Category: Suzuki

Categories
Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini News Porsche Seat Skoda Suzuki Volkswagen

Volkswagen Group tipped to rebrand as Auto Union

Auto Union badge

Here’s a rumour from GoAuto that has grabbed our interest, according to its report Volkswagen Group is considering a name change to Auto Union.

A possible theory for the change would be to establish a greater sense of independence for each of the brands under Volkswagen’s control, by removing the Volkswagen name from the umbrella company.

Volkswagen Group controls or owns outright the following marques: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, MAN, Porsche, Scania, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. In addition, the group is also the largest shareholder in Suzuki, with a 20% share.

Auto Union is not a new name in the motoring world and was the precursor to what we now know as Audi. Originally formed in 1932 and consisting of four companies—Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer—Auto Union was essentially dissolved by the Soviets after WWII.

However, soon after, in 1949, Auto Union came back to life building two-stroke DKWs. Daimler-Benz took a majority shareholding in 1958 and saw a return of the Auto Union brand and investment in the company’s Ingolstadt factory.

In 1964 Daimler-Benz began to offload its shares and later that year Volkswagen assumed control after it bought the rights to the Auto Union name and the Ingolstadt site. The Audi brand was revived in 1965 and remains as the sole survivor from those Auto Union days.

[Source: GoAuto | Pic: CarType/John Lloyd]

Categories
Caterham Suzuki

New entry-level Caterham to be powered by Suzuki

Entry-level Caterham powered by Suzuki

Caterham has revealed its imminent all-new entry level model will be powered by a Suzuki engine. The motor is a 660cc three-cylinder turbo unit and it will be the smallest engine ever fitted to a Caterham.

The engine is designed to be lightweight, efficient and fun according to Caterham. It will be mated to a compact 5-speed gearbox, also made by Suzuki. Full specifications, including power and torque, are yet to be revealed. And while we expect them to be modest, they won’t have a lot of weight to move around.

“It is not engine size that matters, it is the grin factor that is our barometer and we believe we have got the formula for our new entry-level vehicle just right,” said Graham Macdonald, Caterham Cars CEO. “Our intention for this car is to offer the joy of the Seven in distilled form, so the new entry-level car is lighter, cheaper, more economical and more accessible than ever.”

Macdonald added that he’s keen to open the order book for his new sub-£17,000 (AU$29,250) Caterham Sveen, which he will do next from month.

Continue reading “New entry-level Caterham to be powered by Suzuki”
Categories
Audi BMW Fiat Hyundai Mazda Mercedes-Benz Nissan Subaru Suzuki Toyota VFACTS reports Volvo

New vehicle sales report – December 2012

FCAI banner

A round of applause for Australia’s car buying public who achieved an all-time record of 1,112,032 sales in 2012. It’s only the fifth time Australians have bought more than 1 million cars in a calendar year. Last year’s results represent an overall increase of 10.3% (103,595 sales) compared with 2011.

FCAI Chief Executive, Tony Weber, explained demand for a wider range of vehicles helped to fuel the record result. “Reduced tariffs as well as changing consumer preferences have contributed to making the dynamic and innovative automotive industry that we have today,” he said.

“The 2012 sales result bears that out. Customer demand has been high and the industry has responded with a wide range of vehicles powered by a range of different fuels.”

When you read the material after the break it seems that almost everyone’s a winner except Holden and Ford. The General returned a 9.1% drop in sales compared with 2011, but managed to hold its position as the country’s second-best seller. Although, Mazda is snapping at its heels. Meanwhile, Ford held station, to a degree, returning a 0.9% drop in sales against 2011.

However, when you consider market-leader Toyota increased its annual sales by 20.1%—coupled with strong improvements from other top 10 selling brands like Honda (+18.9%), Mazda (+17.6%), Nissan (+17.4%), Subaru (+18.2%) and Volkswagen (22.6%)—we can’t imagine there’s too many smiles in the boardrooms at Fisherman’s Bend and Broadmeadows.

Individually, the Mazda3 managed to top the charts for 2012, notching up 44,128 sales. Close behind were Toyota’s HiLux (40,646) and Corolla (38,799).

It used to be that one in every four cars sold in Australia was either a Commodore or a Falcon. Not anymore. The Commodore was the fourth-best selling model (30,532 sales), while the Falcon didn’t even make it into the top 10.

Despite 2012’s record result Tony Weber expects a small drop in annual sales for 2013. “During this election year, and with production now having caught up with back orders, FCAI forecasts a national automotive market of 1,075,000 for 2013,” he said.

Continue reading “New vehicle sales report – December 2012”
Categories
Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz MINI Motor Shows Nissan Peugeot Porsche Renault Seat Skoda Suzuki Vauxhall Volkswagen Volvo

2012 Paris Motor Show in pictures – part 2

2012 Paris Motor Show

Here’s part 2 of our 2012 Paris Motor Show in pictures gallery, which brings you manufacturers from M–Z. Join us as we admire the McLaren P1, the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé, the Peugeot Onyx and the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo.

We’re wavering a little with our admiration of the Mercedes-Benz A Class, but nothing can hide our amusement at the Nissan Terra or Vauxhall Adam, which must be a huge practical joke. We’re also lamenting the fact Seat has lost its styling edge with the new Leon and that Skoda has taken a step back with the incredibly bland looking Rapid.

And, of course, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is the model we’ll probably take home in the future.

Continue reading “2012 Paris Motor Show in pictures – part 2”
Categories
Alfa Romeo Fiat Holden Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Renault Subaru Suzuki Toyota VFACTS reports

New vehicle sales report – May 2012

FCAI banner

Last month Australians set a new vehicle sales record for the month of May. A total of 96,069 vehicles were sold, representing a very healthy increase of over 24% (18,668 vehicles) compared to May 2011.

Year-to-date numbers are up almost 9% on 2011 numbers, with a total of 435,288 sales in the first five months of 2012.

Toyota, as usual, claims the major monthly honours of top selling manufacturer (20,443) and highest selling individual model with the HiLux (4,626). Holden (9,017) and Mazda (8,346) fall in behind Toyota on the sales charts.

With such a bumper month it’s no surprise to see so many manufacturers releasing brag sheets. You can read them all after the break.

Continue reading “New vehicle sales report – May 2012”
Categories
Holden Kia Mazda Mitsubishi News Subaru Suzuki Toyota

New vehicle sales report – March 2012

FCAI banner

Figures from the FCAI reveal 97,616 new vehicles were sold in March. Comfortably the best month of the year to date, it’s also a 3.9% increase on numbers from March 2011.

Seems we’ve still not come to our senses and continue to buy SUVs at a rate of knots. “SUVs continue to dominate Australian car sales, accounting for 28 per cent of all new car sales so far this year,” FCAI Chief Executive, Ian Chalmers said. “Combined with small passenger cars (23.6%) and light passenger cars (13.0%), these three segments make up 64.6 per cent of new cars sold this year.”

Toyota, Holden and Mazda were the three best selling marques. Although it’s a bit scary that Toyota sold almost as many cars as Holden and Mazda combined last month.

Continue reading “New vehicle sales report – March 2012”
Categories
BMW Honda Mazda Mercedes-Benz Motor Shows Nissan Porsche Subaru Suzuki Toyota Volkswagen

2011 Tokyo Motor Show photo gallery

2011 Tokyo Motor Show

Like us you couldn’t make it to the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show either? Fear not as we’ve assembled a variety of images from the show featuring the usual suspects, such as the Toyota 86 and it’s close relative the Subaru BRZ. There’s also the weird and wonderful, too, in the form of the Daihatsu FC Case, the Nissan TOWNPOD, the Suzuki Q-Concept (pictured) and more.

Continue reading “2011 Tokyo Motor Show photo gallery”
Categories
Suzuki Volkswagen

Volkswagen–Suzuki honeymoon is over

Suzuki splits from Volkswagen deal

Suzuki wants to walk out on its relationship with Volkswagen, just two years after the civil union began. It’s been an uneasy partnership and Suzuki claims the German giant has denied access to its technology and also had concerns over Suzuki’s independence. Clearly Suzuki aren’t happy about this and further claim they have attempted to negotiate with Volkswagen only to be told to talk to the hand because the face isn’t listening.

Last month Suzuki also lodged a notice of breach against Volkswagen, who in return said try to see it my way, we can work it out. Now, it seems, the irreconcilable differences point has been reached and Suzuki wants its 19.89% stake back from VW. The shares were purchased at a value of $2.5 billion in 2009.

[Source: Autoblog]

Categories
Bentley Ford Maserati Motor Shows Nissan Peugeot Suzuki Toyota

AIMS 2011 gallery: Everything else

Suzuki at AIMS 2011

Here’s all the left over bits from the Australian International Motor Show. The cars that didn’t quite have enough material for their own sub-gallery or, in some case, cars that usually don’t fit the AUSmotive niche.

The Suzuki Swift S-Concept you see above caught our eye. It looks quite sharp, don’t you think. Speaking of which, the Joss prototype is worthy of a second look. Can Australia really produce a world-class supercar?

You’ll see new metal from Bentley and Maserati. As well as the ‘all-new’ Ford Focus and those teeny weeny Mad Max concepts. Pretty mad looking they are, too.

The best France could offer was Peugeot this year, no Renault to be seen. The new 508 sort of looks alright, but the person responsible for the rear light detail on the 207 SW needs to be guillotined!

Japan popped in with the still menacing Nissan GT-R and Toyota FT-86II Concept. Incidentally, that seemed to be the only car on the Toyota stand that wasn’t prefixed by the word Prius.

And, finally, the Mitsubishi Concept PX MiEV probably the only concept car ever to feature massive Brembo brakes hidden behind chunky alloy wheels. Oh yeah, remember the first time you made a model car and there were bits of glue all over the place? Yeah, check out the front grille on the PX thingy if you can. Bit of a rush job, do you think?

Continue reading “AIMS 2011 gallery: Everything else”
Categories
Motorsports Suzuki

Monster Tajima sets new Pikes Peak record

Suzuki SX4 at Pikes Peak

Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima has just powered his 680kW Suzuki SX4 and himself into the record books, becoming the first person to complete the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb course in under 10 minutes.

Tajima covered the 19.9km journey, which starts at 2860m and finishes at 4300m, in 9 minutes 51.278 seconds. Not bad going for a bloke who is 60-years-old. Especially when you consider it is his sixth outright win in a row at Pikes Peak.

Okay, Pikes Peak may have lost a bit of its charm since Ari Vatanen’s Climb Dance days, with more tarmac paving the way. But ‘Monster’ should be given a pat on the back for setting the new mark, all the same.

More pics and, more importantly, video can be seen after the break.

Continue reading “Monster Tajima sets new Pikes Peak record”
Categories
Audi BMW Ferrari Ford Holden Hyundai Kia Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Suzuki Toyota VFACTS reports Volkswagen

New vehicle sales report – December 2010

FCAI banner

Congratulations Australia, for just the third time ever we have managed to send over 1 million new vehicles out the door. To be exact, 1,035,574 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles found new homes in 2010 and that represents an increase of almost 100,000 sales on 2009 figures.

“This is an exceptional outcome and is the second highest result on record and only the third time ever that the market exceeded more than one million sales,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

“With continuing strong levels of vehicle affordability there is no reason why the new vehicle market won’t continue to perform better than other areas of the economy.”

Toyota was the highest selling marque in 2010, with 214,718 sales registered. Holden and Ford followed with 132,923 and 95,824 sales respectively.

Holden can claim still bragging rights, though, with the Commodore proving to be Australia’s most popular car for the fifteenth year in a row. Its 45,956 sales placed it ahead of the Toyota Corolla, on 41,632, and the Toyota Hilux, with an impressive 39,896 sales.

Meanwhile, a number of other marques are shouting from the rooftops about their new records set in 2010, including BMW, Hyundai, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki and Volkswagen.

UPDATE 7 January: Audi, Kia and Mitsubishi have released their brag sheets today, too.

Continue reading “New vehicle sales report – December 2010”
Categories
Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Subaru Suzuki Toyota VFACTS reports

New vehicle sales report – November 2010

FCAI banner

VFACTS recorded a moderate increase in sales last month, up 1509 vehicles from November 2009. FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar reckons the motor industry is performing well compared to other industries, “These figures show new car sales continue to outperform other economic indicators, including retail spending and business investment.

“Much of the strength of the market can be attributed to the affordability of new vehicles, evidenced by the healthy sales to private buyers (up 9.6% in November).”

McKellar predicts Australia will register over 1 million new vehicle sales in 2010, if so it will be just the third time this has happened.

Toyota, Holden and Ford maintain their positions as the top three selling brands.

Continue reading “New vehicle sales report – November 2010”