Fortwo 4 Less: Smart offers first incentives in U.S.

So far this year, Smart USA has sold just 7,451 Fortwos, which is down nearly 16% over the first five months of 2008. May sales, though, were down an alarming 56.6% to 1,169 units. To stem the rushing tide of order cancellations and slow sales, Penske has decided to offer its first-ever incentives on the Fortwo. From now until the end of July, buyers may qualify for 4.2% financing through Daimler Financial Services for the purchase of a new 2009 Smart Fortwo.


Penske Automotive Group, distributors of the Smart Fortwo here in the United States, recorded an impressive 24,622 total sales of the diminutive city car in 2008 and dealers widely reported that they could have sold even more had they been available. With that in mind, the nascent company set what seemed at the time like a realistic sales target for 25,000 units in 2009. That may have been a bit optimistic.


If this incentive has a positive impact on sales, expect it to be extended a bit longer. Further, Penske is considering making it possible for dealerships to order new cars without accepting the refundable $99 reservation from a customer that's currently required, which could have the desirable effect of placing more new vehicles on dealer lots for buyers to choose from.
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Sweden car firm Koenigsegg to buy Saab: report

Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg is to buy Saab Automobile from US giant General Motors with support from Norwegian investors, a broadcaster reported on Thursday.

The buyers have signed a letter of intention to buy Saab, Swedish television station SVT reported on its website, citing anonymous sources and naming Koenigsegg. It said negotiations to wrap up the deal would last months.
more detail. ...

Greek court rules against Daimler on China SUV

There's an old saying that "justice is blind," an adage which has taken a literal meaning thanks to a Greek court's decision to dismiss Daimler's lawsuit against a Chinese copy of the Smart fortwo.


Although the case looked promising for Daimler early on, a Milan court ruling in mid-December 2008 in favor of Shuanghuan in the BMW case seemed to have put the nail in Daimler's coffin. The court found that visual and price differences between BMW's X5 and Shuanghuan CEO were enough to prevent consumers from confusing the two. After winning the case against BMW, Shuanghuan resumed the sale of its CEO SUV in Italy.


The Greek court determined that "an informed buyer would not confuse the Noble with the Smart Fortwo." They also stated that because the two vehicles offer different technical specifications, any exterior styling similarities are irrelevant and almost inevitable because they're both mini-cars.


Chinese auto makers reportedly have 'borrowed' inspiration from BMW's X5, Daewoo's Matiz and the Mercedes-Benz SLK. Various legal challenges have been mounted, some successfully and others less so.


Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd. started to sell Smart Fortwo, the classic low-emission car under Daimler's Mercedes-Benz brand, in China on April 8 this year.
Source: gasgoo via World Car Fans

Ssangyong given go-ahead to reconstitute, debars liquidation

A South Korean court just approved a plan to keep SsangYong Motor (SYMC) out of liquidation. In granting its approval the court agreed with a recent report that showed SsangYong is worth more alive than dead. After entering their version of Chapter 11 back in February, the company was faced with liquidation unless they came up with a convincing argument that they could turn things around.



Press Release:

SSANGYONG MOTOR GETS GO AHEAD TO RESTRUCTURE

SsangYong Motor (SYMC) today cleared a significant hurdle in its restructuring plans when a South Korean court gave its approval to put the plans into action.

The court confirmed a recent Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers assessment that the manufacturer had a greater value as a going concern than its liquidated value, and ordered SsangYong to submit its full restructuring plan by mid-September. Much of this is already in place, including a vital new model programme and a reduction in the workforce by over a third.

Paul Williams, managing director of distributor Koelliker UK Ltd. said: "This is the news we were hoping for and it means that SsangYong now has the lifeline it needs to implement major changes. The future will continue to be difficult, as it is throughout the auto industry, but the result should mean a leaner, much more efficient SsangYong. We already know that there will be a broader range of passenger cars using the latest petrol, diesel and hybrid technology, and the first – the C200 – will go into production later this year. Our dealers can now go forward with renewed confidence."

SsangYong applied for, and was granted court receivership in February after the fall-out of the international credit crunch, a drop in demand and even higher raw material, oil and energy prices. Court receivership is similar to US Chapter 11 status, giving the company protection fromcreditors and time to formulate and implement a corporate resuscitation plan. Under the arrangements, the court appointed former Hyundai Motor president Lee Yoo-il, and SYMC vice-president in charge of finance, Park Young-tae as co-legal administrators.

Despite these uncertainties, SYMC has forged ahead with the development of the new C200 'compact urban vehicle,' showing it at the Seoul Motor Show and most recently at the Barcelona Motor Show earlier this month. Styled in Europe, the C200 is a new monocoque design engineered for both front and four wheel drive, with advanced petrol, diesel and diesel hybrid engine options. It is scheduled for production later this year.

In the UK, the SsangYong line-up of Kyron, Rexton and Rodius passenger cars starts at £14,995 with light commercial versions of the Kyron and Rexton also available. SsangYong is fully participating in the government scrappage scheme which offers £2,000 off of a new car when an old (10 years old or more) car or van is traded-in for scrap.

www.ssangyonggb.co.uk
via:autoblog

Dodge Viper & Jeep Wrangler to be Axed

Doom and gloom are written in the sections of the bankruptcy filing documents that deal with Chrysler's Viper and Jeep Wrangler brands. These documents refer to two Chrysler entities, one called OldCo and the other is the New Chrysler. OldCo assets would not be affected by the recently-announced Fiat/ Chrysler tie up and would ultimately be closed down by 2010.
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Quandt Family nixes BMW and Daimler 7% share swapping deal

Germany’s Der Spiegel first reported today that Daimler and BMW would acquire a 7% stake in each other, but now the same newspaper is reporting that the Quandt family, BMW’s biggest shareholder with a 46% controlling stake, has quashed the deal over fears Daimler may attempt a takeover.
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Audi: brand can not support the small cars in the United States

Audi longs to join Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the luxury big league in the United States, but its brand isn't strong enough yet to support selling small cars such as the A1 in the U.S., says Audi's global sales and marketing boss, Peter Schwarzenbauer.

And he ruled out a separate small-car brand similar to Mercedes' Smart or BMW's Mini.

Audi is engaged in an aggressive campaign in the U.S. market to build brand awareness. Until that takes hold, Audi won't be bringing small cars such as the A1 to the United States, Schwarzenbauer told Automotive News this month at the Geneva auto show.
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Opel may come to America

GM's decision to drop its Saturn brand after 2011 puts the automaker's U.S. divisions in line to get a version of the cutting-edge Opel Insignia, the European-designed model that was to replace the current Saturn Aura.

Automotive News reports a person familiar with GM's product plans says the Insignia will hit Buick dealerships as a replacement for the discontinued Regal sedan.
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Fiat 500, Alfa Romeo 940 Reportedly Heading Stateside

The proposed alliance between the two carmakers will give Chrysler access to Fiat's platforms and 1.4- and 1.8-liter gasoline engines while Fiat gains access to Chrysler's production facilities, platforms, and dealer network. The report also goes on to state that Fiat is seriously considering Chrysler's LX platform, which is used on the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, as a possible basis for the Alfa Romeo 169.


Although it was previously believed that Fiat's return to the US market would wait until the company setup production at Chrysler plants in North America, the latest report seems to suggest that initial Fiat and Alfa Romeo models will be built in Europe and then shipped to the United States. If such a move were to take place it would mean Fiat products could be sold in the US as early as next year, a full 12-18 months faster then waiting for North American production. Unlike today's Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione which is sold through select Maserati dealerships, future Fiat and Alfa Romeo models would be sold at select Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealers.


As we have previously reported, the proposed alliance between Chrysler and Fiat will see several of the latter company's products reaching US shores in the coming years. According to Automotive News, some of the first models under consideration for US consumption are the Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo's upcoming 940 sedan.
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Audi is Western Europe’s Top Premium Brand

The Audi surpassed its premium competitors with regard to new-vehicle registrations in Western Europe. The Ingolstadt-based automotive manufacturer sold 45,124 new vehicles in this region in January – far more than either of its key competitors.

While the overall market has come under pressure, Audi managed to considerably increase its market shares. The brand with the four rings accounted for 5.1 percent of new Western European vehicle registrations in January 2009. Audi’s market share for the same month last year was 3.9 percent.

These figures demonstrate that AUDI AG has perpetuated the upward trend of recent months. Throughout the last quarter of 2008, the brand with the four rings was consistently at the top of its class with market shares above five percent.
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Citroen Going Upscale - Rebirth of Classic Citroen DS line

Citroen will introduce the scheme on 4 February to celebrate the brand's 90th birthday. Citroen needs a jolt after suffering a sales decline of 7.2 per-cent last year. They sold 1.35 million units in 2008.

Citroen will unveil a plan to rebrand themselves as the next-best thing to being a premium brand. The plan includes bringing back the DS line, an update to the logo, and a new marketing scheme.


The company has been planning a reintroduction of the DS line since mid-2007. The DS was Citroen's flagship line from the 1950s through the 70s, and will now represent upper-tier vehicles. First up will be the Citroen DS3, set for delivery at the end of the year. “We will offer products within the Citroen brand that have added value and carry elements of the premium sector,” said styling director Jean-Pierre Ploue.


Also being freshened up is the chevron logo, which has not seen a change since 1985. A new marketing slogan, possibly "three years to impress the world," and global web site are also on the way. The plan was formed by an exec who is no longer with the company. His goal was to improve the company's image while reducing its focus on small cars.


A five-year schedule is also in place to overhaul the 3,300 dealership network. The look of the showrooms, stronger customer relations, and better maintenance and repairs are parts of the plan.
via:World Car Fans



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Hyundai Super Bowl Commercials Debut Early!

Being the experts on Super Bowl car commercials, we can do things like bring you the ads before they even air as part of our Super Bowl Ad Watch. Below we have the five advertisements Hyundai will show during and before the big game. Three of the ads will run during pre-show, also sponsored by Hyundai, and "Bosses" and "Contract" will run during the second and third quarters. Our perspective on these new advertisements below.

Title: Contract
Grade: C
Message: Hyundai has your back if you lose your job or income.
Our Take: For people who are freaked out about the economy the message may hit home, but it's just so boring.

Title: Commitment
Grade: C+
Message: If you're willing to commit to Hyundai, they're willing to commit to you.
Our Take: The 'commitment isn't scary' approach of this commercial for the Hyundai Assurance program works better than the "Contract" commercial because it implies we're all in the economic mess together. Still, it's rather boring.

Title: Columns
Grade: B
Message: The Hyundai Genesis won the 2009 North American Car Of The Year, something the automaker is obviously proud of as evidenced by the bragging.
Our Take: The commercial is good and, given Hyundai can afford multiple Super Bowl spots, there's nothing wrong with a little boastfullness. What really sells it, though, is the clip of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Grade: B+
Message: By winning the 2009 North American Car Of The Year award we've put BMW and Lexus on notice.
Our Take: Because everyone may not be cool with the idea of buying Korean while the American economy is hurting, Hyundai is smart enough to take aim at the Germans and the Japanese. The portrayals of the two "axis powers" is a bit over the top, but it makes the ad work.

Title: Epic Lap
Grade: A-
Message: You want the Genesis Coupe so badly you'll go to EditYourOwn.com and re-edit your own commercial, which isn't up yet.
Our Take: Yeooooowww! Much like the 2010 Hyundai Genesis reveal, this car is all about power slides and burnouts. What does Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins have to do with driving an epic lap? We have no idea. But we give the 1990s alternarock icon credit for mixing together a sweet commercial.
Source: jalopnik



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Cadillac XLR Is Cancelled

General Motors plans to end production of the Cadillac XLR, which is made at the General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant.

The company anticipates production will cease this spring, impacting about 40 employees at the plant, said Sharon Basel, communications manager for General Motors.

The plant employs a small assembly crew dedicated to XLR production. Those employees were recently notified of the production cut. It has not yet been determined when those workers will be laid off, but it will likely be this spring, said Paul Graham, plant manager.
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£2.3 billion rescue plan for car industry - but it's no bailout says Mandelson

The Government announced a major package of help for the UK's ailing car industry today, including £1 billion of direct loans and a national strategy designed to help British manufacturers meet demand for greener, cleaner cars.
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Honda Announces End of Production for the S2000

The Honda S2000 is officially dead. In a brief statement released today, Honda said 2009 will be the final model year for its high-performance roadster. No reason was given for the termination, but Honda did mention that the program was originally conceived as a limited-edition tribute to the company's 50th anniversary.
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Bugatti Veyron will finish line in sight

Bugatti, the finishing line in sight for the Veyron. Last year knew the supersport manufacturer to deliver 73 copies. Although a few less than the 81 in the previous year, but the manufacturer has mid 2008 half variant presented. Open implementation of the production has started.


Bugatti spokesman Georges Keller of late De Telegraaf that there are about 50 copies of the 1.8 million euro cost Veyron available. When those sold, is the canvas for the sports coupe. Keller has no vision at the time that the last copy of the tape rolling. "This depends on the host Gran Sport," explains Keller from. "We start at the end of March with the construction of this open variant. If the question of the Gran Sport bigger, then at the expense of the coupe production. The two types are produced on the same line."


Bugatti will build only 300 units of the Veyron. At present the sales counter at 250 units, so let Keller know. From the Gran Sport 150 units will be manufactured. Are the first 40 units for Bugatti loyal customers intended, but which have not yet fully responded. In the Netherlands is known for a Bugatti-owner who has ordered the open variant. Our country has to be six-Veyron owners.
via: autotelegraaf



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