Perodua sales increase 17.7% in July (UK)

Perodua UK has reported an increase of 17.7% last month. Despite falling car sales, the Malaysian has seen sales swell every month this year, with year-to-date registrations up by 60.9% on last year.

The understated Myvi supermini – underpinning the Diahatsu Sirion/Boon, Subaru Justy & Toyota Passo – has been hugely popular with buyers, thanks to its low price and high specification. It recorded a mind-boggling 81.5% increase in July registrations compared to last year.

Perodua has extended its £1,000 swappage scheme to 31st October 2010. This means the Myvi SXI manual is available from as little as £6,799.

Mercedes recalls '02 - '10 G-Class SUV (U.S)

Mercedes is recalling 3,552 ‘02-'10 G-Class SUV due to a problematic indicator light. There is a related recall on 1,938 G-Class vehicles from 2002-'09 to remove headlamp grilles, according to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

The G-Class’ regarding the indicator light recall have a protective grille cover over the indicator that may decrease visibility over time and may not conform with federal standards.

"The signal light's visibility to other motorists may be reduced over time, increasing the risk of a crash," said the NHTSA. Mercedes dealerships will fit improved turn-signal units "optimised for usage with the grille," said the NHTSA. The recall will begin in November.

The other recall in relation to the 2002-'09 G-Class entails headlamp grilles that fail to meet federal safety standards. Mercedes retailers will take off the headlamp grilles. This recall is expected to begin in November. Owners can contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372 regarding both recalls.

BMW to build X1 compact SUV in Russia (RU)

Avtotor, a Russian company that assembles car and a partner of numerous European, Asian and American car brands, will start building the new BMW X1 on 1st October.

At first, Avtotor anticipates to commence the production of the X1 sDrive18i Urban priced around £26,892, as well as xDrive20d in Urban and Lifestyle trim levels priced at £32,014 and £35,316, in that order.

BMW said the very first X1 models from the Kaliningrad plant will emerge at Russian showroom in late October. According to the company's plans, by the end of this year, more than 400 X1 models are projected to be made in Russia, while the total amount of BMW passenger cars exceeding 10,000 units. Financial information of the project has not been disclosed.

KIA shoves Ford off the top-spot (RU)

Kia Motors knocked Ford off the top spot to become the best-selling foreign car brand in Russia for the first time ever in July. According to a report, Kia sold 10,502 units last month, up from 105% the same month last year.

The sudden increase in sales comes from the popularity of the Cee'd which sold 3,253 units, the Rio (3,205), and the Sportage compact SUV (1,677).

Chevrolet took second place with 8,986 cars sold, followed by Renault SA (8,574) and Toyota (8,251). Hyundai came seventh with 7,201 although its sales climbed 56% year-on-year.

Kia's increasing sales in Russia from January through July totalled 56,231 units, behind Chevrolet with 61,996. The Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group topped the import market in the first half, selling a combined 84,278 vehicles.

Ford working on Ranger based SUV

Ford is working on a new truck-based SUV in Australia that underpins the forthcoming T6 Ranger platform and like the Ranger, it will be sold in international markets.

Ford recently sent off American engineering executive Todd Hoevener – a man who worked on the 2011 Explorer SUV in the U.S – to Australia to manage the Ranger-based SUV development.

The forthcoming SUV will predominantly be aimed at the Australian and South-East Asian market, together with Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia like the 2012 Ranger.

The T6 Ranger is scheduled to go on sale next year. The fate of the 2012 Ranger in the U.S is yet to be decided; it could go on sale or it could be axed from the Ford USA line-up with no direct replacement.

Ford Australia did not confirm the report, although Public Affairs Manager Sinead McAlary said, "T6 is a global platform and we've always said we have the capability to generate more than one vehicle off that platform."

The T6 SUV will rival the Nissan Pathfinder and the Mitsubishi Challenger.

Alfa Romeo to launch full product line-up (U.S)

Alfa Romeo will commence its line-up in the U.S in late 2012 as part of Marchionne’s strategy to turn Alfa into a “full-line premium carmaker”.

A Giulietta based compact SUV will be the first official Alfa to be sold in the U.S. The compact SUV will be produced by Chrysler and will feature a 190bhp (193PS) 2.4 litre MultiAir 4 cylinder and a Pentastar V6 with around 290bhp (294PS). Front-wheel drive will come as standard with all-wheel drive being optional.

Following the SUV will be the forthcoming Giulia saloon and estate. In the European line-up, the Giulia will replace the aging 159 sedan and wagon. European sales of the small SUV will also start in late 2012, while the Giulia models will launch in Europe in late 2011/early 2012.

In 2013, Alfa will sell a new 5dr variant of the MiTo in the U.S. At the same time, the 5dr MiTo will be launched in Europe. A two-seater rear-drive roadster is also being mulled over for a 2013 launch; this too would be built in the U.S, although a platform and factory location is yet to be decided.

A larger SUV, also built by Chrysler in the U.S and underpinning the Jeep Cherokee/Liberty will be launched in 2014, both in the U.S and Europe. This model will effectively replace the unloved Jeep Commander. A facelifted Giulietta hatchback will also land in the U.S at the same time.

If everything goes to plan, Marchionne expects Alfa to sell 85,000 units in the U.S by 2014 to help towards annual global Alfa sales of 500,000 units. Last year, the firm sold 100,000 units; around 100 of these came through Maserati dealerships in the U.S.

Subaru's RWD coupé could be more powerful than Toyota equivalent

Subaru’s variant of Toyota’s forthcoming FT-86 sports car is likely to have 60bhp more than the Toyota if development plans come to end, according to sources in Japan.

Subaru’s sports car is being developed in co-operation with the Toyota FT-86 – a sports car that has been delayed until 2013 because Toyotas desire of improving fuel economy. The forthcoming FT-86 will use a modified 2.0 litre flat four naturally aspirated from Subaru to generate around 200bhp. Subaru’s unnamed coupé will feature the Impreza STi’s turbocharged engine with approximately 260bhp.

The coupés will use a 6 speed manual gearbox from Subaru and will share similar body panels, but different bumpers, front grilles and wheels.

Subaru variant will look the more aggressive of the two. Testing is already underway in Nürburgring, Germany.

Subaru’s engineers are said to be accountable for the early development on its model and because the Toyota engineers are more familiar with the FT-86’s underpinnings: an adapted Legacy platform with the Impreza’s rear suspension.

Subaru will not use a four-wheel drive system because the added difficulty would increase weight and push up a price that has exceeded the originally limit. The Subaru coupé is likely to start in-between £25,000 and £30,000 when it hits the UK, soon after the Toyota FT-86 debut.

Other car companies eager on Lotus Evora platform

According to European operations boss Mark James, Lotus Engineering has received “a few” questions from other car firms wanting to utilise the Evora platform as a basis for models of their own. However, some may go with the Elise platform instead. Mark James says that Lotus does not pursue third-party businesses such as this, but that it’s “always happy to talk”.

The Evora's wheelbase is 275mm longer than the Elise’s, but that space goes to the interior and engine bay. Around 75mm goes towards the driver’s seat travel, a V6 engine instead of an in-line 4 cylinders and enough rear legroom for a passenger up to 5ft tall. The overall length is 4,342mm and the boot can hold a full set of golf clubs. The Evora can be had in both 2+0 and 2+2 configurations.

The Evora chassis uses Elise ideology; it’s a self-supporting, bonded and rapt structure that combines folded sheet aluminium and extrusions.

This time, it is made in three pieces. A rear structure houses the V6 engine and a compact double wishbone rear suspension. A bolt-on front structure carries the double wishbone front suspension and provides a crash structure, which has proved a huge success in crash testing. The Evora suspension is an ultra-modern assembly of forged aluminium wishbones coil-over shock absorbers and specially designed uprights.

Via Autocar

Renault aborts Koleos from line-up (UK)

Renault’s most anticipated compact SUV of the last decade has been terminated from the UK line-up.

The Koleos has only been on sale for two years before it was given the axe, due to poor sales. No more models of the compact SUV will be imported, with the handful of cars in the dealer network the last to be sold in this country.

“It’s in the price guide at the moment, but I doubt it will be in the next one,” said a Renault spokesman. “We’ve got less than 20 cars left in stock, and when they’re gone that’s it.”

A mere 2,875 units of the Koleos have homes in the UK, not enough for bosses to excuse the cost of keeping it in the line-up. Renault hasn’t acknowledged a clear reason as to why it’s been a failure, but exclaims the timing of its launch – as the economic slowdown took hold in July 2008 – is partly to blame. Insiders say that meant the Koleos never got the early sales momentum a new model needs to be a hit.

The Koleos has been popular in other European markets like Spain, who nabbed 3,400 units already this year.

Motor show models in 2000 and 2006 wore the Koleos nameplate before the production car was revealed.

Geely wants large executive sedan for Volvo

Geely, the new owners of Volvo would like to see the company produce flagship executive cars to compete directly with BMW, Audi and Mercedes.

Geely boss, Li Shufu said he wanted to see the Swedish car firm make more “high level cars that compete with the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series”.

Shufu said at a press conference in London that Volvo has the technology and research ability to contend with other large executive cars as well as command higher retail prices. Shufu has also said that a dive into the booming Chinese car market would demand luxury that Chinese customers could “see through their eyes and touch with their hands”. However, the comments point towards the pressure the new Volvo board will be under to keep hold of Volvo’s Scandinavian brand values as well as appeal to Chinese consumers.

Geely paid just over £1bn ($1.8bn) to buy the unprofitable Volvo and allegedly wants to almost double sales from last year’s 335,000 units. Volvo made losses of approximately £400m last year, but says that a relatively modest increase in sales should tip it back into profit.