Volkswagen innovations at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show
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Volkswagen innovations at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show
- The Volkswagen brand (China's leading OEM with a 13.6% market share) presented many new products at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show, while several Chinese brands were absent.
- The German automaker, which suffered a 10.6% drop in sales in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018, introduced plug-in hybrid versions of the Lavida (the best-selling car in China in 2018), Passat and Tiguan, as well as its first electric vehicle based on the SEM platform: the I.D. Roomzz concept (an SUV is to be launched in this form as of autumn 2021).
- The German brand also presented the new generation of the Sagitar as well as a coupé based on the Teramont SUV, called Teramont X, which is inspired by what Porsche presented on its stand, a coupé based on the Cayenne SUV.
- The most striking fact at Volkswagen, however, remains the presentation of the first models of the Jetta brand (name of an old Volkswagen model), which is intended to be a low-cost brand, but which in fact includes all of the models of the Seat brand (unknown in China) rebranded Jetta.
- Thus, the VA3 sedan is a Seat Toledo rebadged with a different grille, the SUV VS5 is a Seat Ateca rebadged with a different grille, and the SUV VS7 is a Seat Tarraco rebadged with a different grille. The Seat brand is therefore surreptitiously entering the Chinese market under the Jetta brand, which enjoys a reputation far beyond the reach of the Seat name.
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GM innovations at the Shanghai Motor Show 2019
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GM innovations at the Shanghai Motor Show 2019
- The GM group is the second largest manufacturer in China after the Volkswagen group, with a volume of 3.627 million vehicles sold on this market in 2018 (compared to 3.893 million units in 2017). In China, the GM group markets the Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands.
- The GM group suffered a 6.8% drop in sales in China in 2018, a more significant decline than the Chinese passenger car market as a whole (-4.1%). The American manufacturer therefore intends to re-boot its sales in 2019, which is why it presented many new products at the Shanghai Motor Show this year.
- Chevrolet unveiled the entry-level Onix sedan (C-segment sedan replacing the Cavalier), the Monza sedan (D-segment sedan between the Cruze and the Impala), the Tracker SUV (replacing the Trax), the Trailblazer SUV (which is derived from the Blazer sold in North America), the Orlando SUV (which is a 7-seat variant of the Tracker), and the Carryall SUV (which is a 7-seat variant of the Trailblazer).
- Buick unveiled the new generation of its Encore SUV (derived from the Tracker), which was previously a derivative of the Opel Mokka. After the acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall by the PSA group in 2017, the future Opel Mokka planned for 2020 will no longer have anything to do with this Buick SUV. Buick also unveiled the new generation of the GL8 MPV, which is one of the few higher segment MPVs still enjoying some success in the Chinese market.
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Skoda Czech Republic Production Overview
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Skoda Czech Republic Production Overview
- Skoda (a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group) has been operating in the Czech Republic since the beginning of the 20th century, when it was still called Laurin&Klement.
- Skoda now has two factories in its home country, the largest being located in Mlada Boleslav (the brand's historic factory) and the other in Kvasiny.
- In 2018, Skoda broke its world production record, with a volume of 1.25 million vehicles produced, including 875,000 units assembled in its two plants located in the Czech Republic, accounting for 70% of its global production.
- Of the 875,000 vehicles manufactured in the Czech Republic in 2018, 664,236 are Skoda vehicles (Fabia, Rapid, Octavia, Superb, Karoq, Kodiaq) and 101,260 are Seat vehicles (Ateca, Toledo).
- Finally, a volume of 108,922 Skoda brand vehicles are sent CKD to the Russian sites in Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod, which assemble Volkswagen and Skoda brand models for local demand. The Mlada Boleslav site sent 77,389 CKD Skoda models to these Russian factories and the Kvasiny site sent 31,533. In total, in 2018, the MladaBoleslav plant assembled 428,693 Skoda and 8,128 Seat models, and shipped 77,389 CKD, while the Kvasiny plant assembled 235,543 Skoda and 93,132 Seat models, and shipped 31,533 CKD.
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The Renault City K-ZE will be marketed under several brands
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The Renault City K-ZE will be marketed under several brands
- At the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show, Renault unveiled the final version of its 100% electric city car (A segment sedan), which is derived from the Kwid sold in India and Brazil. This model, named City K-ZE, is the first new special electric model of the Renault brand since the launch of the Zoé in 2011. Compared to the Zoé (which will be renewed next autumn), the City K-ZE is in a lower category, that of the Renault Twingo.
- But unlike the Twingo and Zoé, the City K-ZE will be marketed mainly in China. First, because China, which absorbs 60% of the world's electric car sales, requires car manufacturers present in the country to sell more and more electric cars (2 million in 2020, 7 million in 2025, 16 million in 2030). Secondly, because the City K-ZE would be a dangerous competitor for the Zoe if it were offered in Europe. Finally, because Renault wants to quadruple its sales in China thanks to the City K-ZE (from 50,000 units in 2018 to 200,000 in 2022, excluding the Jinbei and Huasong brands).
- The K-ZE will be manufactured in the Shiyan factory (Hubei province), in partnership with Dongfeng. This plant, with a production capacity of 120,000 units per year, will also produce the K-ZE under the Nissan, Venucia and Dongfeng brands.
- The K-ZE is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi group's CMF-A platform and has a range of 200km (WLTP cycle). The K-ZE has the same dimensions as the internal combustion engine Kwidsold in India (2.42m wheelbase) and should be sold at a very competitive price.
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Analysis of Mercedes A-Class production in Europe
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Analysis of Mercedes A-Class production in Europe
- Since the launch of the new generation Mercedes A-Class (C-segment sedan) in spring 2018, this model has been manufactured at three different sites in Europe: the German site in Rastatt, where it has been manufactured since the launch of the first A-Class in 1997, the Finnish site in Uusikaupunki, which has assembled part of the A-Class since the launch of the 2012 generation, and the Hungarian site in Kecskemét, which has assembled part of the A-Class since the launch of the new 2018 generation.
- In 2018, the Rastatt site produced 186,303 Class A (including 82,618 of the older generation). The Uusikaupunki site produced 23,921 units and the Kecskemét site 64,518 units.
- In total, therefore, 274,742 Class A were produced in Europe in 2018, which is its highest score since the model was introduced. This model competes with Premium C-segment sedans, such as the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. In 2018, the A-Class overtook its two competitors, with the Audi A3 not exceeding 225,000 units and the BMW 1 Series 210,000 units.
- The Rastatt site has a production capacity of 250,000 vehicles per year, a volume equivalent to that of Kecskemét and twice that of Uusikaupunki, which belongs to the subcontractor Valmet.
- The Hungarian site in Kecskemét also produces C segment minivans called Class B, which share their platform with Class A, as well as CLA coupés, which also share their platform with Class A. Class B was produced at 85,389 units at this site in 2018, and the CLA at 64,910 units.
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