India's automobile exports increased 17.8% in 2022
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India's automobile exports increased 17.8% in 2022
- India's automobile exports increased 17.8% in 2022 from 2021 to 733,183 units, recovering for the second consecutive year. The decline in the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the normalization of domestic production activities have led to a recovery in exports. As a result, carmakers Maruti-Suzuki, Kia, Renault and Honda recorded good export results in 2022. Thus, Maruti-Suzuki exported 260,000 cars in 2022 compared to 205,000 in 2021, Hyundai exported 150,000 cars in 2022 compared to 130,000 in 2021, Kia exported 80,000 cars in 2022 compared to 40,000 in 2021. These three carmakers alone will account for two thirds of Indian automobile exports in 2022.
- Passenger car exports increased by 20.0% to 644,875 units. Sedans increased by 18.0% to 415,547 units while SUVs and MPVs increased by 23.8% to 228,801 units. Meanwhile, exports of utility vehicles increased by 3.9% to 88,308 units, including light utility vehicles (LUV) which increased by 12.1% to 61,454 units, but heavy utility vehicles (HUV) fell 11.0% to 26,854 units.
- When we look at the curve of Indian automobile exports since 2011, we see that they continued to progress between 2011 and 2016, going from 600,000 units in 2011 to 850,000 in 2016. Then they declined between 2017 and 2020, going from 850,000 to 450,000 units in 2020, the year of Covid-19. The relaunch took place in 2021 with a volume of 625,000 units exported and this relaunch continued in 2022, with a volume of 733,000 units exported. These variations are mainly the consequence of external demand.
Inovev forecasts 50,000 units per year of the new Mercedes CLE coupe
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Inovev forecasts 50,000 units per year of the new Mercedes CLE coupe
- Mercedes has decided to replace its two C-Class (D-segment) and E-Class (E-segment) coupés with a single coupé called CLE combining the two old proposals, namely a line inherited from the C-Class coupé with dimensions close to the E-Class coupé. The new Mercedes CLE coupe thus measures 4.85 m, 16 cm longer than the old C-Class coupe and 1 cm longer than the old E-Class coupe (E-segment). The CLE dimensions is close to the BMW 8 series ones, and not on those of the BMW 4 Series coupé (D-segment) or the Audi A5 coupé (D-segment).
- The new CLE becomes Mercedes' only two-door four-seat coupe, following the recent phasing out of the S-Class. It meets two objectives: to offer more space on board than in the old C-Class coupe and to offer a more dynamic line than that of the old E-Class coupe. We can even discern several details reminiscent of the old S-Class coupe (F-segment), like the lines on the hood or the general line.
- The new Mercedes CLE coupé is offered with a 204 hp (CLE 200) and 258 hp (CLE 300) 2.0 petrol engine and a 197 hp 2.0 diesel engine (CLE 220d). These engines are fitted with 48V micro-hybridization (MHEV) as standard.
- Two more powerful engines will be available from next year: a 381 hp six-cylinder petrol engine (CLE 450) and a 313 hp four-cylinder petrol engine (CLE 300 e) already seen under the hood of the C-Class sedan and the GLC SUV. Inovev forecasts 50,000 units a year of the German-made CLE coupe.
Denza becomes BYD's premium brand
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Denza becomes BYD's premium brand
- The BYD brand has certainly been making strong progress on the Chinese market for two years, but until then it suffered from a disadvantage compared to its local competitors (SAIC, FAW, Dongfeng, Geely, Changan, Chery, Great Wall), that to be able to distribute only one mainstream brand covering all segments. A Premium brand that would succeed in attracting export customers would enrich BYD's catalogue and could increase the carmaker's profitability while raising its brand image. This is what BYD managed to do thanks to the purchase of 40% of the 50% that Mercedes held in the Denza brand created in 2010 with BYD, the latter already holding 50%. With 90% of Denza's shares, BYD becomes the full owner.
- BYD is taking the opportunity to make Denza its new Premium brand. This could soon be imported to Europe.
- Let us add that the Denza brand created by BYD and Mercedes in 2010 was from the start dedicated to the production of electrified cars (BEV and PHEV), which was a strategy widely used at that time by carmakers established in China, most of them local carmakers deciding to create brands specializing only in electrified cars. Unfortunately, not all of these brands have survived.
- As for the Denza brand, it has never experienced incredible sales figures, the volume from 2010 until the acquisition by BYD in 2022 not exceeding 25,000 units in total, which represents an average of 2,500 sales per year… BYD now has free hands to develop the Denza brand according to its own strategy and expand its customer base upwards.
Inovev forecasts 300,000 units per year of the new Toyota Land Cruiser SUV
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Inovev forecasts 300,000 units per year of the new Toyota Land Cruiser SUV
- Toyota presented the new generation of its high-end SUV, the Land Cruiser (E segment), which traditionally competes with the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender SUVs. Moreover, the first generation of the Land Cruiser launched at the beginning of the 1950s was directly inspired by the American Jeep Willys from which it took the chassis. Gradually, over the years, the Land Cruiser has “gentrified” to the point of becoming a competitor to the Range Rover (whose origins date back to 1970). The success of the Land Cruiser has also grown. Since the first generation, more than 10 million copies have been sold around the world, including 5 million since 2005. The new generation presented today replaces the one that appeared in 2009.
- Based on Toyota's GA-F platform, it adopts a neo-retro line with many straight angles. The model is available as usual in a five or seven seater version. Its engines will be either a 201 hp turbocharged 2.8 diesel or a 48V micro-hybrid 2.8 diesel (MHEV) which will be the first electrified version of the Land Cruiser since its debut.
- The new generation of the Land Cruiser will have to try to revive sales of the model which had reached 400,000 sales per year in 2012 and 2014, before falling to 250,000 sales per year in 2018 and 2019, then 200,000 in 2020. In 2022, global sales of the Land Cruiser increased slightly to 230,000 units. Inovev forecasts an average of 250,000 units per year of the new Toyota Land Cruiser which will continue to be produced at the Japanese Tahara site, alongside its Lexus version (GX).
Dongfeng brand to focus on utility vehicles
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Dongfeng brand to focus on utility vehicles
- We saw in a previous Auto Analysis that the third large traditional Chinese group, Dongfeng, has experienced a constant decline since 2017.
From 3.7 million vehicles produced in 2016, its production volume fell to 2.7 million in 2020 and only 1.9 million in 2023 (Inovev forecasts). Dongfeng is suffering from the cumulative fall in sales of Peugeot, Citroën, Renault, Nissan, Honda and Kia. But its own passenger car brand, Dongfeng, marketed in China is experiencing significant difficulties to face the numerous and fierce competition. Its sales have continued to decline for five years, going from 415,011 units in 2018 to 349,877 in 2019 and 254,112 in 2020. The year 2021 did not really record a recovery, with 273,300 units sold. To make matters worse, the “utility vehicles” subsidiary (Dongfeng is one of the largest producers of heavy utility vehicles in China) saw its sales collapse, going from 671,694 units in 2020 to 393,540 in 2022.
From 3.7 million vehicles produced in 2016, its production volume fell to 2.7 million in 2020 and only 1.9 million in 2023 (Inovev forecasts). Dongfeng is suffering from the cumulative fall in sales of Peugeot, Citroën, Renault, Nissan, Honda and Kia. But its own passenger car brand, Dongfeng, marketed in China is experiencing significant difficulties to face the numerous and fierce competition. Its sales have continued to decline for five years, going from 415,011 units in 2018 to 349,877 in 2019 and 254,112 in 2020. The year 2021 did not really record a recovery, with 273,300 units sold. To make matters worse, the “utility vehicles” subsidiary (Dongfeng is one of the largest producers of heavy utility vehicles in China) saw its sales collapse, going from 671,694 units in 2020 to 393,540 in 2022.
- Dongfeng therefore made four decisions to halt its decline:
§ Dongfeng has decided to boost its Fengshen brand which is progressing well thanks to a vast product range well adapted to demand: its sales increased from 95,311 units in 2018 to 130,300 in 2021 and 226,330 in 2022.
§ Second decision: the creation of a Premium brand (Voyah) like other Chinese carmakers.
§ Third decision: the creation of a new passenger car brand (Seres) which will gradually take over all Dongfeng brand passenger cars.
Seres has already sold 107,711 units in 2022, formerly badged Dongfeng.
Seres has already sold 107,711 units in 2022, formerly badged Dongfeng.
§ Fourth decision: The Dongfeng brand will focus on the subsidiary's “utility vehicle" products.
- According to Dongfeng, its three brands Fengshen, Seres and Voyah should partly compensate for the losses suffered by JVs producing foreign brand models which should accelerate over the coming years.
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