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As consumers tighten their belts, used car dealers are feeling the squeeze.

Sales manager at El Cheapo Cars in Petone, Brendon Coughlan, said March had been one of the worst months in memory for the company.

Until two months ago sales had been mainly of cars in the $10,000 price bracket, he said. “Now it’s down to $5000 to $6000 and that’s down to affordability because people are now spending more a week to live.”

He said potential buyers in recent months were telling him interest rates, food inflation and rising petrol prices were holding them back from buying.

Coughlan expects a tough six to eight months for car dealers, with some of the more marginal operations likely to close.

Turners Auction is also seeing the impacts of rising costs on consumers. The company’s general manager for marketing, Todd Hunter, said Turners saw a 100 per cent rise in the number of repossessed vehicles going to auction in the year to March 2008. For the March year, 700 repossessed vehicles went under the hammer.READ MORE…

Vladivostok businessmen who import and trade used Japanese cars staged a protest on Tuesday against local customs officials who since April 1 have been issuing documentation for the imported vehicles with huge delays resulting in financial losses for the car dealers.

Having decorated their vehicles with orange ribbons and the slogan “Car dealers against bureaucracy”, the traders proceeded to the building of the Far Eastern Customs Department to show their dissatisfaction with the officials’ work.

Since April 1, two customs posts – Vladivostok Auto Transport and Vladivostok Central – were liquidated and a new customs post in Vladivostok Commercial Port was opened. The Far Eastern Customs officials intended to improve the work of the customs but the result turned out to be the opposite. Currently more than 9,000 vehicles imported from Japan are awaiting customs clearance in the port’s warehouse while the territory of the port is designed for only 6,500 vehicles.

“The customs workers are unable to cope with the amount of documentation and the computer programs in the new post give out errors,” head of trade union for Vladivostok car dealers Dmitry Penyaz said.READ MORE…

The Government is considering introducing vehicle emission restrictions which could effectively put an age limit on imported used cars.

Associate Transport Minister Judith Tizard says draft rules will be put out for public consultation next year and might be ready for implementation in 2008.

The Government is considering using Japanese emission standards as about 95 per cent of imported used cars come from Japan.

Ms Tizard said yesterday there would be a set of steadily increasing standards, and cars would be tested at the border to make sure they met those standards.READ MORE…

THE Automotive Dealers Association (ADA) has come out in support of Budget statements which indicate Government’s intention to reduce the number of foreign-used cars being brought into the country.

During Wednesday’s budget presentation, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said, “Government will be instituting measures to curtail importation of foreign-used vehicles.” However he did not say exactly what those measures were.

However, in a direct response, officials within the foreign-used car industry say the only reason new car dealers are backing the Government, is purely for profit.

The ADA president Philip Knaggs, said the glut of foreign-used vehicles has had a negative impact on the environment. He added that short warranties were due to the fact that these cars are dumped in developing nations such as Trinidad, after their useful life has expired.

“These vehicles, as they age, become a burden on Japan. The Japanese Government recognises this and discourages their consumers from owning these vehicles as they age,” said Knaggs.

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Tokyo - Japanese automobile giant Toyota Motor said on Tuesday it will recall 187 131 of its vehicles in Japan due to a faulty power transmission drive which may prevent the cars from running.

Toyota will recall its passenger vehicles after it received 157 complaints for six of its domestic brand cars: Vitz, Platz, bB, Fancargo, ist, and WiLLCYPHA, built from mid-2002 to mid-2003, Toyota said.

“The cars have the possibility of not running because car parts would break when driving the steering wheel in a wide motion, since very watery lubricant was used on the car part connecting the axle with the front tire,” said Toyota spokesperson Ai Ishitoya.

Despite this recall, Toyota set a goal of selling 9.8 million vehicles worldwide in 2008, a 20% jump from last year, as it hones in on ailing General Motors’ crown as the world’s top automaker.

The Toyama prefectural government has instructed two businesses targeting foreign residents to improve their business practices after discovering they had disregarded the city planning law, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The prefectural government intends to issue similar instructions for seven other businesses in the near future. If the conditions of the instructions are not met, the businesses will be ordered to cease operations. If the orders are again ignored, the prefectural government will file criminal complaints against them.

The Construction and Transport Ministry is demanding the prefecture also investigate the about 170 such businesses in the area that are believed to be on the edge of the law as part of a clampdown on businesses encroaching on the countryside.

The businesses, often run by foreign residents, including Pakistanis, are largely made up of used-car dealerships, of which there are hundreds in the prefecture, largely in the area around Fushiki Toyama Port.

The nine businesses for which the guidance has been issued or scheduled comprise five used-car dealerships, a mosque, a real estate office targeting foreigners, a money exchange business and a used-appliance store. The operators of the locations include Japanese, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, among others.

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There is nothing as useful to a North American as a car. It is the modern technological marvel that makes the fast-paced and stressful life - rife with toxic racism and discrimination in housing, employment and social life - manageable, especially to new immigrants who have to make do with menial jobs and dilapidated housing.

One of the significant changes Kenyans who emigrate to North America undergo is to rely on the car just as much as their Caucasian, Latino, Chinese, African-American or native of the region. Almost invariably, they shop, go to restaurants or cinema in cars.

When a Kenyan who has lived in North America decides to return home, the first thing he thinks about is how he would cope with commuting in the hustle and bustle of Nairobi.

For those who have bought or plan to acquire property in leafy suburbs such as Karen, Runda or contemplate commuting from Kiambu, importing a second-hand mechanical workhorse from North America comes to work.

The problem is: All vehicles in North America are left-hand drive. Moreover, Kenyans returning from North America cannot import a right-hand drive vehicle from the UK, Japan or Australia because they must have owned it for a minimum of 12 months. In addition, all vehicle imports must be less than eight years old from the date of manufacture.

It is not possible for an ordinary person who has spent the past 12 years breaking his back at McDonald’s to travel to Europe, buy a brand new vehicle, own it for a year, export it to North America and stay with it for the same length of time before shipping it to Kenya.

Essentially, what this means is that people who have just completed their studies or been doing menial jobs at MacDonald’s cannot return to Kenya with vehicles. Their option is to, therefore, use their meagre savings to buy exorbitantly priced vehicles in Kenya. Their prices are two to four times more than their fair market value in Europe or North America.

Theoretically, the prohibitive rules were introduced to “protect Kenyans and their environment” from sub-standard, dangerous, poisonous and impractical goods, chemicals or equipment.

The dumping of dangerous goods in our market is not just economically and environmentally catastrophic, but it has also killed creativity, innovation and scientific invention of our people.

The fact that Kenya has not been able to produce even a rudimentary vehicular engine locally is very sad.

The rules were also intended to protect the Kenyan market and car dealers from “flooding", unfair competition as well as to encourage and protect domestic entrepreneurs.

On the surface, the requirements appear sound and uncontroversial. However, they are punitive. They mean that Kenyans in North America cannot buy a used Japanese vehicle - one manufactured in 2003 - and import it to Kenya duty free because there are no used right hand drive vehicles in Japan.

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EDDAH, 3 September 2006 — Businessmen in the secondhand car market estimate that the business will grow 32 percent (SR600 million) by the end of this year. It is expected that more than 30,000 used cars will hit the used car market and that Japanese cars are said to take the largest share of the market.

Secondhand car dealers say that there are many factors behind the growth. One of the reasons is the general condition of used cars that can be bought at cheap prices and which attract a lot of young Saudis. Another reason quoted is that there are nearly six million non-Saudis living in the kingdom and they, along with limited-income people, prefer used cars to new ones. Secondhand car dealers have ruled out the possibility of used cars from the gulf market hitting the local markets as in previous years. Local used cars tend to be cheaper than imported ones. (more…)

DUBAI — The UAE car market, one of the fastest growing sectors in the country’s economy, is forecast to grow by 28 per cent in 2006 with sales of 185,600 new cars during the year, compared to the sales of 145,000 units in 2005, according to senior industry analysts.

The growth in car sales is attributed to rapid economic development, increase in population and easy access to car loans. Re-exports constitute a significant sector of the market. (more…)

PAPUA New Guinea is losing millions of kina in tax and import duty fees as vehicles are being smuggled into the country bypassing tax regulatory measures set in place by the Government.
Internal Revenue Commissioner General David Sode has admitted that the scam involves some of the IRC’s customs officials.
“We are aware of such scams in IRC, especially the customs branch and have seized large numbers of vehicles that had been smuggled in this way,” Mr Sode said.

It is alleged that custom officials at the IRC were collaborating with customs agents to bring vehicles in large quantities into the country, especially second hand vehicles.

These vehicle dealers deal directly with customs agents in order to bypass the tax regulatory measures set in place by the government.
The customs agents then collaborate with the IRC Customs officials who tamper invoices to write lower tax cuts for the vehicles, it is alleged.

Some of the vehicle dealers travel overseas to purchase vehicles and upon return produce receipts that show the date of the purchase dating back to more than six months. Items that are brought into the country that had been used overseas for more than six months are classified as personal items, therefore higher tax rates are exempted, it was alleged.

An official from the Department of Transport attached with the road transport industries division that overseers licensing of the vehicles in the country, said that most dealers import their vehicles from Japan and Singapore.

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The so-called “Used car” export business continues to grow every year in Japan due to a large demand among many overseas buyers. “Used cars” are older cars with higher mileage than the average used car. A few years ago, they would have been disposed of as scrap cars. However, nowadays, there is an expanding market for these “Used cars” where they are being repaired and auctioned off. Currently, the number of “Used cars” sold at used car auctions held throughout Japan are increasing and is said to reach 8 hundred thousand this year.

The benefits of the “Used car” business are that the parts are easy to find and the cars are easy to repair. What also attracts buyers to this business is the amount of money that can be made. The price of a car at an auction can start as low as 3000 yen (30 US dollars). Most cars are said to last for another 3 hundred thousand kilometers (around 187 miles) if repaired and some can be sold for well above the purchase price in countries in such places as South America and Africa.

Breakdown insurer Warranty Direct compiled the report on its 55,000 car database based on figures over the past decade of how much time each kind of car has spent off the road.

The shocking truth is that the whole of the top 10 are Japanese makes, and 16 of the top 20. The Honda Accord sits proudly at number 1, followed by Subaru’s Forester and the Mazda MX-5. Mitsubishi, Toyota and Nissan fill in the remaining places.

The first non-Asian car is the British Jag X-Type at 12th most reliable, while famed Germanic solidity is notable by its absence until Mercedes’ SLK at no.25, only one place ahead of the Citroen Xsara.

Although these may not be the iest cars on the road (excepting the MX-5) it does back up the old chestnut about truly reliable cars all coming from Japan.

To see a complete breakdown of car list, visit www.reliabilityindex.co.uk

Japanese manufacturers have ted a poll of the Top 100 most reliable used cars over the past decade.

The list, compiled by independent mechanical breakdown insurer, Warranty Direct, found that every car in the Top 10, and 16 out of the Top 20, were Japanese s. The Honda Accord was at number one, with Honda also taking the 6th place with the the Civic and 8th with the CR-V.

Perhaps the most surprising rankings are the Toyota Corolla at number 91 (Toyota has four s in the top 20) and the Mazda MX-6 at 97 (the MX-5 is third, with two other Mazda s in the top 20).

Models were ranked according to the frequency of failure and based on a database of over 55,000 vehicles. Last year, over 7.5m Britons spent £25bn buying a used car - nearly seven times the number of people who bought a new car privately.

The highest placed non-Japanese was the British built Jaguar X-Type in 13th; however, the S-Type appears near the bottom of the list, at 98.

The German automotive industry first appear at number 25 with the Mercedes-Benz SLK: the S-Class fares less well, at number 90. The list is propped up by the Porsche Boxster at 100.

Volvo’s S/V40 was the highest placed Swedish manufacturer in 15th. Ford, the nation’s most popular manufacturer, delivers its best-ranked , the Ka, in 22nd. The Citroen Xsara was the best-placed French at number 26.

The full Top 100 Most Reliable Cars Of The past 10 years can be viewed by visiting www.reliabilityindex.co.uk, but the top 10 s are:

1 Honda Accord
2 Subaru Forester
3 Mazda MX-5
4 Mitsubishi Carisma
5 Toyota Yaris
6 Honda Civic
7 Nissan Almera
8 Honda CR-V
9 Toyota RAV4
10 Nissan Micra

Perturbed by facilitation extended to overseas Pakistanis in import of cars through gift and baggage schemes, the automobile industry has asked the government to prepare a long term policy for the sector, which must be unalterable, at least, for three years, an official of one of the leading car manufacturing firms told Daily Times.

The car manufacturers informed the government that it would disturb the plan of further investment of the automobile industry, if the government continued to change policy regarding import of vehicles every year.

In recent meetings held in the ministry of industries and the Engineering Development Board (EDB) following the government’s decision to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis in importing old and used cars, the representatives of the auto industry have been pressing for a three-year policy.

Under the policy, the government would not allow import of cars and other vehicles under the budget and the trade policy, the official said and added that the government would not also raise or curtail taxes and duties levied on the automobile industry.

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If you are looking for a new version of the rear drive mechanical simplicity and cheap, do-it-yourself maintenance of Japanese cars of 25 years ago, don’t despair. Underneath the latest commercial van bodies, Joe Kenwright finds cheap and reliable transport to cover a wide spectrum of applications…

BACKGROUND
Until the recent arrival of more complex front drive European vans, the whole commercial van segment was like the Tardis time machine. Compact on the outside and huge on the inside, the Japanese van can take you back decades in terms of mechanical simplicity and reliability.

They can also take you back 20 years in refinement levels, roadholding, braking and safety but then a billycart could handle most Australian speed limits so this is not the big issue it first seems. The bluff aerodynamics are also less of a deficit at speeds below 100 km/h.

Ever since an ex-baker’s VW Kombi van served as home at the original Sunbury Pop Festival, I have valued the flexibility of a small forward control van. I have since owned a Toyota HiAce and still own a Mitsubishi Express. Both have delivered levels of owner satisfaction and driver involvement that shamed far more exotic purchases. Even as an everyday vehicle for a young driver, these vans can offer real advantages but only if the driver is prepared to adjust to the lower roadholding and braking levels.

There is a healthy trend amongst rural teenagers to roll out their swags in the paddock or in their utes after a solid night of partying instead of drink-driving. A van can provide an all-weather escape route for a young city driver instead of driving home tired or affected by alcohol. Over 30 years later, it is not unusual for people in my friendship circle to sleep off an out of town party in our vans before driving home in the early morning without disturbing our hosts.

Even for older drivers, choosing a van as a second vehicle can offer amazing flexibility in terms of camping, renovating, light towing, recreational sports including cycling, dirt bikes, orienteering and bush walking. For younger owners, the long roof and separate gutters are perfect for windsurfing and kayaking while providing a lock-up facility for surfboards, bicycles and other expensive sports equipment. For athletes and surfers, they can provide a mobile changeroom or haven to sit out bad weather.

For students, they can also help generate income as a van will swallow garden or cleaning equipment and other tools. For a young apprentice, they can help a fledgling business get on its feet.

Before buying a used van, it is worth examining whether you have the mindset to adjust your driving and expectations to fit the limitations. Expect a responsive sports car and a van will drive you mad but go with the traffic flow, enjoy the panoramic view of the road and anticipate the stupidity of other drivers and you could enjoy it.

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Its going to be really hard to avoid excessively using the adjective sassy in describing this concept from Mazda, so Ill just get it out of the way: sassy, sassy, sassy…

Well, actually, its called Sassou (pronounced sa-so), which is apparently a Japanese term that means having a positive state of mind, of looking ahead with optimism to the future, which is exactly how I would feel if someone from Mazda called me right now and told me that they will build a production version of the Sassou and bring it to the U.S.

Okay… It looks like nobodys calling. Im still grinning, though, because it is such a cute car, yet somehow still bad-ass looking. Im guessing that the Sassou is one color choice away from swinging drastically to either end of the spectrum. Bubble-gum pink and matte black being the polar extremes on my color scale. I mean, can you just imagine how badass it would look in pink, with maybe some baby blue trim… B-A-D-A-S-S.

If you havent guessed that this is a small car concept yet, then this is me filling you in. It is mostly a design exercise testing the waters for certain features and general styling direction for the redesign of the Mazda2 (Demio in Japan). It will debut on September 13th at the Frankfurt Motor Show. A straightforward description might call it “a small, lightweight, three-door hatchback,” and I really hope they are not kidding when they say lightweight, because it is powered by a three-cylinder gasoline engine with 1 litre of displacement. I think about the only thing we get with less displacement here in North America is the smart fortwo (lower case intended), dirt bikes and riding mowers, although I could be mistaken about the riding mowers.

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The Government’s announcement that sales targets are to be set for biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) comes with a warning from the Motor Industry Association, which believes that the makeup of the New Zealand vehicle fleet needs to be a critical factor in any biofuel decision.

“It’s pleasing that after years of discussion the Government is taking a positive step on biofuel, but we caution the oil companies in their implementation of this initiative that they need to consider the local vehicle fleet,” said Perry Kerr, CEO of the Motor Industry Association. “The New Zealand vehicle fleet very much reflects the Japanese domestic fleet of ten years ago, and it wasn’t until June 2003 that the Japanese Government permitted an ethanol mix in local fuel, and then only to a maximum of 3%.”

The reason the Japanese Government took the stance it did was because there was no assurance that the fuel systems on older-model Japanese cars were compatible with an ethanol blend. “Those older-model cars, plus even older ones, are now here, so we need to be doubly cautious,” said Mr. Kerr.

Given the commitments which are now in place by new vehicle franchise holders to protect the owners of cars imported and sold by third parties, and bearing in mind the foregoing, the new vehicle industry would not be supportive of any ethanol / petrol mix higher than 3%.

In terms of biodiesel, like with ethanol, the Japanese domestic vehicle market has had no experience with this type of blended fuel in general use. “We have only recently sent to the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association a copy of the New Zealand biodiesel standard. We may therefore get a similar response to that for ethanol, that is that the Japanese vehicle manufacturers do not recommend that a biodiesel blend is used in used Japanese imports in New Zealand” Mr Kerr added.

In conclusion, Mr Kerr underlined the aging of our vehicle fleet. “Biofuels will have a small influence, but if the Government was really serious about reducing emissions they could make a lot more progress much more quickly by preventing old, worn out, obsolete-technology vehicles from crossing our wharves”.

Ojai, California Kosaku Yamada has been picking Camry nits for ten years now. As chief engineer of America’s most popular car, he is bedeviled by more than just the obvious things that give Japanese engineers sleepless nights.

The obvious: “All the nuts-and-bolts considerations so neatly arranged on the left side of the brain were obvious,” he said of this fifth-generation Camry. “The Camry would need to be bigger, quieter, cleaner, and more powerful, with better handling, steering, and fuel economy and an even higher level of crashworthiness. Logic,” he added, “dictated an all-new chassis.”

Automotive journalists have grown used to this sort of obsessiveness from the Japanese, who already build cars with the fewest defects, the highest levels of consumer satisfaction, and the best resale values. It’s why we’ve called the Camry the best car built in America. It’s why Honda sells more Accords than Ford does Tauruses and Chevy does Impalas. It’s what makes Nissan’s new high-performance Altima a car to watch closely. It’s why Toyota grabbed the number three car-sales spot from Chrysler, racking up some of its best sales months in history while the domestics crashed and burned.

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With the average price of a new vehicle topping $28,000 and used ones averaging $14,000, car shopping is second only to buying a home in financial importance.

Don’t let the ads seduce you. Because the decision to buy new can involve almost half the income a typical family makes in a year, it needs to come more from logic than emotion.

“I don’t watch too much TV or listen to the radio too much,” says Randy Davis of Henrietta, N.Y. “When I go out to look, I go, ‘Is this something I can afford or can’t I?’ “
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Before you walk out on a car lot - or even rev up your computer - look at your budget. Don’t focus on how much you can pay each month. Instead, look at total cost. Then make a short list of what you must have in a vehicle.

After that, it’s time to research, both the cars and the cost of financing or leasing, because most people who need a vehicle end up making some sort of car payment. And many will make loan payments for five years or more.

New or used?

If cost were the only consideration, more people would choose used simply because of depreciation.

“A new car loses most of its value when you drive it off of the lot and for the first two years,” says Rob Gentile, director of auto price services at Consumer Reports. Depreciation varies by car, and domestics generally depreciate faster than European and Japanese cars.

“In general, cars depreciate anywhere from 15 to 20 percent in the first year,” he says.

Ariana Percy of Greece, N.Y., knows her 1995 Geo Prism isn’t the prettiest, but that doesn’t matter to her.

“I don’t need to look good, I just need to get from place to place,” she says. When she bought her teal green Prism for $1,500, the odometer showed 92,000 miles. But she expects to drive the compact for three to five more years.

“It has a long-standing engine, and it’s in perfect condition,” Percy says. “It needed no work, and it passed inspection with flying colors.”

If you just love that new-car smell, consider buying new and keeping it long after you finishing paying for it. A typical U.S. household pays almost $7,400 a year to own an average of two vehicles, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than half of those costs come from car payments.

One advantage to buying a new car is that all include a manufacturer’s warranty, some for as long as 10 years and 100,000 miles. Some dealers inspect and certify used cars, giving additional protection on warranties that already have expired. But many used cars, some sold at dealers and most sold by individuals are on the market as is, without guarantees.

“New vehicles have the features and benefits that the public wants, and they’re willing to pay for it,” says Rick Dorschel, president of Dorschel Automotive Group in Rochester, N.Y.

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The 4WD has begun an arms race on the roads, with many family sedans increasing in size, writes Tony Davis.

“WE ONLY bought this,” said the fortyish mother of three as she stood outside the North Shore public school and pointed to a massive, 2 tonne-plus, desert-storming 4WD with huge chrome bullbars at each end and nudge-bars along the sides, “because I’m not a very good driver.”

Some may have shaken their heads in disbelief, but this otherwise intelligent and thoughtful fellow school parent was merely saying what many others leave unsaid. The 4WD is the new security blanket, and many believe that in the dog-eat-dog world that is the Sydney road system, you must have one or you’re not doing the right thing by yourself or your children.

Numerous safety reports suggest those who are not good drivers are the last people who should be behind the wheel of a 4WD designed for off-road use. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are tall, ostensibly to clear rocks, which raises their centre of gravity and makes them more likely to tip over.

Many have tyres and suspension that are a compromise between the very different needs of on-road and off-road requirements, and which reduce their manoeuvrability. They are often built to withstand huge off-road stresses, which makes them heavier but not necessarily safer for those within.

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Dear Claudienne:
In August 2004, I purchased a 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer (Cedia) from Jay’s Automotive Limited. The performance of this car so far is OK. However, I am at a stage where I need to inform myself about the dos and don’ts of this car.

I requested a manual from the manager since none was given to me at the time of purchase, but he seemed surprised and annoyed. He believes that the manual is not a big deal and despite my request I have not been provided with one.

This leaves me no choice but to purchase a manual which I should not have to do. Please see what you can do to help me to obtain a manual from the used car dealer.
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Khaleej Times - 05/04/2005

ABU DHABI — The automobile market in the country is burgeoning with the current volume placed at around 1.36 million vehicles with nearly 30 per cent of the new cars in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

According to a publication of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that quoted the latest report of the International Monetary Fund, automobile and spare parts exports to the UAE stood at Dh15 billion in 2002. This represents a stable growth of 9.2 per cent, the biggest growth rate among the six-member GCC states that recorded a growth of 6.4 per cent. This means that the automobile and spare parts market is projected to easily exceed Dh18 billion this year.

The re-export market is also witnessing a vibrant phase of business that is now estimated at Dh295 million, with Iran and Iraq being the major destinations. The upswing in re-exports has been attributed to a number of factors such as a vibrant domestic economy, rising population figures, liberal grant of car loan facilities and the increasing number of car renting companies to cater to the hospitality and tourism industry. Nearly 22 per cent of the imported cars find their way to markets in the Middle East, Africa and the CIS states.

The UAE is also the second biggest market for Japanese cars and takes the second spot again in respect of trade in Japanese used cars. The number of licenced cars in Abu Dhabi emirate was placed at 312,833 that is 42 per cent of the total registered cars in the country, according to the Interior Ministry statistics. The high living standards, increasing levels of income and fierce competition among finance companies in providing credit facilities for purchase of cars have all contributed to the growing sales graph, with about 1.4 million cars sold throughout the country in 2003.

The signing of a partnership agreement between the Abu Dhabi government and the German automobile giant Volkswagen will unfold a new horizon in the domestic car-manufacturing industry that will boost the car market and further activate the tempo of competition, industry sources pointed out.

After turning the automotive world upside down in 1989 with the introduction of the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mazda has re-established the benchmark for affordable sports-car excellence with the all-new 2006 Mazda MX-5. While the MX-5 will make its North American debut here in New York, a very limited run of MX-5 3rd Generation Limited models with special equipment will make their global debut here as well. Once again, Mazda has succeeded in injecting a sense of fun into the roadster segment with the same driver-vehicle oneness that made the first and second generation MX-5 a resounding success.

Jinba Ittai, a Japanese phrase that translates to “the rider and horse as one,” has been the focus of the MX-5 Miata concept since its inception, and is the purest essence of Mazda’s Zoom-Zoom spirit. Oneness is the cornerstone of the Jinba Ittai driving experience and occurs when the boundaries between driver and vehicle melt away and create one single being. Essentially, Jinba Ittai is a celebration of the simple delights of driving a lightweight, nimble, open-air roadster, and anyone who has driven a Miata knows the feeling.

“We improved the all-new MX-5 to meet the needs of modern motorists while maintaining the passionate spirit of the original, best envisioned in the expression ‘Jinba Ittai’,” said Kory Koreeda, vice president, product development for Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). “As the range-topper, the MX-5 3rd Generation Limited’s eye-catching color and unique features will surely turn heads and bring pure driving excitement to all who sit behind the wheel.”

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ars are a bargain, according to the Motor Industry Association.

Even with the Yen plummeting to new lows against the New Zealand dollar, used import dealers are reported to be struggling to find stock at low enough prices to enable them to be competitive in the New Zealand market.

“The used import trade is definitely coming out the other end of the cycle,” said Perry Kerr, CEO of the Motor Industry Association.

“Importers had a false market for fifteen years because they exploited the price gap that existed between the Japanese used car market and the overpriced New Zealand market, which was the way it was because of excessive import duty and sales tax on new cars,” Mr Kerr said.

“Now there’s a level playing field, because there hasn’t been any duty on new cars for seven years, and this is now reflected in the prices of new cars as well as New Zealand - new used vehicles.”

The New Zealand market is now experiencing the fact that importers are attempting to retail ten year old cars for 8, 9 and 10 thousand dollars, because that’s the minimum figure that will return them a reasonable profit on top of the purchase price in Japan and all the fixed costs.

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According to the Japanese Automobile Appraisal Institute (JAAI), the organization opened its used vehicle inspection center in Dubai, U.A.E.

The new inspection center has been established to respond to strong request of the opening from Kenya, said JAAI.

The inspection center will server to promote the delivery of quality used Japanese cars to the East African countries via U.A.E.

There are some really simple checks and preventative maintenance that can make driving more enjoyable and reward you with a better price when it is time to sell. Joe Kenwright looks at a routine that could also save you big money in car repairs.

The best way to save money on any car is to avoid unnecessary repairs. The extended service intervals of the latest models can soon prove to be false economy for many owners. The growing tendency for owners not to open a car’s bonnet for up to a year between services is generating catastrophic failures and huge repair bills. Because these repairs are regarded as owner neglect, they are not covered under warranty.

There are two ways to attack this growing problem. Fit certain extras that can minimise the effects of age and wear then follow a schedule of simple checks and cleaning.

I usually recommend the following extras for every new or used car I purchase for clients:

• Dash mat. Today’s padded dashes can cost big money to repair or replace especially if airbags are involved. Faded dashes with cracks and splits can make a car unsaleable when the driver has to look at it all the time.

• Number plate covers. The sound of cracking plastic forces the touch parkers to back off before they do any real damage.

• Headlight Protectors. With the average imported headlight costing upwards of $400, this is a no-brainer. I prefer the self-adhesive clear film which can’t get dirty on the back and will hold the headlight together to get you home if it takes a big hit.

• Mudflaps. If your car’s wheelarches leave a lot of tyre exposed from the rear, your car will need washing more often. They will also throw road grit along the side of the car causing paint chips that generate rust.

• Floor Mats. To replace the moulded carpets in today’s cars, you will need to remove the seats, side trim and centre console which may involve unhooking the gear lever, handbrake, sound system, heating/ventilation and switchgear. In other words, it costs heaps. Better to buy a set of non-slip tailored mats which you can easily shake out for a quick clean.

• Seat covers. Universal seat covers must not be used on today’s seats which contain side airbags. Getting the factory-approved seat covers as part of the initial purchase deal which will allow the side airbag to function could save you dollars compared to buying it as a separate part later.
READ MORE…

You’re 24 years old, you don’t earn much money, but you’d rather walk than drive an entry-level compact car that looks as if it came off a rental lot.

There is an alternative. Some enterprising consumers are kitting out mainstream Japanese cars with components normally sold only in Japan but that are now available on distributors’ Web sites. For a few hundred dollars more, they’re driving a vehicle like no other.

Over the past six years a small industry has mushroomed out of the importation of so-called JDM - Japanese domestic market – components, ranging from wheels and power mirrors to engines and plastic headlights. The phenomenon originated in California but has spread across the country and into the Midwest.

“Demand is very high for this stuff,” says Steve Argueta, the 25-year-old owner of JDM retailer HMotorsOnline in Burbank, Calif.

More info : http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0502/08/A01-83682.htm

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC) and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) have expressed optimism over the prospects of the domestic automotive industry this year as long as the government steps up efforts to curb the importation of used vehicles into the country.

TMPC president Nobuharu Tabata told reporters that the company is optimistic that sales would go up 5 percent to about 30,660 units this year from 29,198 units as it strives hard to achieve a triple crown for the fourth straight year this year.

Last year, TMPC dominated the industry, as well as the passenger and commercial vehicle segments with a 33.19-percent market share.

The firm sold 29,198 units last year or about 5 percent more than the 27,821 units sold in 2003.

However, he pointed out that the Philippine government must step up efforts to take a strong action against used car imports. The Philippines was the only country whose size of the domestic auto market fell 4.6 percent to 88,003 units last year from 92,248 units the previous year.

He cited the case of Thailand that sold 592,000 units last year, as well as Singapore that has less population but sold more motor vehicles than the Philippines.

“We have been asking the government to take a strong stand against used car imports. We are also asking the Japanese government to check whether or not these used vehicles comply with the Philippine regulations on safety before shipping used vehicles to the Philippines,” Tabata said.

He said about 30,000 units of used motor vehicles were shipped to the Philippines from Japan.

“There is no future for us here if we cannot stop used car imports. We are asking the government to take a strong action to stop importation of used vehicles,” Tabata said.

Another cause of concern, according to him, is the share of the brand-new imported vehicles in the domestic market.

Of the total units sold last year, only about 60 percent were assembled in the Philippines while the rest were sold from various countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We have to protect employment,” he added.

MMPC senior vice president Melchor Dizon said the company is projecting a more robust growth of 30 percent to at least 17,000 units this year from 12,717 units last year with the launching of new models.

Dizon explained that the company is projecting a better year this year after it lost at least 20 percent of their sales last year due to the phase in and phase out of the new and old Adventure, as well as the car parts problem.

This year, the company sees a 10-percent increase from the phase in and phase out of new models, 10 percent from the expansion of the market, and 10 percent from the increase in market share.

MMPC retained the second spot last year despite the 17.53-percent drop in sales to 12,717 units from 15,421 units in 2003.

It got a market share of 14.45 percent last year. Last week, the company launched the 2005 Mitsubishi Montero and the Grandis.

Both the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association expects the size of the local auto industry to expand by at least 8 percent this year from a decline of 4.68 percent last year.

By LAWRENCE AGCAOILI
TODAY Reporter
This article was originally published by

ABS CBN News

By Lyse Comins and Independent Foreign Service

South Africa has become the dumping ground for thousands of imported vehicles that leave Japan as “scrap", destined for SADC countries but which find their way on to our roads where they cause major accidents.

In 2004 alone, police recorded that 80 000 vehicles were imported via Durban harbour destined for Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique, Department of Transport motor services manager Sue Grobbelaar said.

Of these, 7 000 were listed “suspect” as stolen vehicles with Interpol.

‘A lot of these dodgy vehicles end up on our roads and are involved in accidents’
Grobbelaar said there was no record to prove that most of these vehicles had ever crossed our borders to reach their final destination, where it is mostly legal for citizens to own second-hand imports.

This emerged after Namibia’s partial ban on the import of Japanese used cars older than five years - an act that has left hundreds of cars ordered by Namibians stranded in Durban.

Referring to the situation on local roads, KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate John Schnell said South Africa had become a “dumping ground” for vehicles that could not crack roadworthy tests overseas.

“A lot of these dodgy vehicles end up on our roads and are involved in accidents. Some have been imported trucks from America,” Schnell said.

Grobbelaar said drivers of such imports involved in accidents disappeared from the scene of the accident and could not be traced. At least one South African had been left wheelchair bound after an accident at Mooi River, involving an imported second-hand vehicle.

Grobbelaar said it was illegal for South Africans to possess imported second-hand vehicles.

KwaZulu-Natal department of transport MEC Bheki Cele was not available for comment. Grobbelaar confirmed that his department was taking “drastic action” to clamp down on the imports.

“We are going to clamp down on these imports that are illegally travelling on our roads (having being) resold to our public, which can have them taken away because the relevant customs and duties have not been paid,” she said.

Grobbelaar said negotiations had been under way for some time with the department of trade and industry, the Sars, Customs and Excise and Business Against Crime to establish a vehicle testing station at Durban Harbour where vehicles could be checked with Interpol for “street-legalness".

She said the vehicles could not be certified roadworthy as they had not been built to SA standards.

Business Against Crime expert Lee Dutton said a few hundred vehicles had been left stranded in Durban following Namibia’s partial ban on the imports. The ban was effective from January 1.

He said a further 900 in-transit vehicles were stranded in Namibia after a similar ban in Angola.

Apart from South Africa which had been clamping down on imports, the vehicles were killing the second-hand market in the entire SADC region by undermining re-sale values, he said.

Dutton said many imported second-hand luxury vehicles like four-by-fours were stolen overseas in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The Namibian Ministry of Trade and Industry said it was banning vehicles older than five years from outside the Southern African Customs Union to stamp out tax evasion, ensure after-sales service for the customer, protect the environment and promote road safety.

Established car dealers with South African links, who had seen a slump in business due to the import of the Japanese “grey cars", had lobbied the Namibian government to put a stop to the import of the cars. Importers of the used cars had pleaded with the government to give them more time to land the cars which had already been ordered.

Vehicles ordered last year by second-hand car dealers and individuals before the ban came into effect have now arrived in Durban. But the vehicles cannot be delivered to Namibia because of the ban. Importers said they stood to loose thousands of rands as the ban caught them “off-guard".

Although established dealers claim that their main concern was to “get the playing field level", there are clear indications of what some in the industry call “a vicious campaign” to discredit those involved and the products they bring into Namibia.

It is claimed that the Namibian government lost millions of rand in value added tax (Vat) due to incorrect declarations of value of these vehicles.

Representatives of the local motor industry have argued that there would be no price difference between imported Japanese cars and locally available used vehicles had the “correct” duties and Vat been paid by the importers of the Asian vehicles, which are said to be cheaper.

A trade and industry department spokesman said the government needed to protect the Namibian business people from fronting for South African middlemen who imported the vehicles from Dubai instead of Japan, and to make sure Namibia does not become a dumping ground for vehicles that were too old and expensive to maintain.

A finance ministry spokesman said the ban on the imports of the used Japanese cars was to protect the public. He said some sellers claimed to use Namibia as a transit point to Angola, but ended up selling the vehicles in Namibia without paying duties.

This article was originally published on page 5 of on January 31, 2005

Pretoria News

Citroen, Peugeot and Mitsubishi are all to launch a new Land Rover Freelander-sized off-roader in the UK in 2007.

Although no official confirmation has been given by any of the three manufacturers, the new 4x4 will be the GS45X car developed by Mitsubishi and unveiled today.

Production-ready versions will make their debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2005 before going on sale in Japan in 2006. The cars will then arrive in the UK in the first half of 2007.

An off-roader has been an obvious gap in the Peugeot and Citroen ranges for some time. With Continental markets now clamouring for 4x4s as much as the UK, the French marques must be keen to get in on the act as quickly as possible.

While Mitsubishi already offers a compact off-roader, the Outlander, its appeal is limited by a lack of a diesel engine. Although it has not been confirmed, taking diesel engines from Peugeot and Citroen would be the most obvious way for the cooperation agreement to benefit Mitsubishi.

More information will be announced on Friday, February 4, after Jean-Martin Folz, chief executive officer of PSA Peugeot-Citroen, signs the final agreement in Japan.

Prices are a long way from being set, but expect to pay from around £16,000.

The second-generation Land Rover Freelander goes on sale in 2006. Renault and Volkswagen are also rumoured to be working on new off-roaders of the same size, but both are keeping details secret. Other potential rivals include the Subaru Forester, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV4.

As upstarts in the auto industry go, Suzuki is a good one. It has been introducing new cars at a furious rate; sales have been climbing every month; and some auto magazines have been praising the Japanese automaker for offering quality compact cars that represent good values – even if some models could use a little more pep.

This week, we’re taking a look at the 2005 Suzuki Forenza EX station wagon, which had a base price of $17,449. Built in South Korea for Suzuki by GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., it was equipped with a 126-horsepower, 2-liter, four-cylinder engine that is rated 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway.

The only option on my car was a $500 antilock brake system, which with destination charges brought the bottom line to $18,494, well within our $25,000 limit for Wallet Watcher of the Week.

The $18,494 price tag for the 2005 Suzuki Forenza EX station wagon includes features such as alloy wheels, power windows and locks, heated mirrors, air conditioning, side air bags, cruise control and leather seating.
Click photo for larger image.

But here’s where the value equation comes in. That price includes just about everything consumers want: Alloy wheels, full power equipment, heated mirrors, power tilt and slide sunroof, air conditioning, side air bags, cruise control, even leather seating.

You also get a considerable protection package from Suzuki. There’s a 100,000 mile, no deductible, seven-year transferrable powertrain limited warranty – a rarity in this industry and one that is sure to boost resale value by making the car more attractive to used-car purchasers. The Forenza, like other Suzukis, also has a “24/7/365″ roadside assistance program.

It’s hard to say where Forenza fits into the hierarchy at Suzuki. Unlike other manufacturers, which have pretty firm price boundaries for each line of cars they make, prices for many Suzuki models overlap.

So if you are thinking about Suzuki, it is best to think first about what type of car you want. That $14,000 or so could buy you a Reno hatchback, an Aerio crossover or a Forenza sedan or wagon, for instance – all very different lines.

It’s more clear where Suzuki ranks in the compact car field – in the premium end. These aren’t bargain basement cars, not with all the brushed aluminum, leather and chrome rings round the gauges. There’s also more than adequate legroom and space all around.

Altogether, the Forenza wagon comes off well, impressing the driver with its around-town performance, appointments and its fun-to-drive quotient.

The Forenza generally is a treat to drive because it’s peppy around town, corners well and even seems pretty quiet under way. Where you begin to get into trouble, however, is when you’re on the highway. Suzuki needs to provide more power for this car because it seems to strain a great deal when passing on the highway.

But the biggest issue for me was the gearshift and the gate for the four-speed automatic. It is a problem I’ve encountered with every Suzuki I’ve driven.

The gearshift is balky and the gate is an awkward one that requires some pushing and pulling. There are times when you have to remember to push in the head of the shift lever. I’d urge Suzuki to do something about this – quickly.

So is Suzuki’s little baby worth a look? Absolutely. Fit and finish, value, comfort and other factors certainly put it near the top in the compact car field

By Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazett

Automotive giant Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMPC), the country’s largest motor vehicle manufacturer, is spending P1.5 billion to establish a new assembly line for a new “minivan” inside its sprawling economic zone in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

The Board of Investments (BOI) is now evaluating the application of TMPC as a new domestic producer of the innovative multipurpose vehicle (IMV) with a capacity of 13,020 units once it starts commercial operations next month.

The additional equity infusion would be used to acquire machinery and equipment, dies and jigs, at the same time finance the project’s working capital requirements. The entire project cost would be sourced from internally generated funds.

The new model dubbed as “Innova” would have a seating capacity of eight and would possess a new body style, larger body size and advanced design, new chassis or platform (higher gear transmission), new frame and suspension, newly developed engine, and new advanced interior and exterior features.

The “Innova” will launched on February 14 would add to the models being assembled by TMPC, such as the Tamaraw Revo, the Corolla, and the Camry.

TMPC is a participant of the BOI’s Motor Vehicle Development Program (MVDP). Its other models include the Land Cruiser Prado, the RAV4, Hiace, Hilux pick-up and Previa.

The new model is a generic vehicle that is designed and suited for the Asian market.

The “Innova” was registered as a new basic model under Executive Order 156 otherwise known as the new MVDP last June.

The project is expected to generate employment for 1,233 direct and indirect workers.

Assemblers registered under the revised MVDP are entitled to fiscal and nonfiscal incentives such as income tax holiday (ITH) of up to six years.

TMPC has an authorized capital stock of P2 billion of which P1.55 billion has been subscribed and paid-up. Its major shareholders include the Metrobank Group (30 percent) Filipino-owned Titan Resources (21 percent), Maximus Management Holdings (9 percent), Toyota Motor of Japan with (34 percent), and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. (6 percent).

Last September, Toyota Motor of Japan announced that it was investing P7 billion to transform the Philippines as its largest manual transmission production hub outside of Japan.

The fund will also be used to modernize its existing production facilities, raise production capacities, and transfer new technology to the Philippines.

The additional equity infusion is on top of the P15-billion investments injected by the Toyota Group into the country. Besides TMPC, Toyota Japan has invested in the country through Toyota Autoparts Philippines Inc. (TAP) that is currently exporting automotive transmission and constant-velocity joint (CVJ) to various countries worldwide.

TMPC operates a plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna that was opened in 1997 where it assembles the Corolla and the Camry with a capacity of 48,000 units but only produces 20 percent of its total output.

The firm recently decided to close down its Bicutan plant built in 1988 with a capacity of 36,000 units of the Tamaraw Revo but is only producing half of its total capacity.

TMPC dominated the industry after it sold 29,198 units last year or 4.95- percent more than the 27,821 units sold in 2003.