The global market (passenger cars + light commercial vehicles) increased by 1.7% in 2024 compared to 2023
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The global market (passenger cars + light commercial vehicles) increased by 1.7% in 2024 compared to 2023
- According to Inovev, the global automotive market (passenger cars + light utility vehicles) increased by 1.7% in 2024 compared to 2023. This weak growth reflects a clear slowdown in the growth of global production since 2023 ended with an increase of 12.9% compared to 2022, after three years of crisis. The years 2020, 2021 and 2022 were marked by the COVID crisis (2020), then by the semiconductor crisis (2021), then by the supply crisis (2022) amplified by the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war and by the strong inflation growth.
- These three years have resulted in a total loss of between 30 million and 40 million vehicles, but the catch-up in 2023 and 2024 has only offset a small part of this volume, returning to a level reached in 2019, but which was already lower than those of the years 2016-2017-2018. The volume of new vehicle registrations (passenger cars + light utility vehicles) barely exceeds 82.2 million units in 2024, compared to nearly 81 million in 2023, 82.2 million in 2019 and 86 million in 2018.
- The most dynamic countries in 2024 were curiously Russia and Ukraine, two countries at war with each other, but apparently only affecting a small part of Ukraine today (20% of the territory located in the east of the country) pending a hypothetical ceasefire. The Russian market grew by 48% in 2024 and Ukraine by 24%, illustrating a partial recovery after two lean years. We also note the good performance of Canada (+9.0%) and Mexico (+9.9%), two countries targeted by the Trump administration (project of additional tariff on their exports to US). Brazil also performed well (+7.6%).
- Europe was relatively stable (-0.7%), will S.Korea (-5.6%), Japan (-7.5%) and Argentina (-5.9%) declined. Small increases for China (+3%), India (+3.4%) and the USA (+2.4%).
Inovev forecasts 50,000 units per year of the new Volvo ES90
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Inovev forecasts 50,000 units per year of the new Volvo ES90
- Swedish carmaker Volvo (a subsidiary of Chinese company Geely ) has unveiled its new ES90 E-segment sedan, which replaces the S90 launched in 2016. But unlike the S90, which was equipped with combustion engines, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and micro-hybrids (MHEVs), the new ES90 is equipped with a fully electric engine (BEV), hence the name ES90. Even though Volvo has reversed its goal of offering only fully electric engines in Europe by 2030, the carmaker continues to expand its electric range. The new Volvo ES90 is a long sedan (5.00 m), tall enough (1.55 m) to attract SUV drivers (Volvo says so), which competes with the BMW i5, Tesla Model S, Audi A6 E- Tron and Mercedes EQE.
- It uses the SPA2 platform of the EX90 SUV (E segment) with an 800V architecture. The electric engines start with the Single Motor equipped with a 333 hp (245 kW) rear motor coupled with an 88 kWh NMC battery allowing a range of 650 km according to the WLTP cycle. The Twin Motor is equipped with two motors (one at the front and one at the rear) totaling 449 hp (330 kW) coupled with a 102 kWh NMC battery allowing a range of 700 km according to the WLTP cycle.
- The Volvo ES90 has a fifth door at the rear, which is rare for an E-segment sedan. This is one of the reasons why the launch of an estate version (EV90) seems unlikely, as Volvo is instead focusing on its SUV range.
- The Volvo ES90 (sold for 75,000 to 90,000 euros in France) will not be produced in Europe but in China, Volvo having chosen this country because of its advanced infrastructure and its expertise in the manufacture of electric vehicles . Inovev is counting on 50,000 sales per year worldwide.
Smart #1 and #3 fail to establish themselves in Europe or China
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Smart #1 and #3 fail to establish themselves in Europe or China
- Nicolas Hayek, founder of the Swatch watch group, is the creator of the Swatchmobile unveiled in the 1990s and which would become – after some modifications – the Smart in 1998, with the help of Mercedes. This small two-seater model, 2.50 m long, was unrivaled in Europe. This is the reason why the Smart (renamed Fortwo at the time of the launch of the four-seater Forfour ) would meet with some success on the European market, as an A-segment city car. Of a total of 2.5 million Smarts produced in France ( Hambach in Lorraine) between 1998 and 2024, 2.1 million were two-seater versions ( Fortwo ) and 0.4 million were four-seater versions ( Forfour ). The first sales peak was reached in 2004-2005 (132,000 units per year) after the launch of the Forfour which doubled the brand's offering, before a slow decline observed between 2006 and 2014, the volume of Smart sales falling from 132,000 in 2005 to 54,000 in 2014, with the abandonment of the Forfour in 2007. The new generations of Fortwo and Forfour launched in 2014 relaunched the brand which reached a second sales peak in 2019 (113,000 units). But the parent company Mercedes then decided to switch the entire Smart range to 100% electric and sales collapsed (due to a price of 26,500 euros for an electric Smart compared to 12,500 euros for a thermal Smart). In 2020, only 27,000 Smart cars were sold in Europe. However, 140,000 electric Smart cars will be sold there by December 2024.
- Mercedes has decided to partner with China's Geely to design and produce the future electric Smart cars in China. The first B-segment model will be launched in 2023 and the third C-segment model in 2024. However, these larger and more expensive models than the previous Fortwo and Forfour have failed to establish themselves in either the European or Chinese markets.
- Global Smart sales rose to 87,500 units in 2023, up from 37,000 in 2022, and fell back to 57,500 in 2024. The bottom line is that the Fortwo and Forfour haven't really been replaced. Customers are demanding an affordable electric A-segment Smart.
Stellantis definitively stops production of the Fiorino small utility vehicle
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Stellantis definitively stops production of the Fiorino small utility vehicle
- Stellantis group has definitively stopped production of the small Fiat Fiorino utility vehicle launched in 2007 , which will have had a long commercial career of 17 years, at the end of 2024. This model, manufactured in Turkey, succeeded the Fiat Fiorino based on the Fiat Uno , which was manufactured in Italy.
- The Fiorino was the smallest utility vehicle in the Fiat range, which included the Doblo (N1-1), Scudo (N1-2) and Ducato (N1-3) at the upper level. In 2008, the Fiorino was released in Peugeot (Bipper) and Citroën ( Nemo ) versions , the two French brands not having such a small utility model in their catalogue.
- The Fiat Fiorino utility vehicle lived its commercial career in the shadow of the Fiat Doblo , which was more popular due to its larger loading capacity. The Fiorino had its best period during the economic crisis of 2009-2010, during which demand shifted towards smaller models, encouraged by scrappage incentives. In 2009 and 2010, the Fiorino reached 120,000 units produced per year before falling back to 80,000 and then 40,000 in the following years.
- The Fiat Fiorino was restyled in 2016, while the Citroën Nemo and Peugeot Bipper disappeared at the same time. The PSA group, owner of the Citroën and Peugeot brands, had decided that the future of utility vehicles did not lie in this small format but rather in larger formats such as the future Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner, which will be launched in 2018. In 2024, Fiat (integrated into the Stellantis group since 2021) drew the same conclusion by abandoning and not replacing the Fiorino.
Inovev expects between 200,000 and 250,000 units of the new Audi A6 per year
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Inovev expects between 200,000 and 250,000 units of the new Audi A6 per year
- Audi has presented the replacement for the combustion engine Audi A6 ( code C8), which was supposed to be called the A7, but is now called the A6 following a new policy change regarding the brand's model naming.
- The new Audi A6 with combustion engine (code C9), which should not be confused with the Audi A6 E- Tron with 100% electric powertrain, is unveiled only in Avant estate version (traditionally the best-selling version of the Audi A6). It is therefore not certain that a sedan version will be launched in the coming months, at least in Europe (but perhaps in China). The VW group (of which Audi is a part) had already done the same thing with the new VW Passat, available only as an estate.
- The new Audi A6 Avant, which is 5 cm longer to reach 4.99 m, is based on the PPC platform reserved for thermal and hybrid engines (F-HEV, PHEV, MHEV) unlike the Audi A6 E- Tron based on the PPE platform dedicated to 100% electric engines. Its engines are ultra-known: the four-cylinder 2.0 TFSI petrol with 204 hp (150 kW), the V6 3.0 TFSI petrol micro-hybrid (MHEV) with 367 hp (270 kW) and the four-cylinder 2.0 TDI diesel micro-hybrid (MHEV) with 204 hp (150 kW). Plug-in hybrid engines (PHEV) will be added to the range in 2026, as well as sporty S6 and RS6 versions.
- The new Audi A6 Avant, priced between 70,000 and 80,000 euros depending on the version, competes directly with the BMW 5 Series Touring estate and Mercedes E-Class estate. The model will be produced in Neckarsulm (Germany) and Changchun (China) as today, at a rate of 200,000 to 250,000 units per year in total , this volume to depend on the intensity of the success of the electric Audi A6 E- Tron over the next few years. Audi is ready to increase production of the thermal versions if the electric versions have difficulty taking off, whether in Europe or in China, the converse being also true.
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