The Japanese truck maker Mitsubishi Fuso is expected to finalise talks with two or three manufacturers next month for the purchase of its plant in Thailand.
Once Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) completes the talks, Fuso trucks will continue to be built in Thailand, said a senior official source in the Thai unit of MFTBC.
Daimler AG of Germany announced earlier this year it would shut the Fuso plant in Thailand by the end of this year as part of a revamp of MFTBC. The German carmaker holds an 85% stake in MFTBC and Mitsubishi Corporation the rest.
If talks fail, the source said Mitsubishi Fuso Truck (Thailand) Co (MFTTC), a subsidiary of MFTBC, could import Fuso trucks from Indonesia or Malaysia, two major production bases of MFTBC, to keep the brand alive.
The Indonesian Fuso plant builds more than 40,000 units per year and the Malaysian one 10,000.
The Japanese truck maker pledged to continue doing business in Thailand even if the plant closes.
A potential investor is Tan Chong International, a listed automobile and property group in Hong Kong.
A subsidiary, Tan Chong Machinery Ltd, holds a 100% stake in Nissan Diesel Thailand Co, which is authorised by Volvo of Sweden to produce and distribute Nissan UD trucks in the Thai market. Volvo holds 100% interests in Nissan Diesel Motor Co of Japan, which manufactures and distributes Nissan diesel trucks and buses.
The source said Tan Chong was interested in the Thai Fuso plant because its licence to build and sell Nissan UD trucks would soon expire.
But another source in Nissan Diesel Thailand denied an earlier report that Tan Chong would leave the Nissan UD business since its performance was still healthy despite the recession.
Seiji Akiyama, the president of MFTTC, said the company was approached by many prospective buyers to purchase its plant after it announced it would cease production.
"There are ongoing negotiations with many interested buyers, and there have been talks about production for domestic sales as well as export that would raise the capacity of the plant. But consideration needs to be given to production costs so that it is competitive,"he said.
In the past, the Fuso plant had a capacity of 6,000 units per year, but now it assembles about 2,000 trucks per year for the domestic market.
The plant was originally scheduled to close at the end of this year, but if negotiations bear fruit, production could continue, buoying the confidence of dealers and customers.
The company said Mitsubishi Fuso remained committed to marketing and servicing commercial trucks in Thailand and continued to invest in products and services for the local market. Asean is the largest international sales area for MFTBC.
MFTTC announced earlier this year changes in its business structure intended to improve competitiveness.
A principal change is the integration of Thai production into the overall Asean footprint of MFTBC. This move is to increase overall competitiveness in Thailand by generating further economies of scale. As a result, MFTTC plans to phase out production at Lat Krabang, a suburb of Bangkok, by the end of 2009.
The local production capacity and workforce will be gradually adjusted.About 150 people are currently employed at the Lat Krabang plant, which makes light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
In the first half of this year, Mitsubishi Fuso sales grew by 2% compared to a 19% decline in the truck market. By the end of the year, Mitsubishi Fuso is expected to hold a 10% market share,about the same level as last year.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
YAMAHA SEES ITS MARKET SHARE RISE
Motorcycle-maker Yamaha is gearing up to fight back against rivals like Honda and Suzuki, which have launched new models to compete against Yamaha's popular Fino.
Thai Yamaha Motor vice president Praphan Polthanavisit said from January to September, Thailand's motorcycle market was hit by the slowing economy, and sales fell 14.4 per cent year on year to 1,132,639 units.
However, Yamaha, supported by strong sales of its Fino model, sold a total of 318,360 units, down only 4.8 per cent year on year. Yamaha's market share moved up by 2.8 per cent, to 28.1 per cent, he said.
"Yamaha has a large number of models that respond to customers' demands, be they manual or automatic models," he said, adding that the Fino, in particular, was a best-seller because of its unique retro styling.
Praphan said there were signs of recovery in the global economy in the fourth quarter, while the government had introduced stimulus measures, and consumer confidence was rising.
"Yamaha is confident the overall motorcycle market will finish the year at 1.5 million units, down 12 per cent from 2008," he said. "Yamaha plans to sell 430,000 motorcycles this year, down 2 per cent from last year for a 28.7-per-cent market share."
Meanwhile, Yamaha is joinin dealers in offering 600,000 Fino owners around the country free check-ups and engine-oil changes. The promotion lasts until the end of the month.
"In November, we're planning to offer more special privileges for Fino customers," he said, adding the details would be announced later.
Thai Yamaha Motor vice president Praphan Polthanavisit said from January to September, Thailand's motorcycle market was hit by the slowing economy, and sales fell 14.4 per cent year on year to 1,132,639 units.
However, Yamaha, supported by strong sales of its Fino model, sold a total of 318,360 units, down only 4.8 per cent year on year. Yamaha's market share moved up by 2.8 per cent, to 28.1 per cent, he said.
"Yamaha has a large number of models that respond to customers' demands, be they manual or automatic models," he said, adding that the Fino, in particular, was a best-seller because of its unique retro styling.
Praphan said there were signs of recovery in the global economy in the fourth quarter, while the government had introduced stimulus measures, and consumer confidence was rising.
"Yamaha is confident the overall motorcycle market will finish the year at 1.5 million units, down 12 per cent from 2008," he said. "Yamaha plans to sell 430,000 motorcycles this year, down 2 per cent from last year for a 28.7-per-cent market share."
Meanwhile, Yamaha is joinin dealers in offering 600,000 Fino owners around the country free check-ups and engine-oil changes. The promotion lasts until the end of the month.
"In November, we're planning to offer more special privileges for Fino customers," he said, adding the details would be announced later.
MAZDA2 TO BOOST ASEAN SHARE
Mazda Motor Corp hopes to double its regional market share to 2 per cent, as the company plans to sell 20,000 units of the Mazda2 within Asean in the first year of production.
Mazda currently has a 1-per-cent market share in Asean, but hopes to increase this to 4-5 per cent within the next five years.
The statement was made yesterday as the first Mazda2 subcompact (B segment) car rolled off the production line at the Auto Alliance Plant in Rayong.
The Mazda2, whose official Thai launch will be on November 17, will be the company's second passenger car on sale in the Kingdom.
The Mazda2 will also be launched in Indonesia next month, in the Phillipines in December and in Malaysia next March.
"The B segment is the fastest-growing segment in Asean. We expect the total B segment to reach 340,000 units in the region. The Mazda2 is aimed at young, energetic customers who are auto enthusiasts, and we have already sold 362,000 units worldwide. We currently have a very small share in the local market and we see plenty of room for growth," said Yuji Nakamine, managing executive officer at Mazda Motor Corp.
Mazda sells 1.15 million vehicles worldwide, of which the Asean market accounts for less than 2 per cent.
The Mazda2 will be a major product for the Japanese auto-maker in the Thai market as it moves deeper into the passenger-car segment.
Nakamine said Mazda was a "challenger brand", in the sense that it is not as large as Toyota and Honda and requires unique products to attract customers.
"We have already attracted 7,000 registered prospective customers [for the Mazda2] on our website after three weeks. We plan a 10-per-cent market share in the B segment over the lifetime of the car. We're not going to compete on price, but rather on having a special product that customers want to drive due to the zoom-zoom appeal," said John Ray, managing director of Mazda Sales Thailand.
The Mazda2 will be manufactured on the same production line as the Ford Fiesta, which will be launched next year. The company has a production capacity of 50,000 units for the Mazda2 at the plant.
Nakamine added that there are plans to export the Mazda2 beyond Asean, especially to Australia, within the next year. The current Mazda2 sold in Australia is imported from Japan.
"The Thai market seems to be recovering from the crisis and beginning its upward trend. We expect total auto sales for the Thai automotive market to reach 500,000-520,000 units this year," said Ray.
Mazda currently has a 1-per-cent market share in Asean, but hopes to increase this to 4-5 per cent within the next five years.
The statement was made yesterday as the first Mazda2 subcompact (B segment) car rolled off the production line at the Auto Alliance Plant in Rayong.
The Mazda2, whose official Thai launch will be on November 17, will be the company's second passenger car on sale in the Kingdom.
The Mazda2 will also be launched in Indonesia next month, in the Phillipines in December and in Malaysia next March.
"The B segment is the fastest-growing segment in Asean. We expect the total B segment to reach 340,000 units in the region. The Mazda2 is aimed at young, energetic customers who are auto enthusiasts, and we have already sold 362,000 units worldwide. We currently have a very small share in the local market and we see plenty of room for growth," said Yuji Nakamine, managing executive officer at Mazda Motor Corp.
Mazda sells 1.15 million vehicles worldwide, of which the Asean market accounts for less than 2 per cent.
The Mazda2 will be a major product for the Japanese auto-maker in the Thai market as it moves deeper into the passenger-car segment.
Nakamine said Mazda was a "challenger brand", in the sense that it is not as large as Toyota and Honda and requires unique products to attract customers.
"We have already attracted 7,000 registered prospective customers [for the Mazda2] on our website after three weeks. We plan a 10-per-cent market share in the B segment over the lifetime of the car. We're not going to compete on price, but rather on having a special product that customers want to drive due to the zoom-zoom appeal," said John Ray, managing director of Mazda Sales Thailand.
The Mazda2 will be manufactured on the same production line as the Ford Fiesta, which will be launched next year. The company has a production capacity of 50,000 units for the Mazda2 at the plant.
Nakamine added that there are plans to export the Mazda2 beyond Asean, especially to Australia, within the next year. The current Mazda2 sold in Australia is imported from Japan.
"The Thai market seems to be recovering from the crisis and beginning its upward trend. We expect total auto sales for the Thai automotive market to reach 500,000-520,000 units this year," said Ray.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
TOYOTA UNVEILS NEW HYBRID-ONLY VEHICLE
Toyota has unveiled a new hybrid-only model that is bigger and more expensive than its popular Prius, underlining the Japanese auto-maker's ambitions to make "green technology" more wide spread.
The Sai sedan is Toyota's second hybrid-ontly model after the Pruis. Toyota offers hybrid versions of other models.
Sai, which means "talent" and "colour", will be sold only in Japan starting on December 7, targeting monthly sales of 3,000 vehicles. No global sales plans have been decided, the world's biggest auto-maker said yesterday.
Hybrids get better mileage than regular petrol-engine cars by switching between an electric motor and a petrol engine. Other auto-makers are also beefing up their hybrid line-ups, including hybrid-only models.
Government incentives, including "Cash for Clunkers" programmes and tax breaks, have Prius orders soaring in Japan. The waiting list for the car has grown to several months.
Hybrid sales in Japan have been the one bright spot for Toyota, which has been losing money, battered by the global economic downturn.
The Sai gets 23 kilometres per litre, half the fuel consumption of a comparable petrol-engine model, Toyota said. The Prius gets 38 kilometres per litre under Japanese conditions.
The Sai comes with a bigger 2.4-litre engine than the 1.8-litre Priusm is roomier and has fancier features, such as an interior made from plastic that uses plant-deruved materials.
It is also more expensive, starting at 3.38 million yen (Bt1.25 million). The third-generation Prius, which went on sale earlier this year, starts at just over 2 million yen in Japan.
The Sai looks rather sedate compared with the Prius, with its more circular styling.
"This model shows our hopes to make hybrids more widespread," said Toyota offical Takuji Nakamoto.
Like the Prius, the Sai will be sold at all dealer outlets in Japan, totalling about 4,000 around the country. Some Toyota models are sold at only some of the showrooms, because they are designed to appeal to certain kinds of consumers. The Sai will be assembled at Toyota's Kyushu plant in south-western Japan.
The Prius is the world leader in petrol-electric hybrid sales, selling more than 1.4 million vehicles since its debut a decade ago.
The Sai comes with a bigger 2.4-litre engine than the 1.8-litre Prius, is roomier and has fancier features, such as an interior mamde from plastic that uses plant-derived materials.
The Sai sedan is Toyota's second hybrid-ontly model after the Pruis. Toyota offers hybrid versions of other models.
Sai, which means "talent" and "colour", will be sold only in Japan starting on December 7, targeting monthly sales of 3,000 vehicles. No global sales plans have been decided, the world's biggest auto-maker said yesterday.
Hybrids get better mileage than regular petrol-engine cars by switching between an electric motor and a petrol engine. Other auto-makers are also beefing up their hybrid line-ups, including hybrid-only models.
Government incentives, including "Cash for Clunkers" programmes and tax breaks, have Prius orders soaring in Japan. The waiting list for the car has grown to several months.
Hybrid sales in Japan have been the one bright spot for Toyota, which has been losing money, battered by the global economic downturn.
The Sai gets 23 kilometres per litre, half the fuel consumption of a comparable petrol-engine model, Toyota said. The Prius gets 38 kilometres per litre under Japanese conditions.
The Sai comes with a bigger 2.4-litre engine than the 1.8-litre Priusm is roomier and has fancier features, such as an interior made from plastic that uses plant-deruved materials.
It is also more expensive, starting at 3.38 million yen (Bt1.25 million). The third-generation Prius, which went on sale earlier this year, starts at just over 2 million yen in Japan.
The Sai looks rather sedate compared with the Prius, with its more circular styling.
"This model shows our hopes to make hybrids more widespread," said Toyota offical Takuji Nakamoto.
Like the Prius, the Sai will be sold at all dealer outlets in Japan, totalling about 4,000 around the country. Some Toyota models are sold at only some of the showrooms, because they are designed to appeal to certain kinds of consumers. The Sai will be assembled at Toyota's Kyushu plant in south-western Japan.
The Prius is the world leader in petrol-electric hybrid sales, selling more than 1.4 million vehicles since its debut a decade ago.
The Sai comes with a bigger 2.4-litre engine than the 1.8-litre Prius, is roomier and has fancier features, such as an interior mamde from plastic that uses plant-derived materials.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
BMW PLANS RANGE OF ECOFRIENDLY CARS
German carmaker BMW plans to boost the number of frugal,ecofriendly models in its range.
Norbert Reithofer, who will soon take over as board chairman, made the announcement in Leipzig, wher BMW unveiled its new X1 compact off-roader.
The move marks an expansion of BMW's Efficien Dynamics strategy aimed at cutting the fuel consumption of its vehicle line-up by as much as 15 per cent.
At the recent Frankfurt car show, BMW showed petrol-electric hybrid versions of the full-size X6 sport-utility vehicle and the 7 Series limousine.
"In the medium term, we want to hybridise the range right down to the 3 Series," Reithofer said.
Future BMW technology will include full hybrids in which the internal-combustion enginecharges batteries for electric running and plug-in versions that use mains power to charge on-board power packs regularly.
BMW is concentrating on what it calls "Project 1",a"mega-city vehicle" due to be slotted in below the present upmarket range.
"By 2015, this family of vehicles will include a battery electric," Reithofer said.
In the long-term, Reithofer believes internal-combustijon engines that burn hydrogen are the way ahead for BMW.
"We will remain loyal to this technology," he said.
The focus is now on designng a better fuel tank to store liquid hydrogen on board. Onece this problem has been solved, a new generation of demonstration vehicles will emerge.
Although BMW has been successfully experimenting with hydrogen power for more than 20 years, the technology has been hampered by bulky fuel tanks and the lack of a hydrogen-filling-station infrastructure.
AT THE RECENT Frankfurt car show, BMW highlighted petrol-electric hybrid versions of the full-size X6 sport-utility vehicle and the 7 Series limousine.
Norbert Reithofer, who will soon take over as board chairman, made the announcement in Leipzig, wher BMW unveiled its new X1 compact off-roader.
The move marks an expansion of BMW's Efficien Dynamics strategy aimed at cutting the fuel consumption of its vehicle line-up by as much as 15 per cent.
At the recent Frankfurt car show, BMW showed petrol-electric hybrid versions of the full-size X6 sport-utility vehicle and the 7 Series limousine.
"In the medium term, we want to hybridise the range right down to the 3 Series," Reithofer said.
Future BMW technology will include full hybrids in which the internal-combustion enginecharges batteries for electric running and plug-in versions that use mains power to charge on-board power packs regularly.
BMW is concentrating on what it calls "Project 1",a"mega-city vehicle" due to be slotted in below the present upmarket range.
"By 2015, this family of vehicles will include a battery electric," Reithofer said.
In the long-term, Reithofer believes internal-combustijon engines that burn hydrogen are the way ahead for BMW.
"We will remain loyal to this technology," he said.
The focus is now on designng a better fuel tank to store liquid hydrogen on board. Onece this problem has been solved, a new generation of demonstration vehicles will emerge.
Although BMW has been successfully experimenting with hydrogen power for more than 20 years, the technology has been hampered by bulky fuel tanks and the lack of a hydrogen-filling-station infrastructure.
AT THE RECENT Frankfurt car show, BMW highlighted petrol-electric hybrid versions of the full-size X6 sport-utility vehicle and the 7 Series limousine.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
CHEAP THRILLS, WITH DARN GOOD LOOKS
It's time for thinking like a kid again, because I guess that's what this car demands.
Imagine, then, a 20-something man sitting and dreaming as his office hours tick away, lost in a trance of his own. He has no motivation to work despite the boss's deadlines. Does he sound familiar?
It's his first job, and he spends a lot of time dreaming of a big salary, being the boss, flashing a company credit card and, most of all, driving an impressive car. But he's been at work long enough to know nothing comes easily; there's a long way to go, and it seems he's mired in mediocrity. How much would a good car change his attitude?
The grim reality is his ony choices for a new car that won't make him "save on that Coke" at lunch are a Honda or a Toyota. And if he feels the need to modify it to turn a few heads, that'll cost a little more.
The solution may be (and here comes the reason for all of this) the Proton Neo CPS.
The CPS is a slightly higher-performance version of its little sister, the Neo - a car that looks good and feels great to drive but has poor acceleration. When Phranakorn Auto Sales, the Proton distributor in Thailand, realised many buyers of standard Neos Neos modified their cars, it seemed logical they should bring in a hotshot version.
The Neo CPS comes with every addition to slacken the jaws of boy racers. Possibly the first most obvious modification is the huge spoilder that sticks out at the rear. Then there is an agressive body kit that includes a front bumper, rear diffuser and side skirts. It makes the Neo CPS a far more menacing sight in a rear-view mirror than the standard model.
What may be a little overdone are the large wheel arches with bolts on them. While the intention was to lend the Neo CPS a sence of power, the small wheels mena it looks more like a scrawny teenager wearing his daddy's suit. However, new 16-inch alloy wheels attempt to improve the look. On the inside, the modifications are more limited. There is red trim on the seats, door handles and gear lever. "Premium" is a word that simply does not apply in this case. Some might even call it tacky.
However, the modifications that have created the Neo CPS are not all superficial gloss. The front track has been narrowed by 3 millimetres, while the rear has been widened by 13mm - a change made because Proton accepts that the standard Neo suffers from a little too much oversteer. The 1.6-litre engine produces 125 horsepower, compared with 110hp in the standard Neo.
As I mentioned earlier, the standard Neo is already a good car to drive. Its weakest link is the engine, which is simply underpowered. You'd think the 15hp addition would make things better with the CPS, but dig deeper into the spec sheet, and you'll see a weight increase of 43 kilograms.
It's when trying to ovetake that you realise how sluggish the Neo CPS sremains. Like a barking dog with no bite, the Neo CPS will growl all the way to 160kph. But unless you've got a good few minutes and long stretch of empty road, don't try it. The Neo CPS is most comfortable at speeds of 80-110kph. Another annoying fact is that at any point above 2,500rpm, the engine is tool loud for comfort, and you become sligthly tone deaf at speeds of 120-140kph.
At the rear of the Neo CPS, there's a badge that says: "Handling by Lotus." This signifies that the British sports-car company owned by Proton was involved in beefing up the car's handling. The Neo CPS does handle sharper and holds it ground well in corners.
But while it can still be considered a driver's car, what the Neo CPS lacks are the little details that lead to perfection. Like a 170-centimentre shorty like me. You head is too close to the roof, and not being low enough diminished the dricing experience. Then there are low-quality plastics and a sound system that can turn some buyers away.
If I've given you negative impressions of the Neo CPS, then let me turn that around with a number: Bt698,000. That makes it the cheapest and best-looking driver;s car available in the Thai market. But there remainsa dilemma. A standard Neo costs Bt564,000, a whole Bt134,000 cheaper. Is it better value to buy a standard version and slap on some modifications later? Considering the car's cost is similar to that of a Yaris or a Jazz, it may become an emotional decision.
If you're that 20-something man mentioned above, go for the CPS and drive the wheels off of it! You're sure to be satisfied, if not on the road, then certainly emotionally.
Imagine, then, a 20-something man sitting and dreaming as his office hours tick away, lost in a trance of his own. He has no motivation to work despite the boss's deadlines. Does he sound familiar?
It's his first job, and he spends a lot of time dreaming of a big salary, being the boss, flashing a company credit card and, most of all, driving an impressive car. But he's been at work long enough to know nothing comes easily; there's a long way to go, and it seems he's mired in mediocrity. How much would a good car change his attitude?
The grim reality is his ony choices for a new car that won't make him "save on that Coke" at lunch are a Honda or a Toyota. And if he feels the need to modify it to turn a few heads, that'll cost a little more.
The solution may be (and here comes the reason for all of this) the Proton Neo CPS.
The CPS is a slightly higher-performance version of its little sister, the Neo - a car that looks good and feels great to drive but has poor acceleration. When Phranakorn Auto Sales, the Proton distributor in Thailand, realised many buyers of standard Neos Neos modified their cars, it seemed logical they should bring in a hotshot version.
The Neo CPS comes with every addition to slacken the jaws of boy racers. Possibly the first most obvious modification is the huge spoilder that sticks out at the rear. Then there is an agressive body kit that includes a front bumper, rear diffuser and side skirts. It makes the Neo CPS a far more menacing sight in a rear-view mirror than the standard model.
What may be a little overdone are the large wheel arches with bolts on them. While the intention was to lend the Neo CPS a sence of power, the small wheels mena it looks more like a scrawny teenager wearing his daddy's suit. However, new 16-inch alloy wheels attempt to improve the look. On the inside, the modifications are more limited. There is red trim on the seats, door handles and gear lever. "Premium" is a word that simply does not apply in this case. Some might even call it tacky.
However, the modifications that have created the Neo CPS are not all superficial gloss. The front track has been narrowed by 3 millimetres, while the rear has been widened by 13mm - a change made because Proton accepts that the standard Neo suffers from a little too much oversteer. The 1.6-litre engine produces 125 horsepower, compared with 110hp in the standard Neo.
As I mentioned earlier, the standard Neo is already a good car to drive. Its weakest link is the engine, which is simply underpowered. You'd think the 15hp addition would make things better with the CPS, but dig deeper into the spec sheet, and you'll see a weight increase of 43 kilograms.
It's when trying to ovetake that you realise how sluggish the Neo CPS sremains. Like a barking dog with no bite, the Neo CPS will growl all the way to 160kph. But unless you've got a good few minutes and long stretch of empty road, don't try it. The Neo CPS is most comfortable at speeds of 80-110kph. Another annoying fact is that at any point above 2,500rpm, the engine is tool loud for comfort, and you become sligthly tone deaf at speeds of 120-140kph.
At the rear of the Neo CPS, there's a badge that says: "Handling by Lotus." This signifies that the British sports-car company owned by Proton was involved in beefing up the car's handling. The Neo CPS does handle sharper and holds it ground well in corners.
But while it can still be considered a driver's car, what the Neo CPS lacks are the little details that lead to perfection. Like a 170-centimentre shorty like me. You head is too close to the roof, and not being low enough diminished the dricing experience. Then there are low-quality plastics and a sound system that can turn some buyers away.
If I've given you negative impressions of the Neo CPS, then let me turn that around with a number: Bt698,000. That makes it the cheapest and best-looking driver;s car available in the Thai market. But there remainsa dilemma. A standard Neo costs Bt564,000, a whole Bt134,000 cheaper. Is it better value to buy a standard version and slap on some modifications later? Considering the car's cost is similar to that of a Yaris or a Jazz, it may become an emotional decision.
If you're that 20-something man mentioned above, go for the CPS and drive the wheels off of it! You're sure to be satisfied, if not on the road, then certainly emotionally.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Opel rescue is dogged by European divisions
Tempers are rising in Europe over Germany's promise of billions of euros in state aid to support the sale of General Motors' loss-making European unit Opel/Vauxhall.
In a preliminary deal announced in Berlin with great fanfare on September 10, GM is selling a 55-per-cent stake to canadian auto parts-maker Magna and Russian state-onwed lender Sberbank.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government, keen to safeguard the jobs of Opel's 25,000 German employees, half the total, agreed to sweeten the deal with Euro4.5 billion (Bt221 billion) worth of public money.
Merkel, Forbes magazine's most powerful woman on the planet for four years running, was eager to secure a rescue before elections on September 27. She duly won a second term.
The financing was contingent, however, on other European governments where Opel has plants, such Britain, Spain, Poland and Belgium, stepping up to the plate and providing their own taxpayers' money too.
But instead, the deal has been met with grumbling, with these countries unwilling to stump up cash for a deal that they see as only guaranteeing German jobs and keeping German plants up and running.
With Opel losing money fast, dependent on a market wher too many cars are being made for too few customers, Magna is reported to be looking to take around 10,500 workers off the payroll.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government, which has a far tougher re-election battle than Merkel waiting for it next year, has made clear that it is not amused.
Peter Mandelson, British business secretary, told the Financial Times in Seoul last Thursday he could not "sign off" on the deal in its current form, citing "shortcomings" identified in an independent auditors' report.
Britain, where Vauxhall employs 4,700 people, is ready to provide Euro400 million in loan guarantees, but first wants assurances that two plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port remain open, the FT said.
Spain, where Opel employs 7,000 people in Zaragoza province, has also been up in arms, with Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian boycotting a European meeting on Opel in Berlin on Friday.
"We have never been favourable ot Magna's offer," a spokesman in Madrid said on Friday, with Sebastian "pretty unhappy" after the last gettogether in the German capital.
Instead, Sebastian met with Magna boss Siegfried Wolf, appearing aftwards slightly more conciliatory, pledging to improve "communication problems" with the Canadian firm.
In a preliminary deal announced in Berlin with great fanfare on September 10, GM is selling a 55-per-cent stake to canadian auto parts-maker Magna and Russian state-onwed lender Sberbank.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government, keen to safeguard the jobs of Opel's 25,000 German employees, half the total, agreed to sweeten the deal with Euro4.5 billion (Bt221 billion) worth of public money.
Merkel, Forbes magazine's most powerful woman on the planet for four years running, was eager to secure a rescue before elections on September 27. She duly won a second term.
The financing was contingent, however, on other European governments where Opel has plants, such Britain, Spain, Poland and Belgium, stepping up to the plate and providing their own taxpayers' money too.
But instead, the deal has been met with grumbling, with these countries unwilling to stump up cash for a deal that they see as only guaranteeing German jobs and keeping German plants up and running.
With Opel losing money fast, dependent on a market wher too many cars are being made for too few customers, Magna is reported to be looking to take around 10,500 workers off the payroll.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government, which has a far tougher re-election battle than Merkel waiting for it next year, has made clear that it is not amused.
Peter Mandelson, British business secretary, told the Financial Times in Seoul last Thursday he could not "sign off" on the deal in its current form, citing "shortcomings" identified in an independent auditors' report.
Britain, where Vauxhall employs 4,700 people, is ready to provide Euro400 million in loan guarantees, but first wants assurances that two plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port remain open, the FT said.
Spain, where Opel employs 7,000 people in Zaragoza province, has also been up in arms, with Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian boycotting a European meeting on Opel in Berlin on Friday.
"We have never been favourable ot Magna's offer," a spokesman in Madrid said on Friday, with Sebastian "pretty unhappy" after the last gettogether in the German capital.
Instead, Sebastian met with Magna boss Siegfried Wolf, appearing aftwards slightly more conciliatory, pledging to improve "communication problems" with the Canadian firm.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Deal near on Hummer sale
General Motors Co is poised to sign a deal to sell its Hummer brand to a Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer, according to a person briefed on the deal.
"Representatives of Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp have been in the US for the past nine days working on final details with GM,and both sides hope to sign a definitive sales agreement on Thursday or Friday,"said the person, who asked not to be identified because the deal is not final.
The purchase price was not known,but GM said in its bankruptcy filing that Hummer might bring $500 million or more.
Hummer, whose smallest model gets 16 miles per gallon (14.7 litres per 100 kilometres) in combined city and highway driving, sold well until the middle part of this decade when fuel prices began to rise.
Through September, GM has sold only 8,193 Hummers in the US this year, down 64% from the same period last year. In September, only 426 Hummers were sold nationwide, according to Autodata Corp.
GM, which spent 40 days in bankruptcy protection during the summer and has received about $50 billion in US government aid, plans to sell its Hummer and Saab brands and scrap Pontiac and Saturn as it tries to streamline its operations. The company wants to focus on four core brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac,Buick and GMC.
Once the deal is signed, it still must be approved by the US and Chinese governments, and Chinese regulators initially expressed reservations about Tengzhong's ability to operate such an enterprise.
GM already has seen one similar deal blow up at the last minute. Last week,auto dealership magnate Roger Penske's bid to buy the Saturn brand fell apart just before the deal was finalised when a contract to make vehicles was rejected by the Renault board.
Hummer spokesman Nick Richards in Detroit would not comment on the timing of the deal.
In June, Sichuan Tengzhong announced that it had a tentative agreement with GM to buy the brand, which features large off-road vehicles that initially were developed for military use.
The consumer version of the Hummmer H3 and H3T pickup are assembled at the GM plant in Shreveport, Louisiana,which is slated for closure no later than June 2012. The larger H2 was made under contract with South Bend, Indiana-based AMGeneral LLC, which also makes military versions of the vehicles. The workhorse military vehicles used in Iraq and Afghanistan are not a part of the deal.
The deal with Sichuan Tengzhong has long been expected. The Michigan Economic Development Authority in September approved a state tax credit worth $20.6 million over 10 years to help Hummer to build a headquarters in the Detroit area.
The tax credit is contingent on Sichuan Tengzhong closing the deal for Hummer with GM, although a memo to the economic development authority said all definitive documents for the sale have been signed by the companies.
The headquarters would house global design, engineering, product planning,purchasing, sales, service, marketing and financing, Richards said.
"Representatives of Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp have been in the US for the past nine days working on final details with GM,and both sides hope to sign a definitive sales agreement on Thursday or Friday,"said the person, who asked not to be identified because the deal is not final.
The purchase price was not known,but GM said in its bankruptcy filing that Hummer might bring $500 million or more.
Hummer, whose smallest model gets 16 miles per gallon (14.7 litres per 100 kilometres) in combined city and highway driving, sold well until the middle part of this decade when fuel prices began to rise.
Through September, GM has sold only 8,193 Hummers in the US this year, down 64% from the same period last year. In September, only 426 Hummers were sold nationwide, according to Autodata Corp.
GM, which spent 40 days in bankruptcy protection during the summer and has received about $50 billion in US government aid, plans to sell its Hummer and Saab brands and scrap Pontiac and Saturn as it tries to streamline its operations. The company wants to focus on four core brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac,Buick and GMC.
Once the deal is signed, it still must be approved by the US and Chinese governments, and Chinese regulators initially expressed reservations about Tengzhong's ability to operate such an enterprise.
GM already has seen one similar deal blow up at the last minute. Last week,auto dealership magnate Roger Penske's bid to buy the Saturn brand fell apart just before the deal was finalised when a contract to make vehicles was rejected by the Renault board.
Hummer spokesman Nick Richards in Detroit would not comment on the timing of the deal.
In June, Sichuan Tengzhong announced that it had a tentative agreement with GM to buy the brand, which features large off-road vehicles that initially were developed for military use.
The consumer version of the Hummmer H3 and H3T pickup are assembled at the GM plant in Shreveport, Louisiana,which is slated for closure no later than June 2012. The larger H2 was made under contract with South Bend, Indiana-based AMGeneral LLC, which also makes military versions of the vehicles. The workhorse military vehicles used in Iraq and Afghanistan are not a part of the deal.
The deal with Sichuan Tengzhong has long been expected. The Michigan Economic Development Authority in September approved a state tax credit worth $20.6 million over 10 years to help Hummer to build a headquarters in the Detroit area.
The tax credit is contingent on Sichuan Tengzhong closing the deal for Hummer with GM, although a memo to the economic development authority said all definitive documents for the sale have been signed by the companies.
The headquarters would house global design, engineering, product planning,purchasing, sales, service, marketing and financing, Richards said.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Honda sales to beat forecast
Honda Motor Co, Japan's second-largest carmaker, expects full-year vehicle sales in India and Thailand to exceed forecasts,the company's head of Asia operations said.
Sales in Thailand this calendar year may reach last year's level, compared with a forecast for a 20% decline, while sales in India will fare better than the estimated 20-30% drop, Fumihiko Ike,president of Asian Honda Motor Co,said in an interview in Tokyo yesterday.
Compared with Europe and the United States, recovery of these Asian economies has been slightly faster, Mr Ike said.Banks started loosening credit relatively early, which has helped because a high ratio of people buy cars and motorcycles on credit.
Economic recoveries in India and Thailand are boosting sales of Honda's Jazz and City compact cars. India's economic growth may accelerate to as much as 7.8% this year as the US economy shows signs of bottoming out, the finance ministry said recently.
Thailand's economy is sure to grow this quarter for the first time in a year as government spending and improving global demand spur expansion, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said this week.
Honda started selling the Jazz compact in India in June. The company also plans to introduce a small car targeting India and Thailand, which will be smaller than the Jazz, within two to three years, Mr Ike said.
It may export the car from Thailand to other countries in the region, he added.
"There is a huge income disparity gap in these countries, and our new product will meet untapped demand,"he said.
The car, with an engine of less than 1.2 litres, will qualify for Thailand's ecocar project. The car would be sold in India at a price equivalent to the average annual salary, Mr Ike said.
Sales in Thailand this calendar year may reach last year's level, compared with a forecast for a 20% decline, while sales in India will fare better than the estimated 20-30% drop, Fumihiko Ike,president of Asian Honda Motor Co,said in an interview in Tokyo yesterday.
Compared with Europe and the United States, recovery of these Asian economies has been slightly faster, Mr Ike said.Banks started loosening credit relatively early, which has helped because a high ratio of people buy cars and motorcycles on credit.
Economic recoveries in India and Thailand are boosting sales of Honda's Jazz and City compact cars. India's economic growth may accelerate to as much as 7.8% this year as the US economy shows signs of bottoming out, the finance ministry said recently.
Thailand's economy is sure to grow this quarter for the first time in a year as government spending and improving global demand spur expansion, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said this week.
Honda started selling the Jazz compact in India in June. The company also plans to introduce a small car targeting India and Thailand, which will be smaller than the Jazz, within two to three years, Mr Ike said.
It may export the car from Thailand to other countries in the region, he added.
"There is a huge income disparity gap in these countries, and our new product will meet untapped demand,"he said.
The car, with an engine of less than 1.2 litres, will qualify for Thailand's ecocar project. The car would be sold in India at a price equivalent to the average annual salary, Mr Ike said.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Mazda to raise $1.1bn; narrows loss forecast
Mazda Motor Corp will raise as much as 96 billion yen ($1.1 billion)selling new and existing shares, as the company reported yesterday a smallerthan-predicted first-half loss.
"Mazda will sell as many as 363 million new shares and 96.8 million existing shares held by the Hiroshima-based carmaker," it said in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange."Mazda will use the funds to develop less polluting cars and improve its financial base."
Mazda follows All Nippon Airways Co, Nomura Holdings Inc and Mizuho Financial Group Inc in raising cash by selling equity. The carmaker forecasts a second straight annual loss after the global recession cut automobile demand and a stronger yen reduced revenue from overseas sales.
"Mazda needs money to survive,"said Koichi Ogawa, chief portfolio manager at Daiwa SB Investments Ltd."It also needs funds to develop more fuelefficient cars."
Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Nomura Holdings Inc and Daiwa Securities SMBC Co will manage the share sale, according to a Finance Ministry filing.
The company posted a preliminary first-half net loss of 26 billion yen, compared with a prediction of 50 billion yen. It also narrowed its full-year loss forecast to 26 billion yen from 50 billion yen, citing government incentives that have stimulated car demand and a weaker yen against the euro.
The forecast is based on an exchange rate of 132 yen to the euro, compared with 125 yen in the previous forecast,and 92 yen to the dollar, compared with 95 yen previously. The euro traded at 131.34 yen and the dollar at 89.83 yen as of 4.48 p.m. in Tokyo yesterday.
The automaker raised its estimate for global vehicle sales this fiscal year to 1,155,000 from 1.1 million, after government rebates and tax cuts including the US cash for clunkers plan helped lift demand.
Mazda's vehicle sales dropped 26%in the US and 23% in Japan through September this year. Sales in Europe fell 21% through August.
The carmaker,13.8% owned by Ford Motor Co, has said it will improve fuel efficiency by 30% on average by 2015 compared with 2008 by introducing new gasoline and diesel engines.
The company registered in July to sell as much as 100 billion yen of bonds within two years, according to a Finance Ministry filing.
All Nippon Air, Asia's second-largest carrier, said in July it would raise as much as 142 billion yen selling new equity to buy planes, its first sale of shares since 2006.
"Mazda will sell as many as 363 million new shares and 96.8 million existing shares held by the Hiroshima-based carmaker," it said in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange."Mazda will use the funds to develop less polluting cars and improve its financial base."
Mazda follows All Nippon Airways Co, Nomura Holdings Inc and Mizuho Financial Group Inc in raising cash by selling equity. The carmaker forecasts a second straight annual loss after the global recession cut automobile demand and a stronger yen reduced revenue from overseas sales.
"Mazda needs money to survive,"said Koichi Ogawa, chief portfolio manager at Daiwa SB Investments Ltd."It also needs funds to develop more fuelefficient cars."
Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Nomura Holdings Inc and Daiwa Securities SMBC Co will manage the share sale, according to a Finance Ministry filing.
The company posted a preliminary first-half net loss of 26 billion yen, compared with a prediction of 50 billion yen. It also narrowed its full-year loss forecast to 26 billion yen from 50 billion yen, citing government incentives that have stimulated car demand and a weaker yen against the euro.
The forecast is based on an exchange rate of 132 yen to the euro, compared with 125 yen in the previous forecast,and 92 yen to the dollar, compared with 95 yen previously. The euro traded at 131.34 yen and the dollar at 89.83 yen as of 4.48 p.m. in Tokyo yesterday.
The automaker raised its estimate for global vehicle sales this fiscal year to 1,155,000 from 1.1 million, after government rebates and tax cuts including the US cash for clunkers plan helped lift demand.
Mazda's vehicle sales dropped 26%in the US and 23% in Japan through September this year. Sales in Europe fell 21% through August.
The carmaker,13.8% owned by Ford Motor Co, has said it will improve fuel efficiency by 30% on average by 2015 compared with 2008 by introducing new gasoline and diesel engines.
The company registered in July to sell as much as 100 billion yen of bonds within two years, according to a Finance Ministry filing.
All Nippon Air, Asia's second-largest carrier, said in July it would raise as much as 142 billion yen selling new equity to buy planes, its first sale of shares since 2006.
BOW TO ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT DETRACT
Even luxury-car manufacturers are concerned with the environment these days.
Take BMW for example: its new 7 Series flagship model may be a monstrous 5.2-metre limousine fitted with all the amenities you'd want in a car, but like other BMW models such as the 3 series or 5 Series, it also features the German auto-maker's EfficientDynamics philosophy.
For Asian markets, the 7 Series is offered in a long-wheelbase version, and in Thailand the 740 Li, priced at Bt8.99 million (the price will go up to Bt9.29 million next year), is the top model in BMW's range. The other is the diesel-powered 730 Ld, which is priced at Bt7.59 million.
Featured today is the 740 Li, with its large body and loads of luxury features raging from adjestable and ventilated rear seats with massage function to rear-seat entertainment systems, not to mention various safety functions. It weighs in at 1.9 tonnes. Despited this, BMW claims that the 740 Li has the average fuel economy of a regular mid-sized sedan. EfficientDynamics technology, which ranges from the use of highly efficient engines to weight reduction and anything else that might lower fuel consumption, like more efficient gearboxes, allows the car to average 10 kilometres per litre, with carbon dioxide emissions claimed to be 235 grams per kilometre.
The heart of the 740 Li is its award-wining gngine, a 3-litre in-line six with twin turbochargers that pumps out 326 horsepower at 5,800rpm and 45Nm of torque, all the way from 1,500 to 4,500rpm.
BMW is a company that is known for its loyalty to normally aspirated engines, and over the years the Munich-based manufacturer has come up with a number of arguments against the use of turbockhargers.
When leaks came out of Munich that BMW was developing a turbocharged engine many years ago, the company dismissed it as "mere speculation."
However, as environmental concerns became stronger and fuel consumption and emission standards became stricter, it became difficult to achieve the new standards while maintaining the same output with a normally-aspirated engine.
Then came the 335i, a wonderful 300-horsepower coupe powered by the 3-litre twin turbo engine, and BMW's normally-aspirated-engine tradition was finally broken.
So instead of the 740 Li coming with the usual 4-litre V8, it now comes with the turbocharged engine. It's as simple as that.
Performance has been improved over the old model. There is 20 horsepower and 60Nm of torque more than the V8 and 0 to 100kph acceleration has been improved by almost a full second, to 6 seconds. On top of that, average fuel consumption has been lowered by 15 per cent.
While 7 Series customers won't be worrying about fuel consumption, especially after spending almost Bt10 million on a car, they will be impressed by the other features on board.
BMW claims that the 740 Li has more headroom and knee room for rear passengers than any other car in its class, and all non-driving features, such as climate control and entertainment systems, can be controlled from the rear seats through thei-Drive controller.
From the driver's seat, there are more controls to play around with, and those who decide to purchase a 7 Series will need to have their drivers carefully read the entire owner's manual. BMW also offers driver training, which would be helpful.
Among the car's highlights are a navigation system, head-up display, night vision, four-zone climate control, two hi-resolution 9.2-inch monitors for TV and DVD for rear passengers and a great-sounding surround hi-fi system with 16 speakers and a 80Gb hard drive for storing music. Music sounds better with the surround switched off, so let's keep that function for movies.
The ride comfort is enhanced by a Dynamic Damping Control system that varies the suspension settings according to the road surface, and there are more driver-assistance systems such as the Integrated Chassis Management system, which orchestrates all active safety systems including Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Driving Control and Integral Active Steering (four-wheel steering), which helps improve high-speed stability as well as low-speed manoeuvrability.
Braking performance is better than ever, with vented discs both front and rear that are governed by all sorts of electronics.
Right next to the gearshift lever is a selector button that allows the driver to choose between comfort, sport and extreme sport, all of which give the 740 Li different characteristics.
I had the 740 Li for a few days and it surely is easier to drive than the previous model. There is no problem with engine refinement or wind noise, and handling is easier than expected for a 5.2-metre car. While reverse parking, the screen on the centre console displays views from rear and side cameras, along with a suggested path outlined by graphics.
The only problem is that I didn't get a chance to sit back and enjoy the other type of motoring comfort-as a rearseat passenger.
Take BMW for example: its new 7 Series flagship model may be a monstrous 5.2-metre limousine fitted with all the amenities you'd want in a car, but like other BMW models such as the 3 series or 5 Series, it also features the German auto-maker's EfficientDynamics philosophy.
For Asian markets, the 7 Series is offered in a long-wheelbase version, and in Thailand the 740 Li, priced at Bt8.99 million (the price will go up to Bt9.29 million next year), is the top model in BMW's range. The other is the diesel-powered 730 Ld, which is priced at Bt7.59 million.
Featured today is the 740 Li, with its large body and loads of luxury features raging from adjestable and ventilated rear seats with massage function to rear-seat entertainment systems, not to mention various safety functions. It weighs in at 1.9 tonnes. Despited this, BMW claims that the 740 Li has the average fuel economy of a regular mid-sized sedan. EfficientDynamics technology, which ranges from the use of highly efficient engines to weight reduction and anything else that might lower fuel consumption, like more efficient gearboxes, allows the car to average 10 kilometres per litre, with carbon dioxide emissions claimed to be 235 grams per kilometre.
The heart of the 740 Li is its award-wining gngine, a 3-litre in-line six with twin turbochargers that pumps out 326 horsepower at 5,800rpm and 45Nm of torque, all the way from 1,500 to 4,500rpm.
BMW is a company that is known for its loyalty to normally aspirated engines, and over the years the Munich-based manufacturer has come up with a number of arguments against the use of turbockhargers.
When leaks came out of Munich that BMW was developing a turbocharged engine many years ago, the company dismissed it as "mere speculation."
However, as environmental concerns became stronger and fuel consumption and emission standards became stricter, it became difficult to achieve the new standards while maintaining the same output with a normally-aspirated engine.
Then came the 335i, a wonderful 300-horsepower coupe powered by the 3-litre twin turbo engine, and BMW's normally-aspirated-engine tradition was finally broken.
So instead of the 740 Li coming with the usual 4-litre V8, it now comes with the turbocharged engine. It's as simple as that.
Performance has been improved over the old model. There is 20 horsepower and 60Nm of torque more than the V8 and 0 to 100kph acceleration has been improved by almost a full second, to 6 seconds. On top of that, average fuel consumption has been lowered by 15 per cent.
While 7 Series customers won't be worrying about fuel consumption, especially after spending almost Bt10 million on a car, they will be impressed by the other features on board.
BMW claims that the 740 Li has more headroom and knee room for rear passengers than any other car in its class, and all non-driving features, such as climate control and entertainment systems, can be controlled from the rear seats through thei-Drive controller.
From the driver's seat, there are more controls to play around with, and those who decide to purchase a 7 Series will need to have their drivers carefully read the entire owner's manual. BMW also offers driver training, which would be helpful.
Among the car's highlights are a navigation system, head-up display, night vision, four-zone climate control, two hi-resolution 9.2-inch monitors for TV and DVD for rear passengers and a great-sounding surround hi-fi system with 16 speakers and a 80Gb hard drive for storing music. Music sounds better with the surround switched off, so let's keep that function for movies.
The ride comfort is enhanced by a Dynamic Damping Control system that varies the suspension settings according to the road surface, and there are more driver-assistance systems such as the Integrated Chassis Management system, which orchestrates all active safety systems including Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Driving Control and Integral Active Steering (four-wheel steering), which helps improve high-speed stability as well as low-speed manoeuvrability.
Braking performance is better than ever, with vented discs both front and rear that are governed by all sorts of electronics.
Right next to the gearshift lever is a selector button that allows the driver to choose between comfort, sport and extreme sport, all of which give the 740 Li different characteristics.
I had the 740 Li for a few days and it surely is easier to drive than the previous model. There is no problem with engine refinement or wind noise, and handling is easier than expected for a 5.2-metre car. While reverse parking, the screen on the centre console displays views from rear and side cameras, along with a suggested path outlined by graphics.
The only problem is that I didn't get a chance to sit back and enjoy the other type of motoring comfort-as a rearseat passenger.
GM hopes to end Rayong work stoppage quickly
General Motors Thailand says it is determined to end the work stoppage at its Rayong plant as soon as possible to avert possible disruptions in vehicle supply to dealers and customers, said spokeswoman Sasinan Allmand.
About 200 union workers filed a notice with GM on Saturday of their intention to strike yesterday to demand higher wages, welfare and benefits, but GM management rushed to close the plant before the strike began to ensure the safety and security of all employees and property.
According to a GM statement, during the temporary closure, the company would continue to pay all wages - and variable bonus payments, welfare and benefits - to most of its employees,including some of the union employees who have registered to remain on duty.
However, the unionised employees who are on strike would not be paid, it said.
GM said it would endeavour to conduct further negotiations with the union members to seek an amicable solution to their demands as soon as possible.
Ms Sasinan said 600 non-striking unionised workers were still on duty.About 1,700 workers are employed at the GM assembly plant, and half are union members.
"We informed the workers who did not join the strike to stand by for plant reopening," said Ms Sasinan.
"We are hoping to resume production as soon as the protest ends, hopefully within a couple of days. We have our negotiators meeting with the union members who are not satisfied with the onemonth bonus to be paid this month,"she said.
The GM plant has a capacity to make 150,000 vehicles per year, but actual production is closer to 50,000.
The plant's production hit a low of only 30,000 units earlier as a result of the auto industry's slump from the global downturn.
"We are confident the plant closure will not affect our vehicle supply, but we have a contingency plan if the stoppage continues to ensure supply for dealers and customers," she said.
She declined to reveal inventory at the plant or daily vehicle production numbers.
About 200 union workers filed a notice with GM on Saturday of their intention to strike yesterday to demand higher wages, welfare and benefits, but GM management rushed to close the plant before the strike began to ensure the safety and security of all employees and property.
According to a GM statement, during the temporary closure, the company would continue to pay all wages - and variable bonus payments, welfare and benefits - to most of its employees,including some of the union employees who have registered to remain on duty.
However, the unionised employees who are on strike would not be paid, it said.
GM said it would endeavour to conduct further negotiations with the union members to seek an amicable solution to their demands as soon as possible.
Ms Sasinan said 600 non-striking unionised workers were still on duty.About 1,700 workers are employed at the GM assembly plant, and half are union members.
"We informed the workers who did not join the strike to stand by for plant reopening," said Ms Sasinan.
"We are hoping to resume production as soon as the protest ends, hopefully within a couple of days. We have our negotiators meeting with the union members who are not satisfied with the onemonth bonus to be paid this month,"she said.
The GM plant has a capacity to make 150,000 vehicles per year, but actual production is closer to 50,000.
The plant's production hit a low of only 30,000 units earlier as a result of the auto industry's slump from the global downturn.
"We are confident the plant closure will not affect our vehicle supply, but we have a contingency plan if the stoppage continues to ensure supply for dealers and customers," she said.
She declined to reveal inventory at the plant or daily vehicle production numbers.
STRIKE CLOSES GM THAILAND FACTORY
GM Thailand's automotive assembly plant in the Eastern Seaboard province of Rayong was shut down yesterday as a result of a workers' strike.
In a statement, the Workers Union of General Motors said it had submitted a strike notice to the management.
A company source said several factors had led to the strike, including demands for more worker benefits.
The strike led to a temporary closure of the facilities, in order to ensure the safety and security of all employees and property.
The source said it remained unclear when the plant would reopen.
A notice of temporary closure was issued last Saturday under the Employee Relations Act of 1975.
During the temporary closure, GM Thailand said it would continue to pay all wages and benefits to all of its employees.
In the meantime, GM Thailand will continue to negotiate with the union.
In a statement, the Workers Union of General Motors said it had submitted a strike notice to the management.
A company source said several factors had led to the strike, including demands for more worker benefits.
The strike led to a temporary closure of the facilities, in order to ensure the safety and security of all employees and property.
The source said it remained unclear when the plant would reopen.
A notice of temporary closure was issued last Saturday under the Employee Relations Act of 1975.
During the temporary closure, GM Thailand said it would continue to pay all wages and benefits to all of its employees.
In the meantime, GM Thailand will continue to negotiate with the union.
Friday, October 2, 2009
CHARITY MIDNIGHT RUN
All athletes, professional and amateur, are advised to prepare themselves for the 12th "Amari Watergate Hotel & BMW Thailand Charity Midnight Run" which will take place on the city streets on Sat,Oct 10.
The only race in Bangkok to be held annually at midnight offers competitors a choice of two distances -6 and 12 kilometres. And over 5,000 runners, both local and foreign, are expected to participate.
The city streets will be closed and protected by a police and security contingent and the runners will be supported along the route by residents and shop owners, together with the management and staff of the Amari Watergate Hotel.
The male and female runners with the best record in the 12km distance will receive the royal trophy of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn,while winners in each age category,including the family team and the fancy team will receive a trophy, accommodation and dining gift vouchers from Amari Hotels & Resorts Group.
Everyone who makes it to the finish line will also receive a special commemorative medal. After the race,there will be a cocktail party at the hotel's Henry J Beans Bar & Grill which also offers a raffle with lots of prizes. All proceeds from the event will go to charitable causes, including Chalerm Prakiat HRH Princess Sirindhorn School and Baan Gerda which supports HIV-infected orphans children in Lop Buri.
The entry fee is 300 and 1,000 baht,and includes a complimentary running shirt and a chance to win prizes such as round-trip air tickets and watches.
For more information, please contact Clark Hatch Fitness Centre of the Amari Watergate Hotel on 02-653-9000 ext 5780/2 or the hotel's PR department ext 5021.
The only race in Bangkok to be held annually at midnight offers competitors a choice of two distances -6 and 12 kilometres. And over 5,000 runners, both local and foreign, are expected to participate.
The city streets will be closed and protected by a police and security contingent and the runners will be supported along the route by residents and shop owners, together with the management and staff of the Amari Watergate Hotel.
The male and female runners with the best record in the 12km distance will receive the royal trophy of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn,while winners in each age category,including the family team and the fancy team will receive a trophy, accommodation and dining gift vouchers from Amari Hotels & Resorts Group.
Everyone who makes it to the finish line will also receive a special commemorative medal. After the race,there will be a cocktail party at the hotel's Henry J Beans Bar & Grill which also offers a raffle with lots of prizes. All proceeds from the event will go to charitable causes, including Chalerm Prakiat HRH Princess Sirindhorn School and Baan Gerda which supports HIV-infected orphans children in Lop Buri.
The entry fee is 300 and 1,000 baht,and includes a complimentary running shirt and a chance to win prizes such as round-trip air tickets and watches.
For more information, please contact Clark Hatch Fitness Centre of the Amari Watergate Hotel on 02-653-9000 ext 5780/2 or the hotel's PR department ext 5021.
Oil-sniffing dream
Looks familiar, is it a concept car that's been redesigned?
Quite right, the L1 is the sequel to the original one-litre per 100km (or 100kpl)car Volkswagen made in 2002(see sidebar). It's still a tandem two-seat car with an extremely low 0.195 Cd aero efficiency. Made out of carbon-reinforced plastic, the whole car weighs only 381kg.Guestimate dimensions (because no official figures have been released) are around 3,800mm long,1,400mm wide and 1,135mm in height.
Sounds more like a light plane than a car.What kind of engine does it have?
A diesel hybrid. It has half a VW Golf's 1.6-litre oil-burning four-pot, meaning it's a twin-cylinder 800cc direct-injection turbo-diesel coupled to a tiny electric motor/generator. The engine can run in either a 7hp Eco mode or 29hp Sport mode. The 14hp electric motor helps it reach a top speed of 160kph and a 0-100kph sprint time of 14.3sec - as good as many conventional petrol B-segment hatchbacks today.
Ok, I can live with that kind of performance.So what's the kick?
The kick is that it consumes merely 1.38-litre of Euro 5 diesel per 100km or 72.5kpl which makes it the world's most frugal car. It also has the lowest exhaust emissions of only 36g/km of CO2- less than half that of the current Toyota Prius Hybrid.
Why just a two-seater? And why in tandem?
The logic is that most city dwellers commute alone or with one more passenger, so a two-seater suffices for this job description. The seats are arranged in tandem to allow for an efficient aero design with a long, tapered profile. This arrangement also has a safety advantage in that the cabin can have more crumple area on the sides than in conventional cars. Volkswagen claims that the L1's crash safety is similar to that of a GT racecar.
Seriously, is it going to be made and sold?
They claimed to be pushing it for production for 2013 citing progressively dropping construction costs (the carbonfibre materials).
Yeah, yeah, didn't say something like that with the 1L?
You're right again, Volkswagen did say that back in 2002 for small scale production by 2010, but this plan is stalled.
So, are they giving us false hope again?
What we think could happen in the mid-term is that the L1 could be the image maker for the imminent massselling Up! A-segment city/ecocar. It would not compete with a mass-selling hybrid leader like the Prius, but as an alternative to green lifestyle vehicles like the Peugeot RCZ Hybrid - if that ever gets built.
THE OLD AMBITION
Back in 2002, Volkswagen debut the world's first one-litre per 100km or the 1L car. It was 0.159 Cd aero efficiency.
It weighed only 290kg thanks to carbonfibre body bolted over magnesium alloy frame and sporting lightweight components such as carbonfibre wheels,titanium hubs and aluminium brakes.
It was powered by a tiny 8.4hp 299cc single-cylinder diesel assisted by a small electric motor/generator with auto start-stop electrically-controlled six-speed sequential manual.
The streamlined body did away with wing mirrors,using video cameras instead for rearward views. It is smaller than today's L1 with dimensions 3,470mm long,1,250mm wide and 1,000mm tall.
It was tiny but claimed to fully conform to the EUs safety laws.
The seats are arranged in tandem to allow for an efficient aero design.
Quite right, the L1 is the sequel to the original one-litre per 100km (or 100kpl)car Volkswagen made in 2002(see sidebar). It's still a tandem two-seat car with an extremely low 0.195 Cd aero efficiency. Made out of carbon-reinforced plastic, the whole car weighs only 381kg.Guestimate dimensions (because no official figures have been released) are around 3,800mm long,1,400mm wide and 1,135mm in height.
Sounds more like a light plane than a car.What kind of engine does it have?
A diesel hybrid. It has half a VW Golf's 1.6-litre oil-burning four-pot, meaning it's a twin-cylinder 800cc direct-injection turbo-diesel coupled to a tiny electric motor/generator. The engine can run in either a 7hp Eco mode or 29hp Sport mode. The 14hp electric motor helps it reach a top speed of 160kph and a 0-100kph sprint time of 14.3sec - as good as many conventional petrol B-segment hatchbacks today.
Ok, I can live with that kind of performance.So what's the kick?
The kick is that it consumes merely 1.38-litre of Euro 5 diesel per 100km or 72.5kpl which makes it the world's most frugal car. It also has the lowest exhaust emissions of only 36g/km of CO2- less than half that of the current Toyota Prius Hybrid.
Why just a two-seater? And why in tandem?
The logic is that most city dwellers commute alone or with one more passenger, so a two-seater suffices for this job description. The seats are arranged in tandem to allow for an efficient aero design with a long, tapered profile. This arrangement also has a safety advantage in that the cabin can have more crumple area on the sides than in conventional cars. Volkswagen claims that the L1's crash safety is similar to that of a GT racecar.
Seriously, is it going to be made and sold?
They claimed to be pushing it for production for 2013 citing progressively dropping construction costs (the carbonfibre materials).
Yeah, yeah, didn't say something like that with the 1L?
You're right again, Volkswagen did say that back in 2002 for small scale production by 2010, but this plan is stalled.
So, are they giving us false hope again?
What we think could happen in the mid-term is that the L1 could be the image maker for the imminent massselling Up! A-segment city/ecocar. It would not compete with a mass-selling hybrid leader like the Prius, but as an alternative to green lifestyle vehicles like the Peugeot RCZ Hybrid - if that ever gets built.
THE OLD AMBITION
Back in 2002, Volkswagen debut the world's first one-litre per 100km or the 1L car. It was 0.159 Cd aero efficiency.
It weighed only 290kg thanks to carbonfibre body bolted over magnesium alloy frame and sporting lightweight components such as carbonfibre wheels,titanium hubs and aluminium brakes.
It was powered by a tiny 8.4hp 299cc single-cylinder diesel assisted by a small electric motor/generator with auto start-stop electrically-controlled six-speed sequential manual.
The streamlined body did away with wing mirrors,using video cameras instead for rearward views. It is smaller than today's L1 with dimensions 3,470mm long,1,250mm wide and 1,000mm tall.
It was tiny but claimed to fully conform to the EUs safety laws.
The seats are arranged in tandem to allow for an efficient aero design.
Multi-faceted concept
You could say, given that the e-tron has pure electric drivetrain to match the American carmaker's zero-emission supercars. But Audi actually doesn't share the same view; it merely wants to showcase what a sports car could be like in the future.
Although Audi has given any hint of association with the RS badge, the e-tron,star of last month's Frankfurt motor show,shares the same basic concept with Audi's supercar currently on sale: aluminium spaceframe body and mid-engine layout.
The e-tron concept has an electric motor spinning each of the four wheels,essentially maintaining the all-wheeldrive Quattro feature of Audi cars. The outputs are rated at 313hp and a stupendous 4,500Nm. Despite that eyepopping amount of torque, its 4.8sec 0-100kph time is still slower than any of the R8s on sale.
So why bother with the e-tron?
C'mon mate, this is an electric supercar we're talking about. In other words, it's a zero-emission car for high-performance driving enthusiasts. Moreover, the e-tron marks a new milestone for Audi's electric car project that will take off shortly with support from the German government.
As many of you would know, there are many challenges in getting electric cars to the market, be it on the technical,infrastructural or financial side.
Like so many other electric and hybrid cars being showcased by other manufacturers, the e-tron uses lithium-ion batteries which have become the accepted norm for the moment. If you'd like to know, the e-tron is claimed to be able to drive for 248km - twice the distance of most production-ready electric cars today - before heading to the electric socket.
Will Audi make it then?
Not likely for the moment. Electric drivetrains are still terribly expensive to make. Production costs would come down only when there are enough cars on the road using them.
One way to fast-track such technology is to introduce hybrids first. Batterybacked electric motors coupled to either diesel or petrol engine may need to be introduced first - as Toyota, MercedesBenz and BMW are doing.
So before we can really see an electric R8, a hybrid may come out first. Also,don't forget that Audi earlier showed a diesel R8 concept armed with a 500hp/1,000Nm 6.0-litre V12 which is far cheaper to produce than the e-tron, although rumours suggest it won't be made.
Can the e-tron also be an experimental car in design terms?
The e-tron is basically R8, although the European media was quick to point out that Audi could be hinting to a smaller R8 brother in the guise of R4, to be pinned with roadster models from Porsche and Volkswagen.
The logic behind the R4 is to have a two-seater slot beneath the 911-chasing R8. Volkswagen has already given clues to a new mid-engine sports car based on the Concept BlueSport. Other sources also suggest that the e-tron's aggressive chinoir-headlamps could become a new design hallmark for Audi which could first appear in the all-new replacement for the A8 flagship saloon due to be unveiled later this year.
The e-tron's dashboard looks equally as cool...
Dashboards angled towards the driver are becoming the norm in Audis. In the e-tron, the effect is more pronounced,achieved by minimising the number of switches on the fascia.
The centralised MMI function appears to stay, but the novelty is the monitor behind the steering wheel placed between the left and right dial acting as info-display pertaining to route guidance,traffic lights and traffic density to allow the driver to adjust the driving style.
Don't try imagining it would work in busy cities like Bangkok noted for notorious traffic management handled by the police who have a penchant to manually control traffic from their air-con kiosks - even on some Sunday mornings.
So like the e-tron's design and drivetrain, this interior could be pointing to new ideas we're likely to see in future Audis - the same way BMW did with its Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics (see Motoring , Sept 4) by introducing a host of new technical and design aspects.
Although Audi has given any hint of association with the RS badge, the e-tron,star of last month's Frankfurt motor show,shares the same basic concept with Audi's supercar currently on sale: aluminium spaceframe body and mid-engine layout.
The e-tron concept has an electric motor spinning each of the four wheels,essentially maintaining the all-wheeldrive Quattro feature of Audi cars. The outputs are rated at 313hp and a stupendous 4,500Nm. Despite that eyepopping amount of torque, its 4.8sec 0-100kph time is still slower than any of the R8s on sale.
So why bother with the e-tron?
C'mon mate, this is an electric supercar we're talking about. In other words, it's a zero-emission car for high-performance driving enthusiasts. Moreover, the e-tron marks a new milestone for Audi's electric car project that will take off shortly with support from the German government.
As many of you would know, there are many challenges in getting electric cars to the market, be it on the technical,infrastructural or financial side.
Like so many other electric and hybrid cars being showcased by other manufacturers, the e-tron uses lithium-ion batteries which have become the accepted norm for the moment. If you'd like to know, the e-tron is claimed to be able to drive for 248km - twice the distance of most production-ready electric cars today - before heading to the electric socket.
Will Audi make it then?
Not likely for the moment. Electric drivetrains are still terribly expensive to make. Production costs would come down only when there are enough cars on the road using them.
One way to fast-track such technology is to introduce hybrids first. Batterybacked electric motors coupled to either diesel or petrol engine may need to be introduced first - as Toyota, MercedesBenz and BMW are doing.
So before we can really see an electric R8, a hybrid may come out first. Also,don't forget that Audi earlier showed a diesel R8 concept armed with a 500hp/1,000Nm 6.0-litre V12 which is far cheaper to produce than the e-tron, although rumours suggest it won't be made.
Can the e-tron also be an experimental car in design terms?
The e-tron is basically R8, although the European media was quick to point out that Audi could be hinting to a smaller R8 brother in the guise of R4, to be pinned with roadster models from Porsche and Volkswagen.
The logic behind the R4 is to have a two-seater slot beneath the 911-chasing R8. Volkswagen has already given clues to a new mid-engine sports car based on the Concept BlueSport. Other sources also suggest that the e-tron's aggressive chinoir-headlamps could become a new design hallmark for Audi which could first appear in the all-new replacement for the A8 flagship saloon due to be unveiled later this year.
The e-tron's dashboard looks equally as cool...
Dashboards angled towards the driver are becoming the norm in Audis. In the e-tron, the effect is more pronounced,achieved by minimising the number of switches on the fascia.
The centralised MMI function appears to stay, but the novelty is the monitor behind the steering wheel placed between the left and right dial acting as info-display pertaining to route guidance,traffic lights and traffic density to allow the driver to adjust the driving style.
Don't try imagining it would work in busy cities like Bangkok noted for notorious traffic management handled by the police who have a penchant to manually control traffic from their air-con kiosks - even on some Sunday mornings.
So like the e-tron's design and drivetrain, this interior could be pointing to new ideas we're likely to see in future Audis - the same way BMW did with its Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics (see Motoring , Sept 4) by introducing a host of new technical and design aspects.
POPULAR ENTERTAINMENT
These two d diesel-powered hatchbacks promise a b bit of fun while meeting your everyd day driving needs. But whichis the e real-world here?
ANDREW FRANKE L
"The Golf is no beauty queen, but at least t it doesn't put you off every time you look at it;nor will your children n hate you for buying one"
We may not always want to admit this, but the real world can be a tedious, frustrating and repetitive place.You read about fabulous cars driven under cloudless skies on deserted roads in exotic locations, then pick up your car keys and head out into a world of heavy traffic, heavier rain, rising fuel taxation and fractious children.
This is the reality gap - the distance between the lives we'd like to live and those we actually do. And what you're reading here is a short but concentrated attempt to evaluate two cars seemingly ideally suited to this unfriendly, unsatisfactory and awkward real world.
Because this is Autocar , the winner of this comparison must be both fun and sporting.
And because it must also work in the longer term in the real world, so too must it be comfortable, spacious, frugal,practical and well built.
It's a brief that Volkswagen's new Golf GTD appears born to fulfil. This is a GTI that's been back for seconds of common sense. For the price of little more than a second added to your 0-100kph time, you get a car that will do rather more nearly 20kpl instead of rather less than 15kpl.
But on paper at least, the GTD seems trumped by the ageing BMW 120d SE. At B1.25m in the UK, it costs B20,000 more than the Golf. But for that, you're buying more power, better performance and even lower fuel consumption and CO
2emissions.And lest we forget, this is a rear-drive BMW we're talking about. So it's fair to say that most of the money would be on it being more fun to drive than the Golf. So which is the new best hot hatchback for the everyday grind?
The problems you inherit when you buy a 1-series are the same now as when the car was first launched five years ago: it's cramped and ugly.
The Golf is no beauty queen, but at least it doesn't put you off every time you look at it; nor will your children hate you for buying one.
The VW's rear seat package offers enough space in all three dimensions for even small to average-sized adults to sit in comfort.
In the BMW, inferior head room is an irrelevance,because there's so little leg room that anyone short enough to occupy its rear is scarcely going to be troubled by its low roofline.
The VW also offers the clearer, neater driving environment, as well as a more modern-looking cabin.
The 120d's interior is perhaps more characterful and certainly more distinctive and sporting than the Golf's,but ultimately it works less well.
On the open road, the competition is much tighter.You can tell the BMW's 2.0-litre motor hails from an earlier generation than that of the VW from its louder and more gruff voice. But while its torque is identical to that of the VW-361Nm at 1,750rpm- its 177hp is usefully chunkier than the Golf's 168hp.
No surprise, then, that the BMW is a significant half a second quicker to 100kph; what's unexpected is that it doesn't feel it. Indeed, if you conduct a side-by-side drag race between the two, you'd swear it was the Golf that was a fraction quicker.
The anomaly is explained by the BMW's weight and the location of the Golf's driveshafts. Fact is, the 120d is over 100kg heavier than the Golf, and that's more than enough to cancel out the BMW's power advantage.
The only reason the VW lags behind statistically is that it lacks the off-the-line traction of its rear-drive rival.
All this means is that you should neither dismiss the Golf for its apparently poorer performance nor allow the BMW to hoodwink you into thinking it's the quicker car;there is little or nothing in it.
It is simpler to draw distinctions between the ways the two cars cope with a decent road, though ultimately it's no easier to choose between them.
In shorthand, the Golf is the more capable, the BMW the more fun, and which therefore would suit you better depends on your priorities.
The Golf feels good whatever you do with it; it's an easy car to place on the road, even at high effort levels.It doesn't resort to scrubby understeer except under unusual provocation and its body control is beyond reproach for what is, after all, a five-door diesel hatchback.
The BMW seems substantially less engaging at first.Although it is a fractionally smaller car than the Golf, it feels bigger, less wieldy and therefore less enticing on those rare occasions when youre on a decent road and the rest of the world is not.
But here perseverance pays, for while the Golf's demeanour remains constant pretty much whatever you do to it, so the BMW responds with rather greater enthusiasm.
When you press on in the 120d, you'll find a car with a more neutral balance, one that's most receptive to mid-corner changes of line and, of course, with a much greater capacity for putting its power on the road.
The differences aren't huge and you need a rarely chanced-upon environment to experience them, but they are there.
To some, the simple knowledge that a humble diesel 1-series still displays the traits of more exalted rear-drive BMW's will be enough.
Back in the more mundane world, it is the BMW that proves least keen on spending your money for you. Thanks only in part to its stop-start system, the 120d is substantially more frugal than the Golf, posting an almost freakishly good 20.8kpl on the combined cycle.
There is nothing shameful in the Golf's 18.8kpl. But it's worth bearing in mind that for every 38 litres of diesel you put in the BMW, you'll need to drop about 42 into the Golf.
If this test was simply designed to measure which one of the two was the better driver's car, we'd give a narrow victory to the BMW and have done with it.
Then again, if those were the terms of reference, we'd never have got these two together in the first place. The truth is that neither is a great car to drive; the 120d feels dated and the Golf GTD is some distance from the dynamic standards set by its GTI stablemate.
But throw in the requirement that these cars need to be lived with as well as driven and strong cases can be built for both.
The BMW because it is both the more fun and frugal,the VW because it gives very little to the BMW on the open road while offering a substantially more spacious cabin, lower noise levels and a more modern, cohesive driving environment.
So what to go for: the more flawed but rewarding BMW, or the still game and more rounded Golf? The heart says the BMW, while the head goes with the VW.But as a test specifically designed to test these cars in the real world, the final nod must fall in favour of the Golf.
ANDREW FRANKE L
"The Golf is no beauty queen, but at least t it doesn't put you off every time you look at it;nor will your children n hate you for buying one"
We may not always want to admit this, but the real world can be a tedious, frustrating and repetitive place.You read about fabulous cars driven under cloudless skies on deserted roads in exotic locations, then pick up your car keys and head out into a world of heavy traffic, heavier rain, rising fuel taxation and fractious children.
This is the reality gap - the distance between the lives we'd like to live and those we actually do. And what you're reading here is a short but concentrated attempt to evaluate two cars seemingly ideally suited to this unfriendly, unsatisfactory and awkward real world.
Because this is Autocar , the winner of this comparison must be both fun and sporting.
And because it must also work in the longer term in the real world, so too must it be comfortable, spacious, frugal,practical and well built.
It's a brief that Volkswagen's new Golf GTD appears born to fulfil. This is a GTI that's been back for seconds of common sense. For the price of little more than a second added to your 0-100kph time, you get a car that will do rather more nearly 20kpl instead of rather less than 15kpl.
But on paper at least, the GTD seems trumped by the ageing BMW 120d SE. At B1.25m in the UK, it costs B20,000 more than the Golf. But for that, you're buying more power, better performance and even lower fuel consumption and CO
2emissions.And lest we forget, this is a rear-drive BMW we're talking about. So it's fair to say that most of the money would be on it being more fun to drive than the Golf. So which is the new best hot hatchback for the everyday grind?
The problems you inherit when you buy a 1-series are the same now as when the car was first launched five years ago: it's cramped and ugly.
The Golf is no beauty queen, but at least it doesn't put you off every time you look at it; nor will your children hate you for buying one.
The VW's rear seat package offers enough space in all three dimensions for even small to average-sized adults to sit in comfort.
In the BMW, inferior head room is an irrelevance,because there's so little leg room that anyone short enough to occupy its rear is scarcely going to be troubled by its low roofline.
The VW also offers the clearer, neater driving environment, as well as a more modern-looking cabin.
The 120d's interior is perhaps more characterful and certainly more distinctive and sporting than the Golf's,but ultimately it works less well.
On the open road, the competition is much tighter.You can tell the BMW's 2.0-litre motor hails from an earlier generation than that of the VW from its louder and more gruff voice. But while its torque is identical to that of the VW-361Nm at 1,750rpm- its 177hp is usefully chunkier than the Golf's 168hp.
No surprise, then, that the BMW is a significant half a second quicker to 100kph; what's unexpected is that it doesn't feel it. Indeed, if you conduct a side-by-side drag race between the two, you'd swear it was the Golf that was a fraction quicker.
The anomaly is explained by the BMW's weight and the location of the Golf's driveshafts. Fact is, the 120d is over 100kg heavier than the Golf, and that's more than enough to cancel out the BMW's power advantage.
The only reason the VW lags behind statistically is that it lacks the off-the-line traction of its rear-drive rival.
All this means is that you should neither dismiss the Golf for its apparently poorer performance nor allow the BMW to hoodwink you into thinking it's the quicker car;there is little or nothing in it.
It is simpler to draw distinctions between the ways the two cars cope with a decent road, though ultimately it's no easier to choose between them.
In shorthand, the Golf is the more capable, the BMW the more fun, and which therefore would suit you better depends on your priorities.
The Golf feels good whatever you do with it; it's an easy car to place on the road, even at high effort levels.It doesn't resort to scrubby understeer except under unusual provocation and its body control is beyond reproach for what is, after all, a five-door diesel hatchback.
The BMW seems substantially less engaging at first.Although it is a fractionally smaller car than the Golf, it feels bigger, less wieldy and therefore less enticing on those rare occasions when youre on a decent road and the rest of the world is not.
But here perseverance pays, for while the Golf's demeanour remains constant pretty much whatever you do to it, so the BMW responds with rather greater enthusiasm.
When you press on in the 120d, you'll find a car with a more neutral balance, one that's most receptive to mid-corner changes of line and, of course, with a much greater capacity for putting its power on the road.
The differences aren't huge and you need a rarely chanced-upon environment to experience them, but they are there.
To some, the simple knowledge that a humble diesel 1-series still displays the traits of more exalted rear-drive BMW's will be enough.
Back in the more mundane world, it is the BMW that proves least keen on spending your money for you. Thanks only in part to its stop-start system, the 120d is substantially more frugal than the Golf, posting an almost freakishly good 20.8kpl on the combined cycle.
There is nothing shameful in the Golf's 18.8kpl. But it's worth bearing in mind that for every 38 litres of diesel you put in the BMW, you'll need to drop about 42 into the Golf.
If this test was simply designed to measure which one of the two was the better driver's car, we'd give a narrow victory to the BMW and have done with it.
Then again, if those were the terms of reference, we'd never have got these two together in the first place. The truth is that neither is a great car to drive; the 120d feels dated and the Golf GTD is some distance from the dynamic standards set by its GTI stablemate.
But throw in the requirement that these cars need to be lived with as well as driven and strong cases can be built for both.
The BMW because it is both the more fun and frugal,the VW because it gives very little to the BMW on the open road while offering a substantially more spacious cabin, lower noise levels and a more modern, cohesive driving environment.
So what to go for: the more flawed but rewarding BMW, or the still game and more rounded Golf? The heart says the BMW, while the head goes with the VW.But as a test specifically designed to test these cars in the real world, the final nod must fall in favour of the Golf.
Extraordinary sport-ute
The Range Rover Sport is probably the most controversial model ever made by Land Rover. It's also the most profitable single vehicle ever made by Land Rover.
This is the new, thoroughly reengineered 2010 model. Not only does it get a redesigned, better-quality interior and restyled front end, but important changes have also been made to the drivetrain and chassis.
For many buyers, the most significant upgrade will be the all-new supercharged V8 engine, which now offers 500hp and 646Nm of torque, with a claimed combined fuel economy of 6.7kpl. That's 31% more power,12%more torque and a 6% improvement in economy.
This engine drives an updated sixspeed automatic gearbox and there's also the option of wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The Terrain Response set-up has been upgraded to include a new, sixth setting:Dynamic Program. This uses an adaptive damping system, in conjunction with the air suspension, which can make 500 calculations per second about the road and driving conditions. The rangetopping Sport also gets an updated Brembo braking system.
The real appeal of this range-topping model is the supercar-standard engine.Under the hard acceleration of a tricky overtaking situation, the new V8 is extremely refined. Only a background hum is emitted from the engine bay, adding to the turbine-like sensations.
On excellent Scottish Border roads,it doesn't feel like a 2.5-tonne SUV. It's extremely well balanced, tidy, controlled and contained. Dynamic Response and the active anti-roll bars keep this giant in check to a degree that drivers could once not have imagined. Even the ride is good on 20in wheels.
Overall, there's a great delicacy to the way the chassis's electronic systems work together when it's driven briskly on winding B-roads. The new variableratio steering also has an accuracy that you never thought would be achievable in a car capable of hardcore off-roading.
What really appeals is the cars extraordinary breadth of ability. It will cross deep rivers and clamber up otherwise unwalkable mud tracks but can then act either like a luxury car or a very rapid road car, depending on the driver's mood.
I tried a full-bore 0-160-0kph sprint on a closed track and managed it in just under 19 seconds. The new V8 is significantly quicker at both accelerating and stopping than the outgoing model.
The only fly in the Range Rover Sport's luxury ointment is that this is a car others love to hate. However, it does deliver the most extraordinary driving experience. Most of the time you can just bowl along, elbows perched on the door and centre tunnel, revelling in the V8's huge potential. Occasionally, you can open the taps and really fly.
And there's no other car, perhaps not even the Range Rover itself, that offers such a sublime, relaxing driving position.
Look past the Premiership-inspired bling and you'll have to conclude that it is one of the most remarkable - if not politically correct - cars ever to come out of the UK.
This is the new, thoroughly reengineered 2010 model. Not only does it get a redesigned, better-quality interior and restyled front end, but important changes have also been made to the drivetrain and chassis.
For many buyers, the most significant upgrade will be the all-new supercharged V8 engine, which now offers 500hp and 646Nm of torque, with a claimed combined fuel economy of 6.7kpl. That's 31% more power,12%more torque and a 6% improvement in economy.
This engine drives an updated sixspeed automatic gearbox and there's also the option of wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The Terrain Response set-up has been upgraded to include a new, sixth setting:Dynamic Program. This uses an adaptive damping system, in conjunction with the air suspension, which can make 500 calculations per second about the road and driving conditions. The rangetopping Sport also gets an updated Brembo braking system.
The real appeal of this range-topping model is the supercar-standard engine.Under the hard acceleration of a tricky overtaking situation, the new V8 is extremely refined. Only a background hum is emitted from the engine bay, adding to the turbine-like sensations.
On excellent Scottish Border roads,it doesn't feel like a 2.5-tonne SUV. It's extremely well balanced, tidy, controlled and contained. Dynamic Response and the active anti-roll bars keep this giant in check to a degree that drivers could once not have imagined. Even the ride is good on 20in wheels.
Overall, there's a great delicacy to the way the chassis's electronic systems work together when it's driven briskly on winding B-roads. The new variableratio steering also has an accuracy that you never thought would be achievable in a car capable of hardcore off-roading.
What really appeals is the cars extraordinary breadth of ability. It will cross deep rivers and clamber up otherwise unwalkable mud tracks but can then act either like a luxury car or a very rapid road car, depending on the driver's mood.
I tried a full-bore 0-160-0kph sprint on a closed track and managed it in just under 19 seconds. The new V8 is significantly quicker at both accelerating and stopping than the outgoing model.
The only fly in the Range Rover Sport's luxury ointment is that this is a car others love to hate. However, it does deliver the most extraordinary driving experience. Most of the time you can just bowl along, elbows perched on the door and centre tunnel, revelling in the V8's huge potential. Occasionally, you can open the taps and really fly.
And there's no other car, perhaps not even the Range Rover itself, that offers such a sublime, relaxing driving position.
Look past the Premiership-inspired bling and you'll have to conclude that it is one of the most remarkable - if not politically correct - cars ever to come out of the UK.
NO TOUPEES ALLOWED
In Thailand, there are two kinds of drivers who would consider a convertible: one, those in their late 30s and up reminiscing their college years in southern California driving a targa-top Honda CR-X Del Sol.The other are those whose dream cars are either a Ferrari or a Porsche, but realise that they may never be able to afford one or become too old to drive one.
To the latter, it does not really matter whether their second or third car is a coupe' or a convertible as long as it looks sporty and they can shout "hey, look at me, I'm successful" really loud.
What we have here this week are two of the "entrylevel" luxury roadsters that may appeal to the two group of buyers. First is the long-time sales champion in this little segment, the Mercedes-Benz SLK200K with 184hp 1.8-litre supercharged four-pot costing B4.5m.
Its contender is the BMW's new-generation Z4 sDrive23i powered by a 204hp 2.5-litre straight six and comes with a price tag of B4.599m.
The pair is quite evenly matched in just about every aspect: price, prestige and performance. With foldable metal hard-tops, they both double as two-seat roadsters and coupe's.
From the outside, the second-generation SLK's design has stood the test of time pretty well considering this is its fifth year and has recently been facelifted. As per Benz's tasteful tradition, it looks well proportioned, sporty without being overtly garish and instantly recognisable as the baby SL.
The Z4, on the other hand, is an all-new secondgeneration released only this year, and it shows how many fractions of a light year ahead it is in car design,meaning it captures your attention on its futuristic looks which takes a few minutes to take in. Our testers agreed that it was better looking, rather than weird, than the Benz.
Inside, the SLK sold here has crime-scene red leather as standard to add zest to its otherwise sombre and conventional, yet ergonomic-friendly, dash and trim. The seats many not offer as much power adjustment as in the Bee-em, but it is snug and easy to get into a proper driving position.
The steering wheel, though, looks unfashionably large,but the oval rim profile and its leather cladding are good to hold. The shift paddles would stand out better if they are in aluminium instead of black.
The Z4 here comes in a more neutral cream-coloured leather trim and a dash design that may never be called exciting but doable with the aluminium panel right across it.
The Bee-em's seat design might be modelled after some American cars with the back and headrests looking like a human finger. They offer good band adjustments,but getting into a sweetspot of a driving posture is tricky and the lateral support can be lacking.
The steering wheel is the right size, but its thick round rim may not suit smaller hands. The aluminium shift paddles atop both horizontal spokes, however, ooze sporty purpose.
In the Benz, you still turn the electronic key fob at the traditional steering column location to start the engine.And then the soulless supercharged four-pot engine thrum takes away your grin and you start wondering how much more for a V8(some B10m for an SLK55 AMG).
The Bee-em has a trendier push-start button to fire up the engine. But once you do that and rev the straight-six up, nothing exciting could be found it's just smooth-revving and graciously refined.
On the move with the SLK, you weave through city traffic enjoying its decently comfy low-speed ride that neutralises most bumps and potholes nearly like a saloon. But the engine needs constant jabbing at the throttle pedal taking away some of the citycruising smoothness. Traffic noise is hardly any worse than in, say, a C-class saloon which means it's quite good.
The opposite is true in the Z4 as the throttle response is sharper and the heavier steering effort needed may not be appreciated by all. Still, the wheel feels noticeably lighter than in a 3-series saloon.
If you think a Mini Cooper has a choppy ride in the city, then the Z4 is worse - not only does it thumps but also shudders lightly. In this car, you cannot ignore you're driving a convertible for the traffic noise seeps in.
Out on the open road where both roadsters are more at home, the two's characters begin to diverge even more. The Benz's aging engine needs a bit of pushing to reach highway cruising speeds and is always hesitative, even in sport mode, to stomping on the gas pedal when passing power is needed.
With a power-to-weight ratio of 130hp per tonne,there's enough oomph to enjoy for rather brisk but not fast driving. Perhaps you'd need to master paddleshifting rather than leaving the five-speed automatic in "drive" or even toggle the lever from side-to-side for manual shifting.
In the Z4, it is more effective to flick the gear lever to sport mode then toggle it up and down for manual shifting. Whatever method you use to shift the Beeem's six-speed auto, the shift is positively quicker than in the Benz.
The Z4's 138hp per tonne may look only marginally better than SLK's. But in real-world driving, the Beeem feels more alert and ready to translate any pedal action into forward movement. On paper, the Beeem has a 0.6sec better 0-100kph sprint time at 7.3sec than the Benz. And on the open highway, you'd be in front of the SLK most of the time.
The SLK handles quite accurately eating up corners and curves like cutting butter with a hot knife. The steering that first feels kind of vague at slower speed does deliver what it takes to point the wheels where you want them at higher speeds.
It is quite fun to exploit the chassis with the light rear tending to drift, but not unexpectedly, on hard cornering. Whatever the SLK can do with handling,the Z4 does it better with sharper steering, flatter cornering and apparently more rear-end stability.
Even the brakes feel more progressive and reassuring in the BMW, whereas the rear discs on the Benz are prone to locking up under hard braking.
Fuel economy may not be of any consideration to prospective buyers of these roadsters. But for the record, they did neck and neck with 9.5kpl and 9.7kpl,in favour of the SLK, with the tops up. And also for the record, the Benz's roof opens and closes about three seconds faster at 20sec than the BMW's pointing to a more efficient folding system.
Other than that, it seems like the Benz cannot breach the Bee-em's bullet-proof hull of competence,but not quite. Despite the Z4 employing a threemode adjustable suspension, the normal or softest mode is a notch too stiff for most of Thailand's highways and city streets. The jarring over potholes and washboards is felt through the steering wheel and, more disturbingly, through the seats.
The annoying wind noise above 110kph in the Z4 may be mediocre for a soft-top cabrio a decade ago,but it falls behind most modern hard-top convertibles we've tested so far.
Our drive from Bangkok to Phetchaburi province was full of these road surface flaws and we could conclude that the good driving dynamics of the Z4 is outweighed by all the unpleasant shudders. Yes, you can drive the BMW harder and faster. But on typical bumpy Thai roads, you would feel more like being punished rather than rewarded.
In the end, this means that there is still good reason to go for an aging Benz over a brand new BMW.
To the latter, it does not really matter whether their second or third car is a coupe' or a convertible as long as it looks sporty and they can shout "hey, look at me, I'm successful" really loud.
What we have here this week are two of the "entrylevel" luxury roadsters that may appeal to the two group of buyers. First is the long-time sales champion in this little segment, the Mercedes-Benz SLK200K with 184hp 1.8-litre supercharged four-pot costing B4.5m.
Its contender is the BMW's new-generation Z4 sDrive23i powered by a 204hp 2.5-litre straight six and comes with a price tag of B4.599m.
The pair is quite evenly matched in just about every aspect: price, prestige and performance. With foldable metal hard-tops, they both double as two-seat roadsters and coupe's.
From the outside, the second-generation SLK's design has stood the test of time pretty well considering this is its fifth year and has recently been facelifted. As per Benz's tasteful tradition, it looks well proportioned, sporty without being overtly garish and instantly recognisable as the baby SL.
The Z4, on the other hand, is an all-new secondgeneration released only this year, and it shows how many fractions of a light year ahead it is in car design,meaning it captures your attention on its futuristic looks which takes a few minutes to take in. Our testers agreed that it was better looking, rather than weird, than the Benz.
Inside, the SLK sold here has crime-scene red leather as standard to add zest to its otherwise sombre and conventional, yet ergonomic-friendly, dash and trim. The seats many not offer as much power adjustment as in the Bee-em, but it is snug and easy to get into a proper driving position.
The steering wheel, though, looks unfashionably large,but the oval rim profile and its leather cladding are good to hold. The shift paddles would stand out better if they are in aluminium instead of black.
The Z4 here comes in a more neutral cream-coloured leather trim and a dash design that may never be called exciting but doable with the aluminium panel right across it.
The Bee-em's seat design might be modelled after some American cars with the back and headrests looking like a human finger. They offer good band adjustments,but getting into a sweetspot of a driving posture is tricky and the lateral support can be lacking.
The steering wheel is the right size, but its thick round rim may not suit smaller hands. The aluminium shift paddles atop both horizontal spokes, however, ooze sporty purpose.
In the Benz, you still turn the electronic key fob at the traditional steering column location to start the engine.And then the soulless supercharged four-pot engine thrum takes away your grin and you start wondering how much more for a V8(some B10m for an SLK55 AMG).
The Bee-em has a trendier push-start button to fire up the engine. But once you do that and rev the straight-six up, nothing exciting could be found it's just smooth-revving and graciously refined.
On the move with the SLK, you weave through city traffic enjoying its decently comfy low-speed ride that neutralises most bumps and potholes nearly like a saloon. But the engine needs constant jabbing at the throttle pedal taking away some of the citycruising smoothness. Traffic noise is hardly any worse than in, say, a C-class saloon which means it's quite good.
The opposite is true in the Z4 as the throttle response is sharper and the heavier steering effort needed may not be appreciated by all. Still, the wheel feels noticeably lighter than in a 3-series saloon.
If you think a Mini Cooper has a choppy ride in the city, then the Z4 is worse - not only does it thumps but also shudders lightly. In this car, you cannot ignore you're driving a convertible for the traffic noise seeps in.
Out on the open road where both roadsters are more at home, the two's characters begin to diverge even more. The Benz's aging engine needs a bit of pushing to reach highway cruising speeds and is always hesitative, even in sport mode, to stomping on the gas pedal when passing power is needed.
With a power-to-weight ratio of 130hp per tonne,there's enough oomph to enjoy for rather brisk but not fast driving. Perhaps you'd need to master paddleshifting rather than leaving the five-speed automatic in "drive" or even toggle the lever from side-to-side for manual shifting.
In the Z4, it is more effective to flick the gear lever to sport mode then toggle it up and down for manual shifting. Whatever method you use to shift the Beeem's six-speed auto, the shift is positively quicker than in the Benz.
The Z4's 138hp per tonne may look only marginally better than SLK's. But in real-world driving, the Beeem feels more alert and ready to translate any pedal action into forward movement. On paper, the Beeem has a 0.6sec better 0-100kph sprint time at 7.3sec than the Benz. And on the open highway, you'd be in front of the SLK most of the time.
The SLK handles quite accurately eating up corners and curves like cutting butter with a hot knife. The steering that first feels kind of vague at slower speed does deliver what it takes to point the wheels where you want them at higher speeds.
It is quite fun to exploit the chassis with the light rear tending to drift, but not unexpectedly, on hard cornering. Whatever the SLK can do with handling,the Z4 does it better with sharper steering, flatter cornering and apparently more rear-end stability.
Even the brakes feel more progressive and reassuring in the BMW, whereas the rear discs on the Benz are prone to locking up under hard braking.
Fuel economy may not be of any consideration to prospective buyers of these roadsters. But for the record, they did neck and neck with 9.5kpl and 9.7kpl,in favour of the SLK, with the tops up. And also for the record, the Benz's roof opens and closes about three seconds faster at 20sec than the BMW's pointing to a more efficient folding system.
Other than that, it seems like the Benz cannot breach the Bee-em's bullet-proof hull of competence,but not quite. Despite the Z4 employing a threemode adjustable suspension, the normal or softest mode is a notch too stiff for most of Thailand's highways and city streets. The jarring over potholes and washboards is felt through the steering wheel and, more disturbingly, through the seats.
The annoying wind noise above 110kph in the Z4 may be mediocre for a soft-top cabrio a decade ago,but it falls behind most modern hard-top convertibles we've tested so far.
Our drive from Bangkok to Phetchaburi province was full of these road surface flaws and we could conclude that the good driving dynamics of the Z4 is outweighed by all the unpleasant shudders. Yes, you can drive the BMW harder and faster. But on typical bumpy Thai roads, you would feel more like being punished rather than rewarded.
In the end, this means that there is still good reason to go for an aging Benz over a brand new BMW.
IT'S SHOW TIME
The sixth-generation Sonata from Hyundai has been deliberately styled to make Japanese saloons like the Honda Accord, Nissan Teana and Toyota Camry look bland.
As seen in these pictures taken during the Sonata's launch in Korea late last month, the all-new midsize family saloon possesses sleek and modern design cues all over the car.
The same has been done to the Sonata's interior with many features like the steering wheel and centre console looking like those found in the Teana.
Hyundai believes that the new Sonata has lots of showroom appeal to divert buyers from cars offered by its Japanese rivals.
As the Koreans know that customers in Asia and the US prioritise spacious interiors, the Sonata has new-found dimensions to basically match the classleading Accord.
The wheelbase length of 2,795mm is only 5mm short of the Accord's and promises loads of legroom comfort for rear passengers.
The Sonata is 20mm longer than before at 4,820mm,5mm wider at 1,835mm and 5mm shorter in height at 1,470mm. Giving cars a more dynamic appearance has already become the norm today for their makers.
The new Sonata is said to tip the scales at 1,410kg,which is roughly 30-60kg lighter than the fourthgen model.
Engine &Transmission
At the time of launch Hyundai announced just one engine: an improved 2.0-litre petrol inlinefour with 165hp and 12.8kpl fuel economy that Hyundai says is the best in its class.
That claim can be attributed to a brand new sixspeed automatic transmission developed in-house,which is said to be 12% more fuel efficient than a five-speeder and 12kg lighter in weight.
The Camry uses four-speed and Accord fivespeed auto 'boxes, while the Teana takes a more sophisticated route with the stepless CVT type.
The current 2.4-litre in the Sonata, which could be possibly tweaked to nearly 180hp, will appear next year when the Sonata is launched in the United States.
Late next year when the car hits European showrooms, the Sonata is most likely to highlight a new range of highly efficient diesel engines that Hyundai announced in a statement earlier this year, well before the launch.
The R Diesel engines feature a third-generation common-rail fuel injection. In 2.0-litre form, it produces 184hp/392Nm;2.2-litre generates 200hp/426Nm. This figures put the engines on par with those of BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Market & Pricing
Apart from having a package and drivetrain technologies matching established players from Japan,the new Sonata will also be equipped with a comprehensive range of kits.
Six airbags are standard, while a host of active safety tech like brake assist and stability control will be offered. Convenience items include sat-nav and an array of IT compatibility features.
Although the previous Sonata was assembled in Thailand in 2.0,2.4 and bi-fuel CNG forms, the new model won't come immediately - its arrival here could be held back as late as 2011, long after it has made its debut in major markets around the world.
Ever since Hyundai made a comeback to the Thai market, it has seriously considered offering the diesel version to make the Sonata stand out in its class in the B1.2-1.7m price bracket. None of the its intended rivals have diesels because they are not sold in Europe in their existing body variations.
The Sonata seen here is dubbed the Asian and US version, while the Europeans could get a more compact variant possibly in the guise of hatchback or estate.
Sources at Hyundai told Motoring that the Thai office has shown interest in assembling the new Sonata in the country, but it has yet to get the green light from its parent firm in Korea.
As seen in these pictures taken during the Sonata's launch in Korea late last month, the all-new midsize family saloon possesses sleek and modern design cues all over the car.
The same has been done to the Sonata's interior with many features like the steering wheel and centre console looking like those found in the Teana.
Hyundai believes that the new Sonata has lots of showroom appeal to divert buyers from cars offered by its Japanese rivals.
As the Koreans know that customers in Asia and the US prioritise spacious interiors, the Sonata has new-found dimensions to basically match the classleading Accord.
The wheelbase length of 2,795mm is only 5mm short of the Accord's and promises loads of legroom comfort for rear passengers.
The Sonata is 20mm longer than before at 4,820mm,5mm wider at 1,835mm and 5mm shorter in height at 1,470mm. Giving cars a more dynamic appearance has already become the norm today for their makers.
The new Sonata is said to tip the scales at 1,410kg,which is roughly 30-60kg lighter than the fourthgen model.
Engine &Transmission
At the time of launch Hyundai announced just one engine: an improved 2.0-litre petrol inlinefour with 165hp and 12.8kpl fuel economy that Hyundai says is the best in its class.
That claim can be attributed to a brand new sixspeed automatic transmission developed in-house,which is said to be 12% more fuel efficient than a five-speeder and 12kg lighter in weight.
The Camry uses four-speed and Accord fivespeed auto 'boxes, while the Teana takes a more sophisticated route with the stepless CVT type.
The current 2.4-litre in the Sonata, which could be possibly tweaked to nearly 180hp, will appear next year when the Sonata is launched in the United States.
Late next year when the car hits European showrooms, the Sonata is most likely to highlight a new range of highly efficient diesel engines that Hyundai announced in a statement earlier this year, well before the launch.
The R Diesel engines feature a third-generation common-rail fuel injection. In 2.0-litre form, it produces 184hp/392Nm;2.2-litre generates 200hp/426Nm. This figures put the engines on par with those of BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Market & Pricing
Apart from having a package and drivetrain technologies matching established players from Japan,the new Sonata will also be equipped with a comprehensive range of kits.
Six airbags are standard, while a host of active safety tech like brake assist and stability control will be offered. Convenience items include sat-nav and an array of IT compatibility features.
Although the previous Sonata was assembled in Thailand in 2.0,2.4 and bi-fuel CNG forms, the new model won't come immediately - its arrival here could be held back as late as 2011, long after it has made its debut in major markets around the world.
Ever since Hyundai made a comeback to the Thai market, it has seriously considered offering the diesel version to make the Sonata stand out in its class in the B1.2-1.7m price bracket. None of the its intended rivals have diesels because they are not sold in Europe in their existing body variations.
The Sonata seen here is dubbed the Asian and US version, while the Europeans could get a more compact variant possibly in the guise of hatchback or estate.
Sources at Hyundai told Motoring that the Thai office has shown interest in assembling the new Sonata in the country, but it has yet to get the green light from its parent firm in Korea.
FROM MINOR TO NANO
Although there is a new automatic gearbox for the diesel, it's not coming to Thailand
Honda has given its popular compact sportutility vehicle a mid-life refresh including new grille, bumpers and wheels, along with some mild alteration inside to the centre console.
The minor-change CR-V - to be launched in November this year shortly before the Motor Expo will also see more sound-deadening materials to reduce road noise inside.
Since virtually all SUVs in the B1-1.5m range offer a navigation system in top models, Honda will do the same with the CR-V. This will also give Honda the chance to up prices.
The engines are carried over unchanged:150hp/190Nm 2.0-litre and 170hp/220Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol heads matched to five-speed auto.For the first time, there will also be FWDonly in 2.4 form, taking the choice of drivetrain to four.
The 150hp/350Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel sold in Europe now comes with a fivespeed automatic. Even though Thai marketers at Honda once requested a diesel engine for the CR-V from its parent firm in Japan to match the Chevrolet Captiva and all the pickupbased SUVs, it is not coming to Thailand in this generation form.
Since European diesel engines have particulate filter (PF) to comply with Euro 4 emissions standards,the PF must be removed if it comes to Thailand where Euro 3 is still in force.
Sources at Honda said it was "against the corporate philosophy of the brand" to tamper engines to suit the needs of another market or region. Mitsubishi is also said to uphold such values.
This means the diesel CR-V will hit Thai shores in 2012 at the earliest when Euro 4 standards come into effect. So far Honda is the only mass-market brand not to offer a diesel variation in the Thai SUV market.
Honda has given its popular compact sportutility vehicle a mid-life refresh including new grille, bumpers and wheels, along with some mild alteration inside to the centre console.
The minor-change CR-V - to be launched in November this year shortly before the Motor Expo will also see more sound-deadening materials to reduce road noise inside.
Since virtually all SUVs in the B1-1.5m range offer a navigation system in top models, Honda will do the same with the CR-V. This will also give Honda the chance to up prices.
The engines are carried over unchanged:150hp/190Nm 2.0-litre and 170hp/220Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol heads matched to five-speed auto.For the first time, there will also be FWDonly in 2.4 form, taking the choice of drivetrain to four.
The 150hp/350Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel sold in Europe now comes with a fivespeed automatic. Even though Thai marketers at Honda once requested a diesel engine for the CR-V from its parent firm in Japan to match the Chevrolet Captiva and all the pickupbased SUVs, it is not coming to Thailand in this generation form.
Since European diesel engines have particulate filter (PF) to comply with Euro 4 emissions standards,the PF must be removed if it comes to Thailand where Euro 3 is still in force.
Sources at Honda said it was "against the corporate philosophy of the brand" to tamper engines to suit the needs of another market or region. Mitsubishi is also said to uphold such values.
This means the diesel CR-V will hit Thai shores in 2012 at the earliest when Euro 4 standards come into effect. So far Honda is the only mass-market brand not to offer a diesel variation in the Thai SUV market.
World's first HYBRID SPORTS CAR
Uhh... it still looks like the original concept car...
Yeah, except for some small details like the new rear bumper. That clearly shows the positive reaction Honda has received from the 2007 show car. Actually, the whole idea of the CR-Z is to launch a follow-up of the CR-X hatchback that was popular in the US during the late '80s.
This is how it usually works with concept cars: come up with an early prototype to gauge public reaction, follow it up with a (very) nearproduction variation to drum up demand and launch it shortly after that.
That's why the interior of the CR-Z you see here in this first pictures is remarkably the one you will see in showrooms. In fact, this is the biggest development of this so-called 2009 CRZ Concept (ignore the last word, if you need so).
Wow! So Honda is making it...
Definitely! That's what the company's top brass announced earlier this year, even though they haven't been specific about the launch date. But Motoring understands that the CR-Z will be launched in Japan next February after this final prototype is shown to the public at this month's Tokyo motor show.
Honda intends to make the CR-Z its first sports car to get hybrid drivetrain. It follows the Civic Hybrid and Insight Hybrid. And it won't stop here; the Jazz will follow with a petrol/electric combination trailed by more offerings - just like archrival Toyota plans to do so in the next decade.
Is the CR-Z getting Insight power?
Technical information on the CR-Z is still being kept secret. Of course, the obvious candidate would be that from the Insight:88hp 1.3-litre petrol engine mated in parallel with electric assistance. But that system could prove a little to meek for the CR-Z's sporty nature. So in all likelihood the internal combustion engine could be sourced from the City/Jazz's:120hp 1.5-litre.Together with the battery-backed electric motors,power could reach 140hp.
If you note the picture showing its interior,the CR-Z comes with a manual shiftstick to suit the sports car tradition. Hybrids usually come with CVT transmissions, but it is not known whether Honda will offer two-pedal setup for automatic-loving nations like Thailand.
Since sports cars are driven usually harder than hatchbacks or saloons, Honda could be looking at another form of automatic transmission to suit the driving styles of CR-Z's customers.
Are there only two seats like in the CR-X?
Judging from its proportions, the CR-Z should maintain tradition. Since it is based on a truncated front-engine, front-drive platform of the Insight,which itself is already a small-ish B-segment car,it's highly unlikely that the CR-Z will have rear seats. You didn't hear CR-X owners screaming for them, right?
So it'll be cheaper than the Insight?
Not likely, mate. This is a sporty car, after all.So it could do with some image and right market positioning. Despite its B-segment size, the CRZ could wear C-segment prices to match specialties like the Volkswagen Scirocco, Volvo C30 and, to a certain extent, Mini.
This means we are talking about B2-2.3m in Thailand including taxes. The Insight currently sells for B2m in the Thai grey market.
And in case you might want to know, official imports of the CR-Z are unlikely because Honda Automobiles (Thailand) doesn't want to undertake sales of imported cars, fearing its large nationwide dealer network will have to bear increased spare parts costs and servicing complexities associated with hybrid-powered cars.
But Toyota is selling the Camry Hybrid...
True. But the Camry Hybrid is assembled in Thailand and is meant to be sold in large numbers.That's why the investment is more justified than in the case of Honda, which has yet to make a hybrid-equipped car on a scale similar to Toyota.
Noteworthy, however, is Nissan's strategy to satisfy niche car buyers in Thailand, whereby it has entrusted 10 dealers around the country to handle sales and servicing of the 370Z sports car. In theory, this means these dedicated outlets could be selling more imported Nissans in the future.
Mini-MPV preview
Honda aims to make its next-generation MPVs more environment-friendly and versatile by previewing the Skydeck concept vehicle.Due to make its world premiere at this month's Tokyo motor show alongside the C-
Z and EV-N, the Skydeck embodies the CR-Z's aggressiv-
looking snout, headlights and aero-friendly bumper.
Since it has three rows of seats, the Skydeck
could preview the next-generation Stream-
a mini-MPV whose sales have stopped in
Thailand due to low popularity - with
rear sliding doors for the first time.
The engine in the Skydeck is unknown but could be a hybrid variation of the CR-Z. Honda has already made it clear that it wants to extend petrol/electric hybrid systems into as many production models as possible - just like Toyota.
Yeah, except for some small details like the new rear bumper. That clearly shows the positive reaction Honda has received from the 2007 show car. Actually, the whole idea of the CR-Z is to launch a follow-up of the CR-X hatchback that was popular in the US during the late '80s.
This is how it usually works with concept cars: come up with an early prototype to gauge public reaction, follow it up with a (very) nearproduction variation to drum up demand and launch it shortly after that.
That's why the interior of the CR-Z you see here in this first pictures is remarkably the one you will see in showrooms. In fact, this is the biggest development of this so-called 2009 CRZ Concept (ignore the last word, if you need so).
Wow! So Honda is making it...
Definitely! That's what the company's top brass announced earlier this year, even though they haven't been specific about the launch date. But Motoring understands that the CR-Z will be launched in Japan next February after this final prototype is shown to the public at this month's Tokyo motor show.
Honda intends to make the CR-Z its first sports car to get hybrid drivetrain. It follows the Civic Hybrid and Insight Hybrid. And it won't stop here; the Jazz will follow with a petrol/electric combination trailed by more offerings - just like archrival Toyota plans to do so in the next decade.
Is the CR-Z getting Insight power?
Technical information on the CR-Z is still being kept secret. Of course, the obvious candidate would be that from the Insight:88hp 1.3-litre petrol engine mated in parallel with electric assistance. But that system could prove a little to meek for the CR-Z's sporty nature. So in all likelihood the internal combustion engine could be sourced from the City/Jazz's:120hp 1.5-litre.Together with the battery-backed electric motors,power could reach 140hp.
If you note the picture showing its interior,the CR-Z comes with a manual shiftstick to suit the sports car tradition. Hybrids usually come with CVT transmissions, but it is not known whether Honda will offer two-pedal setup for automatic-loving nations like Thailand.
Since sports cars are driven usually harder than hatchbacks or saloons, Honda could be looking at another form of automatic transmission to suit the driving styles of CR-Z's customers.
Are there only two seats like in the CR-X?
Judging from its proportions, the CR-Z should maintain tradition. Since it is based on a truncated front-engine, front-drive platform of the Insight,which itself is already a small-ish B-segment car,it's highly unlikely that the CR-Z will have rear seats. You didn't hear CR-X owners screaming for them, right?
So it'll be cheaper than the Insight?
Not likely, mate. This is a sporty car, after all.So it could do with some image and right market positioning. Despite its B-segment size, the CRZ could wear C-segment prices to match specialties like the Volkswagen Scirocco, Volvo C30 and, to a certain extent, Mini.
This means we are talking about B2-2.3m in Thailand including taxes. The Insight currently sells for B2m in the Thai grey market.
And in case you might want to know, official imports of the CR-Z are unlikely because Honda Automobiles (Thailand) doesn't want to undertake sales of imported cars, fearing its large nationwide dealer network will have to bear increased spare parts costs and servicing complexities associated with hybrid-powered cars.
But Toyota is selling the Camry Hybrid...
True. But the Camry Hybrid is assembled in Thailand and is meant to be sold in large numbers.That's why the investment is more justified than in the case of Honda, which has yet to make a hybrid-equipped car on a scale similar to Toyota.
Noteworthy, however, is Nissan's strategy to satisfy niche car buyers in Thailand, whereby it has entrusted 10 dealers around the country to handle sales and servicing of the 370Z sports car. In theory, this means these dedicated outlets could be selling more imported Nissans in the future.
Mini-MPV preview
Honda aims to make its next-generation MPVs more environment-friendly and versatile by previewing the Skydeck concept vehicle.Due to make its world premiere at this month's Tokyo motor show alongside the C-
Z and EV-N, the Skydeck embodies the CR-Z's aggressiv-
looking snout, headlights and aero-friendly bumper.
Since it has three rows of seats, the Skydeck
could preview the next-generation Stream-
a mini-MPV whose sales have stopped in
Thailand due to low popularity - with
rear sliding doors for the first time.
The engine in the Skydeck is unknown but could be a hybrid variation of the CR-Z. Honda has already made it clear that it wants to extend petrol/electric hybrid systems into as many production models as possible - just like Toyota.
General Motors to wind up Saturn brand as buyer drops bid
General Motors said on Tuesday it would down its Saturn brand after talks broke off with Penske Automotive GTroup on a bid for the nameplate.
GM said in a statement that Penske "has decided to terminate discussions" to acquire Saturn "because of the inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract."
"This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality," the US auto-maker said.
As a result of the decision, GM said, "we will be winding down the Saturn brand and dealership network, in accordance with the wind-down agreements that Saturn dealers recently signed with GM".
Penske said in a separate statement it had been unable to secure a deal with a car manufacturer to produce vehicles after the expiration of an agreement with GM to make cars on a contract basis.
"Penske Automotive Group negotiated the terms and conditions of an agreement with another manufacturer; however, that agreement was rejected by the manufacturer's board of directors," the statement said.
"Without that agreement, the company has determined that the risks kand uncertainties related to the availability of future products prohibit the company from moving forward with this transaction."
Penske agreed in June to acquire the Saturn brand in a deal aimed at saving some 350 dealerships and 13,000 jobs at Saturn and its retailers in the US.
Penske, a big auto-dealership operator headed by former race car driver Roger Penske, made the deal shortly after GM filed for bankruptcy protection in a government-backed reorganisation.
GM was to continue to produce Saturn cars on a contract basis, including the Saturn Aura sedan, and the Vue and Outlook sport utility vehicles.
GM said in a statement that Penske "has decided to terminate discussions" to acquire Saturn "because of the inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract."
"This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality," the US auto-maker said.
As a result of the decision, GM said, "we will be winding down the Saturn brand and dealership network, in accordance with the wind-down agreements that Saturn dealers recently signed with GM".
Penske said in a separate statement it had been unable to secure a deal with a car manufacturer to produce vehicles after the expiration of an agreement with GM to make cars on a contract basis.
"Penske Automotive Group negotiated the terms and conditions of an agreement with another manufacturer; however, that agreement was rejected by the manufacturer's board of directors," the statement said.
"Without that agreement, the company has determined that the risks kand uncertainties related to the availability of future products prohibit the company from moving forward with this transaction."
Penske agreed in June to acquire the Saturn brand in a deal aimed at saving some 350 dealerships and 13,000 jobs at Saturn and its retailers in the US.
Penske, a big auto-dealership operator headed by former race car driver Roger Penske, made the deal shortly after GM filed for bankruptcy protection in a government-backed reorganisation.
GM was to continue to produce Saturn cars on a contract basis, including the Saturn Aura sedan, and the Vue and Outlook sport utility vehicles.
HONDA RACES TO ATTRACT A BIG CROWD
Japanese auto-maker Honda is expecting a big crowd at the fourth leg of the Honda Racing Fest this weekend at a temporary track built around His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary Sports Complex in Nakhon Ratchasima.
dThe event will be televised live on True Visions True Sport 2 channel from 2-4pm on Sunday.
Organiser Anothai Eamlumnow said the track, a high-speed 2.4-kilometre circuit, was 90-per-cent ready for the weekend's races.
"Tt's similar to last year's track, but we've improved many of the dangerous areas seen last year. The track is wider, and we've doubled the amount of safety equipment," he said.
There will be four races at the event, including Jazz and Civic onemake races, as well as activities for visitors, such as pit tours to allow enthusiasts to get a closer look at the cars and how the pit crews work and gokart driving.
There will also be a mini concert by Ruj, aka The Star.
Despite the decline in the local automobile market, Honda has maintained exceptional sales figures from its jazz, City, Civic and Accord passenger cars.
In the first eight months of the year, the Thai passenger-car market declined 11 per cent to 131,379 units.
However, Honda sales grew 3.6 per cent to 50,961 vehicles in that period, while in August alone its sales shot up 15.8 per cent to 6,366 units.
dThe event will be televised live on True Visions True Sport 2 channel from 2-4pm on Sunday.
Organiser Anothai Eamlumnow said the track, a high-speed 2.4-kilometre circuit, was 90-per-cent ready for the weekend's races.
"Tt's similar to last year's track, but we've improved many of the dangerous areas seen last year. The track is wider, and we've doubled the amount of safety equipment," he said.
There will be four races at the event, including Jazz and Civic onemake races, as well as activities for visitors, such as pit tours to allow enthusiasts to get a closer look at the cars and how the pit crews work and gokart driving.
There will also be a mini concert by Ruj, aka The Star.
Despite the decline in the local automobile market, Honda has maintained exceptional sales figures from its jazz, City, Civic and Accord passenger cars.
In the first eight months of the year, the Thai passenger-car market declined 11 per cent to 131,379 units.
However, Honda sales grew 3.6 per cent to 50,961 vehicles in that period, while in August alone its sales shot up 15.8 per cent to 6,366 units.
MARCH ECO-CAR SET FOR PRODUCTION IN 2010
Nissan yesterday called its March eco-car, to be introduced next March, "right car at the right time and the right place".
"I'm confident the eco-car will be highly successful in the market," said Toru Hasegawa, president of Nissan Motor (Thailand).
Hasegawa showed journalists a sketch of the new model, the first from the eco-car project promoted by the government.
The eco-car will play a major role in helping the Japanese brand double its sales volume in the local market within three years and increase its market share to 10 per cent, Hasegawa said.
Total annual Nissan production in Thailand is expected to reach 200,000 units in 2012.
The eco-car will have fuel economy of better than 20 kilometres per litre, carbon dioxide emissions of less than 120 grams per kilometre, UNECE 94 and 95 safety standards and room to fit five adults comfortably.
Earlier in the morning, Hasegawa met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and confirmed the eco-car would be launched next March.
He told Abhisit that due to the fluctuating market caused by the recession and unknown future events, it would be helpful if the government offered further tax privileges that would help eco-car manufacturers boost domestic volume.
Nissan plans to make 100,000 eco-cars a year within five years: one-third for the domestic market and two-thirds for export to 13 countries.
"Making 100,000 units a year is a very visible target, and I have 100-per-cent confidence in achieving this," Hasegawa said.
Nissan Motor in Japan earlier announced it would model to Thailand, due to increasing production costs at home, and the car fits nicely with the eco-car profile.
Hasegawa refused to give further details on the eco-car, including the platform.
"I cannot disclose the pricing, but it will definitely be reasonable for the market," he said.
Nissan's eco-car is not simply a "cheap" car, but rather a hit-tech small car that comes with outstanding fuel economy, high safety standards, a low emissions level and a large interior.
Before assuming his present position in February, Hasegawa helped Nissan Motor double sales in the Middle East to 200,000 units a year and Nissan Indonesia increase sales fourfold.
"I'd like to do the same here," he said.
"I'm confident the eco-car will be highly successful in the market," said Toru Hasegawa, president of Nissan Motor (Thailand).
Hasegawa showed journalists a sketch of the new model, the first from the eco-car project promoted by the government.
The eco-car will play a major role in helping the Japanese brand double its sales volume in the local market within three years and increase its market share to 10 per cent, Hasegawa said.
Total annual Nissan production in Thailand is expected to reach 200,000 units in 2012.
The eco-car will have fuel economy of better than 20 kilometres per litre, carbon dioxide emissions of less than 120 grams per kilometre, UNECE 94 and 95 safety standards and room to fit five adults comfortably.
Earlier in the morning, Hasegawa met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and confirmed the eco-car would be launched next March.
He told Abhisit that due to the fluctuating market caused by the recession and unknown future events, it would be helpful if the government offered further tax privileges that would help eco-car manufacturers boost domestic volume.
Nissan plans to make 100,000 eco-cars a year within five years: one-third for the domestic market and two-thirds for export to 13 countries.
"Making 100,000 units a year is a very visible target, and I have 100-per-cent confidence in achieving this," Hasegawa said.
Nissan Motor in Japan earlier announced it would model to Thailand, due to increasing production costs at home, and the car fits nicely with the eco-car profile.
Hasegawa refused to give further details on the eco-car, including the platform.
"I cannot disclose the pricing, but it will definitely be reasonable for the market," he said.
Nissan's eco-car is not simply a "cheap" car, but rather a hit-tech small car that comes with outstanding fuel economy, high safety standards, a low emissions level and a large interior.
Before assuming his present position in February, Hasegawa helped Nissan Motor double sales in the Middle East to 200,000 units a year and Nissan Indonesia increase sales fourfold.
"I'd like to do the same here," he said.
Nissan pins hopes on eco-car
Nissan Motor Thailand is aiming for a double-digit market share in Thailand within four years under a business plan dubbed Revolution 2012.
The company outlined the strategy yesterday while also introducing images of the new eco-car that it will begin making in Thailand next year, becoming the first carmaker to produce the widely anticipated small vehicles.
The business plan resembles parent Nissan Motor Corporation's plan in 2008 called GT 2012, which stressed a commitment to quality leadership, zeroemission vehicle leadership and 5% revenue growth on average over five years.
The five-year strategy was shelved when the global recession hit.
But Nissan's Thai unit initiated its own strategy with full support from its parent company, said Nissan Motor Thailand president Toru Hasegawa.
Nissan will launch at least one new vehicle every year until 2012, including the eco-car in March 2010. Nissan expects to be the first of six car companies that pledged to build an eco-cars in Thailand to complete the project.
The plan also called for Nissan to increase vehicle production from 63,000 units in 2008 to 200,000 in 2012.
Mr Hasegawa said the plan was based on the successful launch of the eco-car,improvement of management, product and sales/service quality, and implementation of the Nissan Way mindset for employees as a foundation for change in the corporate culture.
Nissan has invested 5.05 billion baht in tooling, in-house vehicle production and parts imports for the eco-car.
At least 30,000 units will be built next year, one-third for domestic sales and the reminder for the export market.
He declined to provide a model name or retail price but insisted the price would be reasonable and affordable.
The eco-car hatchback will be powered by a 1.3-litre gasoline engine and will be compatible with E20 fuel gasohol.
The project will make Nissan's Thai operation an export hub, taking advan-tage of cost competitiveness through localisation and economies of scale.
With its plan to raise its Thai market share to at least 10% in 2012 and with sales proportions set for the domestic and overseas markets, Mr Hasegawa is confident of selling 100,000 units by the fifth year of eco-car production as required by the Board of Investment.
"The plan has started to show steady progress, with market share growing to 5.7% in fiscal year 2009 to date versus 5% last year. The new Teana introduced in March has led the way," he added.
Hasegawa: Eco-cars to help market share
Nissan's eco-car, due for a March launch,will have a 1.3-litre engine and can use E20 gasohol.
The company outlined the strategy yesterday while also introducing images of the new eco-car that it will begin making in Thailand next year, becoming the first carmaker to produce the widely anticipated small vehicles.
The business plan resembles parent Nissan Motor Corporation's plan in 2008 called GT 2012, which stressed a commitment to quality leadership, zeroemission vehicle leadership and 5% revenue growth on average over five years.
The five-year strategy was shelved when the global recession hit.
But Nissan's Thai unit initiated its own strategy with full support from its parent company, said Nissan Motor Thailand president Toru Hasegawa.
Nissan will launch at least one new vehicle every year until 2012, including the eco-car in March 2010. Nissan expects to be the first of six car companies that pledged to build an eco-cars in Thailand to complete the project.
The plan also called for Nissan to increase vehicle production from 63,000 units in 2008 to 200,000 in 2012.
Mr Hasegawa said the plan was based on the successful launch of the eco-car,improvement of management, product and sales/service quality, and implementation of the Nissan Way mindset for employees as a foundation for change in the corporate culture.
Nissan has invested 5.05 billion baht in tooling, in-house vehicle production and parts imports for the eco-car.
At least 30,000 units will be built next year, one-third for domestic sales and the reminder for the export market.
He declined to provide a model name or retail price but insisted the price would be reasonable and affordable.
The eco-car hatchback will be powered by a 1.3-litre gasoline engine and will be compatible with E20 fuel gasohol.
The project will make Nissan's Thai operation an export hub, taking advan-tage of cost competitiveness through localisation and economies of scale.
With its plan to raise its Thai market share to at least 10% in 2012 and with sales proportions set for the domestic and overseas markets, Mr Hasegawa is confident of selling 100,000 units by the fifth year of eco-car production as required by the Board of Investment.
"The plan has started to show steady progress, with market share growing to 5.7% in fiscal year 2009 to date versus 5% last year. The new Teana introduced in March has led the way," he added.
Hasegawa: Eco-cars to help market share
Nissan's eco-car, due for a March launch,will have a 1.3-litre engine and can use E20 gasohol.
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