Peugeot’s new distributor is relaunching French automaker in Thailand after its sales slumped during three erratic decades under the Leenutaphong family’s Yontrakit Group. Yontrakit Automobiles Co’s investment to expand the business will include building a new assembly plant, developing the sales network and enlarging the marketing budget. Non-financial support from Peugeot is also expected to lift consumer confidence in its products.

Yontrakit Automobiles now expects to double Peugeot’s Thai car sales every year, building the market with both imported and locally built vehicles.

For many years the Yontrakit Group has been the authorised importer and distributor of Audi and Volkswagen cars from Germany, France’s Citroen and Peugeot, the Czech Republic’s Skoda and Spain’s Seat. It recently also took on South Korea’s Kia and Japan’s Mitsuoka.

Peugeot cars are now officially imported by European Motor Cars Co and distributed by Yontrakit Automobiles Co _ a Yontrakit Group spinoff created by a restructuring early this year to demarcate the brands managed by each family member.

After the restructuring, the Peugeot brand was taken over by Ponkrit Leenutaphong and his brother Phasupong. Both are sons of Mr Attaphong, who founded the Yontrakit Group with his brother Attaphorn.

Mr Ponkrit, chairman of European Motor Cars and Yontrakit Automobiles, said Peugeot was now gearing up to compete in the local automotive market after he and his brother took charge of the brand.

Mr Ponkrit said he intends to double sales every year, starting this year by expanding sales to 200 units. He forecast sales rising to 300-500 units over the next three years.

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Rising demand for small cars has pushed Ford Motor Co. to revisit its decision not to bring the tiny European Ka model to the United States, Ford’s chief executive said today.

“We’re assessing that right now,” CEO Alan Mulally told a Detroit radio station, adding that many people share the opinion that Ford should sell the Ka in the United States.

A new version of the Ka was unveiled last week at the Paris Motor Show. It will be launched in major European markets by late this year or early 2009.

The Ka is far smaller than the Focus, which is Dearborn-based Ford’s only U.S. compact car. Focus sales are up 24% through September, even though the U.S. auto market is down nearly 13% for the year.

Mulally said on WJR-AM’s “Paul W. Smith Show” that Ford decided to give the Ka another look because of high fuel prices pushing up demand for small cars and the response to introduction of the Fiesta subcompact. Ford had said previously it wouldn’t bring the Ka, sold mostly in Europe, to the United States because the markets are different, with European cities having more congestion and narrower roads than U.S. cities.

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By George Gao  From:Gasgoo.comOctober 06, 2008

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Hundreds of thousands of new cars and trucks that would have quickly made their way to people’s driveways a year ago are now stacking up on dealer lots across the country, with potential buyers worried about whether they’ll keep their jobs, be able to pay for gas, or qualify for a car loan.

For auto dealers already suffering under the worst U.S. sales downturn in 15 years, the increasing cost of the credit they use to keep inventory in their showrooms means every Ford Focus and Jeep Grand Cherokee with a sale sticker in the window is chipping away at dealers’ razor-thin profit margins every day and threatening to send more of them out of business.

Like the banks that have been collapsing under the weight of the credit crunch, auto dealers are highly leveraged, making them some of its first victims, said Sheldon Sandler, founder of Bel Air Partners, a New Jersey-based firm that helps car dealers find options when they want out of the business.

“Car dealers are like the canaries in the coal mine,” he said. “The energy crisis had been affecting their revenue for a while. And now with the credit crisis, in some cases, banks are turning off their credit.”

Paul Taylor, chief economist with the National Automobile Dealers Association, said Friday that dealership closures spiked in September, prompted him to raise his forecast of closures. He now expects 500 to 600 of the group’s 20,770 dealerships to shut their doors this year, up from previous estimates of 300 to 400.

About 430 dealerships closed last year and 295 closed up shop in 2006, according to the NADA.

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General Motors Corp. on Friday officially launched full-scale production of the new Chevrolet Traverse at its overhauled former Saturn plant on the outskirts of Nashville.

Troy A. Clarke, president of GM North America, said the eight-seat crossover will appeal to drivers of large SUVs and trucks seeking better fuel economy.

“This is a vehicle that’s got the interior space or utility of a Chevrolet Tahoe, but a much better fuel economy and a much tighter exterior package,” Clarke told reporters after a launch ceremony at the plant.

Clarke said the Traverse is poised to take advantage of a downsizing trend among consumers. Drivers tend to want to move down to smaller vehicles in increments, so most are not likely to want to skip from a larger SUV to a small car, he said.

“There’s an industry shift, where people are going from large sport utility or truck vehicles to the next size down,” Clarke said. “The phenomena of fuel prices and affordability really shift the market down just a little bit.”

But the crossover market as a whole peaked this year in March, with all automakers selling 222,055, according to Autodata Corp. That number was down 29 percent in September, when sales totaled 157,163.

Crossover sales through the end of September have dropped 7 percent compared with the first nine months of 2007, according to Autodata. But that’s not as bad as truck and SUV sales as a whole, which are down 21 percent.

U.S. auto sales overall are down 13 percent through September.

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By Kelly From:Gasgoo.comOctober 06, 2008

Shanghai, October 6 (Gasgoo.com) Japanese carmaker Suzuki Motor showcased its seventh-generation Alto at the 2008 Paris Motor Show held from October 2-19, 2008 as the world premiere of the all-new Alto model.

The all-new Suzuki Alto will also be produced in Suzuki’s Chinese joint venture Changan Suzuki company in Chongqing by September 2009, Chongqing Morning Post said on October 4.

The seventh-generation Alto, as Suzuki’s all-new upgraded version, will be powered by the Suzuki-developed 1.0L aluminium petrol engine which meets Euro V emissions standards. It combines eye-catching style and easy urban mobility with great performance in terms of high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

A manual transmission version and an automatic transmission version will be offered for choice. The model can reach a top speed of up to 120km/h above.

According to executives of Suzuki China, the new Alto will be made in Changan Suzuki by 2009 as the joint venture’s latest entry-level car. But Changan Suzuki insiders said they haven’t receive any information about Chinese-made new Alto, and the existing Alto is still
under production.

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Product Features

* Beautiful Interior Wood Dash Trim kit for the 2009-up Toyota Corolla
* This kit will fit the model that does not come with any existing factory wood trim, with POWER Windows and WITHOUT Navigation
* Available in any of the finishes on the sample board - After purchase, send an email with your finish selection (Note: Finish in picture is simulated Birdseye)
* Easy to Install!!

Please review the Sample board to choose your desired finish. After you purchase, please followup with an email stating your preferred finish.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q - Do these kits replace my dash parts?
A - No, these dash kits are overlays that adhere with 3M adhesive foam tape to the dash surface.
Q - Are these kits Plastic?
A - No, We offer 13 Simulated material patterns over-all thickness is 1/8″ with a coating of “Ultra Flex” Clear Coat that last up to 5 times longer against harmful UV exposure.
Q - What is a Flat Wood Dash Kit?
A - The term (Flat) is used to describe how Wood pieces are designed to conform to surfaces but not fully covering dash areas by not wrapping completely around it
Q - How is the Fit?
A - Precision Fit & Elegant Design in addition to meeting OEM specifications, our experienced engineering staff take pride in developing each kit with design, fit and eases of installation in mind.

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Brand New Polished Aluminum Billet grille for the 2009 Toyota CorollaHigh Quality Polished Aluminum billet grille will outshine all othersThis is for the upper grille onlyAll necessary hardware and instructions are includedMade in the USA Retails for over $289+!!

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By Ally  From:Gasgoo.comOctober 06, 2008

Shanghai, October 6 (Gasgoo.com) Guangzhou Honda will soon begin production of Honda’s brand-new City car, the Beijing news reported today.

The car will probably have a new name because it targets at different consumers compared with the existing model, the report cited an informed source from the manufacturer as saying. The new City will be an A-class car instead of A0-class, to which the current City belongs.

The new City is reportedly powered by 1.5-liter and 1.8-liter engines, and both engine types will be mated with the 5-speed autonomous transmission. The sales of this third-generation City model mainly targets consumers in Asia and other emerging markets.

Honda’s first-generation Honda City was introduced in 1996, quickly responding to the growing needs for automobiles in Asian markets associated with economic growth in the region.

Today, the City car is produced in seven countries and enjoyed by customers in 39 nations around the world.

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