Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled the ultra-compact iQ car at an event in this eastern Japan city on Wednesday, Oct. 15th.
The iQ, which the top Japanese automaker claims is the world’s smallest four-seater, will go on sale in Japan on Nov. 20 with the price tag of between 1.4 million to 1.6 million yen.
Toyota aims to sell 2,500 units a month.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said that the launch of the iQ will help create a new market at a time when domestic auto sales have been slumping.
The iQ, which is 2.98 meters long, 1.68 meters wide and 1.5 meters high, can seat three adults and one child, according to the company.
At normal speeds, the 1,000-c.c. iQ can travel 23 kilometers on a liter of gasoline, making it one of the most fuel-efficient cars of this class.
As part of its safety features, the iQ is equipped with nine airbags, a number on a par with luxury vehicles.
The iQ will be released in Europe in January 2009, Toyota said.
Posted: October 16th, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News, Japanese Car
Mazda Motor Corp. said it has started a driving test of a hydrogen vehicle on public roads in Norway in cooperation with the government of the Scandinavian country.
Norway is promoting the Hydrogen Road of Norway, or HyNor, project aimed at establishing an eco-friendly transport system through the use of hydrogen as energy.
Through the test of the RX-8 Hydrogen Re sports car, the Japanese automaker aims to collect detained data on its driving performance. The driving test will be carried out for six days.
Mazda plans to lease about 30 units of the vehicle in Norway under the HyNor initiative from fiscal 2009.
Posted: October 16th, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News, Japanese Car
The Vauxhall car plant in Cheshire is to stop production for 14 days this month due to falling sales in Europe.
Vehicles will not be made at the Ellesmere Port plant for two days this week and next week, and will also shut for two working weeks from 20 October.
A spokesman for parent company General Motors (GM) said the stoppages were to accommodate changes in demand.
Jaguar Land Rover announced last month its Halewood plant in Merseyside would close for a week after orders fell.
A GM statement said: “General Motors Europe is carefully watching the development of the various car and van markets in Europe so that we can react quickly and efficiently to changes in demand.
“This way, we can increase production in times of rising demand, as we did this year when we added extra shifts to accommodate markets in Eastern Europe.”
She added: “It follows, then, that in markets in which demand is reducing, in this case due to the current European economic situation, we must also adjust production.
“This flexibility is a strategy that shows GM Europe has learned from the past and will not simply keep building cars or vans for stock in changing markets.”
A spokesman for the Unite union said the 2,200 workers at the plant would still get paid despite the stoppages.
Posted: October 10th, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News
Compact and smaller cars designed for a more frugal world are taking pride of place at the Paris Motor Show, which opened yesterday (Thursday, October 2).
In an industry with long development cycles, the new models on show in Paris began their lives long before the new era of credit crunch.
But manufacturers hope that increasingly cash-strapped consumers will be tempted back into showrooms to buy the more economical cars.
Among the new models debuting are new versions of the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Ka and Renault Megane. In addition, Toyota will debut its all-new ultra-compact iQ and General Motors its Chevrolet Cruze compact saloon.
However, as the trend towards smaller vehicles accelerates there was a warning from Eric Wallbank, an industry expert with Ernst & Young in London. He said: “The margins will be smaller than on big vehicles. Carmakers may get market share back, but they won’t get revenues and margins back as people move into smaller and more fuel-efficient cars.”
Posted: October 3rd, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News
Honda Motor Co. unveiled a prototype of the new hybrid-only Insight passenger car at the Paris International Motor Show.
The major Japanese automaker plans to launch the new Insight in Japan, the United States and Europe next spring, hoping to sell a total of some 200,000 units a year.
With the new Insight, Honda is aiming to catch up with Toyota Motors Co., which currently dominates the gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle market with the Prius.
Honda President Takeo Fukui told reporters that the new Insight will likely be priced at around 2 million yen. He expressed hopes that hybrid vehicles will dominate the European market, where sales of diesel engine vehicles are falling.
The 1300-c.c. new Insight is a five-door hatchback 4.37 meters long, 1.69 meters wide and 1.42 meters high.
Honda launched the two-door Insight coupe in 1999 but ended production in 2006 due to sluggish sales.
The new Insight will be on display to the public Oct. 4-19 at the biennial Paris show, where 332 automakers from 23 countries are participating.
Reflecting soaring crude oil prices, many automakers are exhibiting hybrid, electric and ultracompact vehicles.
Posted: October 3rd, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News, Japanese Car
Consumers are giving car dealers a run for their money when it comes to successfully negotiating a better deal on a car purchase, according to a recent survey[1] by Experian®, the global information services company.
Recent research by Experian’s CreditExpert.co.uk to find out which situations British adults were most likely to negotiate prices in has revealed that, as a result of the current economic environment, over half the population (57 per cent) are more willing to drive a hard bargain compared to 12 months ago.
Most significantly for the trade, a car purchase is the item that consumers have been most successful with when bartering for a lower price (38 per cent).
Kirk Fletcher, Managing Director of Experian’s Automotive division, said: “The rising costs of living and running a car means that consumers are driving a much harder bargain with dealers. Furthermore, it is no secret that the car market is experiencing challenging times and dealers have been more willing to meet demands in order to secure deals.
“Over the last few years consumers have spent more time on the Internet researching everything about a vehicle before even setting foot in the showroom. Consumers are more geared up than ever before to get a good deal. By the time they enter a dealership, they already know how far they are willing to negotiate.”
The research also found that men are around one and half times more likely to have been able to negotiate a better deal on a car. This is also increasingly the case the older the car buyer. For example, car buyers aged 45 to 54 years old were two and a half times more likely to have secured a better price on a car than those between 18 to 24 years old.
Kirk concluded: “The key message for dealers is that knowing as much about their customers as their customers know about them has become even more vital. Many dealers have already recognised the value of this and are taking steps by maximising the value of the data they hold on their customer databases. Data cleansing is essential to this and enables dealers to identify and target those who are most likely to buy soon.
“Keeping an eye on the market for changing trends is also key to spotting opportunities they can tap into. Knowing what is happening in the market, knowing which customers are likely to upgrade and which ones are downsizing. Which vehicles are increasing in sales compared to those that are losing their appeal? Where is there a greater demand for the cars that dealers are struggling to sell in their own areas?
“Experian’s MarketView OnLine, for example, provides direct access to Experian’s extensive range of automotive market data and analytical tools. Dealers have been able to access information such as new car registration data from the SMMT, the latest DVLA car parc data and used car transactions data, giving a greater insight into what people are buying and where.”
Posted: September 25th, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News
All new models of cars and vans should be equipped with special daytime lights from 2011 to improve road safety, the European Commission says.
The EU directive - not yet law in all 27 member states - means vehicle lights will also be more environment-friendly, the commission says.
The Daytime Running Light (DRL) comes on automatically when the driver starts the engine.
Industry executives have backed the proposal, the commission says.
It speaks of “very positive” results for road safety in EU countries where DRL is already mandatory, such as in Scandinavia.
The directive envisages that from 7 February 2011 all new types of passenger cars and small delivery vans will have to have DRL. Trucks and buses will follow from August 2012.
When it is dark, the driver has to switch on the headlamps manually - in that case, the DRL goes off automatically.
“This will make a positive contribution to our goal of reducing fatalities on European roads whilst being more fuel efficient then existing lights,” commission vice-president Guenter Verheugen said on Wednesday.
The DRL’s energy consumption is just 25-30% that of the normal driving light and when using LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology for DRL, the energy consumption is only 10% of the current average, the commission says.
It argues that DRL makes vehicles more visible to all road users.
But the Conservative transport spokesman in the European Parliament, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, warned that too much light could distract drivers and put cyclists and pedestrians at greater risk.
He called for an independent assessment of the technology before any EU-wide approval of DRL.
Posted: September 25th, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News
Fiat will unveil its new green label in Paris on fuel-efficient versions of the 500, Bravo and Croma cars.
Fiat uses measures such as stop-start, longer gear ratios, lower ground clearance and low-resistance tires to improve fuel economy on the cars.
CO2 emissions on the 500’s 1.2-liter gasoline version are reduced by 4g/km to 115g/km. CO2 emissions on the 1.6-liter diesel Bravo are cut to 115g/km from 119g/km.
The 120hp 1.9-liter diesel Croma’s CO2 emissions are reduced by 17g/km to 140g/km.
Fiat will also unveil the Fiorino Qubo, a passenger version of its Fiorino Combi car-derived delivery van. The Qubo has a more refined interior and sleeker look than the Combi.
Fiat aims to sell 20,000 Qubos a year in Europe. Its prices start at €12,800 in Italy.
The Qubo is built at Fiat’s Tofas joint venture factory Tofas in Bursa, Turkey, alongside Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo sister models.
Posted: September 23rd, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News
The What Car? editorial team has chosen the Nissan 350Z as ‘Best Sports Car’ in this year’s used car awards.
Matt Sanger, used car editor, What Car? commented: “The 350Z is anything but subtle, and is the modern epitome of old-school. Add aggressive styling and a raucous exhaust note, and you’ve got a car that deserves to be given an ASBO. Brilliant.”
Designed to be a true, no compromise sports car, the modern Zed has stayed close to its original heritage emulating the legendary 240Z from the early 70s. Since its launch, back in October 2003, the 350Z has collected numerous awards receiving praise from all areas of the media.
With a strong natural demand and a responsible approach to sales volumes throughout its life cycle, the 350Z has consistently maintained high residual values, especially when compared to many of its rivals. From a customer’s perspective this provides ‘peace of mind’ purchasing with the knowledge that the vehicle will maintain a respectable resale value.
Posted: September 19th, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News, Japanese Car
The country’s most popular new car, the Ford Focus, has held on to its coveted ‘Used Car of the Year’ title in the Auto Express Glass’s Guide Used Car Honours 2008. The judges cited its competitive pricing, entertaining drive and the broad availability of second-hand models as key factors in helping it to secure its crown. It is the first time in the 11-year history of the awards that the top prize has been retained.
Having won its own ‘compact family car’ class, the second-generation Focus was eligible to be considered for the overall title, along with all other class winners, including its big brother and ‘family car’ champion the Ford Mondeo. The judges were unanimous in their decision to award the top accolade to the Focus.
Jeff Paterson, Chief Car Editor at EurotaxGlass’s and a key member of the judging panel for the awards, said, “The Ford Focus has again proved itself to be not only a top seller as a new car but also a great second-hand buy. Its ubiquity on our roads does nothing to dampen its desirability, and it means that used car buyers have a wide range of examples to choose from. Good residual values, decent equipment levels and a widely-acknowledged ability to entertain drivers all make the Focus a sound purchase and a worthy two-time winner of this award.”
Like Ford, BMW also took home a hat-trick of trophies, with victories for its 3-Series in the ‘compact executive’ and ‘coupé’ categories and the 5-Series in the ‘executive’ class.
The judging panel for the Honours comprised representatives of the Auto Express editorial team and a number of independent motor industry experts. Using valuation data and information on ownership costs provided by Glass’s Guide publisher EurotaxGlass’s, the panel assessed every car which had been on sale since January 2007 against a broad range of criteria to identify the best model available to used car buyers in every vehicle segment.
The winners by category are as follows (all awards are for current-generation models, except where stated):
- Small car - Peugeot 107
- Supermini - Renault Clio
- Compact family car - Ford Focus
- Family car - Ford Mondeo (previous generation model)
- Compact executive car - BMW 3-Series
- Executive car - BMW 5-Series
- Large executive car - Mercedes-Benz CLS
- Estate car - Skoda Octavia
- Roadster - Mazda MX-5
- Cabriolet - Audi A4 Cabriolet
- Coupé - BMW 3-Series
- Compact SUV - Toyota RAV4
- Premium SUV - Land Rover Discovery 3
- Compact MPV - Vauxhall Zafira
- Sporting car - Porsche 911
- Hot hatch - Volkswagen Golf GTI
- Used Car of the Year - Ford Focus
- Used Car Scheme of the Year - Hyundai
Posted: September 17th, 2008 by admin
| Filed under Europe, UK Auto News, US Auto News