Introducing New Cars: China

Showing posts with label China. Show all posts

Friday, January 27, 2012

Fiat-Chrysler Alliance wants to Produce Jeep Models in China

9:54 AM Hell No comments

Chinese officials may be withdrawing their support for investments made by foreign automakers, but the Fiat-Chrysler Alliance is still looking for ways to increase its presence in the country.

A new report from the Detroit News says that Fiat and Chrysler are currently in "intense negotiations" with the Guangzhou Automobile Group to produce Jeep models for the local market.

The Italian automaker has already forged a joint venture with Guangzhou for the manufacturing of a new compact sedan based on the 2013 Dodge Dart, which will most likely be introduced in China at the upcoming Beijing motor show in April.

Buick Excelle is the Best Selling Car in China for 2011, GM and VW Take 7 of the Top 10 Spots

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In Europe, the most popular model in terms of sales in 2011 was the aging Volkswagen Golf with 485,547 units followed by the VW Polo and the Ford Fiesta, while in the United States, Ford's F-Series took first place with 584,917 units and was trailed by the Chevy Silverado and the Toyota Camry.

In China, while the overall top sellers continue to be commercial microvans, the bestselling passenger model for 2011 was the Buick Excelle with 254,000 units, according to data provided by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Wanted: Automotive Partner for Small Car Development; Contact Volvo

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Going it alone on new model development is a costly endeavor even for large automotive groups – and practically out of the question for smaller manufacturers.

Volvo until now has built all of its models around the platforms and powertrains from its former owner Ford. Now it is seeking a new partner to jointly develop its next generation of compact models.

Currently owned by Chinese carmaker Geely, Volvo recorded an impressive 20 percent increase in sales last year. Still, with some 450,000 units, it remains a small player in the global automotive industry, thus the need for cost sharing on new model development.

Mercedes-Benz to Build Second North American Plant in the U.S. or Mexico

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Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche has made it clear that he wants Mercedes-Benz to become the number one premium manufacturer in the world, a title that for the time being belongs to its arch-rival BMW.

Last year, Mercedes sold 1.36 million units, around 300,000 less than BMW. According to Manager Magazin, Zetsche plans to reach the number one spot by almost doubling the three-pointed star’s production to 2.7 million vehicles by 2020 and increase its operating profit beyond 10 percent.

GM is World's Largest Automaker in 2011 but VW Group Says Not so Fast

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On Thursday, General Motors reported global sales of 9,025,942 units in 2011, up 7.6% over 2010, which makes it the world's largest automaker in terms of volume.

Earlier this month, the Volkswagen Group announced that it sold a total of 8.16 million vehicles, up 14.3 percent compared to the previous year, which puts the German automaker in second spot - or so we thought.

You see, today, Volkswagen is questioning GM's numbers and of course its crown as the bestselling automotive group in the world. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the German company argues that unlike GM, it's numbers don't include sales of its affiliates such as MAN SE and Scania AB, in which VW has majority-ownership stakes.

Run, Youngman, Run: Chinese Still want Saab Even Though its Assets Are Being Sold

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Declaring bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily mean that you close shop – just ask GM and Chrysler. But when the receivers walk in begin selling off your assets, though, as is the case with Saab, it would take a miracle (to say the least) to survive.

Then again, perhaps miracles do happen. Reuters reports that Chinese group Youngman, which had originally agreed with Saab's owner, Swedish Automobile, to buy the brand and had even injected some cash into it but saw the deal fall apart due to GM’s refusal to let its intellectual property fall into the hands of its rivals, is ready to make a comeback.

Caught on Film: Dramatic Carjacking Episode Backfires in China

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It's a position no one wants to be in but it can happen to anyone and anywhere. Unfortunately for the passengers of this vehicle in in central China's Hubei Province, it happened when a gunman hijacked their car when they stopped at the tolls.

The security camera captured footage of a man pointing a gun at the surprised driver ordering him to get out of the vehicle. The driver and the front passenger who was holding a child in her hands exited the car immediately.

Chevy Sets New Record in 2011 with 4.76 Million Sales, China is GM's Largest Market Overall

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In 2011, General Motors reclaimed its crown as the world's largest vehicle manufacturer from Toyota, which was hit hard by the Japanese Tsunami and the Thailand floods, and as a result, dropped into third place behind the Volkswagen Group.

Overall, GM's largest market in 2011 was China with 2,547,203 vehicles and an 8.3 percent increase over the previous year, followed by the U.S. with 2,503,820 sales, up 13.0 percent.

And the good news doesn't stop there for the Detroit carmaker, which announced today that the driving force behind its success, the Chevrolet brand, recorded its best sales year ever in 2011 delivering 4.76 million vehicles around the world.

World Luxury Association Names Top 10 Car Brands

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In a glitzy event held in Beijing, China, this month, the World Luxury Association (WLA), which is a non-profit research organization, named its Top 100 most valuable luxury brands of the year.

In the automotive field, the Top 10 premium car brands included some of the usual suspects such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini along with some surprise entrants like Saab's former owner Spyker and Koenigsegg. Not that it matters any more, but Daimler's Maybach brand didn't make the cut.

Sorry Dad: 10 Year-Old Boy Takes $206k Maserati for a Joyride then Crashes

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The idea of swiping the keys of your father's car is something we probably all thought about at some point in our adolescent years. But how many of us really went ahead with the plan? Okay, you can put your hands down now…

One 10-year-old American boy in Hong Kong actually realized the idea and took his father's Maserati Gran Coupe, which was purportedly bought in 2009 for HK$1.6 million (US$206,000), for a crazy joyride near central Hong Kong.

Too Much of a Stretch? RUF Builds Porsche Panamera XL for China

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Porsche tuning specialist RUF has beat the German brand in the presentation of a long-wheel base version of the Panamera sports saloon aimed at the plutocrats of China.

Named the Panamera XL for obvious reasons, the 5,370mm (211.4 inches) long Porsche received its public debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show 2011, which took place in November last year.

China Funds Auto Suppliers to Acquire High-Tech U.S. Companies, World Domination is Next

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The Chinese government is doing almost anything in its power - short of prohibiting imports altogether- to give domestic production a serious advantage over U.S. car manufacturers. At the same time, however, state-owned suppliers are receiving quite large amounts of cash to acquire U.S.-based rivals.

As managing director of investment banking firm FINNEA Group, Tim Leuliette, said that last May, the Chinese government earmarked no less than U.S. $60 billion for the acquisition of American companies.

“The Chinese did that because they need access to expertise to grow their economy”, Leuliette explained. “They want to convert their trade surplus into hard assets.”

U.S. Auto Industry Speeds Up as China and Europe Slow Down

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What difference only three years can make: in 2009, U.S. sales had dipped to their lowest point in the last 25 years, while sales in China were increasing exponentially.

Today, the picture is quite different. The U.S. auto market has recovered and according to a report from Autonews, it may be the safest bet for profitable growth. Emerging markets including China, India and Brazil, which until recently looked like the land of opportunity for carmakers, are slowing down.

Polk Estimates Global Vehicle Sales to Reach 77.7 Million Units in 2012, and 96.3 Million in 2016

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The analyst gurus at R. L. Polk & Co have issued a new forecast for global vehicle sales in 2012. The automotive market intelligence firm predicts that sales are expected to rise 6.7 percent over 2011 volumes to 77.7 million vehicles, thanks to the global economy riding out the European debt crisis and consumers returning to showrooms.

However, this does not mean that the European car market will recover. On the contrary, Polk estimates that Europe will be the only region where sales will be flat or slightly down to just over 19 million units due to the tight financial plans enforced by most governments.

GM Not Worried about China’s Latest Measures Against Foreign Automakers

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As we reported earlier this week, in a second move this month after imposing new duties on U.S.-made cars, China’s National Development and Reform Commission and its Commerce Ministry announced that they are putting an end to investment incentives, effective from January 30.

The reason being that even though China has more than 70 domestic car manufacturers, the bottom 55 account for only 11 percent of total sales.

As reported by Bloomberg News, General Motors, the biggest automaker in China, is not worried about the new measures. “We expect the new guideline to have minimal negative impact on GM’s future plans in China," the company said in a statement on Friday.

China to Withdraw Support for Foreign Investments in the Auto Industry in 2012

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The new year will bring some significant changes for carmakers that had plans to invest in China as the world's most populous country will stop encouraging foreign investment in the auto industry putting an end to seven years of benefits that included reduced tariffs on imported equipment.

China's National Reform and Development Commission (NRDC) and the Ministry of Commerce made a joint announcement on the move that is due to come into effect on January 30, 2012.

SCOOP: Design Patents of 2012 BMW 1-Series in Three-Door Trim Appear in China

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Earlier this year, BMW lifted the curtains on the second generation of its 1-Series model range with the launch of the five-door hatchback model.

We already knew that the Bavarians were working on expanding the series with a number of body styles including a three-door hatchback, the two-door coupe and cabriolet and possibly, a longer Gran Turismo version similar to the upcoming 3-Series GT.

Chinese home made scooter with roof

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Via: mychinamoto.com

Seat to Launch in China in 2012, will be at the Shanghai Auto Show

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As part of the VW Group’s strategy to expand its brands into new markets, the German automaker will bring Seat to the Shanghai Auto Show (April 21-28, 2011) offering Chinese buyers their first taste of the Spanish firm’s cars before sales begin with the Leon and Ibiza models in 2012. Read more »

Volvo Teases Mysterious Concept Universe that Could Preview a Flagship Model

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Volvo released a teaser video of its upcoming Concept Universe, without giving out any additional information other than that it's a new design study that will be launched shortly. This means it could debut at one of this month's international auto shows, either in New York (April 22 – May 1) or Shanghai (April 21 – 28). Taking into account the fact that Volvo is owned by China’s Geely, the Shanghai show could be the more probable venue of the two for the new Volvo. Read more »