Malaysian state-controlled car maker Proton Holdings is in talks with French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen to collaborate on the development and manufacture on new models, a business weekly reported.
The talks between Proton and PSA are believed to involve the development of a car for the Southeast Asian market that can be marketed either as a Proton or a Peugeot/Citroen, the Edge said, citing unnamed sources.
PSA may eventually take up an equity stake in Proton, it said, adding that senior management of both companies have met and are likely to sign a memorandum of understanding in a few months. Proton officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The weekly also quoted sources as saying Proton’s shareholders and the Malaysian government had resumed partnership talks with Germany’s Volkswagen AG. In January the German firm pulled out of a joint venture plan with Proton after it failed to win control of the Malaysian firm. Volkswagen, the world’s fourth-largest car manufacturer, had been seen as essential to Proton’s survival in helping it fend off foreign competition, according to analysts.
Proton and Volkswagen may be looking into setting up a new company, which will jointly develop models that will be badged as Protons and sold in the domestic, Southeast Asian and Indian markets initially, the Edge said.
Proton will have a 49 percent equity stake in the new firm and Volkswagen 51 percent, with Proton injecting its manufacturing, engineering and sales divisions into it. Volkswagen has already designed a new platform to develop at least two new Proton cars, which could go into production “in a matter of months” for the Southeast Asian market, the weekly said.
Asked about the report a VW spokesman said, “(Volkswagen CEO) Dr Pischetsrieder said recently that Volkswagen is examining various projects with Proton. We are not commenting any further.” Pischetsrieder told investors in January that Volkswagen had scrapped plans to build VW-branded cars in Malaysia with Proton, but would continue limited cooperation.
“What we are investigating now is whether in a few isolated projects we can support Proton and I’d like to put the emphasis on exactly that word, to support Proton, and not to have any joint programmes or joint ventures or so but to support Proton,” he said.
Proton Managing Director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohd Tahir said this week that Proton was expected to finalise a recovery plan and seal an alliance with a strategic partner by the end of this year.
Proton was among Malaysia’s worst-performing companies in 2005, after competition from foreign car makers and a lack of new models lost the firm local market share and subsequently led it into a loss. It has since brought in a new chief, sold its loss-making MV Agusta motorbike firm and pledged to find a new technology partner.
Latest News: PSA Peugeot Citroen already pull-out to tie up with Proton. Currently, negiotation between Proton and Wolkswagen still on going.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Asian car makers storm into Europe
The aggressive advance of Asian car makers has become one of the overriding concerns of domestic automotive groups, not only in the United States, but also in Europe. In the US, Toyota's recent rise to the number three spot and Chrysler's fall to number four clearly shook many in the business.
While in Europe, Asian manufacturers currently have around 17% of the market.
Hyundai's success in Europe has been particularly pronounced. The South Korean car maker experienced 11% growth in 2002 while the overall market shrank by about 3%.
Toyota, meanwhile, hopes to lift sales in Europe by 50% by 2010.
"This is an aspirational figure. We do not know exactly how we want to get there yet, but we're aiming for around 1.2 million from around 800,000 this year," said Tadashi Arashima, chief executive of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe.
More gadgets
It seems it is what the Asian car makers are putting inside their vehicles that are making them so popular.
A good example is the Kia Sorrento. It has been voted Europe's best 4x4 by journalists, and is the best-selling sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Europe. The standard interior specification is helping it to beat rivals hands down. The spec includes cruise control, leather upholstery, air-con, a sun roof and a CD-player - all for 30,000 euros. It is no wonder that Western manufacturers are feeling nervous.
Take the BMW X3, the new SUV from the Bavarians. It is 33% more expensive than its Korean competitor, and although the engine is a bit bigger at three litres, it shares pretty much the same interior spec as the Sorrento.
Kia says it is simple economics how they manage to affordably fit it all in.
Value for money?
Kia's Getz is another case in point.
Volkswagen's new Golf European car makers are surrounded by competitors. This car is at the smaller end of the scale and certainly at a small price. For 8,500 euros you get a 1.6-litre engine, electric front windows, power steering, anti-locking brakes, twin side airbags and a CD-player as well.
Its nearest rival, Volkswagen's Polo, will set you back around 15,000 euros, with nowhere near as many features. And unlike the Getz, a CD-player is only available in an extras package costing an additional 2,500 euros.
Such shortcomings among the incumbent car makers explain why the Asians believe they will win an increasingly larger share of western car markets.
That is about 15% of the projected market for Europe in the middle of this decade.
Luxury
The Koreans also want to tackle the top end of the market. At 36,000 euros, Kia's Oprius executive model does not exactly have a pocket-money price tag. But in Kia's eyes it is a head-on collision with Mercedes' E-class.
Take a quick look at the German car's 57,000 euros starting price and you can see why cost-conscious companies might want to take a test drive with the Koreans. To be fair, the Asians can hardly be described as conquering Western markets.
In fact, some analysts suspect it could take 25 years before they dominate as much as 30% of the European market.
There is also the additional issue of quality.
The interiors of European models like the BMW X5 and X3 are significantly superior to anything the Asians produce. Besides, while the Asians are targeting the US and Europe, they are also facing an attack at home. Big Western manufacturers like General Motors and Ford are setting up shop in countries from China to India.
While in Europe, Asian manufacturers currently have around 17% of the market.
Hyundai's success in Europe has been particularly pronounced. The South Korean car maker experienced 11% growth in 2002 while the overall market shrank by about 3%.
Toyota, meanwhile, hopes to lift sales in Europe by 50% by 2010.
"This is an aspirational figure. We do not know exactly how we want to get there yet, but we're aiming for around 1.2 million from around 800,000 this year," said Tadashi Arashima, chief executive of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe.
More gadgets
It seems it is what the Asian car makers are putting inside their vehicles that are making them so popular.
A good example is the Kia Sorrento. It has been voted Europe's best 4x4 by journalists, and is the best-selling sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Europe. The standard interior specification is helping it to beat rivals hands down. The spec includes cruise control, leather upholstery, air-con, a sun roof and a CD-player - all for 30,000 euros. It is no wonder that Western manufacturers are feeling nervous.
Take the BMW X3, the new SUV from the Bavarians. It is 33% more expensive than its Korean competitor, and although the engine is a bit bigger at three litres, it shares pretty much the same interior spec as the Sorrento.
Kia says it is simple economics how they manage to affordably fit it all in.
Value for money?
Kia's Getz is another case in point.
Volkswagen's new Golf European car makers are surrounded by competitors. This car is at the smaller end of the scale and certainly at a small price. For 8,500 euros you get a 1.6-litre engine, electric front windows, power steering, anti-locking brakes, twin side airbags and a CD-player as well.
Its nearest rival, Volkswagen's Polo, will set you back around 15,000 euros, with nowhere near as many features. And unlike the Getz, a CD-player is only available in an extras package costing an additional 2,500 euros.
Such shortcomings among the incumbent car makers explain why the Asians believe they will win an increasingly larger share of western car markets.
That is about 15% of the projected market for Europe in the middle of this decade.
Luxury
The Koreans also want to tackle the top end of the market. At 36,000 euros, Kia's Oprius executive model does not exactly have a pocket-money price tag. But in Kia's eyes it is a head-on collision with Mercedes' E-class.
Take a quick look at the German car's 57,000 euros starting price and you can see why cost-conscious companies might want to take a test drive with the Koreans. To be fair, the Asians can hardly be described as conquering Western markets.
In fact, some analysts suspect it could take 25 years before they dominate as much as 30% of the European market.
There is also the additional issue of quality.
The interiors of European models like the BMW X5 and X3 are significantly superior to anything the Asians produce. Besides, while the Asians are targeting the US and Europe, they are also facing an attack at home. Big Western manufacturers like General Motors and Ford are setting up shop in countries from China to India.
Friday, January 12, 2007
New Road Tax Rates for 2007
The government has made some changes to the private vehicle road tax structure, with effect 1st January 2007. Road tax rates have been lowered by amounts between 4% TO 33%. There has also been some changes to the excise duty structure. But for me, still this changes more effects to small capacity engine such but for big gun still suffering (or maybe not ... :D)
The following table illustrates the new road tax structure for the Peninsular Malaysia for vehicles that run on petrol:
| Engine Capacity (cc) | Current | New |
| <> | RM30 | RM20 |
| 1001 - 1200 | RM65 to RM80 | RM55 |
| 1201 - 1400 | RM80.10 to RM100 | RM70 |
| 1401 - 1600 | RM100.10 to RM127.50 | RM90 |
| 1601 - 1800 | RM255.35 to RM325 | RM200.40 to RM280 |
| 1801 - 2000 | RM325.35 to RM395 | RM280.50 to RM380 |
| 2001 - 2500 | RM396 to RM895 | RM381 to RM880 |
| 2501 - 3000 | RM897.50 to RM2145 | RM882.50 to RM2130 |
| 3001 - 5000 | RM2149.50 to RM11145 | RM2134.50 to RM11130 |
The following table illustrates the new road tax structure for the Peninsular Malaysia for vehicles that run on diesel:
| Engine Capacity (cc) | Current | New |
| <> | RM30 | RM20 |
| 1001 - 1200 | RM130.30 to RM190 | RM130 |
| 1201 - 1400 | RM190.40 to RM270 | RM140 |
| 1401 - 1600 | RM270.40 to RM380 | RM180 |
| 1601 - 1800 | RM456.84 to RM624 | RM400.80 to RM560 |
| 1801 - 2000 | RM624.84 to RM792 | RM561.10 to RM780 |
| 2001 - 2500 | RM794.40 to RM1992 | RM782.20 to RM1880 |
| 2501 - 3000 | RM1998 to RM4992 | RM1886 to RM4880 |
| 3001 - 5000 | RM5002 to RM26592 | RM4890.80 to RM26480 |
Chinese car market is world No 2
China car market Experts believe China could soon overtake the US market. China has overtaken Japan to become the world's second-largest car market after the US, official figures show.
Car sales - excluding people carriers and 4x4s - jumped 37% in 2006, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. Total passenger car sales rose 30.02% to 5.18 million units, CAAM found. Analysts said that newly affluent drivers had boosted sales, with some predicting China may overtake the US by 2015 as its economy continues to grow.
Overall, Chinese vehicle sales jumped 25% during 2006 to 7.22m units.
US relief
The booming Chinese car market has provided some solace for US vehicle makers suffering from declining sales in their domestic markets.On Monday, General Motors said total annual sales in China totalled 876,747 units, up 32% on 2005.
Ford sales for the year almost doubled, rising 87% to 166,722 units.Chinese consumers are not just buying the budget models, with many snapping up luxury cars. Rolls Royce, owned by Germany's DaimlerChrysler, reported a 60% jump in Chinese sales.
Car sales - excluding people carriers and 4x4s - jumped 37% in 2006, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. Total passenger car sales rose 30.02% to 5.18 million units, CAAM found. Analysts said that newly affluent drivers had boosted sales, with some predicting China may overtake the US by 2015 as its economy continues to grow.
Overall, Chinese vehicle sales jumped 25% during 2006 to 7.22m units.
US relief
The booming Chinese car market has provided some solace for US vehicle makers suffering from declining sales in their domestic markets.On Monday, General Motors said total annual sales in China totalled 876,747 units, up 32% on 2005.
Ford sales for the year almost doubled, rising 87% to 166,722 units.Chinese consumers are not just buying the budget models, with many snapping up luxury cars. Rolls Royce, owned by Germany's DaimlerChrysler, reported a 60% jump in Chinese sales.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Honda - Most reliable car manufacturer
Survey has revealed British workers are still tops for building cars with long-term reliability – half of the cars in the top-10 of the most reliable are British built.
The survey of 111 models, carried out in association with Warranty Direct, revealed that Japanese manufacturers top the charts with Honda at the number one position, closely followed by Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota.
Congratulations are due to the thousands of British workers responsible for building some of the most reliable cars on our roads today. The Honda Accord, which topped the survey, was built here until 2002 and the previous model Honda Civic, which finished runner up, was also constructed in the UK.
Other British-built cars in the top 10 are the Nissan Micra in fifth and the Jaguar X-type in seventh. The Oxfordshire-built Mini is ranked eighth in the survey.
38,000 vehicles were surveyed with an average age of 4.9 years.
The Land Rover finished at the bottom ten of the 111 models surveyed, along with the Jaguar XK8. The most unreliable model was the Renault Espace.
"The annual reliability survey is a thorough and helpful guide that should be a key part of the decision-making process for any car buyer, whatever their budget. And it's great to see so many British-built cars doing so well," the Sun quoted What Car? editor Steve Fowler as saying.
Steve claims that drivers can improve the reliability of their cars, simply by "being kind to them".
"Follow the service schedule and keep on top of maintenance. Get any strange noises or unusual handling checked," he added.
Top 10 car manufacturers
1) Honda
2) Lexus
3) Mini
4) Nissan
5) Toyota
6) Citroen
7) BMW
8) Peugeot
9) Vauxhall
10) Ford
The survey of 111 models, carried out in association with Warranty Direct, revealed that Japanese manufacturers top the charts with Honda at the number one position, closely followed by Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota.
Congratulations are due to the thousands of British workers responsible for building some of the most reliable cars on our roads today. The Honda Accord, which topped the survey, was built here until 2002 and the previous model Honda Civic, which finished runner up, was also constructed in the UK.
Other British-built cars in the top 10 are the Nissan Micra in fifth and the Jaguar X-type in seventh. The Oxfordshire-built Mini is ranked eighth in the survey.
38,000 vehicles were surveyed with an average age of 4.9 years.
The Land Rover finished at the bottom ten of the 111 models surveyed, along with the Jaguar XK8. The most unreliable model was the Renault Espace.
"The annual reliability survey is a thorough and helpful guide that should be a key part of the decision-making process for any car buyer, whatever their budget. And it's great to see so many British-built cars doing so well," the Sun quoted What Car? editor Steve Fowler as saying.
Steve claims that drivers can improve the reliability of their cars, simply by "being kind to them".
"Follow the service schedule and keep on top of maintenance. Get any strange noises or unusual handling checked," he added.
Top 10 car manufacturers
1) Honda
2) Lexus
3) Mini
4) Nissan
5) Toyota
6) Citroen
7) BMW
8) Peugeot
9) Vauxhall
10) Ford
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