Latest emerging markets news and analysis articles

CHINA: Shanghai GM starts on Cadillac plant

19 June 2013

Shanghai General Motors has broken ground for a Cadillac plant and a pan-Asia technical automotive centre in Shanghai.

ANALYSIS: 'Flat is the new up' for Western Europe

18 June 2013

As the latest monthly car sales numbers appear to confirm a bleak prognosis for Western Europe's car market, a new study suggests that flat market conditions will persist for some time to come. Dave Leggett reviews the underlying issues for Europe's auto industry in the context of global automotive market trends.

INDIA: Renault will concentrate on core models

18 June 2013

Renault India has told the Times of India that it will work closely with alliance partner Nissan to roll out cross badged vehicles, but with differentiated design.

INDIA: Ford EcoSport taps small SUV demand

18 June 2013

Sales of utility vehicles, including Renault's popular low-cost Duster compact SUV, have been strong in an otherwise dismal year for the Indian auto industry where passenger car sales fell for the seventh straight month in May, Reuters reported.

COLOMBIA [updated extra data 16:00]: Car sales fall reflects economy

18 June 2013

Colombian car sales in May were off 10.4% year on year (from 27,339 to 24,488) but that was nonetheless the second best monthly tally for 2013 so far.

RUSSIA: GM-Avtovaz JV starts construction of new production facilities in Togliatti

18 June 2013

GM-Avtovaz JV has announced the start of construction of new production facilities for wholly-owned subsidiary JV Systems on the territory of the special economic zone in Togliatti, Russia.

INDIA: Ford chief sees more exports

17 June 2013

Ford expects to export more vehicles from India, chief executive Alan Mulally said on a visit to Chennai for the launch of the EcoSport.

CHINA: Eberspaecher opens Shanghai plant

17 June 2013

Exhaust maker Eberspaecher is starting production in Shanghai-Jiading for both local customers and for export.

MALAYSIA: BMW starts assembling Mini Countryman

17 June 2013

Add Malaysia to the list of countries where BMW's Mini is assembled.

JAPAN: Honda delays China hybrid production

17 June 2013

Honda has delayed the start of production of hybrid vehicles in China until 2016.

INDIA: Ford sees Asia Pacific taking 40% of sales

17 June 2013

Ford expects the Asia Pacific region to account for 40% of its vehicle sales in four to five years, a top executive said.

INDIA: Mahindra and CIE Automotive ink supply network deal

17 June 2013

Mahindra Group and CIE Automotive have signed an agreement between the Indian company's component businesses - held under its Systech Sector - and the Spanish operation also involving its subsidiary Autometal.

UK: Chinese OEMs set to become global players - Nissan

14 June 2013

Senior Nissan executive Andy Palmer has told an auto industry forum in London that the Chinese OEMs are set to grab a big slice of future growth in the world's automotive market.

COLOMBIA: Michelin axing production at Icollantas

13 June 2013

After a decade of substantial annual losses in Colombia, which repeated cash injections have failed to stem, Michelin has decided to axe tyre making at local subsidiary Icollantas which, it said, has never been competitive.

JAPAN: Jatco opens new office in Russia

13 June 2013

Jatco said it opened an office in Moscow to better meet growing Russian market requirements.

CHINA: Dongfeng Renault planned plant gets environment approval

12 June 2013

The Chinese ministry of environmental protection has approved Dongfeng Renault's plan to set up a vehicle plant in Wuhan, Hubei province.

GERMANY: Volkswagen brand boosts YTD sales 5.3%

12 June 2013

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 2.41m (January - May 2012: 2.29; +5.3%) vehicles in the first five months of this year.

VIETNAM: Sales jump 44% in May

12 June 2013

New vehicle sales in Vietnam jumped 43.5% to 8,201 units in May, from 5,715 units a year earlier, according to the Vietnam Automotive Manufacturers Association.

BRAZIL: Production record set in May

11 June 2013

May saw an all-time vehicle production record here in Brazil: since 1 January, 1.54m units have rolled off assembly lines, a steep, 19% year on year growth compared to last year’s 1.29m in the same timeframe.

RUSSIA: May sales slump highlights economic slow down

11 June 2013

Russian car sales slumped 12% year on year in May to 230,000 units prompting the Association of European Businesses to cut its forecast for the full year from flat to a decline of 5%.

RUSSIA: Japanese suppliers ramp up local production

11 June 2013

Japanese suppliers are expanding or launching production in Russia to support their carmaking customers.

VIETNAM: New Nissan Sunny, new assembly plant

11 June 2013

Nissan has launched its redesigned Sunny - aka Versa, Almera and Latio elsewhere - in Vietnam where it is assembled in a new plant operated by local distributor Tan Chong Motor Group.

TURKEY: Production falls on slumping demand

11 June 2013

Vehicle production in Turkey fell 3% to 96,916 units in May according to the country’s Automotive Manufacturers Association.

CHINA: Buick recall over brake hose defects

11 June 2013

Shanghai General Motors is recalling 207,766 Buick LaCrosse models because of possible brake hose defects.

CHINA: May unit sales growth down on April

10 June 2013

Vehicle sales in China rose 9.8% in May from a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said.

ITALY: Fiat could seek different partner for Chinese Jeep

10 June 2013

Fiat could look for a new Chinese partner to help it manufacture Jeep locally in 2014, chief executive Sergio Marchionne said at the weekend.

EXCLUSIVE: Volvo S60L pre-production starts in Chengdu

10 June 2013

Volvo Cars' new Chengdu plant in China's Sichuan province has begun building pre-production versions of the S60L, a special long wheelbase model.

SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai-Kia zooming to 7m in China

7 June 2013

Hyundai and are expected to pass the 7m cumulative sales mark in China this month.

INDIA: Maruti Alto knocked off top spot

7 June 2013

The Maruti Swift DZire has become India's best-selling car, ending the Alto's long stint at the top, a development that signals the preference of Indian consumers for a slightly larger car even at the entry level.