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Mar-03-2009AUTOSHOW-UPDATE 1-Ford Europe keeps eye on capacity, costs(topic overview)
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Geneva will also see the rebirth of one of the auto industry's great heritages in the Citroen DS3 concept car. The subcompact DS concept borrows its name and an air of elegance from the classic Citroen DS large cars. The French brand plans to launch three new models to regain its prestige image over the next several years, beginning with a subcompact DS in 2010. Other intriguing models debuting at the show include Audi's 300-horsepower TT RS, which has a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine and a top speed of 155 mph, and the BMW 5-series Gran Turismo, a fastback concept that's close to an upcoming production model and reveals the styling of BMW's next 5-series sedan. Rugged crossover station wagons at the show include the Saab 9-3X, which goes on sale in the United States later this year, assuming Saab is around, and the Europe-only Audi A4 Allroad. Volkswagen will reveal the new version of its Polo subcompact, one of the brand's best sellers and a model that is a candidate for sales in the United States as VW strives to more than double its sales in America by 2018. Mercedes-Benz will show the production version of its new E-class sedan and coupe. The E-class is the first vehicle to get a new family of four-cylinder engines Mercedes developed for use across its model line as the German luxury brand works to boost the fuel efficiency of its vehicles. [1] The tiny four-seat Spark is even smaller than Chevy's Aveo subcompact. Chevrolet hopes its sharp looks and a range of accessories will help the brand gain traction with the same kind of hip and environmentally conscious buyers who line up for the Smart Fortwo and Toyota's Scion brand. The roomy Chevrolet Cruze compact, scheduled to go on sale in the United States next year, goes on sale in Europe this month and will also feature prominently in GM's display. Fiat, which is negotiating to provide technology and platforms for fuel-efficient small cars to Chrysler, will reveal a new engine technology that company considers key to its U.S. play. Fiat also wants to sell its cute 500 city car and its sporty Alfa Romeo brand in the United States in a deal that would see some models built in Chrysler factories and sold by Chrysler dealers. Fiat's stand at the show will feature a convertible model of the hit 500, while Alfa will show a lightweight GTA version of its charming MiTo subcompact.[1] Chevrolet will show the production versions of two small and fuel-efficient cars GM developed to raise the brand's global profile and rejuvenate U.S. sales. Fiat, Chrysler's potential Italian partner, will reveal new engines the company calls vital to its plan for the United States.[1]
Called the Opel Ampera, the new car will probably come from the same Detroit/Hamtramck assembly plant where Volt production is to begin next year. Chevrolet will show the production version of its Spark minicar, which is to go on sale in the United States in 2011.[1]
Geneva'sauto show draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city each year, but with car sales at an all time low, car manufacturers cutting production and the world in an all-round economic recession, how willthe 79thInternational Motor Showbe received? Michele Mischler talks to the show's director Rolf Studer, who says it'sgoing to be more or less business as usual here.[2]
Troubled General Motors' brand Opel is one volume automaker going electric, with the unveiling of the Ampera sedan - a model destined for mass production. Californian newcomer Tesla will show Europeans its $109 000 all-electric convertible sports car that's capable a four-second 0-100km/h time. Even bespoke Bentley feels obliged to acknowledge the green revolution with its most powerful production car yet, with 461kW and 12 cylinders engineered to drink biofuel as well as petrol.[3] The event, which lasts from March 5 to 15, will consequently serve as a platform for chief executives announce potential joint ventures and cost-cutting strategies. Geneva would typically give companies an opportunity to show off the fruits of their research and development divisions, including high-tech gadgets and futuristic car models. Industry watchers will be more interested in finding out how much firms are willing to cut back on their R&D; projects, potentially by sharing their technology with competitors. "Some companies are not strong enough to survive on their own, so carmakers are looking for cooperation or fusions to help them cope if liquidity runs out," said Ulrich Horstmann, an auto analyst with Bayerische Landesbank. Others have said BMW (other-otc: BAMXF - news - people ) could expand its collaboration with Peugeot, with which it already manufactures some engines. Analysts also say BMW could be looking for a venture with Honda Motor (nyse: HMC - news - people ) as it tries to expand in Asia, while Daimler (nyse: DAI - news - people ) may also be exploring the possibility to share platforms with BMW. These and other potential partnerships will come under discussion in the Swiss city as top managers meet behind closed doors to identify the most efficient synergies they can. "Will there be common platforms? What's the time frame? What do they expect to save from these synergies?" asked Gregor Claussen, an analyst with Commerzbank. "Carmakers will have to be more careful of where they put their money and how they spend it."[4] The Geneva Motor Show will feature more than 130 world premiere presentations as the auto industry tries for a few days at least to dispel some of the gloom clouding its future. In an effort to woo back consumers, European car companies are asking governments to give them billions in soft, low-interest loans to help them build cleaner cars while sales slump during the economic downturn.[5] View of the Fiat booth during the last preparations prior to the opening of the press preview days at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, 01 March 2009. The Motor Show will open its gates to the public from 5th to 15th March presenting more than 260 exhibitors and more than 85 world and European premieres.[6] Associated Press - March 2, 2009 5:44 PM ET GENEVA (AP) - The Geneva Motor Show will feature more than 130 world unveilings as the auto industry tries -- for a few days at least -- to dispel[7] NEW YORK, NY and GENEVA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/02/09 -- For the first time, the press conferences and unveilings at the 79th International Motor Show in Geneva, a top industry event, will be broadcast live and available for on-demand viewing on www.salon-auto.ch/en/presse.[8] Over the last few weeks, in the face of the mounting news that various car companies are pulling out of shows, the folks that produce the Geneva Motor Show have worked hard to assure the international press that the 79th Annual Geneva Show (2009) will be as grand as ever.[9]
During the Geneva Motor Show, new content will be made available every day during the press days. For broadcast-quality video supporting this press release, please visit ( www.thenewsmarket.com/geneva2009 ). The NewsMarket is the leading platform used by global brands, governments and NGOs to communicate with all their key audiences using video.[8]
From the looks of it, we think Geneva will be grand, owing mostly to the fact that regardless of what's happening in Detroit, there's still some great automakers, whose products are not available in North America, that are capable of picking up any slack left by diminished Detroit Three involvement. Considering that the economic outlook for the balance of this year (and the next couple of years) is that things will continue to get worse before they get better, its disheartening to think about what might take place in New York in April, Frankfurt in September, and LA in November. Therefore, even if the depression ended by the start of 2010 (which is what some foolhardy economists are pretending will happen), next week's Geneva Show may really be the last great auto show for many, many years. It's hard to think that if there was a quick end to the economic downturn that twice-bitten car companies will be willing to return to the glory days of multi-million dollar media presentations, particularly when you consider that until The Auto Channel started providing comprehensive video coverage of the major shows in 1996 the staging of exorbitant Media Days presentations were limited to just several hundred journalists and hangers-on.[9] The first European auto show of the year, in neutral territory - Switzerland has no major car maker - from March 5-15 is still expected to attract 700 000 visitors, according to the organisers. About 120 new or modified models are due to be presented in this western Swiss city as automakers from around the world woo reluctant buyers.[3]
The Geneva auto show in Switzerland this week provides desperate automakers from around the world a chance to stir interest in their new vehicles.[1]
The Geneva show is seen as a more level playing field on which car manufacturers can meet, since Switzerland lacks a substantial auto industry like other auto show hosts like Detroit or Paris.[4] The auto industry will put ecology and economy on display when the Geneva auto show opens to the public this week to try to reverse plunging sales, plant closures, lay-offs and threatened bankruptcies.[3]
GM illustrates the global reach of an industry that directly or indirectly underpins the jobs of an estimated 12-million people in Europe alone. Its fragile European offspring, Opel and Saab, have to find billions of dollars to distance themselves from their parent group. Cost concerns prompted Nissan, Porsche and Ferrari to stay away from the Detroit auto show last month but they are at Geneva, which will only suffer a halving in the size of the GM stand.[3] GM Europe president Carl-Peter Forster looks on as he attends an interview at the Opel display as preparations are underway for the Geneva Motor Show in Geneva, Monday March 2, 2009.[10] A year ago, Ford was concerned that it did not have enough overall capacity to match strong demand for some vehicles, Ford Europe President and Chief Executive John Fleming said at an event ahead of the Geneva Motor Show.[11] As C02 legislation tightens and companies are granted massive sums to speed up research into greener vehicle technologies, the 79th Geneva Motor Show will host a plethora of electric and hybrid vehicle concept cars, housed for the first time in a dedicated "Green Pavillion".[12] Anyone who feels weighed down by the doom and gloom of recession should consider a trip to Geneva for a decent dose of escapism. Strong signs of optimism will be evident at this week's motor show, where carmakers from all over the world will fill the glitzy stands with more than 30 world premieres of production and concept cars, along with dozens of European premieres.[13] Volvo will unveil the C30, a car that can run with four different kinds of fuel, while the Swiss design firm e'mobile is making an electric concept car called Lampo, Italian for "lightning". The motor show itself is also dedicating an entire pavillion to greener cars, not just those with lower fuel consumption but newer technologies, from hybrids to battery operated cars. Fiat will show the convertible version of the hot-selling and award-winning remodelling of the iconic 500 - one of the cars it plans to launch in the United States through its partnership with Chrysler. The Turin-based carmaker will also show a prototype of its Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA. As it happens, Alfa Romeo is another brand Fiat Group Autos wants to roll out in North America.[5]
"If conspicuous consumption is out of style, I'm not sure carmakers will have had time to react," observes Michael Tyndal, auto analyst with Nomura. This also means this could be the last lavish motor show for years to come. Already, at least three manufacturers have said they will skip the Frankfurt show in September.[13]
Geneva is the first major European show to take place since the EU tightened up the rules to call for an 18 percent drop in global-warming gases from new vehicles within the next six years. The generous support packages already pledged by some governments will also ensure manufacturers are keen to push their green credentials.[12] "There will be a green focus. It will be a welcome diversion from the financial crisis," said analyst Rebecca Wright of financial and economic analysis and forecasting specialist Global Insight. Makers of luxury brands will also be out in force when the annual show opens to the media tomorrow the show opens to the public on Thursday with new models ready for launch even as they seek to adjust to the new austerity. "Manufacturers will try to put on a brave face and say that it's business as usual," said Nomura International analyst Michael Tyndall.[12]
The Focus RS is the first product of Ford's new global performance team. Ford also plans to show the latest in the line of Iosis concept vehicles its European design team created to introduce the brand's striking new design.[1] The No. 3 concept is an MPV vehicle that Kia promises is "fun to drive." The advanced Lexus RX 450h will make its European debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, and UK sales are expected to start in the summer. Little brother to the recently debuted NV2500 commercial van, the NV200 boasts some impressive capabilities of its own.[14] GENEVA, March 2 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co's ( F.N ) European unit will continue to look at production capacity and all cost areas in response to the industry sales downturn, the top executive for the region said on Monday.[11] After the collapse of the European auto market and other auto markets, "now we are worried that there is too much capacity and not enough demand," Fleming said. Fleming also said he hoped for more leadership from the European Union to address the auto industry downturn, such as a broad vehicle scrapping program to support new car sales and a freeing up of credit for consumers and auto dealers.[11] Sales continued to fall in 2009.New vehicle registrations dropped by 27 percent in Europe in January to 958 000, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. They plunged by 18 percent in the U.S. during 2008, and by 37 percent in January, according to some studies.[3]
Ford's spicy 300-horsepower Focus RS performance compact foreshadows the broad range of small vehicles the automaker is engineering in Europe for production and sale around the world.[1] Passenger car registrations in Europe were down 27% in January from a year earlier. In a bid to woo back consumers, automakers are asking for billions in soft, low-interest government loans to help them build cleaner cars despite slumping sales. Detroit-based General Motors, struggling to stave off bankruptcy back home in the United States, has nearly halved its floor space.[7] Citroen's DS revival is also crucial, as it goes head-to-head with BMW's popular Mini in a market that is getting increasingly crowded. Audi is also piling in with its A1. Audi will reveal a 4x4 A4 Allroad that will, if nothing else, dwarf a rather desperate attempt by Saab to enter the crossover segment with its 9-3X. The Saab is essentially little more than a 9-3 with raised suspension and fat plastic wheel arches so it should be easy to produce, yet its eventual arrival depends on the company's survival, which at this stage seems far from certain. Executives from automotive behemoth General Motors - the owner of Saab, Opel and Vauxhall in Europe - will take a break from pleading for help from governments in order to unveil the Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid as they wax lyrically about the future of electric motoring. Again, the car's eventual arrival on the road depends on Opel surviving the current crisis, though its green credentials mean the odds are much better.[13] Germany's economy minister says the government won't be pushed into a hasty decision following General Motors Corp.' s Opel unit request for 3.3 billion euro ($4.2 billion) in aid. GM Europe proposed Friday that Opel loosen its ties with its beleaguered U.S. parent and said it would need 3.3 billion euro in financing or guarantees from European authorities over the next two years.[10]
General Motors' Opel subsidiary will roll out the new Ampera, the European relative to the North American Volt, a plug-in hybrid with an onboard gas engine to create more electricity on board.[5]
The 2009 Geneva Motor Show marks the 79th year the Swiss super rich getaway and United Nations capital has hosted an automotive exhibition, and while a pall will no doubt be hanging over the halls of the Geneva Palexpo center due to the dire state of the industry, thankfully the usual assortment of world debuts and exotic creations will be on hand to distract our attention. [14] For the world's carmakers the show must go on, and this week at the Geneva Motor Show the emphasis is expected to be put on showcasing green technologies and the industry's longer term prospects while individual companies worry over their very survival.[12]
The cars we'll see at Geneva will have been developed over the last few very profitable years for the industry." Vehicles making their debuts in Geneva will include the Mercedes E-Class Coupe, while BMW has its "Progressive Activity Sedan" a cross between a saloon, an estate car and an MPV with which to turn heads. Porsche will unveil its Cayenne Diesel and Aston Martin will show the DBS Volante, while Nissan's luxury brand Infiniti is due to have a big presence.[12] "From being a marginal, though growing, component of the show in recent years cars with a more environmental flavour are now taking centre stage." For the first time, Geneva has turned one of its seven exhibition halls into a dedicated showcase for green technology.[3]
Geneva, held from Thursday to March 15, is annually Europe's first major auto show, but as other shows from London to Tokyo shrink and consider cancellation in the face of the worldwide recession, Geneva takes on unprecedented importance and the list of vehicles to debut there grows.[1] Javier Espinoza, 03.02.09, 06:50 AM EST The Geneva Auto Show will be less about futuristic products and more about how carmakers are cutting costs to survive. Forget the fetching designs and cutting-edge technology at this week's International Geneval Auto Show. Some of the world's biggest car makers will instead be under pressure to outline how they expect to increase cooperation with their rivals and save cash as global demand for automobiles slides.[4]
The Auto Channel is and will be your only source of extensive, unabridged video and text coverage of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.[9] The NewsMarket has partnered with Stream57, the leading provider of fully customizable webcasting and streaming rich media communications, to provide live streaming and video-on-demand services to marketers and PR professionals globally starting with the Geneva Motor Show. Customers will be able to live stream their events globally and immediately make them available for on-demand viewing and media download via The NewsMarket's media and consumer distribution platform.[8] The all-new 2009 VW Polo's set to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show ]] Geneva Motor Show, but it got an early reveal today on a huge ad on the side of the Geneva Palexpo center.[15] The fun continued tonight at the Geneva Motor Show, with the VW groups private event that showed us up close and personal, the Geneva debuts and then finished with a live performance from megastar PINK.[16]
GENEVA - February 28, 2009: One of most visible effects of the current economic depression on the automotive world is what has happened to the once fabulous new car expositions. Not only have important shows in Los Angeles, Detroit and Chicago been neutered by the absence of major automakers (or their usual theatrical media presentations), but in some instances entire events have been cancelled. [9] Where : Palexpo convention center, Geneva Media days : Tuesday-Wednesday Public days : Thursday- March 15 Introductions : More than 30 production and concept vehicles expected to debut.[1]
The next generation of the European-engineered Focus is to go into production at Ford's Wayne, Mich., assembly plant next year. The lightning-fast Focus RS uses its turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine to combine 30-miles per gallon fuel economy with 0 to 62 mph acceleration of just 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 163 mph. Ford will combine turbocharging with direct fuel-injection in the EcoBoost system it will offer in V-6 engines to provide fuel economy and power in the Taurus SHO and other models in the United States this year.[1] Even the dreammakers are adapting. Swiss concept automaker Rinspeed's annual display of quirkiness this year is an electric single-seat sportster that can lengthen, at the push of a button, to accommodate three people. It's called the iChange and is covered with solar panels to showcase clean technology. The "1-2-3-seater" powered by a 130kW electric motor adapts via an "electronic trick tail"to the number of passengers: while the sporty and streamlined teardrop shape seats only the driver, two more passengers may join him once the car's rear end has risen.[3] "In that light carmakers will be keen to focus on fuel-efficiency.'' Comarth's three-seater electric "city car" will be unveiled for its world premiere, while E'Mobile will display a lightweight urban concept vehicle developed by a Swiss university, as well as Protoscar's electric sport cabriolet.[12]
GM will reveal the production version of the first European car to use the revolutionary electric drivetrain it developed for the Chevrolet Volt.[1]
Speed and luxury will dominate, with both Aston Martin and Bentley showing off their fastest, most powerful cars yet - the V12 Vantage and the Continental Supersports - while Rolls-Royce will wheel out its smaller "baby" EX200 concept. Such cars, and many other models on display in Geneva, were obviously dreamt up at a time when car buyers' share portfolios were bursting and access to credit was easy.[13] The industry was riding high on a global demand wave that seemed to go on forever. As such, rather than appearing futuristic, many of the latest car models come across as remnants from a more prosperous - albeit frighteningly recent - past, and this in turn makes their creators seem out of touch with reality.[13] There will be no shortage of smaller model launches either, with manufacturers seeking to capitalise on government schemes to promote less-polluting cars.[12]
LIFTING THE LID: One model sure to be unmatched at the 2009 Geneva auto is the Rinspeed iChange with its lifting roof and ability to change from a one to a two or three seater.[3] The Auto Channel's Press Pass Coverage has been so important, and will be of critical importance to all journalists, auto enthusiasts, and auto industry personnel next week. TACH will again be on location in Geneva and will endeavor to once again record, on video, every automaker press conference, in their entirety.[9] TAKING FRIENDS ALONG? The Rinspeed iChange is a convertible with a difference - it can change from being a single-seater to a three-seater at the touch of a button. It will be shown at the 2009 Geneva auto show.[3] Mercedes had planned to introduce the coupe later in the year, but reportedly pulled it forward because of the uncertain prospects for the rest of Europe's auto shows.[1] Some tech is close, some not so much, but auto shows are as much about the future of transportation as the present -- and the future has a green sheen to it.[14]
Geneva's a show where the Italians usually shine, and this year the spotlight will burn a little brighter on Fiat, who has been attempting to forge an alliance with ailing Chrysler in an effort to establish a beachhead on U.S. soil. [14] Among the smaller stars at the show, Fiat's convertible 500C will be an almost guaranteed hit. In business terms, the new Polo should give its parent company Volkswagen a lift, not least since it seems destined for a U.S. launch later this year.[13]
Given the motor industry's dire predicament, the atmosphere at the show is expected to be almost surreal. [13] Stay tuned for our complete coverage from the floor of the 2009 Geneva Show, March 3-4.[14] At the greener end of the spectrum, futuristic concept cars will dominate the show as the race to meet toughening emissions reduction targets gathers pace.[12] There also will be some luxury cars that carmakers may have thought better of rolling out in recession-wracked Detroit. Aston Martin is expected to show its DBS Volante convertible and Bentley is coming out with a Continental Supersports Car.[5]
Certainly, the contrast with the outside world - where sales have slumped, thousands of jobs are cut and car factories idled for weeks at the time - is stark.[13] Talk about cars at USA TODAY's Auto Forum : Discuss all things automotive in our new car forum with reporter Jayne O'Donnell. Today: Ready to buy a new car? If not, why not.[1] The NewsMarket combines award-winning, proprietary technology with a unique, strategic approach to support the marketing programs of the world's leading brands including General Motors, Volvo Cars, the U.S. Department of State, IBM, UNICEF, Facebook and Google.[8] All major automotive brands from Europe, Asia, and America will be exhibiting and more than 85 world and European premiers will be presented in the category of private vehicles alone.[8]
SOURCES
1. Automakers desperate to generate buzz at Geneva show - USATODAY.com
2. WRS | Automakers don't put the brakes on Geneva
3. motoring.co.za - Geneva show: Magnetic attraction for battery cars
4. Automakers Get Real In Geneva - Forbes.com
5. The Press Association: Green technology on show in Geneva
6. In photos: 'Geneva Motor Show Preparations'
7. Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, Sports -Automakers show new product amid gloom
8. In a First, Geneva Motor Show to Be Broadcast Live and Available On-Demand | SYS-CON UK
9. Why The Auto Channel's Press Pass Coverage of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show is So Important?
10. Switzerland auto show opel gm ''' Suomenkuvalehti.fi
11. AUTOSHOW-UPDATE 1-Ford Europe keeps eye on capacity, costs | Deals | Regulatory News | Reuters
12. Birmingham Post - Business - Business News - Automotive Business - It's business as usual for carmakers at Geneva Motor Show
13. BBC NEWS | Business | Defiant car industry spruces up Geneva
14. 2009 Geneva Motor Show - Photos & Coverage - Truck Trend
15. 2009 VW Polo: Geneva Expo Billboard Provides First Official Glimpse
16. GENEVA MOTOR SHOW PHOTOS: VW Group Exclusive Event Talks Green But Shows PINK - AutoSpies Auto News
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