Chevrolet unveiled the new Equinox compact SUV
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Chevrolet unveiled the new Equinox compact SUV
- The Chevrolet Equinox is a compact SUV which dates back to 2004 and was renewed in 2009.
The third generation of this model was unveiled in 2016 and will face the leaders in the category in the US market as the Toyota RAV -4, Honda CRV, Ford Escape and Dodge Journey.
The third generation of this model was unveiled in 2016 and will face the leaders in the category in the US market as the Toyota RAV -4, Honda CRV, Ford Escape and Dodge Journey.
- Replacing the Chevrolet Equinox is crucial since it is the third best-selling model of the brand in the entire NAFTA region, behind the Silverado pickup and the Cruze sedan. In 2016, it still represents 10% of Chevrolet sales in this region, despite a decline of 17% compared to 2015, from 300,000 units to 250,000.
- The Chevrolet Equinox was previously equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.4l petrol 182hp or a 6-cylinder 3.6l petrol 300hp engine. The new generation emphasizes the downsizing by adopting a 4-cylinder turbo petrol 1.5l, a 4-cylinder turbo petrol 2.0l and a new 4-cylinder turbo diesel 1.6l engine.
- With an all-new platform, the new Chevrolet Equinox is announced as losing 180 kilograms compared to the previous generation, 10% of its total weight, which has made possible this downsizing.
- The equivalent model sold under the GMC brand, called Terrain should be replaced next year by a new generation derived from the Chevrolet Equinox. It is to note that the Terrain is the smallest model of GMC.
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MG will stop producing and selling its cars in Europe
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MG will stop producing and selling its cars in Europe
- Chinese automaker SAIC, which owns the MG and Roewe brands (remains of the former British MG Rover Group) had reactivated the Longbridge plant in 2011 by assembling there the models MG3 and MG6 for the UK market.
- Both models totaled 993 units in 2013, 3054 units in 2014 and 2,202 units in 2015.
- In 2016, the assembly of these two models (from collections imported from China) reached 1,810 units in July.
The production of both models was halted in August, as the SAIC group has decided to permanently stop the manufacture and sale of MG models in England and in Europe in general.
The production of both models was halted in August, as the SAIC group has decided to permanently stop the manufacture and sale of MG models in England and in Europe in general.
- We can assume that the low volume of sales made by the two MG models in England since 2011 no longer justified the presence of an assembly plant in Europe. In fact, Chinese manufacturers are reluctant to expand their operations in Europe as Euro 6 standards mean to them too much obstacle compared to sales volumes envisaged in the short term in this area. SAIC, for example, does not plan to adapt its engines to comply with the new standards because the cost would be too high compared to sales that will remain limited. SAIC prefers to focus on the Chinese market where standards are not yet at the same level of the European ones (Great Wall could do the same and stop production in Europe). MG 3 was equipped with a 1.5l petrol engine and the MG 6 a 1.8l petrol engine.
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Volkswagen could become the first automobile group in the world from 2016
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Volkswagen could become the first automobile group in the world from 2016
- The Volkswagen Group has become the world's largest automaker in the first half 2016, despite the case of manipulated diesel engines.
The German group could become the world's leading automobile group regarding its production volume in 2016, and even then in the coming years.
The German group could become the world's leading automobile group regarding its production volume in 2016, and even then in the coming years.
- Inovev analyses this situation as a consequence of following factors:
1 / The strong growth of the Chinese market which favours the Volkswagen group, because it is market leader, far ahead of the Toyota group. Thus, for an annual growth of 10% of the Chinese market, Volkswagen’s sales increase by an average of 350,000 units per year against 100,000 for Toyota.
2 / The strong growth of the European market favours also Volkswagen, even though 2016 was not so good for the German carmaker. Volkswagen is 5-6 times bigger than Toyota in this market.
3 / The relaunch of Brazilian and Russian markets that will favour much more Volkswagen than Toyota because the German group is 2 to 3 times larger than Japan's on all these markets.
4 / The US market decline between 2017 and 2020 expected by Inovev that will affect more Toyota than Volkswagen because Toyota is 4 times bigger than Volkswagen in this market.
5 / Finally, the still stagnant Japanese market is bound to affect Toyota which still holds nearly 45% of this market.
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FCA renews the SUV Jeep Compass (C-segment)
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FCA renews the SUV Jeep Compass (C-segment)
- The Compass has been since 2007 the C-segment SUV of the Jeep brand. It was facelifted in 2011 and completely renewed in 2016, nine years after the birth of the original model. In the current Jeep range, the Compass is located between the Renegade (B-segment) and Cherokee (D-segment). The new Compass replaces both the old Compass and Patriot.
- The new Compass, which adopts a brand new platform (formerly Compass was built on a Mitsubishi GS platform) will be manufactured both in Mexico (Toluca) for North American and European markets, in Brazil (Goiana) for South American markets, and in China (Guangzhou) for the Asian markets.
- Unlike the previous model, the new Compass will have an international vocation.
- It is to note that the former Compass and Patriot were manufactured in a single plant, located in Belvidere in the United States. So it could be spoken of an offshore of US production to Mexico. However the FCA group announced recently that it will transfer production of the Ram pickup Mexico (Toluca) to the United States (Sterling Heights).
- The new Compass (equipped with 4-cylinder 2.0l gasoline 166 hp and diesel 170 hp engines) will compete with the other C-segment SUVs as the Nissan Qashqai, Renault Qajar, Ford Kuga, Volkswagen Tiguan, Seat Ateca, 3008, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage Mazda CX5, etc ...
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Renault-Nissan could be the second global carmaker in 2017
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Renault-Nissan could be the second global carmaker in 2017
- The Renault-Nissan group is currently the fourth largest carmaker behind Toyota, Volkswagen and General-Motors.
With the acquisition of Mitsubishi Motors which should be effective in 2017, the Franco-Japanese group could overpass Toyota and General Motors, to become the world's second largest carmaker next year, with a production volume very close to that of Volkswagen (which would become the first carmaker).
With the acquisition of Mitsubishi Motors which should be effective in 2017, the Franco-Japanese group could overpass Toyota and General Motors, to become the world's second largest carmaker next year, with a production volume very close to that of Volkswagen (which would become the first carmaker).
- What are the reasons as analysed by Inovev?
1. The manipulated engines case at Mitsubishi motors should not have consequences for the whole group, because the takeover by Renault-Nissan will go in the way of cleansing the situation.
2. Renault-Nissan will support Mitsubishi to develop its models range, with bigger means than if Mitsubishi had remained independent.
3. Renault-Nissan could apply to Mitsubishi the mass effect strategy (platform, production plant, materials…) which has been applied to the other brands of the group.
4. Renault-Nissan will develop all brands, some of which are still small in the world, as Datsun and Samsung.
5. The Group will also increase its presence in China and the ASEAN countries.
6. The restart of the Brazilian and Russian markets will further enhance the presence of Renault and Nissan globally.
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