Euro Auto Trends

The first Kia Ceed models are now coming off the production line at the Kia’s new manufacturing facility in Slovakia. The facility at Zilina represents an investment by the Korean automaker of EUR1bn and it will have an ultimate capacity of 300,000 units annually (150,000 is a planned feagure for the Ceed). The question if the Koreans will manage to sell that many cars is still open.

The Ceed will be offered with three petrol and two diesel engines with power outputs ranging from 90 to 143 ps, three equipment levels, four interior concepts, five centre-stack styles, seven different trim fabrics and 12 exterior colors.

By the end of next year there will also be three body styles - a “sporty wagon” will start off in August 2007 and a three-door sports hatch starts in December 2007.

The Nissan Qashqai, the latest model of the Japaneese house, begins rolling off the production line at December 5th, 2006 at Nissan’s UK plant in Sunderland. Qashqai is a compact crossover, combining the best attributes of a traditional family hatchback with the option of advanced 4×4 capability.

Around 130,000 units should be produced in Sunderland in 2007, alongside with Note, Primera, Micra and Micra C+C. This will potentially increase the Nissan UK total annual production volume to around 400,000 units - a year record for the Europe’s most efficient plant.

Nissan Qashqai represents a total investment of EUR322.8 M and will secure more than 3,000 jobs at the Sunderland plant as well as within the regional supply chain. It has also created around 300 temporary and trainee jobs at the plant.

About 80% of Nissan Qashqai units are planned for export, the majority certainly go for sale in Europe. Although the latest Nissan model will also be shipped to numerous overseas markets such as the Middle East, Australia, South Africa. Surprisingly Japan will join the list thus making it only the second British-built model to be exported to the Nissan’s home market after the Primera of 1996.

From early December 2006 the Qashqai will ramp up to full production volume in just 4 weeks to ensure dealers across Europe are fully stocked to start the car’s sales at the end of February 2007.

Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp. said on Friday it would stop making the Mazda2 subcompact at Ford Motor Co.’s factory in Spain when it launches a new B-segment car next year, and instead consolidate production in Japan.

Mazda, held one-third by Ford, built 36,000 units of the Mazda2/Demio car at the Valencia plant in 2005, accounting for 9 percent of the 400,000-unit-a-year factory.

Ford of Europe spokesman Todd Nissen said the auto maker would ramp up production of existing models to make up the difference, adding that Mazda’s output had fallen to about 7 percent of the total this year.

Mazda said the relocation to its Ujina plant in Hiroshima was aimed at maximising efficiencies through economies of scale by lumping together production of its B-segment subcompact cars.

The yen’s current weakness against the euro would also help boost profits, although analysts say Mazda, which exports most of its cars it sells overseas from Japan, needs to eventually reduce its currency exposure by building more vehicles abroad.

The Ujina plant is now working at 87 percent of its capacity of 504,000 units a year, leaving room for roughly 65,000 units. Last year, the factory built 72,000 Mazda2 cars.

Production of the Mazda2 at the Valencia site, which also makes the Ford Focus, Fiesta and Ka models, began in 2003.

With global sales volume growing rapidly, Mazda is looking for ways to boost output capacity from the current 1.45 million units a year. Mazda has said it would outline such steps as part of a new mid-term business plan to be announced next spring.

By Reuters

Mazda UK is about to hit new highs in this year with record sales. This success comes on the back of the new Mazda MX-5, the new Mazda5, Mazda6 and continued buyers’ enthusiasm for the Mazda RX-8.

Mazda has built a reputation for manufacturing cars that stand out from the crowd with outstanding driving dynamics, and it is these attributes that are attracting ever more customers to the Mazda brand. Three models stand out for Mazda, all sports and performance cars and with Mazda taking 40% of the non-premium S-segment (sports cars) the Japanese marque really is Britain’s best loved sports car manufacturer.

The Mazda6 was the car that started the Mazda revolution, and last year it received a number of enhancements to the standard model. In January this year the high performance Mazda6 MPS was introduced, a subtle mixture of turbocharged 260ps MZR engine, four-wheel drive and Mazda design language that makes a welcome change to the overt styling of other Japanese performance cars.