Knysna-Plett Herald | Motoring industry update

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Motoring industry update
09:17 (GMT+2), Mon, 23 July 2012

MOTORING NEWS - RENAULT HIGHLIGHTS
The Renault Group's international sales hit a record of 620 306 vehicles, rising 14.3% above the general market's 9.5% thanks to strong performances in Russia and Brazil.

However there was a 14.9% fall in sales in Europe owing to the economic situation. The Renault group sold 1.3-million vehicles worldwide, down 3.3% on first-half 2011 despite a positive second quarter (up 1.2 %). The market share came to 3.3%, down 0.3 points. A full 47% of Group sales are now made outside Europe, compared with 39% over the first half of 2011.

In France the Renault brand continued to lead the A, B and C segments with Twingo, Clio III and Mégane and Scénic Collection 2012. The Group took a 32.9% share of the light commercial vehicle market with more sales than any group. Renault says it also leads the electric vehicle market in Europe with a 31.4% share of the market thanks to Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E.

MAHINDRA GROWS
Mahindra South Africa has been identified as the fastest growing automotive brand in SA in terms of sales growth in the passenger car and light commercial vehicle (LCV) segments. This was revealed in a recent edition of Moneyweb, where Port Elizabeth-based automotive market intelligence company RGT SMART, plotted sales growth over a five-month period, based on the year-to-date sales at the end of May 2012 compared to May 2011. RGT SMART collates and analyses SA vehicle sales statistics for a number of clients, including Naamsa.

Mahindra grew 124% on combined sales of cars and LCVs over this period - jumping from 699 to 1 563 units.

SUSTAINABLE AWARD
A trio of BMW Group concept cars - the BMW i8 Concept, BMW i3 Concept and MINI Rocketman Concept - have been presented with the 2012 Green Good Design Award for sustainable product design. This is the first time a BMW Group product has been among the winners of the annual award which was launched in 2009.

The award aims to increase public appreciation of contemporary design and the sustainability considerations that go with it.

The jury focused on criteria such as low energy consumption and a reduced reliance on fossil fuels. More than 120 products, people, governments, environmental programmes and architecture projects from 27 nations were presented with this award in 2012.

TAXIS PRODUCED LOCALLY
Toyota South Africa Motors celebrated an important milestone with the official opening of the Toyota Ses'fikile assembly line at its world class production plant in Prospecton, Durban. The official function was attended by senior executives from Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM), the Department of Trade and Industry, the South Africa National Taxi Association, the Province of KwaZulu-Natal and the City of Durban after long discussions between TSAM, TMC and the South African government.

TSAM said the local assembly line represents an initial investment of R70 million and it has created 90 new jobs in the start-up phase. A further 210 new positions will be created in up- and downstream suppliers and service providers.
"The local taxi industry is a very important part of the daily lives of more than 9 million South Africans. They are a major customer of the automotive industry and a major enabler of subsequent economic activity," said Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of TSAM and a Managing Officer of TMC. "Ses'fikile is an important cog in the national taxi industry and also a major volume seller for Toyota in South Africa."

The Ses'fikile will join the local production of the Toyota Hilux, Fortuner and Corolla model ranges.

MORE MAZDA CX-5
Mazda Motor Corporation has announced it will increase production capacity of its new crossover SUV, Mazda CX-5, from 200 000 units to 240 000 units a year. This will be achieved by expanding production from Ujina Plant No.2 to Ujina Plant No.1. Upgrades to the assembly line are based on Mazda's manufacturing system innovation called Monotsukuri Innovation and will enable production of new generation SKYACTIV products at Ujina Plant No.1 earlier than anticipated. The move is made in response to strong demand for the CX-5 in countries all over the world.

The CX-5 is the first model to fully incorporate Skyactiv Technology. Since sales began in February, Mazda has received orders far surpassing initial estimations and upgraded its annual global sales target from 160 000 to 190 000 units for the fiscal year 2012.

Mazda will also double its annual production of Skyactiv Engines to 800 000 units in October. The capacity increase is made in response to increasing demand for cars incorporating this technology.

COMPILED BY ANICA KRÜGER