Ford launches its 4th LCV model : the Transit Courier

Ford launches its fourth LCV model for the global _ market: the Transit Courier. It is the smallest of Ford's newly consolidated LCV range (Transit Connect, Transit Custom and Transit).

In Europe, the mini-LCV market is rather low and represents approximately 100 000 units per year. With a limited number of models, it should logically increase when the Courier manages to find its place alongside the Fiat Fiorino, Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo. The Renault Bebop failed to establish itself in this market and is now almost extinct.

The new Courier is based on the current Fiesta (like the B-Max which has the same platform). It competes with smaller LCVs of the European market (Fiat Fiorino, Peugeot Bipper, Citroen Nemo), but also on the North American market where it will also be sold. The passenger car version of the Courier will be called the Courier Tourneo .

The new Courier will be manufactured in Turkey (Kocaeli) at a rate of 50 000 units per year, in the same plant where the Transit and the Transit Custom are manufactured for the European market. The manufacturing of the Transit in Belgium (Genk) and in England (Southampton) has in fact stopped in recent years.

The production site of the Courier in North America has not yet been made official. 50 000 units could also be manufactured per year for the local market.


14-17-5  

 
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The European plant utilisation rate by country (2005-2014)

The average rate of utilisation of plants in Europe (Europe at large: Europe 28 + Russia + Ukraine + Turkey) will likely reach 69% in 2014.
This estimate takes into account the results of the first three months of 2014 and does not take into consideration Bochum (Opel) and Genk (Ford) plants closure, which will take effect only in the fourth quarter of the year.


Countries that have a utilisationrate higher than the overall average are Germany (93%), which continues to benefit from robust exports, Romania (86%) enjoying the success of the Dacia in Europe even if part of the production is progressively transferred to Morocco, Slovakia, which takes advantage of the ongoing transfer of the Peugeot 208 from France, Turkey (70%) due to the gradual arrival of the Renault Clio from France, and finally Great Britain (94%) which now has a rate close to Germany’s one (with production of vehicles which are exported worldwide: Nissan Qashqai, Nissan Juke, Nissan Note, Mini, Toyota Auris, Honda CRV, Jaguar and Land Rover).


All other countries have an utilisation rate lower than the overall average of 69%, except France which maintains its rate to the European average, mainly due to the arrival in 2014 of the Renault Trafic and Nissan NV300 produced previously in Spain and Britain.


14-17-4  

 
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Jeep wants to double its global sales by 2018

Jeep has set a goal of doubling its global sales by 2018, at 1.5 million units per year (against 732,000 in 2013), by taking advantage of a growth that it expects strong in Europe, South America and China.

Currently, the brand sells its vehicles mainly in North America (490,000 in the U.S., 45,000 in Canada and 20,000 in Mexico, 555 000 vehicles in total).

Benefiting from the introduction of the new Cherokee (D segment) and Renegade (B segment) models, Jeep could sell more than one million vehicles in 2014, in particular by developing the European, South American and Chinese markets where its existence is fragile.

Jeep production capacities would therefore double (from 750 000 to 1.5 million units per year) with production in new plants that will be dedicated to the brand, Italy (Melfi), Brazil (Pernambuco) and China (Guangzhou).

The new entry range model Renegade will be a key model for the Jeep growth in the world. The smaller vehicle of the brand will be produced from June 2014 in Melfi for Europe. In the second half of 2014, the Renegade will be produced in Brazil, in a new plant in Pernambuco, for the whole South American market.

Production of Jeep models Cherokee and Renegade will start in China in 2015, under a joint venture with GAC. These  models will be only produced for the local market in a first phase.

 

14-17-1  

 
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Fiat may give up the name Punto in 2016 in favor of 500 Plus

We had to wait a long time the decision of the Fiat-Chrysler group regarding the replacement or not of one of its best-selling model in the last twenty years, the Fiat Punto.

More than 500,000 Puntos were sold per year between 1994 and 2001 (it was the best selling car in Europe in 1997), before experiencing an unstoppable decline from 2001 (110,000 units sold in 2013).

The Fiat Punto, a model launched in 2005 and getting aged, has trouble to develop in a hyper competitive B segment face to other Fiat models (500, 500L) much more fashionable.

Wishing to ride on the wave of  its favorite model “500”, Fiat could therefore give up the name Punto in favour of 500 Plus.
The
500 name would be a generic name for a family of models covering the A-B segments: sedans (500, 500 Plus), SUV (500 X) and MPVs (500L and 500L Living).

Fiat will produce this new model in Poland, in Tichy plant where the Fiat 500 is currently assembled. The two other models produced by Fiat In Tichy, the Ford KA and the Lancia Ypsilon will achieve their lifesoon (Ford KA in 2016)

Fiat plans to produce 180,000 units per year of the future 500 Plus, out of which 96% will be exported. The Punto is currently produced in Melfi, Italy and the plant capacity released will be assigned to the SUVs Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X .

 

14-17-3  

 
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Analysis of measures accompanying PSA plan

PSA unveiled its new  development plan for the group. Here underneath these measures and their analysis:


1.Sell one million vehicles in China from 2017-2018, under partnership with Dongfeng and Changan.
If PSA achieves this objective, China will remain the second largest market of the group, but however only with a minor increase  of its share of Chinese market (according to our forecasts this share should progress from 3% in 2013 to 4% in 2014).
Besides, the cumulative capacities of Dongfeng and Changan (about 900,000 units early 2015) will not match the future demand. PSA will  have therefore to either increase the capacity of current plants (existing or under construction) or build a new plant.


2.Creation of a specific DS brand in Europe.
The strategy of creating a DS premium brand in the PSA group in Europe (as it exists already in China) is close to strategies which have been developed by VW (Audi), Toyota (Lexus) and Renault-Nissan (Infiniti) over the last decades. A question is whether in the future one or more plants will be only dedicated to DS (as Audi) or DS production lines will be shared  with Peugeot and Citroën (such as Toyota and Lexus models). Another point is: will DS have its own design and Engineering departments or will the models continue to be developed by engineers skilled in entry-range and medium-range design?


3.Range concentration: around 26 models instead of 45.
PSA range  includes small-volume (C-Zero, ION), end of life and not to be replaced (807-C8, 4008) models, as well as older models no more sold in Europe but still alive in other world areas (206-C2 China, 207) or duplicate  models (old and new Berlingo / Partner. The announced concentration plan  is therefore a natural rearrangement of the PSA range.


4.Launch 8 new models each year at a global level.
This announcement does not come into contradiction with the previous announcement since many models have naturally to be replaced.
From 2014, only in Europe,  an average of 3 models per year will arrive at the end of their life cycle.


 

14-17-2  

 
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