According to a report in the International Herald Tribune, the three big US car makers, namely, General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler, combined sold less than (44.4 %) than the Asian brands - 10 brands in total (48.1 %) for the first time ever. The data was provided by the Autodata Corporation.
Amazingly, Toyota overtook GM in United States sales.
The drop in sales of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles with growth in sales of compact cars show that consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about fuel economy of their cars.
Read the full report here: U.S. cars lose to Asian rivals for first time
Rabu, 04 Juni 2008
Selasa, 03 Juni 2008
Nissan to build new model at Sunderland plant
According to latest reports, Japanese carmaker Nissan will build a new compact car at its Sunderland plant in the UK. That is good news as it means more jobs. At present the Sunderland factory also makes the Note.
It also plans to move manufacturing of the Micra to Chennai in India.
According to Carlos Ghosn:
Read the full report here: NISSAN ANNOUNCES NEW VEHICLE FOR SUNDERLAND PLANT
It also plans to move manufacturing of the Micra to Chennai in India.
According to Carlos Ghosn:
"By delivering on tough commitments, our employees at Sunderland have demonstrated our plant can be a globally competitive centre for the production of high-value products. We are encouraged by the proactive support shown by the British government to decide new products for the Sunderland plant."
Read the full report here: NISSAN ANNOUNCES NEW VEHICLE FOR SUNDERLAND PLANT
Minggu, 01 Juni 2008
Safety test results for some family cars
Euro NCAP recently released the test results for seven cars in five different categories. The cars, which are targeted at consumers with families, include the Audi A4, Skoda Superb, Citroen Berlingo, Ford Kuga, the VW T5 Caravelle and two Superminis, the Hyundai i10 and the Seat Ibiza.
All of the cars received four stars in Child Occupant Protection. SO far, no car has received the maximum of 49 points or five stars.
The Child Occupant rating was introduced in November 2003 and is based on the evaluation of the manufacturer’s recommended child restraints for an 18-month infant and a 3-year old child.
For more information, go to www.euroncap.com.
All of the cars received four stars in Child Occupant Protection. SO far, no car has received the maximum of 49 points or five stars.
The Child Occupant rating was introduced in November 2003 and is based on the evaluation of the manufacturer’s recommended child restraints for an 18-month infant and a 3-year old child.
For more information, go to www.euroncap.com.
Senin, 19 Mei 2008
Nobody has heard of Proton
I was quite surprised to find out that among all my PhD friends here at the Warwick Business School, there's only one guy who has heard about Proton, Malaysia's national car company.
A friend who's quite knowledgeable about cars told me that at one time there were a number of Proton cars on UK streets - mainly the Proton Persona (the Proton Wira). We do see some of them around in Coventry but I have never seen any of the newer models including the Gen 2, Savvy, Satria Neo or even the Impian. From my friends' reactions when I tell them about the company and the fact that it owns Lotus, Proton cars UK is obviously not doing a good job with it's marketing. From what I learnt from my sources in Proton, they want to concentrate on the domestic market which is what they should have been doing. I guess that strategy comes at a price. I am not sure about other foreign markets but when it comes to branding, Proton has a lot of work to do in the UK.
A friend who's quite knowledgeable about cars told me that at one time there were a number of Proton cars on UK streets - mainly the Proton Persona (the Proton Wira). We do see some of them around in Coventry but I have never seen any of the newer models including the Gen 2, Savvy, Satria Neo or even the Impian. From my friends' reactions when I tell them about the company and the fact that it owns Lotus, Proton cars UK is obviously not doing a good job with it's marketing. From what I learnt from my sources in Proton, they want to concentrate on the domestic market which is what they should have been doing. I guess that strategy comes at a price. I am not sure about other foreign markets but when it comes to branding, Proton has a lot of work to do in the UK.
Peugeot Citroën and Mitsubishi to collaborate in in Russia
According to a news release, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will set up a joint venture in Russia. The JV will produce vehicles for 3 brands, namely, Peugeot, Citroën and Mitsubishi in aassembly plant which will be located in Kaluga, 180 kmd South-West of Moscow.
The plant will have a capacity of 160,000 vehicles and the the foundation stone of this future plant will be laid on June 10th 2008. Production is planned to start in 2011.
This JV follows the sucessful launch of the an SUV - the Peugeot 4007, which was jointly launched in 2007, for the European market. Read Paul Tan's post about the Peugeot 4007 here.
The plant will have a capacity of 160,000 vehicles and the the foundation stone of this future plant will be laid on June 10th 2008. Production is planned to start in 2011.
This JV follows the sucessful launch of the an SUV - the Peugeot 4007, which was jointly launched in 2007, for the European market. Read Paul Tan's post about the Peugeot 4007 here.
Sabtu, 17 Mei 2008
Flying cars
Was stuck in a jam back from the University yesterday and how I wished I had a car that could take off vertically and just fly back home. Well the idea is nothing new and countless sci--fi movies feature flying cars.
In fact there are several prototypes of flying cars in existence right now. Check out this feature about flying cars on Yahoo! news.
Check out the test flight of the Moller Skycar.
In fact there are several prototypes of flying cars in existence right now. Check out this feature about flying cars on Yahoo! news.
Check out the test flight of the Moller Skycar.
Senin, 05 Mei 2008
Get auto insurance quotes
One of my friends was planning to buy a used car and asked me if I had some tips. He was so surprised when he learnt about the road tax, the MOT tests and of course the cost of insurance. If you are buying from a dealer, they will usually try to convince you to get the insurance from one of the companies they partner with. Naturally these are not necessarily the cheapest or the best.
In the US, if you are buying your first car, you need to buy the insurance even before you can drive away from the dealership with your new car. I think it's unethical for some dealers to force down their insurance policies on some unsuspecting customer. I mean not all customers will want a full coverage and would rather go for the legal minimum required. You have to note that different American states have different rules and most require you to have an insurance if you drive.
There are several sites where you can obtain and compare quotes and all you have to do is enter your Zip code. Getting a auto insurance code has never been easier. And of course you get to save some money.
In the US, if you are buying your first car, you need to buy the insurance even before you can drive away from the dealership with your new car. I think it's unethical for some dealers to force down their insurance policies on some unsuspecting customer. I mean not all customers will want a full coverage and would rather go for the legal minimum required. You have to note that different American states have different rules and most require you to have an insurance if you drive.
There are several sites where you can obtain and compare quotes and all you have to do is enter your Zip code. Getting a auto insurance code has never been easier. And of course you get to save some money.
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