Category Archives: results

40 MPG Hyundai Models Continue to Set Sales Records

Call it luck or call it planning, but Hyundai’s emphasis on fuel economy and interior room is paying sales dividends. The Korean maker announced today that it had sold its 100,000 40 mpg vehicle this year as rated on the EPA highway cycle. Continue reading

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New Vehicles Overpriced, Sending Sales to Used?

About 8% of the people who bought a used vehicle in June were trying to decide between purchasing a new or used car and elected for the older one. This means that approximately 360,000 new-vehicle sales went to older vehicles. That’s two final assembly plants worth, and it doesn’t include supporting component parts plants at a time when unemployment is officially more than 9%. Continue reading

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Japan Auto Production -31% in May. Export Loses $2.89 Billion

The total value of automobiles exported for May 2011 was $6.76 billion, including $4.49 billion for vehicles and $2.27 billion for parts. This is a decrease of $2.89 billion or -30% compared with $9.65 billion for the same month of the previous year. Continue reading

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Toyota Recalls 80,000 Highlander Hybrid and RX 400h Vehicles

Toyota Motor Sales, USA (TMS) today said that it will recall about 45,500 Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h vehicles sold in the U.S in what appears to be the first recalls for its hybrid drive system.

In a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Japanese company said that the so called Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the Hybrid System Inverter contains a control board with defective transistors. Transistors on the control boards in some of 2006-2007 model year Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h SUVs were inadequately soldered and could be damaged from heat caused by a large current flow during high-load driving. Continue reading

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Honda Overseas and Japan Production Down Again in May

Honda Motor Company in Japan today announced that vehicle production declined by more than 50% for the month of May 2011. It was the third straight month that production dropped due to the ongoing negative effects of the Japan earthquake and tsunami in March. Continue reading

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Nissan Announces Ambitious Global Growth Plan

Things are going to get better during the next five years for Nissan Motor Company, the Yokohama based automaker announced this morning. In unveiling what is an ambitious six year business plan, Japan’s number two automaker said that it will deliver on average an all-new vehicle every six weeks for six years. As a result, the company’s global portfolio will have 66 vehicles and will cover 92% of all markets and segments, Nissan claimed. Continue reading

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June New Vehicle Sales to Improve Slightly from a Weak May

Nonetheless, Power has reduced its 2011 retail sales forecast to a meager 10.5 million units from 10.6 million units. The forecast for total sales has been revised to 12.9 million units from 13 million units. Continue reading

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Quality Drops Drastically as Automakers Introduce New Models

After a four year run of improving quality, the trend has reversed itself as the initial quality of 2011 new vehicle launches has declined considerably in the latest study. Overall initial quality improved to an average of 107 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2011 from 109 PP100 in 2010. However, launch models – vehicles that are all-new or have had major redesigns – saw ratings drop by 10% to an average of 122 PP100 in 2011 from 111 PP100 in 2010. Continue reading

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Nissan Says Sales up Profits down for 2011 from Earthquake

Nissan Motor Company today said in a statement that it thinks full-year profits will fall 15% and net income may decline to ¥270 billion (~$3.4 billion) for 12 months ending 31 March 2012. That’s down from ¥319.2 billion compared to the 2010 fiscal year. The financial results were based on foreign exchange rate assumptions of ¥80.:$1 and ¥115:1€. Continue reading

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European Car Sales Rise 7% in May. Still Lag Pre-Crisis Levels

European car sales are of concern for U.S. taxpayers because they have been undermining the financial performance of General Motors and Fiat, which controls Chrysler. Both GM’s Opel subsidiary and Fiat are struggling in Europe. Even Ford Motor results are negatively affected by Europe, which remains a drag on its earnings. Continue reading

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Vehicle Satisfaction Declines in Germany after Subsidies

Two years after a massive taxpayer subsidized scrappage program boosted the German new car market, customer vehicle satisfaction with their purchases declined from previous levels. Industry wide satisfaction in vehicle quality and reliability, vehicle appeal, and service declined as well. Continue reading

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With BMW EV Due, Study Says Range Anxiety Not an Issue

One of the observations about the 80 to 100 mile range – that it’s acceptable – challenges conventional wisdom. This will be tested further when the all-electric BMW Active E becomes available in some U.S. markets beginning in late 2011. A two-year lease will be $499 a month with a $2,250 down payment. A series production BMW I3 follows in 2013. Continue reading

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Volkswagen – Stalking Toyota – Sets Record for Car Sales

Volkswagen wants to be the world’s largest automaker by 2018, which would require it to overtake Toyota and General Motors, the number one and number two global sales leaders respectively in 2010. VW brand deliveries in North America, 194,600 vehicles (162,600; +19.7%) in the first five months, were characterized as “very encouraging.”

Nonetheless VW remains a minor player in what remains a major global market. As part of the world dominance plan, Volkswagen Group said it will sell 800,000 VW models annually in the United States by 2018 – 1,000,000 with Bentley and Audi included. In the U.S., all VW Group brands delivered 360,300 units during 2010, corresponding to growth of 20.9% – a long way short of the goal. Continue reading

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Honda Motor Predicts $2.4 Billion Profit Drop from Earthquake

This represents a 63.5% decline for Japan’s third largest automaker compared to the previous year, the result of production disruptions caused by the Japan earthquake and tsunami, rebuilding costs, as well as a strong Yen at an unprecedented ¥80:$1. Continue reading

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India to be Third Largest Auto Market behind China and U.S.

India will become the world’s third largest light vehicle market by the end of the decade behind China and the U.S., according to a new study. However, India won’t be as profitable as the other two. That prediction comes after India eclipsed France, the United Kingdom and Italy to become the sixth-largest global auto market in the world last year. Continue reading

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