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Renault has a go at India

May 31, 2015

After Datsun’s lacklustre performance.

Automakers have been seeking to strengthen their foothold on the emerging automobile market in India. Last year, Nissan revived the Datsun brand with that aspiration, but so far has experienced moderate success and an immoderate number of issues with the Datsun GO. The GO, which raison d’être is to help Nissan capture market share in emerging markets like India and Indonesia, has only managed sales of about 16,000 units; that’s about the sales figure achieved by the nation’s best selling car and the GO’s intended rival, Maruti Suzuki’s Alto, in just a month.

Fast and Furious drivers get Jail time

May 25, 2015

In a case of real life mimicking art, two Fast and Furious wannabes have made the headlines just as the seventh edition of the film hits the silver screen in China. The latest offering from the Fast and Furious franchise, not so imaginatively entitled Fast and Furious Seven, smashed box office records in China after grossing US$59 million in ticket sales in one day. However, headlines in Beijing were more interested in the spectacular car crash that seemed to happen during a real life sports car drag race that totalled a Lamborghini and Ferrari, and left two other luxury cars needing a bit of time in the repair shop.

A Perodua Sedan in 2016…maybe

May 25, 2015

Perodua president and CEO, Datuk Aminar Rashid, revealed during a media briefing last Thursday that the Malaysian automaker has a sedan approved and in the prototype stage, in which the upcoming model’s engine, platform and transmission is being evaluated. According to Aminar, the sedan will be launched sometime next year or the year after, but not as late as 2019 or 2020. This will be the first sedan model ever for the automaker, which current product range only has A- and B-segment cars and a compact MPV.

Price war looms in China

May 22, 2015

It appears that the heady days of massive profits for carmakers in China may be over as a slew of international car companies slash prices ahead of a looming slowdown in the domestic economy, a move that will inevitably dent the industry’s rich profit margins in that territory.

Will the Haval H7 finally enter the market?

May 21, 2015

In 2012, Great Wall Motor incited the SUV fever in China with its Haval models priced at about RMB80,000 (US$13,400). Brand reputation and quality aside, I should think that the price point would cause a ‘high fever’ in countries where car prices are high as well. GWM has been the sales champion for SUVs ever since.

This Banshee will have you wailing…with ecstasy

May 19, 2015

It’s rare to come across a concept car that is both fully functional and road legal. So this 1964 Pontiac Banshee XP-833 concept car is a real treat. It was created at a time when automakers were toying with two-seater sports cars, and when General Motors needed one to compete with cars like the Ford Mustang.