Nissan will stop the production of Navara and Cabstar in Europe
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Nissan will stop the production of Navara and Cabstar in Europe
- Nissan will stop production of the Navara pickup truck produced in Barcelona (Spain) before the end of the year after stopping the production of the small Cabstar truck in Avila (Spain). Nissan will therefore have closed its two Spanish factories before December 2021, and only remains in Europe its British plant of Sunderland, which produces the Nissan Juke, Nissan Leaf and Nissan Qashqai.
- The Barcelona plant had already ceased the production of Renault Alaskan and Mercedes Classe X pick-ups, and will cease the production of NV200 and NV e-200 vans in the coming weeks, which will be replaced by the new Nissan Townstar (twin brother of the Renault Kangoo and Mercedes Citan), which has just been unveiled.
- The Avila plant, meanwhile, ceased the production of the Renault Maxity and Nissan Cabstar small trucks late last year, with current sales of these vehicles being made on stock.
- This closure of Nissan plants in Europe can be explained for several reasons: Firstly, a pick-up market which did not took of in Europe as much as the carmakers had hoped. Secondly, a cheaper production cost for pick-ups made in Thailand. Thirdly, Nissan's sales potential which has declined considerably in recent years in Europe. Fourthly, a production volume of small trucks produced in Avila too low to be profitable. Finaly, Nissan's desire to focus on a more compact and profitable compact SUVs market. This is why the Juke and Qashqai are and will be made in Europe and why the Nissan Leaf will soon be replaced by a compact SUV with a fully electric powertrain.
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Inovev forecasts 50,000 units per year of the new BMW Active Tourer
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Inovev forecasts 50,000 units per year of the new BMW Active Tourer
- Even if mainstream carmakers are gradually leaving the MPV market, Premium BMW and Mercedes carmakers continue to sell models in this segment. Ford has phased out its B-Max (B-segment) and C-Max (C-segment) and plans to phase out its S-Max and Galaxy (D-segment) next year. Opel has discontinued its Meriva (B-segment) and Zafira (C-segment). Fiat has discontinued its Idea (B-segment) and Multipla(C-segment) since a long time. Renault will end its Scénic and Espace next year. Citroën is preparing to discontinue its C4 Space Tourer (C-segment). Also, Volkswagen will stop its Touran and Sharan next year. Indeed, the MPV market is shrinking.
- Mercedes renewed its B-Class in 2019, but its sales are much lower than the old generation: 95,010 units in 2019 and 51,128 in 2020, against 128,247 in 2018. At BMW, even if sales of the Active Tourer fell to 35,284 units in 2020, against 76,958 in 2019 and 95,972 in 2018, the Bavarian carmaker still believes in this market by launching a second generation of the model.
- Given the success of SUVs in all markets - including those for the BMW brand - and the slow but irreversible growth in sales of electric vehicles, it is likely that the new BMW Active Tourer will attract only a small customer base, especially as this model will not have a fully electric motorisation but only a plug-in hybrid motorisation of 242 hp. In addition, it will be available in a 168 hp 1.5 petrol version and a 148 hp 2.0 diesel version. Inovev forecasts 50,000 annual sales of the new BMW Active Tourer.
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Citroën wants to develop in emerging countries
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Citroën wants to develop in emerging countries
- Integrated into the Stellantis group as an entry-level brand in the same way as Fiat, the Citroën brand has been set a new objective: the globalisation. More precisely by developing its presence in emerging markets in order to target first-time buyers of motor vehicles.
- Effort was therefore requested on an adaptation of its European models to the Indian and South American markets, even if the Fiat brand is already well established in South America and could be a serious competitor for the French brand in this region.
- In India, Fiat disappeared after having been one of the pioneers there, with the “Premier” brand producing a version of the old Fiat 1100. Citroën therefore has more opportunities to establish itself in this country and its first model truly adapted to this market has just been revealed. It is a derivative of the Citroën C3 sold in Europe but modified for the Indian market. A little shorter (3.98 m) than the European C3, it is longer than the Renault Kwid (3.68 m) marketed on the Indian market, but as long as the Renault Kiger which has just been unveiled and which will be its main competitor.
- The Indian Citroën C3 will be produced in Chennai and a Tata badged version will also be marketed on the Indian market, the French model having been developped in partnership with the Indian carmaker, which is currently experiencing some difficulties in its market. The Citroën has a 1l 3-cylinder engine.
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Great Wall is preparing its new entry into the European market
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Great Wall is preparing its new entry into the European market
- After a first attempt to enter the European market, via an assembly plant in Bulgaria (Lovech) which only operated from 2012 to 2016 and whose main product was a pick-up with a thermal engine which has not really found its market, as out of nearly 20,000 units produced in four years, only half would have found buyers in Europe, especially in Bulgaria. The Lovech factory closed in 2016 and the sale of unsold models continued for several years.
- The carmaker Great Wall now intends to return to the European market in 2022, with two new cars, the first one will be fully electric (Ora Cat) and the second a plug-in hybrid (Wey Coffee).
- The Ora Cat is a 4.23 m long B-segment four-door sedan (17 centimetres longer than a Peugeot 208) with a full electric engine and two battery powers allowing a range of 300 km or 400 km, according to the WLTP cycle. This model will be offered at a price of around 30,000 euros, which is slightly less than a Peugeot e-208 (32,700 euros) or a Renault Zoé (32,500 to 34,800 euros) but more than a Renault Twingo ZE (21 500 euros), from a sub-segment.
- The Wey Coffee is an D-segment plug-in hybrid SUV of 4.87 m long (30 centimetres more than a DS 7 Crossback and 25 centimetres more than a Toyota RAV4) priced at 50,000 euros, either cheaper than a DS 7 Crossback PHEV (50,800 to 56,300 euros) or a Toyota RAV4 PHEV (52,650 euros). While most plug-in hybrid models range between 15 kWh of capacity, the Wey Coffee comes with a 42 kWh pack.
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Toyota has just launched its new Corolla Cross SUV
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Toyota has just launched its new Corolla Cross SUV
- Toyota has just launched its new Corolla Cross SUV based on the Corolla sedan in North America. By its dimensions (4.46 m long), it is placed between the Toyota CHR (B-segment / 4.23 m) and the Toyota RAV4 (D-segment / 4.60 m). So this is a C-segment SUV which is to the Corolla what the Yaris Cross is to the Yaris.
- The Corolla Cross is based on the Toyota's TNGA-C platform (Corolla, RAV4, etc.) and is more inspired by RAV4 than CHR. It has a 2.0-liter petrol engine producing 169 hp. An hybrid engine (the same as the Corolla) will be added in 2022, but no diesel planned for this model. It is produced at Toyota's Blue Springs plant (USA) since August 2021 and is currently sold in North America. Like the Toyota Camry and Highlander, the Toyota Corolla Cross could be imported from the United States to Europe from next year, with the carmaker wishes to take advantage of the success of SUVs in Europe.
- The Corolla Cross will try to expand the range of Toyota SUVs and catch customers of Corolla and RAV4 whose sales figures are extremely important, as in 2020 there are nearly one million units sold in the world for each of the two models. And as it grew, the Toyota RAV4 left a segment available in Toyota's product lineup, a Nissan Qashqai-sized vehicle that is lacking in Toyota's lineup today.
- Other carmakers offer several SUVs in the same segment, such as Volkswagen (T-Roc, Tiguan), Audi (Q2, Q3), Opel (Crossland, Mokka) or Hyundai (Bayon, Kona), Toyota would only add to this list. The CHR, Corolla Cross and RAV4 could thus coexist in the same European range.
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Read more... Toyota has just launched its new Corolla Cross SUV
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