The Ford Group sold 6.25 million PCs + LCVs in 2013
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- The Ford Group sold 6.25 million vehicles worldwide in 2013 (representing an increase of 10.2% compared to 2012) and going over the 6 million threshold the group hadn't reached since 2009. In fact, since it has parted from its Jaguar (2008), Land Rover (2008) and Volvo brands (2009), and it is gradually separating from Mazda, the Ford group has lost a large amount of its sales volume. The removal of the Mercury brand (2010) confirms this trend.
- After being the second and the third largest world manufacturer, the Ford group is since 2013 at the sixth place in the global carmaker ranking. It is now behind Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan and Hyundai-Kia in 2013.
- Having focused on both Ford and Lincoln brands, the U.S. group benefited from the 2013 recovery of the U.S. market (+11% to 2.5 million sales), and the strong growth it registered in China, with Chinese sales rising by 62% to 700 000 units. In Europe, Ford fell by 4% to 1 million units sold. The manufacturer is also very present in South America, Russia, India, Australia and South East Asia.
- The Ford group also benefits from two models (throughout the carmakers of the group) that are the most sold in the world: the Focus (sold 1.07 million units in 2013) and the F-Series pickup (935 000 units sold in 2013). The Focus is mainly sold in North America, Europe, China and Russia. The Ford F-Series is sold mainly in North America.
Read more... The Ford Group sold 6.25 million PCs + LCVs in 2013
Citroën unveils the C4 Cactus a mini SUV
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- Citroën has unveiled the C4 Cactus. The C-segment (compact sedans, compact MPVs, compact SUVs) accounted for 42% of Citroën’s global sales in 2013. This segment is the largest in terms of volume according to the manufacturer, both in Europe and world wide where the growth is the fastest .
- It is therefore on this segment that Citroen intends to increase its efforts. However, the positioning of the C4 Cactus is unclear. According to the manufacturer, the model is between a C4 sedan and a C4 Aircross SUV. For Inovev, its positioning would be clearer in segment B. Its platform is the same as the Peugeot 208 and Citroën C3 and its dimensions and pricing are very close to those of the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008.
- The C4 Cactus can be equipped with a three cylinder petrol engine (1.2 VTi 82 hp or 1.2 THP 110 hp) or a diesel four-cylinder engine (1.6 e-HDI 92 hp or 1.6 BlueHDI 100 hp). The C4 Cactus will be sold starting from June 2014 in France and in other European countries.
- The model will be manufactured in the Spanish plant of Villaverde, that has a production capacity of 200 000 units a year. Today, the plant manufactures the latest copies of the Peugeot 207 for some markets, but its production will cease late 2014.
- Inovev expects a production of 50 000 units per year for the C4 Cactus, or more given the current success of the mini-SUV segment (Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008).
Suzuki is stopping its partnership on small cars with GM
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Read more... Suzuki is stopping its partnership on small cars with GM
The Dacia Sandero will help the Tangier plant to fully use its production capacity
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Read more... The Dacia Sandero will help the Tangier plant to fully use its production capacity
The Jaguar and Land Rover manufacturing in China will start in 2015
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- The Indian manufacturer Tata Motors and the Chinese manufacture Chery signed an agreement last year to manufacture Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in China in a Chery plant. These British models have in fact never been produced in China specifically because until recent years, China was not a major market for Premium or SUV segments. This is about to change. In 2013, 1.3 million Premium brands cars were sold (7.5% market share) and 2.8 million SUVs (16.5% market share).
- It is worth noting that during this agreement, Chery changed its status from independent manufacturer to a manufacturer bound by JV like SAIC, FAW and Dongfeng.
- The production of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in a Chery plant in China will not start this year as originally planned but in 2015, due to delays in obtaining the necessary machinery and equipment. The local plant will allow the manufacturer to bypass customs duties that now reach 25%.
- In 2013, sales of Jaguars and Land Rovers in the Chinese market increased by 30% compared to 2012, to 95 237 units, which represents nearly a quarter (22.5%) of the global sales of the British division of the Tata Motors Group. China has become the second largest market for Jaguar and Land Rover after the European Union (145 000 sales).
Read more... The Jaguar and Land Rover manufacturing in China will start in 2015