Hyundai opens new R&D centre in India

Hyundai has opened a new research and development centre in India to facilitate the company’s expansion and to meet increasing global demand for sub-compact cars.

The AUD$27 million, 18,580m² plant in Hyderabad took over two years to build and will complement its existing manufacturing plant in Chennai.
The centre will support all back-end operations like computer-aided engineering [...]

Hyundai scores highest-ever October sales result

As the Australian new car market shows signs of recovery, Hyundai have secured another record for the brand selling 6,281 vehicles and achieving a market share of 7.8 per cent.

Sales for October 2009 were up 106 per cent over the same time last year – giving Hyundai its best ever October result.
In a total market [...]

Skoda to build new lost-cost sedan

Skoda is developing a new low-cost family sedan set to challenge the likes of the Logan (pictured below), a popular small sedan which is produced by Renault’s Dacia subsidiary.

Skoda CEO, Mr Reinhard Jung, said the new model would cost between 10,000 and 12,000 euros (AUD$16,000 – $20,000) and would launch in two to three years.
Mr [...]

GM backflips on Opel sale

General Motors (GM) has cancelled plans to sell a majority stake in its European car business Opel, including its UK brand Vauxhall.

GM said in a statement that its board had made the decision because of “an improving business environment for GM over the past few months”.
GM had agreed to sell Opel and Vauxhall to Canadian [...]

Nissan contributes €134 million to Renault’s earnings

Nissan released the results for the first half of its fiscal year 2009/2010 (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010) today.

After restatement, the profit reported by Nissan for the second quarter of fiscal 2009/2010 (July 1, to September 30, 2009) will result in a positive contribution to Renault’s second half net income estimated at €134 [...]

Ford financial woes ease as profits boost Wall Street

It seems the pressure of the Global Financial Crisis may be easing, at least where Ford Motor Company is concerned.

The New York Times have reported yesterday that Wall Street stocks rose in hesitant trade the night prior after a surprise profit reported by Ford boosted market sentiment.
Ford’s third-quarter profit of US$997 million (AUD$1,103 million), and [...]

Transmission sharing in US exposes Ford, GM to Indian parts shortage

A parts shortage from an Indian supplier has affected both General Motors and Ford in the US because both manufacturers use the same six-speed gear box.

The transmission sharing was a money saving move made by both companies who, instead of developing their own fuel saving technology, decided to share the costs of US$720 million in [...]

Toyota’s Tsutsumi Plant – tour a green role model

By Matt Brogan. Aichi, Japan.
Every fifty-seven seconds a new Prius rolls off the line here at Toyota’s Tsutsumi production plant in Aichi, Toyota City.
But this plant is more than a highly-automated car building machine, Tsutsumi is a prototypical plant of the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) used for promoting some of the company’s many sustainable initiatives.

Tsutsumi, [...]

Honda Jazz begins UK production

The first European built Jazz has been driven off the production line at Honda’s factory in Swindon (UK), providing a boost to production volume and underlining the company’s long term commitment to its European operation.

The five-door Jazz is one of Honda’s most successful cars in Europe, with over 70,000 sold in the region every year. [...]

Silver is the new white

Confirming what even the most colour blind car spotter could tell you, silver is the new white.

Silver has taken the title of world’s most popular automotive colour for the ninth consecutive year.
According to PPG, a leader in automotive paints, 25 per cent of new cars purchased in North America over the last year were some [...]

Hyundai opens plant in Czech Republic

Hyundai, South Korea’s largest automaker, officially opened its AUD$1.7 billion manufacturing plant in Nošovice, Czech Republic, this week.

With mass production started in November last year, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC), a fully-owned subsidiary of Seoul-based Hyundai Motor Company, has a current capacity to build 200,000 vehicles annually, which will be increased by 100,000 to 300,000 [...]

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