This may be the weirdest piece of news I’ve been able to put out in a long time; while car sales are falling off in virtually every category, there’s a bright spot in the car market–after market parts sales.

Things like car stereos, in-car video, car speakers and other such items look to top well over nine billion dollars in total sales this year.

And frankly, this makes a whole lot of sense.  Given that the car sales market is falling off, people are looking to make their old car last longer and run better and be just plain old more enjoyable.  So they’re looking at better stereos and navigational gear and all these new and interesting gadgets designed to improve the quality of life in the car.

Since fewer and fewer are looking to buy, more and more are looking to keep, and keeping means a brisk market for improvements.

Tags: aftermarket, aftermarket accessories, aftermarket parts, car market, Cars

Continue reading...

T3 Motion unveils the latest addition to the growing roster of electric cars offered in the market. T3 Motion lifts the covers on the CT3 Electric Vehicle that is based on the CT Micro Car. T3 Motion Inc. is not a new player in the electric car market. In fact, it has made a good account for itself, acknowledged as a global leader in Electric Vehicle Design, Battery Technology and Power Management Systems.

A version of the CT3 is competing for the Progressive Automotive X Prize in the Alternative Vehicle Class. The “CT3-S” is specifically designed and engineered to be capable of speeds up to 80 miles per hour yet delivering the energy equivalent of over 100 miles per gallon.

“We are very honored to be competing in the Progressive Automotive X Prize. It is energizing for T3 Motion, Inc. to be alongside so many different interpretations of creating the 100 mile per gallon car,” said Ki Nam, T3 Motion, Inc. C.E.O. “With electricity being the most readily available source of fuel today, our zero gas emission CT3-S exemplifies the ‘real world’ opportunities electric vehicles have both today and in the future.”

(Source) Press

Tags: battery technology, car market, electric car, electric cars, electric vehicle design, electric vehicles, electricity, future source, gas emission, global leader, latest addition, micro car, miles per gallon, miles per hour, power management systems, real world

Continue reading...

It may be small but it is the concept that counts. As far as the Kia Soul’ster is concerned, the brainchild of Kia Motors America has been lauded and has received the 2009 Concept Truck of the Year award. The Kia Soul’ster debuted at the 2009 North America International Auto Show. With the new concept vehicle, Kia presents a creative concept vehicle that is sure to be a great add for transportation needs which are quite relevant today.

“The Soul production vehicle has provided our design team with a tremendous platform for expression, and with the Soul’ster we sought to highlight a different side of the Soul and take it to another level,” said Tom Kearns, chief designer, Kia Design Center America. “It is an honor for the Soul’ster to be named Concept Truck of the Year, and further proof that Kia’s global commitment to design is dramatically altering the brand’s image and consumer opinion of our company and our vehicles.”

Indeed, Kia Motors has been on the aggressive route towards improving its vehicle quality and niche. And as far as a new concept vehicle, or truck in this case, the Soul’ster carries an appealing design that is sure to be admired and a hit in the car market soon.

(Source) Press

Tags: brainchild, car market, chief designer, consumer opinion, creative concept, expression, global commitment, kearns, KIA, kia motors america, niche, north america international auto show, proof, vehicle quality

Continue reading...

If you think the Mitsubishi iMiEV was the only vehicle Mitsubishi planned to release in the electric car market, then guess again! Today, Mitsubishi has bared that the iMiEV is only the start of their electric car revolution. The Japanese-based car company plans to unveil 5 more electric car vehicles by 2013.

Among the highlights of the next cars on Mitsubishi’s agenda include:

1. a left-hand-drive i-MiEV by the 2010 fiscal year for the European market
2. an electric commercial vehicle in the 2010 fiscal year
3. a larger electric car
4. a sportier version of the i-MiEV
5. a plug-in hybrid S.U.V. by the 2013 fiscal year

Whoa! Just when you thought that Mitsubishi was pinning its hopes on the iMiEV, this comes out. Now it seems interesting on what these additional electric cars would have to offer. While the iMiEV’s pricing was already bared ($45,600), you have to wonder how much these next cars would cost.

If you ask the motorists, they are surely counting on something cheaper. These cars really cost a fortune!

(Source) NY Times

Tags: car company, car market, car vehicles, electric car, electric cars, fiscal year, fortune, left hand drive, Mitsubishi, motorists

Continue reading...

In a move that is expected to prepare them for the larger demands for their small-sized cars, Toyota Motor’s of Japan has announced that they will be cutting costs in production for their compact cars by $1.44 billion annually. Toyota aims to approach their car manufacturing practices wisely as they are definitely learning the lessons from the debacle that has hit auto giants GM and Chrysler.

Toyota has been trying to compete with the big boys as luxury cars and eco-friendly concept cars have risen at the moment in attention. However, reality check reveals that with the growing interest and plans of most standing car companies, overlooking their famed compact cars such as the Corolla and the Vits should not be left out.

Hence, while the luxury and eco-friendly car market promise to rack in profits, the same is foreseen for their regular compact cars. And with the right tweaks, there is no doubt that they can expect some revenue contributions from these cars as well as people are wising up their motoring needs as well by turning to smaller compact cars that consume fuel economically.

(Source) Asia One

Tags: big boys, car companies, car market, Chrysler, compact car, compact cars, Concept Cars, corolla, GM, luxury cars, toyota motor, tweaks, vits

Continue reading...

The management team of Volkswagen have a reason to smile these days. With all the turmoil covering the auto industry, they are experiencing an increase in market share and are apparently being led by an unlikely car line. The sportier-looking Volkswagen Golf GT MK6 seems to be capturing the attention of the car market and has been queuing up customers.

The Mk6 is the quickest ever car in the company’s range, and coupled with its stunning looks, quality build and great handling, it’s no wonder drivers can’t wait to get their hands on it. The Mk6 has a top speed of 149 miles per hour and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.9 seconds, but despite this awesome power, the car is, rather miraculously, more eco-friendly.

With a sportier design, it looks like Volkswagen has greener days ahead of it and we don’t mean just being eco-friendly. People love the new looks so the next thing you may have to worry about would be consumer complaints on when they can get their order.

New models start at around £21,000 but for those on a tighter budget, a used VW may provide the answer.

(Source) PR Web

Tags: answer source, auto industry, Budget, car line, car market, consumer complaints, golf gt, greener days, management team, market share, miles per hour, mk6, models, top speed, turmoil, volkswagen, volkswagen golf, volkswagen golf gti, VW

Continue reading...

The Ritz from Maruti Suzuki in India finally made its debut today, available in petrol and diesel engines. With the Ritz – a Superior stance hatchback positioned at the premium-end of the compact car market – Maruti Suzuki consolidates its leadership in the highly competitive compact car segment. The Ritz comes with the BS-IV and OBD-I compliance much ahead of the regulation being enforced in the country.

The Ritz has been specifically designed for India. Maruti Suzuki engineers worked with the Suzuki design team in Japan to co-design the car and carry out India-specific changes.

The heart of the Ritz are the brand new 1.2 Litre K12M Petrol engine and the 1.3 DDiS Diesel power-plant, each offering optimum performance and fuel efficiency. Alongside this, the transmission system has been optimized for the Ritz to match Indian driving habits. With this the Ritz offers the best-in-class combination of fuel efficiency and drivability.

(Source) PR Domain

Tags: bs, car market, car segment, co design, compact car, compliance, debut, diesel engines, diesel power, drivability, fuel efficiency, leadership, maruti suzuki, optimum performance, petrol engine, power plant, ritz, suzuki engineers, transmission system

Continue reading...

With the impending demise of General Motors that may even include Chrysler creeping in, the U.S. auto industry is in absolute turmoil. What would the effect be on the US market? Better yet, how would it affect the global car market? These are the questions running in the minds of many consumers, a picture that is not entirely a sight to behold.

The GM and Chrysler saga has rumbled on for months, but one thing is clear: anyone who promotes bankruptcy as a quick, painless cure is wrong.

“This is truly scary,” said John Wolkonowicz, senior automotive analyst at IHS Global Insight. “Neither the government nor GM has any control over the outcome if this goes to bankruptcy court.”

President Barack Obama and officials from his administration’s vehicle industry task force have spoken of their commitment to sustaining the US domestic car industry. However, some restructuring experts believe a Chapter 11 filing by GM and possibly Chrysler is unavoidable and chances are that the days of US automotive supremacy are over.

(Source) The Herald

Tags: auto industry, bankruptcy court, Barack Obama, car industry, car market, Chapter 11, Chrysler, consumers, domestic car, General Motors, global car, global insight, GM, industry task force, restructuring

Continue reading...

There has been talk that Apple should enter into the car business with its success in the technology world. But the thing is, would Apple really be ready? How would the future of motoring look like with Apple and its iMo concept car roaming the streets?

Well to give you an idea, here is a created video by Anthony Jannarelly. Perhaps this video can provide us a better glimpse of how the future would like with Apple as another player in the car market.

iMo Apple Car from Wes Siler on Vimeo.

(Source) Jalopnik

Tags: Apple, car business, car market, concept car, glimpse, iMo, technology world

Continue reading...

China may be the only country right now that is showing positive sign of life as far as the car industry is concerned. Hence, with that in mind, the Shanghai Motor Show officially opened in China to which carmakers are expected to unveil 13 new models.

China has just overtaken the US as the world’s largest car market, with buyers spurred on by government incentives. US and European car sales are sharply down in the global recession.

Porsche kicked off the show on Sunday night by unveiling the Panamera, the German luxury carmaker’s first foray into the sedan segment. In another world premiere on Sunday, German automaker Daimler AG unveiled the remodelled Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG sedan. AMG sales nearly tripled in China last year.

The company says it expects government incentives to give sales of luxury cars a major boost this year. Beijing has introduced tax cuts on fuel-efficient cars and incentives for people in rural areas to buy newer models.

Organizers say the Auto Shanghai 2009 will feature 13 launches, mostly from local brands, but up from five at the show two years ago.

Most Chinese carmakers have so far focused on competing mainly on price with basic and often rudimentary vehicles, leaving foreign-branded cars to sweep up the mid- to high-end segments.

The show opens to the public for a week starting on 22 April.

(Source) BBC

Tags: car industry, car market, car sales, daimler ag, foray, fuel efficient cars, german automaker, global recession, local brands, luxury carmaker, luxury cars, mercedes benz s65 amg, Mercedes-Benz, panamera, rural areas, shanghai, world premiere

Continue reading...

Volvo has officially launched the all-new Volvo S80L in China. The S80L is one of the safest premium cars tailor-made for China and will mark the arrival of Volvo in the centre of the Chinese premium car market. The prices and specifications of the 5 variants were presented. To meet the demand of Chinese consumers, the wheel base of this S80L model is prolonged by 140mm and the car is considerably upgraded. The sale of the all-new model has now started and the production started in February.

“Volvo S80L is an all new model specially tailored for the Chinese market, and also the most luxurious car Volvo has ever made. The stretched wheel base fully meets the discerning demands of Chinese luxury car consumers. Meanwhile, S80L proves Volvo’s leadership in terms of safety and design”, says Dr. Alexander Klose, CEO of Volvo Cars China.

(Source) The Auto Channel

Tags: car market, china, chinese consumers, chinese market, dr alexander, luxurious car, new model, premium cars, Volvo

Continue reading...

The trend is logical but no one ever thought that the sudden growth for used cars would become this noticeable. The numbers have escalated and blown out of proportion, making new car makers simply look in awe as the wiser consumers today have opted to check out and shop for used cars in a faltering economy to save on expenses.

Edmunds.com has determined that approximately 511,000 used cars sold in the past three months would have been new car sales in a more normal economy. Projecting ahead, this could represent a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of more than two million vehicles, which equates to more than 15 percent of total new car sales. In manufacturing terms, that amounts to about two assembly plants’ new car production, reported Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com.

“It is safe to assume that many shoppers who normally would be tempted by ‘new car smell’ and the latest automotive technology made a more cost-conscious decision because of economic pressures,” surmised Edmunds.com Senior Analyst David Tompkins, PhD, whose team studied historical ratios of online research and actual sales of new cars versus used cars.

(Source) Business Wire

Tags: automotive technology, car makers, car market, car production, new car sales, new car smell, new cars

Continue reading...

It is not what you may call good news but at least the car industry in the Philippines is still hanging in there. Though not directly affected at the moment by the world crisis plaguing the car sector, Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) is not about to take it easy.

CAMPI President Elizabeth Lee said they are asking government help through lower excise taxes, permanent investment incentives and acquiring locally assembled vehicles. About half a million families are supported by the auto industry according to Lee as they employ a total of 74,00 workers, industry wide.

CAMPI has met with the Board of Investments last month and talked of ways to help cushion the industry from the effects of the global economic slowdown. One of the results of the talks was a proposal to lower the excise tax imposed by the government on them.

Sales of passenger cars went up by 14.2 percent in January as compared to last year. They were led by Honda Cars Philippines Inc., selling 1,278 units, followed by erstwhile local leader Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. with 1,273 units.

(Source) ABS CBN News

Tags: auto industry, automotive manufacturers, campi, car industry, car market, elizabeth lee, excise taxes, global economic slowdown, Honda, honda cars philippines, honda cars philippines inc, investments, passenger cars, toyota motor

Continue reading...

German based manufacturer BMW is pushing through with its M-badged BMW series and it looks like BMW lovers are in for a treat. The 2010 BMW X6 M and X5 M feature an all-wheel drive and a V8 engine paired with an automatic transmission as well. Add an optimized chassis/suspension setup and a stronger rear-wheel bias to the all-wheel-drive system for greater agility and the new model seems to be a dream machine to have.

With the force-fed V-8 and active rear differential of its sportier sibling, the X5 M should experience a greater performance improvement over the regular model compared with the X6 M. However, given the X6’s lower center of gravity and more-aggressive demeanor, expect the hatchback-coupe on stilts to be more playful when the road begins to twist and turn.

A vehicle that is surely being awaited for release, the BMW M models are bound to be a good choice for car addicts investing heavily in luxury vehicles. There is no specific date on when the X5 M and X6 M will be released although 2010 seems to be the feasible year to wait for them. They are expected to be valued at $100K once made available in the car market.

Via Car and Driver

Tags: automatic transmission, bmw series, bmw x6, car market, chassis, differential, performance improvement, suspension setup, v8 engine, wheel drive system, x5

Continue reading...