Mitsubishi relaunches the Outlander in Europe
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Mitsubishi relaunches the Outlander in Europe
- After announcing its departure from the European market, the Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi (in which Nissan has held a 34% stake since 2016), reversed its decision by adopting the bodies and engines of the Renault Clio and Captur, for the Mitsubishi Colt and Mitsubishi ASX. Several other Renault-based models are planned by 2028, such as a rebadging of the Renault Scenic E-Tech in 2026 and a rebadging of the Renault R5 E-Tech in 2027. These two models will be the first battery electric from the Mitsubishi brand since the end of the i-Miev which were rebranded as Citroën C-Zero and Peugeot Ion.
- Two other end-of-life models continue to be marketed by Mitsubishi until the end of the year, these are the Space Star (A/B-segment sedan) and the Eclipse Cross (C-SUV segment ). In 2023, out of 41,441 Mitsubishis sold in Europe (EU + UK + Switzerland + Norway), the Space Star represented 23,012 units, the ASX 8,432 units, the Eclipse Cross 8,244 units and the Colt 1,662 units.
- To complete its European range and increase the level of its sales, Mitsubishi has decided to bring the plug-in hybrid Outlander back to the European market, after its ending in 2021. The Outlander is in fact very well known in Europe, having been there distributed in approximately 425,000 units since 2006 and because it was the pioneer of plug-in hybrid vehicles marketed at a large scale.
- The new Outlander, known in Japan since 2020, will therefore make its return to Europe by the end of 2024. It owes nothing to Renault, its main engine being a 2.3 liter petrol with 136 hp coupled to a 116 hp electric motor at the front and another at the rear, delivering a total of 302 hp distributed to all four wheels. In its best years, the old Outlander achieved 40,000 sales per year in Europe. Estimated price of the new one: approximately 48,000 euros.
Cupra completes its range with the Terramar and Tavascan SUVs
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Cupra completes its range with the Terramar and Tavascan SUVs
The very young Cupra brand (created in 2018 to integrate high-end vehicles from SEAT), Spanish subsidiary of the Volkswagen group (like Seat which still exists), has just completed its range with two new SUVs of different styles and also different engines, since one is equipped with thermal or hybrid engines and the other with a battery electric motor.
1. Terramar: this 4.52 m long SUV takes up the MQB platform of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Audi Q3 SUVs. Like these two models, it is therefore equipped only with thermal and plug-in hybrid engines (PHEV): a 1.5 TSI with 150 hp (110 kW) and a 1.5 plug-in hybrid with 272 hp (200 kW). It is assembled in the Hungarian factory in Gyor alongside the Audi Q3. Its style is reminiscent of the CupraFormentor but more imposing (it is 7 cm longer and 6 cm higher). However, it is lower (1.58 m) than its direct competitors, which gives it a more dynamic appearance. The Terramar will gradually replace the old Seat / CupraAteca (4.39 m long) whose origins date back to 2016. Prices for the Terramar will be around 47,500 to 60,000 euros depending on the version. Inovev forecasts 50,000 sales each year.
2. Tavascan: this 4.64 m long SUV uses the MEB platform of the Volkswagen ID3, ID4, ID5 and ID7. It is therefore equipped only with a battery electric motor from 286 hp to 340 hp (210 kW to 250 kW). Its positioning places the model at the level of the Volkswagen ID5 and the Skoda Enyaq coupe. Tavascan is made in China. Its price is 47,000 to 65,000 euros depending on the version. Inovev forecasts 50,000 sales each year.
The Volkswagen Polo is now produced in South Africa
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The Volkswagen Polo is now produced in South Africa
- In a previous Auto Analysis, we announced the end of production in Europe of the Volkswagen Polo (B-segment sedan) at the beginning of July 2024, while the car still found 136,000 customers last year on this market and 67,000 over the first half of 2024.
- The carmaker has announced that it wants to continue deliveries of the Polo but from its South African factory in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) which already produces this model for the local market as well as for Europe but in reduced quantities.
- From now on, this factory founded in 1951, which produced 101,557 Polos in 2023 compared to 108,422 in 2019, will become the production site dedicated to the production of the Polo for all African and European markets.
- This site will therefore have to increase its production capacity to be able to absorb the annual sales of the Polo in Europe (which should gradually decline), in addition to the 50,000 annual sales made in South Africa.
- As for the Spanish plant in Pamplona where the Polo was assembled until now, it will continue to produce the B segment SUVs with thermal engine (Taigo and T-Cross) and will receive two new battery electric models in 2026: the SUV version of the future Volkswagen ID2 (perhaps named ID2 X) and its Skoda derivative known as Epiq. The Pamplona factory will therefore become a factory fully dedicated to SUVs from 2026. Remember that the future Volkswagen ID2 sedan (considered by VW as the real replacement for the Polo) will be assembled in Martorell (Spain), as for its Skoda and Cupra derivatives.
Why Stellantis chose the Zaragoza site to produce the Lancia Ypsilon
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Why Stellantis chose the Zaragoza site to produce the Lancia Ypsilon
- The Lancia Ypsilon was produced in Italy from 1995 to 2011 then in Poland from 2011 to 2024. The new generation which was launched this year on the basis of the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa is now produced in Spain (in Zaragoza). We can question the relevance of this new transfer, Poland still benefiting from lower production costs than those practiced in Western Europe.
- The main reason is that the new battery electric Ypsilon takes many elements from the battery electric Peugeot 208 and battery electric Opel Corsa (including the platform and the engine) which are produced in Zaragoza in Spain.
- This new arrival was made possible thanks to the transfer of the Citroën C3 Aircross and Opel Frontera (ex-Crossland) from Zaragoza to Trnava in Slovakia. The Trnava factory had seen the assembly of the Peugeot 208 transferred to Spain (for the electric versions) and to Morocco (for the thermal versions).
- As for the Polish factory in Tichy which assembled the old Lancia Ypsilon, it will suffer not only the end of production of this model but also of the Fiat 500 with a thermal engine. In compensation, this factory saw the arrival of the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 600 and Alfa-Romeo Junior, but these three models will probably not be able to completely offset the loss of the Lancia Ypsilon and Fiat 500, in particular because these three models are delivered partly in an electric version and that the electric market is stagnating. Stellantis has undoubtedly overestimated the electric market. This observation also applies to the sales of electric Fiat 500 which have been declining since the start of the year.
Production of the Renault Twingo ceased in August 2024
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Production of the Renault Twingo ceased in August 2024
- These last few years, almost all A-segment models have gradually disappeared from European automobile production, when the market represented less than 10% of total car sales in Europe over the last twenty years. After the Ford Ka (2008-2016), the Opel Adam (2013-2019), the Seat Mii (2011-2021), the Skoda Citigo (2011-2021), the Smart Forfour (2014-2021), the Citroën C1 (2014-2022), the Peugeot 108 (2014-2022), the Volkswagen Up (2011-2023), the Smart Fortwo (2014-2024), the Fiat 500 (2015-2024), it's the Renault's turn Twingo (2014-2024) to fade away and only being replaced in 2026.
- The Renault Twingo III which has just disappeared was the result of a cooperation between Renault and Mercedes, for the purpose of sharing costs. Based on the same platform, the Renault Twingo III and Smart Forfour were assembled in the Renault Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia. The Smart Fortwo was based on this same shortened platform, which Renault will not use for its own account. The Fortwo, unlike the Forfour, was assembled in France, on the Smart site in Hambach.
- Renault wanted to launch a replacement (thermal and electric versions) of the Twingo last year, in cooperation with Volkswagen, but this project failed. In March 2024, at the Geneva Motor Show, the president of Renault, Luca de Meo, aware of the need to launch small, moderately priced electric cars in Europe, called for the creation of an “Airbus of the small car electricity” in order to pool costs, but for the moment this wish remains unanswered, despite the Chinese threat which imposes itself in a significant way.