan Tata. ‘Dr Goel has forged a bold model for driving technological innovation and commercialization, while maximizing global humanitarian impact. I look forward to working closely with her and her team,’ he added.
[Via: Indiaautomotive]
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Tuesday, September 16th, 2008
Hyundai is currently studying its options to export its latest 54-mpeg car from India to the United States. i10 is the premium hatchback model in the Hyundai portfolio that has been extremely successful in India. It already crossed 1 lakh benchmark for exports in less than 7 months of its launch.
“We are studying the feasibility of beginning our exports to the US,” said Mr H.S. Lheem, Managing Director and CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd on the occasion of the company’s 10th anniversary celebration.
Hyundai i10 is only 140 inches long and 21 inches shorter than Honda Fit and is capable of up to 56 mpg. Escalating fuel prices has led to rise in demand for compact cars in the US. Hyundai needs to add the safety features which will increase its weight by 400 pounds and the new Hyundai i10 shall be ready to be exported to the US.
Hyundai currently exports its premium compact car model, i10, to nearly 96 countries but has stayed away from the US market owing to the poor demand in compact car segment and intense competition.
It is also planning to export its upcoming model Hyundai i20, to overseas market which shall be launched by the year end in India. All exports shall be done from its Chennai facility in South India. It plans to stop exporting Getz once i20 starts getting exported to international market.
[Via: Cartradeindia]
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Friday, August 29th, 2008
Volkswagen has become the world’s third largest carmaker outselling Ford. According to the latest sales figures, VW Group delivered 3.31 million vehicles in the first half of the year, with Ford delivering 3.22 million. Remember only in 2004 Ford lost the second spot to the japanese car maker Toyota.
The worsening sales in US is hitting the American major very badly. Toyota is marching towards the no 1 spot by selling 280,000 units more than the General Motors globally during the first six months of 2008.
[Via: Vicky]
Posted in Manufacturers, VolksWagen | No Comments »
Thursday, August 28th, 2008
Long back at the Frankfurt Motor Show, we saw the debut of the Suzuki Kizashi concept, the first of the Kizashi’s, then at the Tokyo Motor Show, we saw the debut of the Kizashi’s second concept. Now the Japanese company Suzuki is going to unveil its third version of the Kizashi line-up, the Suzuki Kizashi 3 at the upcoming New York Auto Show.
The Kizashi 3 is said to be the last of the Kizashi concepts and alongside the Kizashi concept 3 will be the Kizashi concept 2 and the Kizashi concept 1. The design of the Kizashi concepts were developed by Suzuki’s Advanced Design Group. With these concepts we can see how Suzuki will revolutionize its product line-up.
The Kizashi 3 is said to be a new sports sedan with quality, gadgets,style and interiors like no other Suzuki in production. The Kizashi line-up’s design can inspire the cars that Suzuki will make in future.
[Via: Autocrust]
Posted in Manufacturers, Maruti, Suzuki | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008
Small has suddenly started becoming bigger in the minds of auto consumers around the world. The increasing fuel prices and congested traffic has made people switch to smaller cars day by day. Hyundai Motors India Limited launched its model, Hyundai i10 in India and plans to take the model to America.
Although market for small and fuel efficient cars has gone up considerably in the US, but Hyundai i10 making a foray in the US is a little unlikely in the near future, says John Krafcik, Vice President of product development in America. The subcompact 5-door hatchback model is too lightweight for the American market, the company looks at launching the model in the US but not so early, he adds
Hyundai had been studying logistics and other costs associated with getting the car approved for the American market. It plans to launch the heavier hatchback model i30 in America in 2009. India is the manufacturing and exporting hub for Hyundai Motors India Limited. The company plans to manufacture and export its small car models from India to countries around the world. Hyundai i-series launches are a part of its same strategy.
[Via: Cartradeindia]
Posted in Hyundai, Manufacturers | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
New Ford Fiesta Pictures….
Posted in Ford, Manufacturers | No Comments »
Friday, August 22nd, 2008
Hyundai Motor Corp. says it will bring a gas-electric hybrid version of its Sonata sedan to the United States. Vice President of Product Development John Krafcik said today that Hyundai will display a hybrid version of the midsize Sonata at the Los Angeles auto show in November. The company says it will announce at the show the date that the hybrid will be sold in the United States.
Krafcik says the hybrid Sonata can be powered by both a gas and an electric motor, and will have new lithium-ion battery technology. He says the company soon will begin selling a hybrid Elantra small car in Korea, but it will bring a midsize hybrid to the U.S. market. Krafcik also says it is unlikely that Hyundai will bring its i10 subcompact to the United States from Korea.
[Source: Autoincar]
Posted in Hyundai, Manufacturers | No Comments »
