Category Blog

Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Production

The blooming European SUV market.

- The SUV market has grown significantly in recent years, particularly in Europe, where it now represents 15% of passenger car sales whereas it only represented 12.6% in 2011 and 10.3% in 2010 (1.9 million units in 2012 ).

- Carmaker’s product range has also increased significantly , in three distinctive categories, small SUVs ( segment B ), compact SUVs ( segment C ) and large SUVs (D and E segments ).

- European carmakers of premium cars are particularly active in this market, their sales are rising rapidly following an increasing models supply, but Japanese and Korean SUV manufactures are still predominant in Europe.

- Thus, Nissan is the leading seller of SUVs in Europe (ahead of BMW, VW and Dacia) thanks to its Juke and Qashqai models.

- In 2013, 2014 and 2015 18 new SUV launches of different brands (listed below) are scheduled, not to mention luxury brands such as Bentley and Maserati who are considering launching their own SUV range.

- Over the past three months have emerged, the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008in small segment of SUVs and the Range Rover Sport in the segment of large SUVs, Toyota's RAV4 and Suzuki's SX4 in the segment SUV category.

- These 18 new models should represent a sales volume of 750,000 units a full year.

Data source: File #10 - Start of Production (SOP) of new and modified vehicles in Europe

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Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Honda will build a second assembly plant in India

- Honda accounts today for 2% of automobile production in India, far behind the four leaders: Suzuki: 30%, Tata: 21%, Hyundai-Kia: 16%, Mahindra: 8%. The Honda vehicle leader on the Indian market is the low-cost vehicle Honda Brio, a competitor of Toyota Etios.

- Honda announced that, in order to increase its position in India, it would build a second assembly plant, a project that he had suspended because of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. After having set up a first assembly plant and several automotive component factories, Honda plans to integrate the new assembly plant into its Tapakura site , in the state of Rajasthan, in 2014. The production of this new assembly plant will reach 120,000 units per year, double the current total currently produced in the first assembly plant.

- The carmaker will also launch five new vehicles in the next two or three years to strengthen its position in India.

Data source: File #104 - Worldwide Production data detailed by make from 2005 to 2012

Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Citroen launches a new C4 sedan with trunk in Russia

- Citroën will launch a new sedan (compact sedan with trunk) C4 onto the Russian market. This model should take on board the main features of the sedan C4 assembled in China and South America. This model is expected to match the Russian market demand better. The similar Peugeot 408 (compact sedan with trunk, based on the Peugeot 308) has recently taken over the 308 with some success in this market. The Citroën sedan C4 with trunk should likewise gradually replace the Citroen sedan C4 with hatchback (11,440 such vehicles sold last year in Russia – to put in perspective with the sales of 9543 Peugeot 408 and 9461 Peugeot 308-).

- In 2012, 32,859 Citroën vehicles were produced in Russia (against 25,574 in 2011) and 44,420 Peugeot (against 45,310 in 2011). In total, PSA sold 77,279 vehicles in Russia in 2012 (against 70 884 in 2011).

- The French group owns since 2010 a local plant located in Kaluga in which it produced 35,000 vehicles in 2012 (all exclusively for the Russian market).

Data source: File #10 - Start of Production (SOP) of new and modified vehicles in Europe

Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Bajaj plans to produce 60 000 RE-60 per year in a first phase

- Bajaj Auto is an independent Indian manufacturer of two-wheelers and three- wheelers.

- Its strategy is now to develop and produce four-wheel vehicles. It initially associated with Renault in this objective but the project failed..

- Bajaj Auto plans to produce 5000 units per month of its small car RE-60 in Aurangabad, east of Bombay (60 000 vehicles per year).

- Small RE-60 (four-seaterquadricycle) is part of a new category of small cars, which is subject to under-development specific standards and regulations. Bajaj Auto says it will take a few months to finalize the classification of these new vehicles.

- The Tata Nano is also expected to enter this new category of vehicles positioned below the segment A (Suzuki-Maruti 800, Hyundai i10). For the time being, Inovev name this category A-.

- This class A-(cheaper than Japanese Midget = K-cars according to the Japanese segmentation is expected to grow in the coming years, on some emerging markets with limited purchasing power. Renault ,inparticular, plans to launch a new model in this category.

Data source: File #104 - Worldwide Production data detailed by make from 2005 to 2012

Details: Published: 06 September 2022

Toyota IQ has failed to make a breakthrough on the world market

- The Toyota IQ, one of the shortest vehicle in the car market, could not prevail in any country. Positioned as a competitor of the Smart Fortwo, but with three seats instead of two, the Japanese model was proposed at a price (13 500 to 17 500 Euros) probably too high to allow it to compete efficiently with the Smart (10 000 to 15,000 Euros). The IQ was designed to address the small urban chic car clientele, but the model was probably considered too expensive .

- For a price lower than the IQ, Toyota offers the Aygo (9500 to 12 500 Euros). For a price similar to the IQ, Toyota sells the Yaris (13 200-19 500 euros), with more roominess. The Audi A1 which is also a chic supermini is not much more expensive (17 000-25 000 Euros) and offers much greater roominess and a more rewarding, image , as well as the Mini (16 000-30 000 Euros ).

- While the carmaker had set a target of 100,000 sales per year (annual sales level of the Smart Fortwo), the Toyota IQ has never overpassed 60 000 vehicles per year and quickly fell down to less than 20,000 vehicles per year.