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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Mazda Unveils the All-New CX-5

    Mazda Unveils the All-New CX-5

    Mazda Motor Corporation today unveiled the all-new Mazda CX-5 crossover SUV. The fully redesigned model, which refines every element of Mazda’s design and technology to offer new dimensions of driving pleasure, will be launched in Japan in February before being rolled out to global markets.

    The slogan for development of the all-new CX-5 was “an SUV all customers will enjoy,” and Mazda aimed to add a new dimension by offering driving pleasure that everyone on board can enjoy—not just the driver. The model is engineered in line with human sensibilities to deliver responsive performance that conforms to the driver’s expectations. It also prioritizes passenger comfort, with a quiet cabin and pleasant ride feel, and adopts G-Vectoring Control, the first of the SKYACTIV-VEHICLE DYNAMICS vehicle motion control technologies. Designed under the KODO—Soul of Motion design theme, the exterior is both bold and sensual, and the interior has been crafted to give occupants a pleasant feeling. The body color lineup includes the newly developed Soul Red Crystal, which highlights the beauty and quality of Mazda’s KODO designs.

    The powertrain lineup comprises the SKYACTIV-G 2.0 and 2.5 gasoline, and SKYACTIV-D 2.2 diesel engines. All three options offer powerful, linear driving performance and outstanding environmental performance.

    The all-new CX-5 will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public Nov. 18-27.

    Launched in 2012, the CX-5 was the first new-generation model featuring SKYACTIV technology2 and KODO design. It has since grown into a core model that is sold in over 120 countries and accounts for approximately one quarter of Mazda’s global sales volume.3 It has won around 90 awards worldwide, including 2012-2013 Japan Car of the Year.4

    By providing driving pleasure to everybody who drives or rides in one of its vehicles, Mazda aims to enrich people’s lives and become a brand with which customers feel an emotional connection.

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  • Jaguar Electrifies With I-PACE Concept Car

    Jaguar Electrifies With I-PACE Concept Car

    Jaguar’s engineering and design teams have torn up the rule book to create a bespoke electric architecture, matched with dramatic design. The result is no-compromise smart, five seat sports car and a performance SUV in one.

    Ian Callum, Director of Design, said: “The I-PACE Concept represents the next generation of electric vehicle design. It’s a dramatic, future-facing cab-forward design with a beautiful interior – the product of authentic Jaguar DNA, electric technology and contemporary craftsmanship.

    “Our virtual reality reveal today has pushed technology boundaries as well, and captures the hi-tech essence of the concept car. We only have one concept car and it is in LA for the reveal. For the first time, VR has allowed us to share it across the globe in the most immersive way possible.”

    This unique and world-first ‘social VR’ reveal is believed to be the largest live and connected VR event of its type to date. Throughout the day more than 300 guests were transported into a specially created life-like virtual space, into which, two of the car’s creators, Ian Callum and Ian Hoban were projected.

    From VR hubs in Los Angeles and London, groups of 66 guests including A-list stars Michelle Rodriguez, Miranda Kerr, James Corden and David Gandy, used HTC Vive Business Edition headsets, powered by Dell Precision workstations, to put themselves inside the concept car and interact live with other participants. Guests ‘sat’ on the concept’s virtual seats, had a 360[0] view of Venice Beach as the concept was built piece by piece around them, and saw the I-PACE Concept race towards them across a virtual desert.

    Dr Wolfgang Ziebart, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “This is an uncompromised electric vehicle designed from a clean sheet of paper: we’ve developed a new architecture and selected only the best technology available.”

    The I-PACE Concept transforms the electric driving experience and offers the driver-focused performance and response Jaguar is renowned for. To help deliver this, the I-PACE has electric motors on the front and rear axles. Their combined output is 400PS and 700Nm of torque – the same torque rating as the F-TYPE SVR, accelerating from 0-60mph in around four seconds. For rapid charging, using a typical public 50 KW DC charging network, a full charge will take just over 2 hours – enough to deliver more than 220 miles range.

    The virtual reality experience also allowed participants to sit in the front and rear of the Jaguar I-PACE Concept and explore the beautiful interior, discovering hidden details and features.

    Ian Callum said: “The interior of the I-PACE Concept is finished with beautiful, premium materials and an unwavering attention to detail. From the expansive panoramic glass roof to the sporting, beautifully finished seats, every feature bears the hallmark of British craftsmanship.”

    Renowned VR Director, Alexander Horton, led the creative direction. Participants experienced the car being built around them, speeding towards them and appearing to fall to Earth from another planet – clearly signalling the future-forward nature of the revolutionary Jaguar.

    The new and exciting VR platform pushed the boundaries further than ever before, with the inclusion of social interaction and a live presenter broadcast into a single VR world, so groups in both LA and London were able to communicate and interact with one another.

    The VR content from the reveal will now be available on Vive Port through a dedicated Jaguar app allowing consumers to experience the I-PACE Concept at home.

    Jaguar joined forces with VR leaders HTC, Computer experts Dell and Creative agencies ReWind and Imagination to create the world’s largest, global, connected VR experience.

    Hervé Fontaine, Vice President Virtual Reality B2B and Business Development at HTC said: “Jaguar Land Rover is renowned for its innovative spirit, and with Vive Business Edition we’re thrilled to be the virtual reality partner to help bring to life their latest launch. With the blend of cinematics and Vive’s room-scale VR technology, the I-PACE Concept VR experience offers an incredible level of immersion, and showcases an exciting reimagining of the traditional car launch as we know it.”

    Rahul Tikoo, Vice President and General Manager for Dell Precision, said: “Dell has long been involved in VR, and we’ve been evolving our business model to introduce solutions that are optimized for the future of VR. The Jaguar I-PACE Concept, designed and introduced with VR, reinforces the incredible innovation that’s possible with VR technologies and the potential to ultimately transform industries.”

    Ross Wheeler, Head of Automotive at Imagination, said: “For the first time in history, a global automotive brand has used fully immersive VR to launch their latest car. This launch takes the individual far beyond any new car experience they would have witnessed before, allowing people across the globe to connect in real time, be fully immersed within the vehicle and share live together their experience of Jaguar’s first ever electric vehicle.”

    “Jaguar, by embracing cutting-edge technology in this way, has created an experience rich and rewarding for its consumers. It has undoubtedly redefined the future of how automotive brands introduce their new vehicles to customers.”

    The Concept will make its first public physical appearance at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday 16 November.

  • Fiat Chrysler, Cummins reject diesel cheating suit

    Fiat Chrysler, Cummins reject diesel cheating suit

    Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Cummins Inc said on Monday they will fight a class-action lawsuit filed against the companies accusing them of cheating on diesel emissions tests.

    On Monday, lawyers representing owners of older 2500 and 3500 Dodge Ram trucks filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit, asserting the companies “conspired to knowingly deceive consumers and regulators of illegally high levels of diesel emissions in their vehicles.”

    The suit accuses the automakers of fraud, violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and consumer-protection laws by intentionally misleading the public, concealing emissions levels and illegally selling noncompliant polluting vehicles.

    The suit filed by Seattle lawyer Steve Berman said the emissions catalysts are not durable and do not meet emission standards, and that at times emissions are nearly 10 times legal limits.

    The class action suit comes as Fiat Chrysler and Cummins are fighting over the costs of an emissions recall involving a different, newer population of trucks.

    Fiat Chrysler said in a statement it “does not believe that the claims brought against it are meritorious” and the company “will contest this lawsuit vigorously.”

    Cummins spokesman Jon Mills said the lawsuit “has no merit. We are obviously disappointed in the effort to tarnish our image and we plan to vigorously defend ourselves.”

    The suit covers owners of 2007–2012 Dodge Ram 2500 and 2007–2012 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup trucks.

    Reuters reported on Oct. 10 that Fiat Chrysler and Cummins Inc have been fighting over the $200 million estimated cost for a recall of 130,000 newer 2500 Ram pickup trucks equipped with Cummins diesel engines that could exceed U.S. pollution limits.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board have demanded a recall of 2013-2015 model year Ram 2500 pickup trucks with 6.7L Cummins diesel engines because moisture can lead to the deactivation of the selective catalyst reduction system, causing excess nitrogen oxide emissions, Cummins said.

    Fiat Chrysler has sued Cummins to recover the $60 million it has spent to date repairing 42,000 trucks at its own expense, a company lawyer said in court documents. Settlement talks are ongoing.

    Cummins counter-sued, saying Fiat Chrysler would not cooperate in the recall “for one reason – money” and said the automaker was “holding both Cummins and its own customers hostage.”

    When the emissions system fails, the warning light goes on and if the vehicle isn’t fixed soon the vehicles go into “limp mode” that allow them to only be driven very slowly.

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  • BMW eyes 100,000 electric car sales in 2017

    BMW eyes 100,000 electric car sales in 2017

    BMW wants to boost sales of electric cars by two-thirds next year to 100,000 vehicles as the luxury automaker is offering more battery-powered models, citing Chief Executive Officer Harald Krueger.

    Munich-based BMW expects to increase its deliveries of fully electric and hybrid vehicles to around 60,000 units this year, Krueger said. Sales of battery-powered BMW models have totaled about 100,000 cars since 2013, he noted.

    “Electric mobility will come, but demand is not going through the roof at the moment,” the newspaper quoted Krueger as saying.

    To help improve sales, BMW is also increasing the battery range of its i3 city vehicle by 50 percent this year. The i3, BMW’s only fully battery-powered car, sold only 25,000 units last year.

    The company, which has dropped behind Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz in global luxury-car sales rankings, wants to expand the share of electric cars and hybrid models to between 15 percent and 25 percent of sales by 2025, the newspaper reported.

  • Volkswagen’s Audi in talks with China’s SAIC Motor on tie-up

    Volkswagen’s Audi in talks with China’s SAIC Motor on tie-up

    Volkswagen’s Audi premium brand is in talks with China’s largest automaker, SAIC Motor, on a potential long-term collaboration, Audi said in a statement on Monday.

    Reuters reported on Saturday, citing a source familiar with the matter, that the two had signed an agreement that could pave the way for Volkswagen’s joint venture with SAIC to make Audi brand cars.

    An early entrant to China, the world’s largest car market, Audi is the best-selling premium car brand although it is rapidly losing ground to newer car models from Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz and non-German automakers like Toyota’s Lexus and General Motor’s Cadillac.

    Audi cars are now only made in China through a joint venture with China FAW Group, providing a lifeline to a state-owned company whose own brand cars have struggled with falling sales.

    Audi reaffirmed its commitment to FAW in the release announcing the talks with SAIC, saying it had outlined growth plans with FAW for the next 10 years that include making green energy SUVs and sedans in every major segment.

    Audi will also form a new joint venture company with FAW to be based in Beijing and focus on mobility and digital services, according to the statement.

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  • Save the Date for Volvo Group Capital Market Day 2017

    Save the Date for Volvo Group Capital Market Day 2017

    The Volvo Group invites financial analysts and institutional investors to the Volvo Group Capital Market Day, to be held in Eskilstuna, Sweden on May 23, 2017.

    The Capital Market Day on May 23 will start at 9:00 a.m. at Volvo CE Customer Center in Eskilstuna, Sweden, and finish with a dinner in the evening. The program will include presentations by the CEO and the Executive Management as well as the possibility to test drive products.

    A formal invitation with a complete agenda and registration information will follow in early spring 2017. Further information will also be made available on the Volvo Group website well in advance of the event.

    The Volvo Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. The Volvo Group, which employs about 100,000 people, has production facilities in 18 countries and sells its products in more than 190 markets. In 2015 the Volvo Group’s sales amounted to about SEK 313 billion (EUR 33,4 billion). The Volvo Group is a publicly-held company headquartered in Göteborg, Sweden. Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

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  • Continental Named as CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree

    Continental Named as CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree

    International automotive supplier and technology company Continental today announced that is has been named a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence category for its Short Range Radar with Trailer Merge Assist and Trailer Length Detection technology. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 28 product categories.

    “Technologies that are selected as CES Innovation Honorees demonstrate an incredible level of innovation and engineering in an industry where the bar is set remarkably high,” said Samir Salman, CEO of Continental, North America. “Continental is honored to receive this award which exemplifies our commitment to safety by engineering leading automotive technologies.”

    Continental’s state-of-the-art Short Range Radar with Trailer Merge Assist and Trailer Length Detection is a “black box” sensor mounted in the rear/side area of the vehicle. The radar uses intelligent sensing with a new software feature allowing for the blind spot detection to be enhanced and extended by sophisticated object tracking, measurement and length detection algorithms allowing for the extended warning.

    “The intelligent radar detects the trailer, automatically measures its length and extends the warning zone to the area beyond the trailer,” said Lutz Kuehnke, Head of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Continental, North America. “These features reduce the risk of accidents and increases driver confidence while towing and merging a vehicle with a trailer.”

    This is the first blind spot warning system that allows a driver to enjoy the function without driver input even while towing a trailer. Systems without this feature either disable the warning while towing a trailer or experience unintended or false warnings from the trailer.

    The Short Range Radar is just one environmental sensor within Continental’s comprehensive product portfolio of future-oriented advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Continental offers ADAS safety products and functions, as well as system solutions for assisted and automated driving including Long Range Radar, Camera, Surround View, High Flash 3-D Lidar and electronic control units.

    Continental’s Short Range Radar with Trailer Merge Assist and Trailer Length Detection will be displayed at CES 2017, which runs January 5-8, 2017, in Las Vegas.

    The prestigious CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, the producer of CES 2017, the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.

    Entries are evaluated on their engineering, aesthetic and design qualities, intended function and user value, unique features present and how the design and innovation of the product directly compares to other products in the marketplace. Products chosen as CES Innovation Honorees reflect innovative design and engineering in some of the most cutting edge tech products and services coming to market.

    CES 2017 Innovation Honoree products are featured on CES.tech/Innovation.

    Continental at CES

    Visit Continental at CES 2017, Thursday, January 5 through Sunday, January 8, at North Hall Booth #3128. Continental will also showcase its latest automotive innovations and technologies in a private exhibit at the Renaissance Hotel. An invitation only media event has been scheduled on January 5. Please contact Mary Arraffor details.

  • Porsche Customers Most Satisfied Overall

    Porsche Customers Most Satisfied Overall

    The Porsche brand has ranked highest among all nameplates, according to the latest J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study released today. The brand also placed higher than all other luxury manufacturers for the second consecutive year. Porsche improved upon its 2015 standing by 72 points to capture the overall ranking for the second time in the 30-year history of the SSI Study.

    The SSI Study measures satisfaction with the sales experience among new-vehicle buyers and rejecters — those who shop a dealership and purchase elsewhere. Buyer satisfaction is based on four measures: working out the deal (25%); salesperson (19%); delivery process (16%); and facility (15%). Porsche ranked highest among all automotive brands across all four categories. Rejecter satisfaction is based on five measures: salesperson (10%); fairness of price (4%); experience negotiating (4%); facility (3%); and variety of inventory (3%). Porsche improved this year in the areas of price, facility and inventory.

    “Customer satisfaction is our highest priority in our endeavor to deliver a unique and rewarding Porsche experience,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. “We pride ourselves on building exciting and innovative sports cars, but our success is ultimately measured by the approval and appreciation of our customers. I would particularly like to thank our dealer partners who have made it their mission to provide a benchmark experience for their clients who are purchasing a Porsche.”

    The 2016 SSI Study is based on responses from 28,979 buyers who purchased or leased their new vehicle in April or May 2016. The study is a comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle shopping and purchasing experience and measures customer satisfaction at U.S. dealerships.

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  • Sales nosedive at Indonesia Motorcycle Show

    Sales nosedive at Indonesia Motorcycle Show

    Despite attracting more visitors than the last event, this years’ edition of the Indonesia Motorcycle Show (IMOS) failed to record higher transactions following the event’s closing on Sunday.

    According to data released by IMOS organizers, the biennial event, which ran from Nov. 2 to 6, attracted 90,186 visitors, a slight increase of 0.48 percent compared to the 89.751 visitors that attended the event in 2014. This year, only 751 motorcycle units were sold during the event, with a transaction value of Rp 19.39 billion (US$1.48 million), down by almost half compared to the Rp 35.7 billion booked in 2014 from the sales of some 1,500 motorcycle units.

    Responding to the decline, Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI) chairman Gunadi Sindhuwinata said the market was not in the best condition this year. He, however, said industry players were optimistic motorcycle sales would bounce back with the improvement of the economy.

    “In the next 10 to 20 years, the [motorcycle] sales can still see growth because the public still needs affordable transportation options,” he said on Monday.

    He added that the performance indicator of the show was not measured only by the number of transactions but also the ability of the show to inform the public of the latest technology.

    In general, the motorcycle market is getting smaller. AISI data show that during January to September, sales dropped by 9.74 percent year-on-year (yoy) to 4,351,397 units. This year, the association set a sales target of 6.5 million motorcycles, a minor increase from the 6.4 million sold last year.

    Agus Nurudin, the managing director of the Indonesian unit of global marketing research firm Nielsen, said based on the company’s latest consumer confidence poll, Indonesian customers had become more rational and had slashed their spending on tertiary goods, including gadgets and vehicles, amid the weak economy.

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  • Volvo recalls vehicles in US, Canada for seat belt problem

    Volvo recalls vehicles in US, Canada for seat belt problem

    Volvo is recalling about 79,000 cars and SUVs in the US and Canada because the front passenger seat belt may not hold people in a crash.

    The recall covers certain S60, S90, V60, XC60 and XC90 vehicles from the 2016 and 2017 model years.

    Volvo says in government documents that a buckle stud can come loose, allowing the buckle to separate from a bracket. If that happens, the belt may not hold the front passenger in a crash. The company said Wednesday it has no reports of injuries. It does not expect to find any loose studs but says it’s recalling the vehicles as a precaution.

    Dealers will replace the buckle if needed at no cost to owners starting December 12.

    Volvo began investigating the problem after getting reports of buckle failures starting in August. It traced the trouble to cars made from February 16, 2015, to August 22, 2016

  • Honda plans North American production shifts to make more SUVs

    Honda plans North American production shifts to make more SUVs

    Honda Motor Co is shifting around its North American vehicle production mix and may raise imports from Japan to squeeze out more SUVs as it struggles to keep up with strong U.S. demand for larger models, a factor which has prompted the automaker to trim its annual sales forecast.

    From early next year, Honda will dedicate production at its Alabama plant to its Pilot SUV, Ridgeline pick-up truck and Odyssey minivan, shifting production of its luxury Acura MDX SUV to its plant in Ohio as part of efforts to align its overall production of popular models to better reflect market demand.

    Demand for multi-tasking vehicles from cost-conscious consumers and historically low gasoline prices have ramped up demand for SUVs and other larger models over that of passenger cars.

    So far this year, roughly 59 percent of all new vehicles sold in the world’s No.2 auto market have been light trucks, versus 41 percent passenger vehicles, compared with 55 percent and 45 percent, respectively, a year earlier.

    In comments scheduled for release on Thursday, American Honda Motor Co CEO Toshiaki Mikoshiba told reporters that by also shifting more production of its popular CR-V model to its Indiana plant from Mexico, and producing more of its HR-V models in Mexico, the company planned to lift its production weighting between light trucks and passenger cars more in favor of light trucks, from an even balance currently.

    “While maintaining our current overall capacity (in North America), we’d like to also consider our production options in Japan … to produce more light trucks to respond to strong demand,” Mikoshiba said.

    “So long as we don’t see a sudden reversal in gasoline prices, we believe this would be the right move for the market.”

    Japan’s third-largest automaker by vehicle sales also said that it was considering producing the CR-V and the Civic sedan in Japan to be exported to North America to fill any gaps in local production.

    Honda is planning to market the recently revamped Civic in Japan, which a company spokeswoman said would add to production capacity, while it is also considering marketing the latest CR-V at home.

    Last month, Honda lowered its annual North American vehicle sales forecast to 1.985 million, from its previous expectation for 1.990 million, due in part to the skew in market demand.

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  • VW’s Skoda Auto says October deliveries grew 10.6 percent

    VW’s Skoda Auto says October deliveries grew 10.6 percent

    Global deliveries of Skoda Auto, the Czech unit of Volkswagen, grew by 10.6 percent to 97,900 vehicles in October, boosted by growing sales in China and Europe, the company said on Thursday.

    In the January-October period, Skoda said sales had grown by 6.7 percent to 938,800 units.

    The company, the biggest Czech exporter, sold 1.06 million cars in 2015, the second year in a row it topped the 1 million mark.

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  • Toyota says production of C-HR model begins in Turkey

    Toyota says production of C-HR model begins in Turkey

    Toyota Motor Corp launched production in Turkey on Wednesday of its C-HR compact SUV crossover and said the model would be exported to all global markets including North America.

    In a statement, Toyota said production was beginning with an initial investment in Turkey of 350 million euros ($390 mln).

  • China October vehicle sales rise 20% at 2.2 million

    China October vehicle sales rise 20% at 2.2 million

    Passenger vehicle sales in China to retail customers rose 20 percent in October from a year earlier, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said on Tuesday.

    Auto retail sales totalled 2.2 million vehicles in October, CPCA said in a statement on its website. For January-October, passenger car sales rose 15.2 percent versus the same period in 2015, it said.

    The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, whose statistics are generally viewed as the benchmark for the industry, is due to report wholesale data for October on Thursday.

    The CPCA predicted 13 percent growth in passenger car sales for 2016, state media reported earlier on Tuesday.

  • Japan auto parts firm Usui settles U.S. price-fixing allegations

    Japan auto parts firm Usui settles U.S. price-fixing allegations

    Japanese auto parts maker Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Ltd will plead guilty and pay a $7.2 million fine for fixing the prices of steel tubes sold to car makers, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

    Usui worked with other manufacturers to set prices and allocate customers for their steel tubes, which are used in fuel distribution, braking and other automotive systems, the Justice Department said.

    The department said a total of 47 companies and 65 people have pleaded guilty or been charged with price fixing of auto parts during its long-running probe of the industry.

    Attempts to reach Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha were unsuccessful.

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