http://www.just-auto.comDaily automotive analysis - from just-auto.com© 2012 All content copyright just-auto.com. Published by Aroq Ltd.Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:17:34 GMTWed, 08 Feb 2012 04:17:34 GMTjust-auto.com - RSS feedjust-auto.comhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss20http://www.just-auto.com/images/small_logo_style.gifhttp://www.just-auto.com10021Daimler is poised to post strong full-year financial results later this week (February 9) boosted by strong performances in its heavy trucks and financial services divisions.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/daimler-to-get-trucks-boost-to-end-year-results_id119980.aspxMon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:00 GMTWhite Van Man might well be in danger of losing his innate haste and stress, should he get behind the wheel of the new EV version of Renault's Kangoo van.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/renault-kangoo-maxi-ze_id119847.aspxWed, 01 Feb 2012 16:37:00 GMTThe problems facing the European vehicle market were described in the last instalment of January's briefing. In this article, we consider the prospects for vehicle demand in other world regions.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/2012s-growing-vehicle-markets_id119801.aspxTue, 31 Jan 2012 20:22:00 GMTIt is probably fair to say that the analysts and pundits are - in early 2012 - less certain about prospects for the year ahead than they were a year ago.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/world-markets-europe_id119674.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 14:23:00 GMTNew vehicle sales in the ASEAN region's six largest markets fell by 15.4% to 584,790 units in the fourth quarter of 2011, from 691,517 units a year earlier, writes Tony Pugliese.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/asean-sales-up-by-38-in-2011_id119537.aspxTue, 24 Jan 2012 15:45:00 GMTFuelled by the need to save weight and reduce evaporative emissions, a great deal of innovative design and materials work is going into vehicle fuel tank systems, writes Matthew Beecham.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/fuel-tank-systems_id119433.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 14:40:00 GMTThe Volkswagen Golf remained Europe's best-selling car in 2011, despite a drop in sales of 1.6% in 2011 compared to 2010, analysts JATO Dynamics said. The VW Polo retained second place for December and for the year, with sales up 2.9% and 0.5% respectively, while Ford's Fiesta held third place both in December and for the year.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/european-sales-down-vw-remains-top-brand_id119395.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 10:28:00 GMTHow's this for a summary of the old-shape Optima: "the last time Kia had a vehicle in the D segment it was one that, pragmatically, had no credibility whatsoever". So says the company's head of UK media relations.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/kia-optima-17_id119300.aspxTue, 17 Jan 2012 18:07:00 GMTBack in 2007, I remember reading the thoughts of some who saw an economic collapse for the US in 2008. One of the theories was that freight trends and Class 8 heavy truck sales indicate what's 10-12 months away. In December 2011, Class 8 sales surged.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/class-8-truck-sales-suggest-us-boom-ahead_id119102.aspxThu, 12 Jan 2012 20:56:00 GMTLaugh no longer at Hyundai's ambition to tackle Lexus: a car that was never designed for the US market, the glitzy Equus sedan, has turned in some strong sales numbers for 2011.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/hyundai-goes-after-lexus_id118695.aspxThu, 05 Jan 2012 00:21:00 GMTVW's diesel models are now outselling the Ford Fiesta and most other US market sub-compacts. What's more, Volkswagen of America has just had its best year since 1972 thanks in no small part to TDI engines.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/vw-of-americas-silent-diesel-surge_id118692.aspxWed, 04 Jan 2012 16:19:00 GMTBajaj Auto's MD claims that his firm's new RE60 micro-vehicle is a four-wheeler, not a car.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/why-the-bajaj-re60-is-not-a-car_id118655.aspxTue, 03 Jan 2012 17:10:00 GMTLike any year in the auto industry, 2011 saw its fair share of company ups and downs, industrial comings and goings, and a fair old sprinkling of corporate drama. Added to the mix this year were devastating natural disasters. We covered it all on just-auto. Editor Dave Leggett sifts through the lot and picks out a few highlights from the year just gone, month by month. Part two covers the second half of the year.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/review-of-2011-part-2_id118542.aspxFri, 23 Dec 2011 13:22:00 GMTLike any year in the auto industry, 2011 saw its fair share of company ups and downs, industrial comings and goings, and a fair old sprinkling of corporate drama. Added to the mix this year were devastating natural disasters. We covered it all on just-auto. Editor Dave Leggett sifts through the lot and picks out a few highlights from the year just gone, month by month. Part one covers the first half of the year.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/review-of-2011-part-1_id118410.aspxTue, 20 Dec 2011 14:25:00 GMTSo you're the world's most famously sensible car company. You've also had one hell of an annus horriblus, a year in fact that could have dealt a killer blow to car companies with a lesser cash pile than Toyota's. Your president has publicly shed tears over the deaths of people for whom a supposedly faulty throttle design was blamed. Now you just want 2011 to be over.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/toyota-manufacturing-chief-on-updated-avensis_id118335.aspxMon, 19 Dec 2011 12:20:00 GMTIt's been a long time since the windscreen wipers on a new Mercedes-Benz were fabulously, expensively over-engineered things of wonder. Tellingly, those days have just returned.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/mercedes-magic-vision_id118247.aspxThu, 15 Dec 2011 15:12:00 GMTAs part of just-auto's ongoing monitoring of trends in the transmission sector, Matthew Beecham talked with executives from BorgWarner, Getrag and Prodrive about how they see the future for electronically-actuated automated manual transmissions (AMTs), whether integrated into hybrid or electric powertrains or combined with a conventional internal combustion engine.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/transmission-trends_id118153.aspxTue, 13 Dec 2011 14:57:00 GMTTwo recent natural events, the Japanese tsunami in March 2011 and more recently the autumn floods in Thailand were both human and economic tragedies and showed that man, whatever his illusions, is still not master of the planet. At a more practical industrial level, should they also be seen as a wake-up call to global industry to reassess its supply-chains, sourcing philosophy, dual sourcing and strategic risk management?http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/whatever-happened-to-risk-management_id118152.aspxTue, 13 Dec 2011 14:09:00 GMTUK-based market analyst LMC Automotive has made a significant downward revision to their Western Europe car vehicle market forecast for 2012 as economic growth projections are revised down. A 5% car market decline in 2012, to 12.15m units, is now forecast.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/lmc-automotive-revises-2012-we-market-forecast-down_id117907.aspxWed, 07 Dec 2011 14:38:00 GMTAccording to a recent news report, the next Nissan Altima is to become a global model. So how is the current car doing in the US, its largest market? The answer is revealing.http://www.just-auto.com/analysis/why-we-should-be-watching-the-nissan-altima_id117622.aspxWed, 30 Nov 2011 13:29:00 GMT