Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is to give the i MiEV SPORT AIR concept model its global debut at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show which runs from March 3 through March 15 at the Geneva Palexpo exhibition and conference complex, opening to the general public on March 5.

The i MiEV SPORT AIR explores the future possibilities for zero-emission vehicles, placing a greater bias on exhilarating driving pleasure. The concept model exemplifies the balance between environmental and dynamic performance implied in the tagline Drive@earth, and highlights the benefits of the Mitsubishi electric vehicle drivetrain:

- Powerful, instant torque from a beefed-up electric motor
- Stable driving and handling and a low center of gravity, due to the in-floor lithium-ion battery
- Zero on-road CO2 emissions

Together, these features along with the car’s “clear cutaway” top allow the driver to enjoy the exhilaration of fresh-air motoring while also highlighting its eco-friendly qualities.

Lexus announces that sales of the “RX350″ in Japan started Jan. 19th 2009 and that sales of the “RX450h” are to start in Japan in April.

Both RX models are the latest versions of the RX, which was previously unavailable in Japan. Next-generation crossovers that merge the luxurious ride and comfort of a sedan with the functionality of an SUV, they offer, at the highest levels, the environmental and safety performance demanded of 21st-century luxury vehicles. They are based on the concept of providing the superior excitement and driving comfort characteristic of a Lexus vehicle.

 The 2010 Prius goes on sale in the U.S. this spring.                Honda Insight

The hybrid battle between Honda and Toyota could be getting a lot hotter.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to keep selling the current version of its Prius hybrid alongside the third generation after the new Prius debuts later this year, a newspaper reports. The strategy: Slash the sticker price on the current Prius so it can go head to head with Honda’s cheaper Insight hybrid.It is the best evidence yet that Toyota is worried about Honda Motor Co.’s new rival. But Toyota is also taking a big risk in putting a 5-year-old model up against a new contender.Toyota declined to comment on the report. But Japan’s Nikkei newspaper said the current Prius will stay in showrooms and be priced to compete with the Insight — around $20,000.The current Prius costs around $24,000. And the third generation, unveiled at this month’s Detroit auto show, is expected to cost more.The current and new Prius will be sold next to each other after the new version is released in May, the Nikkei said. It didn’t specify whether this was a Japan-only policy.

Honda had hoped the Insight would scoop a yet-untapped low-end market for hybrids. But Toyota apparently doesn’t want to surrender that crown without a fight. Its answer is to make the current Prius cheaper by simplifying the interior, the Nikkei says.

The question is, how enticing will it be?

The fresh Insight undoubtedly will have more cachet among image-conscious, eco-minded drivers. Why be seen driving a car that has been on the road for half a decade?

Another problem facing Toyota: Potential buyers of the redesigned Prius may opt for the lower-end current generation. After all, it still gets great fuel economy.

With gasoline far below the highs of last year, customers will see less reason to spend big on hybrids. That goes for the new Prius, even if it does eke out 50 mpg as opposed to 46.

More important, it shows that Honda may be on to something in taking cheaper hybrids to the masses. While Toyota and Nissan roll out ever-bigger and more expensive hybrids, Honda is making them tinier and more affordable. It is even planning a hybrid version of the Fit.

A giant like Toyota may have its fingers in everything from full-sized pickups to luxury sedans. But keeping the current Prius in action concedes that at least one segment was overlooked.

Mazda is “guardedly optimistic” about its prospects in 2009 after achieving record European sales in 2008.The Japanese carmaker increased its 2008 unit sales by 9.8 percent to 342,800 in Europe, including Russia and Turkey.

The company achieved year on year increases in 20 markets, including Russia where sales rose 47 percent to 73,700 units to make the country Mazda’s biggest European market.

Mazda sales dipped in Germany and the UK, the company’s second and third biggest markets. German sales fell 14.3 percent to 56,277 while in the UK they declined by 2 percent to 50,402 units.

Philip Waring, Mazda Europe’s chief operating officer, said he was satisfied with the performance, particularly because 2008 was a difficult trading year.

He said: “These last two months were a challenge, and the current economic downturn makes predictions difficult. But following our success in 2008 we can move into 2009 with a guarded degree of optimism.”

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers’ Association is debating whether to cancel the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, a JAMA executive said today.The discussion is driven in part by the decision of some non-Japanese automakers to shun the October venue amid the global financial crisis. But some Japanese exhibitors also are proposing that this year’s event be canceled.

“A couple companies are not in favor of organizing the show under these conditions, but that is not JAMA’s opinion,” Toshihiro Iwatake, JAMA’s executive director and secretary general, told Automotive News.

The 41st annual Tokyo Motor Show is scheduled to take place Oct. 23-Nov. 8. Press days are to be Oct. 21 and 22. The theme is “Fun driving for us, eco driving for earth.”

A decision on whether to postpone the show will be made by early next month, he said.

A new lighter-weight version of the Nissan GT-R model will be considered for the U.S. market after its limited introduction in Japan next month.

Nissan has trimmed 132 pounds out of the just-introduced $70,000 sportscar’s 3,814 pounds. The new SpecV model drops the street racer’s rear seats and replaces selected body, chassis and interior components with carbon fiber materials.

A spokesman for Nissan North America says the company will evaluate the SpecV’s performance and customer reaction before deciding whether to give it to U.S. dealers. It will be available initially to only seven dealerships in Japan.

The new two-seater variation uses a carbon fiber rear spoiler, grille, brake parts and bucket seats, with carbon fiber replacements also in the car’s instrument panel and storage area.

Such enhancements are normally the engineering stuff automakers showcase at the Detroit auto show, which opens to the world media this weekend in Detroit. However, Nissan North America withdrew from the Detroit show in November, citing cost-cutting needs.

Unit sales of passenger cars in Turkey fell 14.4 percent in 2008, the Turkish Automotive Distributors association (ODD) said on Wednesday.

Waning consumer demand in Turkey due to the global financial crisis has already forced carmakers to suspend production for limited periods.

Istanbul traffic: Turkey is one of the biggest car producers in Europe with more than 1 million cars and light commercial vehicles built in 2007.

Toyota Motor plans to halt production at all of its plants in Japan for a total of 11 days in February and March in response to flagging auto sales, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday, 6 Jan. 2009.

The automaker in November cut its production plan by 950,000 units for the business year ending in March, but the firm now eyes a deeper reduction given a further deterioration in car sales, NHK said.

Toyota, which already announced a three-day suspension at all of its factories in Japan this month, plans the additional production halt for the next two months to reduce inventories, the broadcaster said.

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) and Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (Daihatsu) announce today the nationwide launch of a seven-seater compact vehicle with three rows of seats that will be sold in Japan under the Toyota brand as the “Passo Sette” and under the Daihatsu brand as the “Boon Luminas”.

The roomy, user-friendly and stylish compacts are small enough to make handling easy and big enough to accommodate seven people. Featuring the driving-assistance features and comforts often favored by female drivers, the Passo Sette and Boon Luminas offer added flexibility for mothers with young children and help support active and exciting lifestyles.

For the Passo Sette and Boon Luminas, TMC and Daihatsu combined their product-planning know-how, with Daihatsu putting to use its extensive experience in compact vehicles to be in charge of development and production. Daihatsu will supply the Passo Sette to TMC on an original equipment manufacturer basis.