02-03-2010 12:00
+++ It really all comes down to simple arithmetic. AUDI wants to add another compact model to its range. It already has the A1 and the A3, so if you subtract 1 from 3, you get 2. Add an 'A' up front and voila; you have the return of the A2 nameplate. "There's clearly room for another product and another concept between the A3 and A1," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told journalists on the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show. In a separate interview, Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technology, added that the firm's decision to add electric variants to the range will play a vital role with the next-generation A2 "in the near future." According to reports, the new A2 will have unique styling and an electric powertrain. At the Geneva Salon, Audi showed the A1 e-Tron Concept Study that used a 102HP electric motor to drive the front wheels with a 254cc single-rotor Wankel engine kicking in to charge the lithium-ion batteries when depleted. And even though some might say that Audi's decision to use the A2 name doesn't necessarily mean that the new model will follow in the lines of its commercially unsuccessful predecessor (only 176,377 units were sold between 1999 and 2005), considering the fact that a five-door version of the A1 has already been approved, an MPV-style five-door hatchback sounds like the most logical solution. An aluminum construction is a different story altogether and we'll have to wait and see if Audi plans to re-introduce the ASF (Audi Space Frame) concept to a smaller model like the A2. +++ Instead of hybrids or electric cars, HONDA is firm in its belief that fuel-cell-powered cars are “the ultimate mobility solution of the future”, according to its president Takanobu Ito. At the unveiling of its latest hybrid model (the CR-Z) at the Geneva Motor Show, Ito said that for the future, Honda will continue to offer low CO2 powertrains but that it would be fuel-cell vehicles, such as its FCX Clarity, that would sell by volumes in the future. Ito added that Honda has recently made a solar powered hydrogen refining unit without a compressor that’s 25% more efficient than previous units. He explained that this unit is perfect for home use so consumers won’t have to purchase hydrogen elsewhere. In early 2011, a Jazz hybrid will arrive in Europe. Ito said that the CR-Z is meant for people who want fun in driving as well as low emissions. There are three mode driving systems available (sporty driving, everyday driving and economy driving). Ito’s predictions are in contrast with Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn’s belief that electric cars that will provide mobility in the future. In the next couple of years, Renault is launching four mass-market electric cars. +++ Ikuo Maeda, MAZDA’s design overlord, designed the RX-8, following quite literally the path his father laid before him: Maeda's father created the original Mazda RX-7. Now Maeda wants to bring the RX-7 back to life, saying "I do have a strong yearning to revive the RX-7 during my tenure." Even though many enthusiasts would like nothing more than for Mazda to tap that root, we have heard that other Mazda officials queried on the subject poo-pooed the idea, asking "Why go backwards?" If we were to answer, we'd say "Because things were awesome back then. Except for the warranty claims..." That latter point being another reason the last RX-7 is not exactly a fond memory for the Japanese brand. For it to have any chance at all, though, Maeda said "... we need the U.S. economy to come back, first and foremost.". +++ OPEL/Vauxhall won’t be teaming up with Suzuki as it builds the next generation Agila, according to its head of sales and marketing Alain Visser. In an interview at the Geneva Motor Show, Visser said that the existing contract with Suzuki will expire pretty soon and that while Suzuki now has “different plans”, it will continue to work with Suzuki on the current Agila. Speculations that the partnership would end had spread ever since Volkswagen agreed in December to buy a 20% stake in Suzuki. Opel and Suzuki cooperate in the production of the Agila and its sister model, the Suzuki Splash. Visser added that aside from plans for a new three- and five-door Corsa, and an A-segment three door budgetcar, “there is room for a future Agila”. The present Agila model will be replaced by 2012 at the latest; however, Visser declined to provide more details on the new car or of when it will be launched. Mark Adams, Opel’s vice-president for design, gave assurances that the new Agila would not cannibalize its other cars in the small car segment. Adams said that the growth of the small-car market is significant. +++ A Toyota PRIUS accelerated out of control on a busy California freeway before police intervened to bring the vehicle to a standstill. James Sikes, 61, was driving on the busy Interstate 8 freeway outside San Diego when he noticed his car was starting to accelerate of its own accord, the California Highway Patrol said. The terrified motorist was helpless as the car hurtled out of control along the road at speeds more than 145 km/h. Sikes was able to call police. Officers using a loudspeaker talked the driver through the process of slowing down by using his emergency brake and then turning off the engine. Police then pulled in front of the car as it decelerated and rolled to a stop and put the rear bumper of the squad car against the front of the Prius. The incident came as Toyota staged a technical demonstration on Monday to attack allegations by a vocal critic that problems with its electronics may cause its cars to speed out of control. In recent months, Toyota has recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide due to acceleration issues. The latest incident in California was a chilling echo of the incident last August where off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor was killed along with his wife, her brother and the Saylors' 13-year-old daughter when the accelerator of a Lexus ES350 got stuck. Minutes later, the Toyota-manufactured vehicle slammed into the back of a sport utility vehicle at about 160 km/h, veered off the freeway, overturned and burst into flames. All four family members died. +++ New ads for troubled automaker TOYOTA are skipping the apologies and easing back into sales pitches; too soon, some say. The campaign pushes the idea that Toyota customers remain loyal, even as the company faces congressional inquiries and some reports that its repairs may not fix the problem. The new campaign, by Toyota's main ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi, emphasizes what Toyota says are real satisfied buyers testifying that they still feel safe in their new Toyotas even after weeks of revelations about accelerator problems. ''And our own personal experience? These cars that we've had have been exceptionally safe,'' baby boomer Mark Murphy says in one ad. The ad says he and his wife, Donna, bought Corolla and a Sienna on Feb. 20. The new campaign, which started March 2 and is scheduled to run through April 5, does one thing right, marketing experts say: Troubled brands have to play to their strengths by wooing loyal fans. But some say skipping past the apologies could make Toyota look like it's mocking safety concerns that are still very real. Ford, for example, laid low on heavy sales pitches for its Explorer for months in 2000 after Bridgestone tires used on the SUVs caused blowouts that led to more than 250 traffic deaths. People need time to digest bad news, so companies shouldn't try to start selling too soon, said Mike Sheldon, CEO of ad agency Deutsch LA. ''We haven't had that chance to just get through the problem and they're already trying to sell me stuff? I believe that consumers will feel a little confused, like, 'Aren't you still fixing the problem? Why are you trying to sell me so hard?' he said. Saatchi & Saatchi referred requests for comment on the campaign to Toyota. The automaker's spokespeople didn't respond to requests for comment. The local and national television ads feature unprecedented incentives from Toyota, which saw its sales fall 9 percent last month. They're the first major sales push since the company's trio of apology ads, which started airing in early February telling owners that Toyota was taking care of problems. Incentives include zero percent financing for five years and auto maintenance plans for new owners that rival offerings by luxury brands. But buyers don't want that, Sheldon said. They still want to know the company is taking care of its problems before they're sold on new cars, deal or not. The company should have waited at least a month, maybe two before pushing sales, he said. ''Any communication right now should be 'here's what you need to do, here's how we're solving this problem.' Leave the schmaltzy music and imagery out. There are serious issues,'' Sheldon said. Some even think Toyota should stop advertising for now and instead tell its story through news reports and social media, which can offer more credibility. ''When there's a very negative story connected with a brand, it's extremely difficult for any paid advertising to deal with that issue because it's self-serving,'' said Al Ries, chairman of Ries & Ries, a marketing strategy firm in Atlanta. ''It's not helping.'' But Toyota wants sales. First-time Toyota shopper numbers fell last month, the first full month of sales since the company suspended sales of eight models on Jan. 26. Toyota Vice President Bob Carter told reporters this week that Toyota was focusing less on sales last month, but is shifting back now. All models are back in showrooms. ''Frankly as an organization, we turned our sights away from sales and went 100 percent at taking care of our customers. It was the right thing to do and now coming in March, we're back in the sales business,'' he said. Some say the money the company is spending -- the amount of which it declined to release -- is worth it because it relies on these brand loyalists who can turn skeptical shoppers into potential buyers. The ads are clearly designed to keep people feeling positively about the brand, said Deborah Mitchell, senior executive fellow at the Wisconsin School of Business. She said they work because they feature so many loyalists, something few companies could pull off during such a tough time. But that strong loyalty can make the risks even bigger, she said. ''If consumers decide Toyota has lied to them, there will be a huge backlash.'' +++ In Europe, TOYOTA could freeze new car launches this year if it is not satisfied the accelerator problem that forced a mass recall of its vehicles has been solved. The European launch of the RAV4 2010 model, the 2010 Auris and the Auris Hybrid, slated for later this year, could be halted, citing comments from the Japanese car maker's European boss. "We are discussing that, if necessary, we will postpone the launch timing. For us there is the hybrid in late May, which is really key. We want to make sure that this car is properly launched without any major issues," Tadashi Arashima, the chief executive of Toyota Motor Europe told. +++ We don't hear all that much about classic British muscle/sportscar maker TVR, so here's a quick refresher on what's been going on over the last few weeks: Russian owner Nikolai Smolenski has signaled his intent to bring the overpowered brand back to the market using a classic American V8 engine of unknown origin, and we'll know more about that later this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Shortly after that revelation, we found out that remanufactured versions of the Tuscan, Sagaris and T350 were already available through Carmel Motorsports in Indianapolis, sans powertrain. As we told you at the time, these cars were being supplied by a company called Total Vehicle Remanufacturing... which, though that does indeed have the correct initials, is not the real TVR. Not surprisingly, then, the "real" TVR doesn't sound all that pleased with its newly found competition. Says TVR Motors co-director James Oxley, "We'd like to make clear that this has nothing whatever to do with us, and it appears to conflict strongly with what TVR is trying to achieve in future." According to PistonHeads, "TVR intends to closely scrutinize the operation to ensure its own interests are appropriately protected." +++
