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Thailand’s Energy Future Will Be Powered By Volvo FlexiFuel E85 In Surprise Announcement, Volvo Reveals First Locally Produced
E85 FlexiFuel Vehicle - Volvo S80 2.5FT
Volvo announces a double first for Thailand set to benefit the Thai economy and environment.
Not only does Volvo formally launch the import of the Volvo C30 1.8F at the upcoming Motor Expo 2008, but astonishes all with the launch of Thailand’s first and only locally produced E85 FlexiFuel vehicle with the reveal of the Volvo S80 2.5FT at Bangkok Racing Circuit today, attended by HE The Ambassador of Sweden, Lennart Linnér, Minister of Energy, Dr. Wannarat Charnnukul, and the CEO’s of PTT, BCP, Mitr Phol, PetroGreen and the Thai Ethanol Manufacturing Association amongst many other VIP guests.
This move is seen as another critically needed and key step in Thailand’s development towards a more secure energy future through the promotion and use of less polluting and more importantly renewable biofuels made from home-grown agricultural produce. Embraced by the people, businesses and the government, renewable local biofuels will save more money for Thai motorists and reduce the Kingdom’s economic burden from the need to buy foreign oil which last year accounted for some 9% of GDP.
This announcement comes in parallel with the efforts of Ministry of Energy, PTT Plc and Bangchak Petroleum to sell E85 gasohol commercially. And to excite Thai consumers even more, these two E85 FlexiFuel Vehicles. Volvo S80 2.5FT and Volvo C30 1.8F will make their public sales debut during “Motor Expo 2008” from November 28, onwards.
Mr. Paul Stokes, President of Volvo Car Thailand, said “For Volvo, environment has been a core value of our brand for decades and so we have always fully supported the efforts of the Royal Thai Government, and particularly the Ministry of Energy in advancing renewable biofuels with an aim of energy security for Thailand from the very beginning. Today, Volvo announces yet another milestone commitment in this journey as we will be the first car company to produce E85-compatible FlexiFuel Vehicles locally here in Thailand, starting with our globally successful and award winning large prestige sedan Volvo S80 2.5FT, and also to formally launch the Volvo C30 1.8F as an imported product.”
Dr.Wannarat Charnnukul, Minister of Energy, said “The government holds as a main policy to promote the use of alternative energy no matter what change happens to the oil price. The higher mixture of ethanol in gasoline would reduce the country’s reliance on crude oil imports and reduce the cost of living. It would also strengthen the country’s long-term energy security and economy. Over the past several months, we have deeply appreciated the friendly cooperation from Volvo in supporting the government’s energy policy. I think Volvo S80 2.5FT E85 will be another compelling choice for Thai motorists.”
Launched in September last year, in diesel and benzene variants, the all-new Volvo S80 is second generation of Volvo’s large prestige sedan sculpted with timeless Scandinavian design and brimming with world-class safety firsts that together form a cohesive network of exterior and interior systems working in a seamless concert which drew universal applause from world’s auto industry as one of the world’s safest cars. The Model Year 2009 is no exception, adding both Volvo’s Blindspot Information System (BLIS); Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Driver Alert technology to the locally made versions alongside the keyless entry/drive Personal Car Communicator (PCC) and much more already in place.
Adding the bioethanol 2.5FT E85 FlexiFuel engine to the line-up, Volvo S80 guarantees its responsible exclusiveness as an intelligent choice in a way that you simply cannot find in other cars.

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Debut in Motor Expo 2008 Thailand,It was changed a grille and bed lid little bit.

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Fitch Ratings cut Toyota’s top-notch credit rating on Wednesday, blaming the world’s auto market slump and surging yen — the latest sign that even Japan’s top automaker is suffering from the global slowdown.

Fitch also cited high material costs as another challenge as it lowered its rating on Toyota Motor Corp. two notches to “AA” from “AAA,” with a negative outlook, meaning the rating could be lowered in the next year or two.

The automaker’s shares dropped nearly 5% in Tokyo morning trading.

While Toyota’s Detroit-based rivals scramble to avoid bankruptcy and plead for a bailout from the U.S. government, the Japanese auto maker is grappling with its own mounting problems.

Toyota earlier this month reported a 69% drop in fiscal second-quarter profit and cut its full-year forecast by more than half. Toyota recently announced production cuts in the U.S in response to a steep decline in sales in its largest and most profitable market. The company’s shares are down about 45% from their high for the year.

“In these times, no company is immune,” Toyota spokeswoman Mira Sleilati said Wednesday, responding to news of the downgrade.

“Toyota is suffering severely from the ongoing turmoil in the global automotive sector,” said Tatsuya Mizuno, a Fitch director.
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By George Gao From:Gasgoo.com

The seventh-generation Suzuki Alto will be produced in Suzuki’s Chinese venture Changan Suzuki company in southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing by September 2009, and will be go on sale simultaneously with its global launch before October 1, said xinhuanet.com today.

As Suzuki’s all-new upgraded version that measures 3,700mm in length, the seventh-generation Alto hatchback will be powered by the Suzuki-developed 1.0-liter aluminum gasoline engine which meets Euro V emissions standards. It combines eye-catching style and easy urban mobility with great performance in high fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. 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 September 2009 as the joint venture’s latest entry-level small car. Changan Suzki halted production of the existing Alto model back July to pave the way for the latest generation Alto due to hit the road in September 2009 in China.

Suzuki Motor showcased its seventh-generation Alto at the 2008 Paris Motor Show early last month as the world premiere of this all-new Alto model, and its Chinese-made version will be unveiled at the Shanghai auto show in April next year.

The fuel-efficient new Alto small car will be launched globally before October 1, 2009 and the China-made Alto will go on sale at the same time, to be priced between 50,000 yuan ($7,320) and 60,000 yuan.

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Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the all-new Mazda3 (known as Mazda Axela in Japan) 5-door hatchback at the Bologna Motor Show* on December 3, 2008. The second generation Mazda3 5-door hatchback follows on the heels of the 4-door sedan version, currently on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The all-new Mazda3 5-door hatchback adopts the same characteristics as its sedan counterpart, offering sporty driving and a dynamic design, together with top class environmental and safety performance.

Environmental-friendly qualities were top of mind during development, including efficient powertrains, Mazda typical lightweight engineering and amongst the best in class aerodynamics.

All gasoline engine versions of the new Mazda3 will offer even further advanced environmental performance, including the world’s first vehicle catalyst to be constructed with single nanotechnology. This new development enables Mazda to reduce its use of scarce resources such as platinum and palladium.

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Renowned for its genuine toughness and strength, the Ford Ranger takes a confident step forward with the debut of the high-impact Ranger Max show truck at the Thailand International Motor Expo.

Ranger Max pushes everyone’s expectations of Ranger to the max. Visually bold and muscular, it takes to the stage at the Ford stand with confidence, sophistication and craftsmanship. The Ranger Max extends Ranger’s reputation as the best all-around compact truck on the market.
“We know Ranger is tough and durable, and Ranger Max accentuates to those qualities. The show truck does not follow a trend; it sets a new tough style direction for compact trucks,” says Paul Gibson, the chief designer of the Ranger Max. “Ranger Max is genuinely tough and it is a truck that gets the job done. This high-impact show truck also has the bold visual presence that looks great on the urban scene.”
Ranger Max was created by Ford Thailand team, working with Ford’s Australia-based Asia Pacific and Africa design team, led by Gibson.
“The Ranger Max is not just about creating show excitement,” Gibson said. “We have a great opportunity to test design themes. Ranger Max says exciting things about the possibilities for truck fans in Ranger’s future.”

Thailand International Motor Expo 2008 starts Friday, November 28 in Bangkok.
“The tough style of Ranger Max is based on the capability and versatility that make Ford Ranger the choice of the most demanding truck owners,” said Mr. Saroj Kiatfuengfoo, senior vice president, Ford Thailand. “Ranger Max’s high-impact design and tough style appeal will excite truck enthusiasts in Thailand.”

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Here is the first glimpse of Volvo Cars’ next concept car.
The Volvo S60 Concept will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in early January 2009 - and it gives a clear indication of what the all-new Volvo S60 will look like when it is introduced during 2010.

“We both can and dare to deliver even more exciting and more dynamic designs while retaining our grip on the lead position with regard to safety. The concept car shows part of our future, it’s a hint that the all-new S60 will be one of the strongest contenders in the CD premium segment,” says Stephen Odell, President and CEO at Volvo Cars.

The first picture reveal the coupe-inspired silhouette that gave the original S60 its unique stance. It is now being even further accentuated.
“The concept car’s design gives a visual promise of enthusiastic driving characteristics and I can assure you that the all-new S60 will deliver a sporty drive like no Volvo before,” says Stephen Odell.

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Tata Motors (Thailand) is launching the Xenon Super CNG pickup truck at the forthcoming Bangkok International Motor Expo 2008, starting November 29. The TATA Xenon Super CNG is Thailand’s first pickup truck with a factory-installed 100-per cent CNG system. It offers one of the better energy-saving options available in Thailand and therefore one of the more cost-effective alternatives for the Thai customer.

The Xenon Super CNG X-tend Cab CLE is being introduced at a special price of ฿ 519,000.

Speaking on the introduction of this first-of-a-kind pickup vehicle, Mr. Ajit Venkataraman, Chief Executive Officer of Tata Motors (Thailand) Co Ltd, said, “We are very pleased to be a part of Thailand’s automobile industry and to provide options to Thai customers that are both innovative and distinctive. Tata Motors’ pickup trucks are designed keeping in mind the requirements of pickup vehicle customers - low operating cost through low fuel consumption and low cost of maintenance. Vehicles that use alternative fuels, especially compressed natural gas (CNG) like the Tata Xenon Super CNG, are going to be more advantageous as the government’s policy is to maintain CNG price to at least half of the price of diesel. We are confident that customers will find the Xenon Super CNG a vehicle of their choice.”

The Xenon Super CNG comes with a 2.1 litre, DOHC multi-point injection engine with a maximum output of 115 hp and a maximum torque of 175 nm at 3,750 rpm. Its CNG system and components are state-of-the-art. The gas line is from Sandvik (Germany) and Swagelok (USA), the cylinder valve is from OMB (Italy) and the ECU processes data through various Bosch (Germany) and Valeo (France) sensors.

Compression ratio of the engine is appropriate for CNG. This ensures that combustion in the engine is always smooth. In addition, the engine is durable, fuel efficient and easy to maintain.

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From : Mag-x Magazine

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