PARIS — Nissan is projecting higher-than-expected volumes for its new Pixo minicar as the recession forces cash-strapped European car buyers to downsize expectations when buying new cars.

The Japanese carmaker will launch the Pixo across Europe in June, at prices near 8,000 euros, Nissan’s European product manager for strategy and planning Thomas Ebeling told Automotive News.

While Nissan initially forecasted European Pixo sales of 30,000 units, Ebeling now thinks conditions are right to exceed this projection.

“I expect we can do more,” Ebeling said. “The recession has increased the speed with which consumers are moving to the small car segment.”

A green choice

Ebeling says other trends will also contribute to the predicted Pixo sales surge.

The Pixo will be one of the greenest cars on the road in Europe, largely due to a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder 64hp gasoline-powered engine that limits CO2 emissions to just 103 grams per kilometer.

“There is a clear shift in customer preferences for more ecological cars,” Ebeling said, noting that the Pixo will qualify for rebates and tax breaks offered for low-CO2 cars in a number of European markets.

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Ford of Europe said it was Europe’s second biggest selling brand after Volkswagen in 2008 despite its new-car sales falling by 7.4 percent in its major markets.

Ford’s sales in its main 19 markets fell by 115,200 units to 1.44 million last year, the company said Wednesday.

But the carmaker increased its market share by 0.1 percentage points to 8.6 percent helping it to overtake General Motor’s Opel brand as the second biggest selling marque in western Europe.

Opel’s market share fell from 8.5 percent to 7.8 percent in Western Europe’s in the first 11 months of the year.

Ford of Europe’s head of marketing, sales and service Ingvar Sviggum, said Ford’s market share success “is clear recognition of our strong product portfolio which puts us in a better position than many.”

In all 51 of its European markets, Ford’s sales dropped by 6.1 percent to 1.78 million during 2008.

The successful launch of the Fiesta small car helped the company increase market share, Ford said.

The Fiesta sold 61,000 cars in its main European 19 markets in November and December, and is now Ford’s second biggest seller after the Focus lower-medium car.

Sviggum said he was delighted the Fiesta had got off to a strong start and had become the best selling car in the UK for both November and December.

The UK remains Ford’s biggest European market, with 2008 sales of 406,100 units, down 38,500 from 2007. Germany was No. 2 with sales up 6,200 to 241,400 cars. Italy was No. 3 with sales down 33,700 190,300 cars.

Fuel-efficient small cars such as the Fiesta and the Ka minicar, which was also launched last year, put Ford in a strong position, Sviggum said.

Said Sviggum: “This gives us real confidence that the Ford brand will emerge even stronger when the economy rebounds.”

source: autonews.com

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., will exhibit a quarter-scale model of its new Nissan GT-R as part of “Wa: The Spirit of Harmony and Japanese Design Today,” a traveling European exhibition which will open at the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris this month. The Paris event will run from Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008 to Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009.

The Japan Foundation and the Association of The Japan Cultural Institute in Paris are jointly organizing this design exhibition, featuring 161 exemplary product designs from Japan. The exhibits will be shown in twelve categories, including tableware, kitchen and bath items, home electronics, information, toys, stationary, sundries, outfits, bags, vehicles, furniture, and lighting apparatus. The works will also be categorized and exhibited under six keywords – “kawaii” (“cute”), craft, texture, touch, minimal, and sensitivity — which illustrate unique elements of Japanese design. After Paris, the exhibition will move to Hungary, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

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Based closely on the Renault Kangoo Compact Concept show car unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault Kangoo be bop is the latest addition to the Kangoo family. The compact size (length: 3.87 metres), original two-tone colour scheme and exclusive interior appointments of this innovative vehicle combine to produce a particularly forceful personality. Its extensive glazed area and four roomy seats afford a sense of space and light. Ideal for escaping the crowd, Renault Kangoo be bop offers open-top motoring at the rear thanks to its glazed sliding roof and rear tailgate window which slides out of sight. At the front it has two tilting glass panels, plus a fixed central glass panel.

This new car is ideal for customers who wish to move away from established automobile cues and who are looking for a vehicle that expresses optimism and joie de vivre without being showy.

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Nissan’s NV200 concept van was one of the undoubted stars of the Hanover Show – and designer Ryoichi Kuraoka found an unlikely inspiration for its innovative demountable pod system. “It’s based on Thunderbird 2, the one with the pod,” he said.

The inspiration isn’t recent either. Kuraoka has been with Nissan since 1981 – his CV includes the 1992 Micra hatchback – and he’s been a original fan of the British puppet sci-fi series since the 1960s, when he saw episodes on Japanese TV as a boy. “I had the Tracey Island model too,” he said.

Sadly, cost rules out putting into production the ‘pod’ body of the concept, which slides out on rails and is supported by fold-down legs. But the NV200 will become a production reality early next year, when it replaces the Renault Kangoo-based Kubistar compact van in the Nissan range. It’ll go on sale first in Japan next Spring, with European sales before the end of 2009.

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TYCHY, Poland : September 25, 2008 — The first volume production example of the new Ford Ka rolled off the production line at a special ceremony today in Tychy, Poland, 12 years after the original Ka was launched to great acclaim.

Polish Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak was guest of honour at the ceremony.

With sales due to begin across Europe from early next year, the new Ka will be fully revealed to the public at the Paris Motor Show next week.

The new Ka is the result of a joint vehicle development and production co-operation agreement between Ford and Fiat.

While it shares some components with the Fiat 500, which is also built in the Tychy plant, both vehicles look completely different and are true to the individual brands’ identities.

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Preview in 62nd IAA Commercial Vehicles Show,show Concept Pickup planed to produce in Argentina 2009.

It not announce yet but leaked drawing from European suzuki officer that show own D-segment got V6 engine 300 HP

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To maintain its place as one of the most innovative, space-efficient and popular accessible compact cars on the market, a wide range of changes and improvements have been made to Note.

The most obvious changes can be found to the exterior design, where the front end benefits from a completely new design of grille, bumper and headlight, lending the Note a more premium and sleek appearance.

At the rear, the signature ‘boomerang’ lights are now darker, another discreet change which adds to the Note’s premium feeling. Two new designs of alloy wheels – 15” and 16” – are available, while a new eye-catching pale green exterior colour called Cider has been developed.

For the driver, a new combi-meter has been introduced, giving improved legibility and clarity and there is also a new central instrument panel, giving a cleaner appearance to the centre console.

Under the skin, improvements have been made to the Note’s suspension to improve ride comfort, while improving responsiveness, knowing that customers consider driving enjoyment a key priority.
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