Uproar in Ghana after president unveils his own statue    Putin hails 'courageous' Trump after election win    Israel passes law to deport relatives of attackers, including citizens    Monkey mayhem in South Carolina after 43 primates escape research facility    Russian anti-war teenager faces five years in jail after failed appeal    SR 3.95 million fines for 3 employees of a company and 6-month jail for one for violating Capital Market Law    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Crown Prince hails Saudi medical team that performed world's first fully robotic heart transplant    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Austerity brings smaller cars to Geneva auto show
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 07 - 03 - 2012

Automakers are thinking small — in size, not ambition.
After years marked by environmental concerns, then the economic downturn and now European austerity measures, car manufacturers have honed their products to cater to cost-conscious buyers.
And it's not just compacts and SUVs that are getting smaller. Even premium automakers are downsizing.
At the Geneva Motor Show, which opened to the media on Tuesday, Audi unveiled a new A3, Mercedes-Benz its rejuvenated A-Class, and Volvo its V40.
“Buyers are increasingly looking to downsize and hunt for savings in terms of running costs and depreciation, while enjoying the status and quality of premium brands,” said Tim Urquhart, analyst at IHS Automotive.
Urquhart said the trend could increase pressure on mass-market automakers like Fiat, Renault, PSA Peugeot-Citroen and General Motor's Adam Opel — which are being caught between both premium carmakers and value carmakers such as Volkswagen's Skoda and Korean manufacturers Kia and Hyundai.
Finalists for the European Car of the Year award were all smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. The Opel Ampera won with 330 votes of a total 1,475 cast, ahead of the Volkswagen Up! with 281 votes and the Ford Focus with 256.
General Motors and Peugeot last week announced an alliance they hope will improve their prospects in the difficult European market, which has registered four consecutive years of decline.
GM will take a 7 percent stake in Peugeot, Europe's No. 2 automaker, in a deal that foresees a common platform by 2014 and synergies in the purchase of parts. The carmakers say it will save them $2 billion a year within five years, split roughly equally.
Peugeot is unveiling the new 208, a model that is especially important for a company heavily dependent on European sales. Peugeot has made the 208 both shorter and lighter than its predecessor, the Peugeot 207, a sign of where the auto industry is heading.
On the other side of the alliance, GM's Opel will be introducing its new Mokka compact SUV, entering the expanding segment of compact SUVs occupied in Europe by the Suzuki SX4 and the Fiat Sedici. Just 14 feet (4.2 meters) long, the Mokka is still classed as a five-seater.
IHS Automotive forecasts the compact SUV segment, which grew from 100,000 in sales in 2010 to 160,000 last year, will expand to 400,000 by 2014. Citroen, too, will be aiming for that market with its C4 Aircross.
Fiat will unveil the new 500L — a multipurpose version of its hot-selling remake of the iconic 500, now nearly five years old. The five-seater vehicle is on a slightly larger platform than the 500 and replaces the now phased-out Multipla.
Among higher-end brands, BMW's new 3-Series will be making its debut in Geneva, but is already proving a quick sell in European show rooms.
Among Germany's other big names, Audi will reveal the third generation of its A3 and the first new Audi C-Segment in nearly a decade. The A3 series, which accounts for some 20 percent of all Audi sales, will shift to a new modular architecture that will be used for most of the group's vehicles over the coming years. Mercedes, meanwhile, is hoping to reach younger customers with its new A-class, a model often considered the preserve of the over-50s.
At past events, automakers showed off alternative power trains — mostly in the form of electric cars and hybrids. This year's Geneva Motor Show will see many of those early developments refined, like Mazda's i-ELOOP technology that uses capacitors to bring regenerative braking already found in electric vehicles to fuel-powered cars.
Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg in Germany, says squeezing efficiency out of traditional gasoline- or diesel-powered combustion engines will be a focus of the show. That includes the Peugeot 107, the Citroen C1 and the updated Toyota Aygo.


Clic here to read the story from its source.