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Published: 22 February 2021

• Production
• Toyota
• Czech Republic

With the full takeover of the Kolin plant, Toyota can produce the Yaris in this plant

- Since January 1st, 2021, the TPCA plant located in Kolin (Czech Republic), formerly owned at 50% by Toyota and 50% by PSA, became fully owned by Toyota, the Japanese carmaker having bought out PSA's shares. This new development is the result of PSA’s decision to reduce its production capacities in Europe in the frame of its merger with the FCA group, which has also over capacities. This new fact will have several consequences.

- Firstly, the PSA models produced at the Kolin plant (Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108) will be phased out during the next summer, without being transferred to another plant. These models will therefore not be replaced immediately, but they may be replaced in the future, by new battery electric models, the A-segment gradually switching to electric.

- Secondly, Toyota will now be able to use all of the Kolin plant production capacity (300,000 vehicles per year) instead of half. Consequently, the Japanese carmaker will produce some of the Yaris at the Kolin plant from next summer, after the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 108 have shut down. Indeed, the Toyota French plant in Onnaing (capacity of 300 000 vehicles per year also) should not have sufficient capacity to produce the Toyota Yaris and the new Yaris Cross SUV (200,000 units planned per year for each of these models).

- The Yaris Cross will be fully produced in Onnaing from next summer, shortly before it goes on sale. According to Inovev, the Yaris Cross is likely to bite more on the sales of the Toyota CHR than on Yaris ones. The Toyota Aygo, on its side will continue to be marketed and will continue to be produced at the Kolin site, at a rate of 100,000 units per year.

    

 

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Read more... With the full takeover of the Kolin plant, Toyota can produce the Yaris in this plant

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Published: 15 February 2021

• Registrations
• Japan

The Japanese market (PC + LUV) declined by 11.5% in 2020

- The Japanese market for passenger cars (PCs) and light utility vehicles (LUVs) declined by 11.5% in 2020, to 4,598,615 units from 5,195,000 in 2019, due to the coronavirus crisis. It is a result honorableas the world market fell by almost 14%.

- Between 2012 and 2019, the Japanese automotive market remained stable, fluctuating between 5 million units and 5.5 million. The 2020 year marks a return to 2009 levels, in the midst of the financial and economic crisis. In the past fifteen years, only 2011 has seen a real relapse, due to the disastrous consequences of the tsunami that hit Japan that year. The market was then back down to 4.2 million units, the lowest figure since 1977.

- For 2021, Inovev is counting on a revival of the Japanese market, which should return to its levels recorded between 2012 and 2019, i.e. a volume of around 5 million units.

- The Kei cars segment, i.e. small cars close to the European A-segment, represented 37% of the Japanese market in 2020, or 1,718,088 units, of which 536,292 are Daihatsu and 523,604 Suzuki. These two brands representing nearly two thirds of kei cars sold in Japan last year.

- In total, the Toyota group holds 46.9% of the Japanese market in 2020, with its brands Toyota, Daihatsu, Lexus and Hino, largely ahead of Suzuki (13.7%) and Honda (13.5%). Renault-Nissan (11.5%), Mazda (3.9%), Subaru (2.3%) and Isuzu (1.5%) follow. Imports represented 5.6% and remain at a stable level. Electric car sales remained at a very low level, around 2.5% of the Japanese market in 2020.

    

 

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Read more... The Japanese market (PC + LUV) declined by 11.5% in 2020

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Published: 15 February 2021

• Registrations

The European market (PC + LUV) declined by 23.5% in 2020

- The European market for passenger cars (PCs) and light utility vehicles (LUVs) declined by 23.5% in 2020 compared to 2019, to 13,745,166 units against 17,981,186 in 2019, due to the coronavirus crisis. This is a very poor result compared to the world market which dropped by almost 14%. The European market thus returned to the 2013 level, the worst year of the decade, following the financial crisis of 2008-2009 which resulted in several years of austerity with a limited demand for automobiles on this region between 2010 and 2013.

- The European market was one of the regions most affected by the coronavirus in 2020, causing plants to shut down during the spring for one month to one month and a half, depending on the country and the carmaker.

- However, we can observe that on one hand the light utility vehicles market suffered less than the passenger car market (-18.0% against -24.3%) and on the other hand, the European Eastern countries suffered a little less than the Western countries (-23.0% against -24.5%). But the drop remains significant in all cases.

- In this context, the VW group remains the market leader in Europe, with a 25.4% market share, ahead of the PSA (14.4%) and Renault-Nissan (13.6%) groups, which are well ahead of the groups BMW (7.1%), Hyundai-Kia (7.0%), Daimler (6.4%), FCA (5.8%), Toyota (5.8%) and Ford (5.5%). SUVs represented 41% of the European passenger car market in 2020, against 38% in 2019 and 35% in 2018. Battery Electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles represented 1,367,138 units in 2020, or 11,5% of the European market, against 3.5% in 2019 and 2.5% in 2018. The share of these motorisations tripled between 2019 and 2020.

    

 

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Read more... The European market (PC + LUV) declined by 23.5% in 2020

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Published: 15 February 2021

• Production
• Renault-Nissan-Avtovaz
• India

Model planned for Datsun, the Magnite SUV released under the Nissan brand

- To complete the Datsun range sold in India (Go, Go + and Redi-Go), the Japanese carmaker Nissan has designed an SUV 3.99 m long, 1.76 m wide and 1.57 m high, based on the CMF-A platform, also used by the Renault Triber with very similar dimensions. The design is completely different, however, taking inspiration from the Nissan Kicks and Juke, in smaller proportions.

- But with the decision to remove the Datsun brand globally, including in India, the Japanese carmaker has finally launched its small SUV under the Nissan brand. This model, however, retains the six-sided grille of the Datsun and does not have the trapezoidal grille of the Nissan, proof that the rebranding was decided at the very last moment. The Nissan Magnite has been produced in the Indian plant in Chennai, alongside the Renault Kwid and Triber since the end of October 2020 for marketing which began in this country in December 2020. The engine is the same as of the Triber: a 0,9 liters 3 cylinders developing 72 hp.

- The Magnitewill attempt to revive Nissan’s sales in the Indian market, where this model will replace the Micra sedan. Many carmakers today are choosing to replace their sedans with SUVs.

- Nissan has announced that based on orders for the model received in India, production of the Magnite will increase from 2,700 units per month to 4,000 during the first quarter of 2021, corresponding to an annual volume of 48,000. units, which will become the brand's top-produced model in India. Nissan produced less than 38,000 cars in India in 2020, while Renault made nearly 90,000, including 43,500 Triber and 43,000 Kwid.

    

 

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Read more... Model planned for Datsun, the Magnite SUV released under the Nissan brand