Posted on December 29, 2011, at 7:00 am
 Marvin Zhu After two years of strong growth, the car market in China has begun to slow. Chinese brands, which have grown considerably over the past few years, seem to have lostmomentum faster than their joint-venture counterparts. According to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 China New Vehicle Intender Study,SM the purchase intent toward local brands has fallen from 26% in 2009 to just 20% this year.
Although the local OEMs have continued launching new products, more and more car buyers are voting with their feet, as they find most of those “new models” are facelifts or copies of other popular models. Meanwhile, the joint ventures are offering cars of similar size at increasingly competitive prices. Continue reading ›
Posted on December 14, 2011, at 8:47 am
 The introduction of Hyundai’s all-new small car, the Eon, which was previously known by its code HA H800, will heat up the mini car battle in India. The Eon is expected to be a strong challenger to market leader Maruti Suzuki’s Alto. The Eon, an entry-level hatchback aimed at capturing first-time car buyers in India, was developed over 4 years at a cost of INR 9.56 billion (US $181 million).
In order to meet the requirements of car buyers in this growth market, Hyundai Motor’s research and development team in Hyderabad worked with Hyundai’s engineers in South Korea to design and develop the Eon exclusively for India. The result is a model that is stylishly designed and promises fuel economy of 21 kilometers per liter (equivalent to 13.05 miles per liter or about 79.38 miles per gallon)under test conditions. Powered by an 814 cc 3-cylinder gasoline engine, the Eon is also competitively priced from INR 285,309 (US $5,400) for the base model Eon D-Lite to INR 396,262 (US $7,500) for the top-end Sportz version, which has additional features such as keyless entry and a driver air bag. Continue reading ›
Posted on November 26, 2011, at 9:20 am
Although green entries did not get all the attention at this year’s L.A. Auto Show this past week, a number of automakers featured fuel-efficient models. A few observations after the press previews and the show:
•  Honda remains a green leader and promoted its electric vehicle (EV) capabilities at the L.A. Auto Show. In addition to showing its new 2012 CR-V with better fuel efficiency, one of California’s best-selling automakers debuted an all-electric Fit subcompact for 2013. The new EV comes in a 5-door, 5-passenger package and can be recharged using a 240-volt charger in less than 3 hours. The Fit EV can be leased from Honda for $399 per month. Some 1,000 EV demos will be placed on the road this year in a pilot program involving the city of Torrance, CA, Stanford University and Google. On another green note, Honda’s Civic Natural Gas model was named “2012 Green Car of the Year” by the Green Car Journal. Continue reading ›
Posted on November 22, 2011, at 11:14 am
Crossovers continued to pull their weight among major introductions at the L.A. Auto Show. A few of the introductions featured in the segment that is favored by nearly one of every four or five new-car buyers:
 • Ford introduced its new 2013 Escape with sleek styling changes that take cues from its Focus sibling and simpler, enhanced telematics—Sync with MyFord Touch—and more fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engine options as well as a remote liftgate feature. A new version of the Ford Flex midsize CUV also was unveiled, featuring a slightly less dramatic front end, but new inflatable seat belts to protect children and older passengers. Continue reading ›
Posted on November 12, 2011, at 8:39 am
 Mohit Arora Vehicle owners in Australia who wait less than 3 hours to have their vehicle serviced at an authorized service center are much more satisfied with the service experience than are those owners who are forced to wait longer, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 Australia Customer Service Index (CSI) Study.SM
In fact, service satisfaction* for shorter vehicle service wait times is 41 points higher (817 points on a 1,000-point scale) than for wait times of 3 or more hours (776). At the same time, the study reveals that nearly six in 10 customers (59%) have to wait more than 3 hours before their vehicle is returned to them after service, and customers wait an average of 6 hours for their vehicle to be serviced. Continue reading ›
Posted on November 1, 2011, at 12:51 pm
 In early reports, a few multi-franchise automakers posted stellar light-vehicle sales results in the US market in October vs. a year ago, in spite of a weak economy and lower consumer confidence levels. J.D. Power predicted in mid-October that the average annual sales pace for October would come in at 13.1 million units, and total US deliveries would rise almost 11% from October 2010.
Two of three Detroit-based automakers, General Motors and Ford Motor Co., posted single-digit gains from a year ago. GM and Ford’s small year-over-year sales gains were bolstered by strong performances from crossovers and trucks. Two of the big three Japanese automakers—Toyota and Honda Groups—posted lower totals than last year, partly due to constrained inventories, although Honda, hit by a recent shortage of parts following flood damage to one of its plants in Thailand, posted nearly flat sales. Continue reading ›
Posted on November 1, 2011, at 10:53 am
 Models from Japanese automakers rank highest in seven of 11 award segments in this year’s China Initial Quality Study. Models of Chinese domestic brands rank highest in initial quality in the mini van and lower premium midsize segments. The study features analysis on 155 different passenger-vehicle models covering 56 different makes. Continue reading ›
Posted on October 11, 2011, at 10:19 am
 Mike Omotoso Ford Motor Company plans to show its 2013 Escape at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November with some powertrain changes. The next-generation compact crossover (CUV) model will offer three engine choices—all 4-cylinder options—and there will be no hybrid version or V-6 engine option.
The 2013 Escape will be equipped with a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine as the base engine. Ford also will offer a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine and a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, direct-injection EcoBoost engine in the new Escape. Ford still plans to offer a hybrid powertrain, but it will be in the 2012 C-Max. Continue reading ›
Posted on September 29, 2011, at 10:28 am
 Honda and Suzuki brands each produce three of the models with the highest vehicle ownership satisfaction scores in the 10 award segments of the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Mexico Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study.SM In addition, models from (in alphabetical order) Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Toyota and Volkswagen brands rank among the top three in each award segment.—Jon Osborn, research director at J.D. Power and Associates Continue reading ›
Posted on September 27, 2011, at 7:50 am
 Through the first 8 months of 2011, light-vehicle output in North America climbed 8% from a year ago, to 8.5 million units. The Detroit-based automakers ramped up their production by 16%, while the Japanese automakers lost 8% due to shortages of parts following the March 11 earthquake in Japan. Output for the European OEMs climbed by 38% from a year ago, with the added production of the BMW X3 and Volkswagen Passat in North America. Demand for the new VW Jetta has also boosted European output. Continue reading ›
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