Hyundai’s new concept crossover, the Vision T, is more than just a styling exercise that will influence future vehicles. It’s also very much the design model for the next-generation Tucson coming next year. Hyundai won’t say that in so many words, but the “T” is more than coincidence.
“Without giving it 100 percent away, I think that what you see downstairs is what you’re going to see coming right around the corner,” said Randy Parker, vice president of national sales for Hyundai Motor America. “I happened to be in Korea just a few weeks ago and I saw the same car — let’s call it the almost production version of it — and it was beautiful,” Parker said at the Los Angeles Auto Show. “That concept pretty much looks like the production version.”
Unlike the coming Tucson, the concept is imagined as a plug-in hybrid with a charging port, and the “Sensuous Sportiness” design language will find its way into additional Hyundai vehicles.
“The long hood and level roofline coupled with a long wheelbase and short overhangs reflect a ready-for-anything dynamic character,” the automaker said. “In contrast to prevailing compact-SUV designs, Vision T uses crisp geometric angles and edges to create a striking contrast between a sleek silhouette and masculine wedge lines.”
The Vision T has a length of 181.5 inches, compared with 176.4 for the current Tucson on sale in the U.S., so perhaps the compact crossover is growing for the next generation. Let’s just hope the hidden front headlamps and running lights that fade into the grille when not being used make it from the concept into the production crossover.
As promised, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad gifted Imran Khan a SUV car as a gesture of goodwill and to initiate producing the Malaysian brand car here in Pakistan. The car is none other than Made in Malaysia, Proton X70 SUV.
It recently arrived in Pakistan, as a special gift handing ceremony was held in Islamabad on 16th December 2019. Advisor to PM, Mr. Razzak Dawood was the guest of honour, who received the SUV by Malaysian High Commissioner Mr. Ikram, on behalf of PM Imran Khan.
Mr. Hilal Afridi from Al-Haj Automotive was present, Mr. Muahmmad Zahid who is the Chairman of Board of Investment and other government officials ; along with Al-Haj team members attended this event.
The Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P) has awarded Greenfield investment status to Al-Hajj automotive group to assemble Proton cars in Pakistan under automotive development policy 2016-21 last month.
This Proton plant will be the first-ever CKD plant in Pakistan, the plan officially began back in 22nd of May 2019 when the Malaysian Prime Minister and Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan signed a ceremonial marble plaque at an event held in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The plans began back in the year 2017 when the Proton developers disclosed their plans to achieve the target of selling 400,000 units by 2027. The major part of their plan was to establish CKD plants in overseas markets. For making their way in Pakistan they choose Al-Haj Automotive and the agreement between both companies was signed on 29 August 2018. To take benefit of the subsidized duties offered to CKD vehicles a plan came in the form to establish an assembly plant in Pakistan.
Al-Haj Automotive group has the resources and the experience to give growth to Proton in Pakistan. The new CKD plant which will be built on Greenfield assembly has an initial investment of USD30 million. The assembly plant will create 2,000 direct employment opportunities in the first three initial years of commencement and 20,000 indirect jobs as the plant commissions.
Maruti Suzuki India today announced a recall of over 60,000 units of petrol Smart Hybrid (SHVS) variants of Ciaz, Ertiga and XL6 vehicles that were manufactured between 1 January 2019 and 21 November 2019. Maruti will inspect 63,493 vehicles of petrol SHVS of Ciaz, Ertiga and XL6 for a possible issue with the Motor Generator Unit (MGU), India’s biggest carmaker said.
A possible defect may have occurred in the MGU during manufacturing by an overseas global part supplier, Maruti added.
Recall campaigns are undertaken globally to rectify faults that may be potential safety defects.
Vehicles requiring replacement of faulty part will be retained for part replacement free of cost, Maruti said. For customer convenience, Maruti Suzuki said dealers may make alternate mobility arrangements, if required.
Starting today, owners of the suspected vehicles under this recall campaign will be contacted by Maruti Suzuki dealers for inspection and replacement of the faulty parts, Maruti said.
Maruti Suzuki shares were trading 1% lower at ₹6,932 apiece in noon trade.
Maruti Suzuki had earlier announced a price hike starting next month. The price increase will vary for different models, Maruti Suzuki said in a communication to exchanges, without disclosing the quantum of price hike. Maruti Suzuki cited increase in various input costs for its decision to increase prices.
Currently, Maruti sells a range of vehicles starting from entry-level small car Alto to premium multi-purpose vehicle XL6 with price ranging from ₹2.89 lac to ₹11.47 lac.
Nissan Motor will accelerate its shift to a fresh management team, with its new President and CEO Makoto Uchida taking office on Dec. 1, one month earlier than initially planned.
The company plans to hold an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in February and appoint new board members before the regular June meeting. The new management team will be led by a generation of executives who have climbed up the corporate ladder since Nissan allied itself with Renault, two decades ago.
Ahead of the transition, alliance partners Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors announced Friday that it will appoint a general secretary to coordinate and facilitate major alliance projects going forward. The general secretary will be named in the coming days.
The announcement came after alliance chairman Jean-Dominique Senard, Renault’s chairman, hosted leaders of the alliance in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Attending were Nissan’s Uchida, incoming Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta, acting Renault CEO Clotilde Delbos, her acting deputies Jose-Vicente de Los Mozos and Olivier Murguet, and from Mitsubishi, Chairman Osamu Masuko and CEO Takao Kato.
Nissan and Renault seek to restart the engine of the alliance, which was once touted as the most successful auto alliance in history, but was severely battered after the arrest in November 2018 of the charismatic then-Chairman Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial misconduct.
The arrest triggered a bitter battle over management control between the Japanese automaker and its French parent, ruining both the health and the reputation of the partnership.
The relationship is now in its worst shape since Nissan and Renault forged the alliance based on cross-shareholdings in 1999. The dispute has also badly damaged the bottom lines of both companies.
The first order of business for Uchida, the current head of Nissan’s China operations, is to fix the strained relationship with Renault in a way that best serves the interests of all stakeholders, including Nissan’s minority shareholders, employees and business partners.
Uchida spent his early childhood outside Japan and left trading house Nissho Iwai (now Sojitz) to join Nissan in 2003 in a career move inspired by Ghosn’s efforts to globalize the carmaker’s operations. By capitalizing on his rich international experience and fluent English, Uchida demonstrated strong leadership skills in the joint business with Renault.
On Sunday, Gupta, currently the COO of Mitsubishi, will join Nissan to become its COO. Senior Vice President Jun Seki, who has spent most of his years at Nissan in its manufacturing operations, will become vice COO to support Gupta.
The planned extraordinary shareholders meeting to be held in Yokohama on Feb. 18, 2020, will be the third shareholder meeting in less than a year, which is unusual for Japanese companies. At the meeting, the appointment of Uchida, Gupta and Seki to their new top posts should be approved, while Pierre Fleuriot, lead independent director of Renault and confidant of Chairman Senard, is set to be elected as a new Nissan board member.
Nissan has also decided to let go of some long-standing figures who opposed the merger with Renault, including Yasuhiro Yamauchi, the current chief operating officer who has been serving as interim CEO.
Hiroto Saikawa, who succeeded Ghosn as Nissan CEO, has been forced to step down after admitting he received improperly inflated compensation, while Renault’s board voted last month to oust Thierry Bollore as CEO. Bollore’s successor has yet to be named.
If approved, Nissan’s board of directors will consist of 12 members. With the exception of seven independent outside directors, the remaining five will be Uchida, Gupta, Seki, Fleuriot and Senard. The number of Nissan executives will increase to three from two on the current board. The nominating committee, made up of outside directors, has decided to nominate new directors.
“While Uchida and Seki were recommended by Nissan to the committee, Gupta, who worked for both Nissan and Renault in the past, was jointly recommended by Renault and Nissan,” said a Nissan executive. The addition of the new executives and board members is viewed as providing a more balanced lineup that can heal the conflict-riven alliance.
Many Nissan executives are speculating that as its new management team will be less hostile to the idea of the Renault-Nissan marriage, Senard may launch a fresh initiative toward the integration of the two automakers.
The global auto industry is undergoing radical changes, driven by new technologies and services epitomized by the acronym CASE (connectivity, autonomy, sharing and electrification), which are reshaping the sector.
Nissan has wasted precious time in management turmoil, even as competition with rivals has become increasingly fierce. In China, the world’s largest auto market, where Nissan was said to have been the most successful among Japanese automakers, the company has lost market share in the passenger car segment to Toyota Motor.
Under Ghosn’s leadership, Nissan relaunched the low-priced Datsun brand in emerging markets. The brand has not grown as much as expected and the automaker will soon stop manufacturing those models in Indonesia. In the U.S., Ghosn’s expansion strategy, which entailed massive sales incentives, has stalled and profits deteriorated.
Nissan on Nov. 12 lowered its net profit forecast for the full year through March 2020 to 110 billion yen ($1 billion), down 65.5% from the previous year and the lowest since fiscal 2009.
“Unlike in the past, we are not chasing market share; we are not chasing volume; we are really primarily focused on sustainable long-term growth,” Corporate Vice President Stephen Ma, who will become the new chief financial officer on Sunday, said at an earnings announcement, emphasizing the shift from the past management.
The new management team, led by people who have built their careers under Ghosn’s powerful leadership, which left both positive and negative legacies, needs to act swiftly to lay out a clear and convincing vision for the new capital structure of the alliance and strategy for growth.
Several bike manufacturers have increased their prices this year due to a decline in sales and prevailing economic conditions. Devaluation of Rupee has also been cited as one of the causes behind the increase in prices however, the currency has remained stable during the past six months.
The latest bike maker to hike their prices is Suzuki Motorcycles, who have announced an increase in the prices of multiple models. You can see the updated prices below:
Model
New Price
Suzuki GD110S
Rs. 172,000
Suzuki GS150
Rs. 182,000
Suzuki GS150SE
Rs. 199,000
Suzuki GR150
Rs. 273,000
It is pertinent to point out that these prices are ex-factory but include the freight charges.
Interestingly, the motorbikes by Suzuki are priced higher than the bikes made by Honda and Yamaha. The major features for Suzuki’s bikes were the lease facilities and zero markups offered by the company. There have been cases where they were sold below the invoice prices.
However, an increase in the prices might hurt the company’s sales considering that Yamaha has revamped its bike lineup for 2019.
Moreover, motorbike prices has been increasing rapidly throughout the year, even though the Dollar to Rupee rate has been stable for quite some time. the company’s approach to repeatedly increasing prices may prove to do more harm than good.
Hyundai Nishat Motors Private limited (HNMPL) has started the booking of their ‘Hyundai H-100 Porter’ truck and the introductory price is starting from Rs. 2,449,000. A launching ceremony, booking opening and the price announcement was held on 2nd of December 2019 in Lahore. The ceremony invited large number of dealers, various bankers, vendors and valued customers.
Pakistan’s famous light commercial truck/pickup ‘Shehzore’, has the same engine as that of Hyundai H-100 previously which has now been discontinued and people are waiting for this pickup since a long time. The pickup has 1.0 ton towing weight capacity, 2.6 L Euro II diesel engines with 5-speed manual transmission power. The Porter H-100 has various applications; it can be used as a flat deck van, an ambulance, a security van, a refrigerator van, and a delivery van. Also, Hyundai H-100 Porter will be the first locally assembled pickup that offers a four- year or 100,000 km warranty. This news is a relief for the rapidly, falling automotive industry of Pakistan.
The offer has never been given by any other local assembler in Pakistan because of which the consumers have been anticipating the pickup to be launched for a long time. These offers make the Hyundai H-100 Porter a tough competition to tackle.
Hyundai Nishat Motors Private limited (HNMPL) announced a local assembling vehicle plant in October 2019 during its launch program. According to the announcement, the plant was to be operational by January 2020. The launch ceremony was done for their digital showroom and Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid car in Karachi on last month. The inaugurated facility included the company’s trademark 3S dealership, along with a digital showroom.
Locally assemble Huyndai Porter H-100 in its manufacturing facility in Faisalabad which would give the Hyundai H-100 Porter a 20% indigenization. Talking with media at the occasion of Inauguration ceremony of showroom in Karachi, Tatsuya Sato of HNMPL says that a total investment of $150 million has been made in the Faisalabad facility which will have an annual production capacity of 15,000 units. It is a CKD operation in which the parts would be imported and locally assembled in the production plant. Also, the facility will open up 250 employment opportunities for the locals. Lastly, he added that the company aims to increase localization by 45% over the next 5 years.
With the rupee depreciating as dollar raises the indigenization can help make the market more sustainable. Speaking on this the COO said that that this parity is also hitting current assemblers regardless of attaining 65% localization. “Higher indigenization in vehicles can stabilize on which we are focusing more.”
As per Automark sources, the HNMPL is also eyeing the Prime Minister ‘Kamyab Jawan Kamyaab Pakistan’ campaign by the National Youth Development program. The program offers 6 schemes through which the youth can get more opportunities to excel in their desired programs.
HNMPL is a joint venture between Nishat Group (Pakistan), Sojitz Corporation (Japan), and Millat Tractors Limited (Pakistan), and is partnering with Hyundai Motors (Korea) to become a leader in the automobile market in Pakistan.
Companies like HNMPL are focusing on the startup scheme through which the young people will be encouraged to try their hands at business by investing in the commercial vehicle business. Opportunities like these are lucrative for both the industrialist and the youth. If successful, this would be a boost to the industrialists who are moving rapidly towards indigenization.
The ground breaking ceremony of the Hyundai-Nishat vehicle assembly plant at Faisalabad’s M-3 Industrial City took place in last December 2017. The local production of vehicles is expected to begin within two years. Hyundai-Nishat Motors signed an investment agreement with the Ministry of Industries and Production under the Automotive Development Policy 2016 – 21 in early December 2017 to set up a Green Field project to undertake assembly and sale of passenger cars and one-ton commercial vehicles.
The groundbreaking was performed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The venture sees an investment of US $230 Million as the plant will initially produce 7,000 vehicles by 2020 and will enhance its production to 30,000 units by year 2023. Hyundai-Nishat intends to launch a range of vehicles from hatchbacks, sedans & SUVs to commercial vehicles. Three vehicles were displayed during the event, namely Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai H-1 van and Hyundai H-100 pickup (The latest version of Hyundai Commercial Pickup known as Shehzore in Pakistan).
South Korea’s Hyundai Motors said on Tuesday it has signed a preliminary deal to build a new factory in Indonesia, which would be its first car plant in Southeast Asia and a crack at Japanese rivals that dominate the market.
The deal comes as Hyundai and affiliate Kia Motors struggle with a prolonged sales downturn in China, where they suspended two factories this year.
Hyundai Motor said it will invest about $1.55 billion in the Indonesia auto manufacturing plant from now until 2030, including product development and operation costs.
The facility, to be built in the city of Bekasi, east of Jakarta, will start production in late 2021, with an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles and a plan to grow that to 250,000 vehicles a year, Hyundai said.
Hyundai plans to make small sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), while electric vehicles (EVs) tailored to Southeast Asian market are under consideration.
Hyundai said it is building the production facilities to avoid import tariffs ranging from 5% to 80% in the ASEAN region. The plant will cater to Indonesia, the region’s largest automobile market, and other countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it said.
The plant will allow the automaker to secure future growth to help it “combat slowing demand in the global automotive market”, Hyundai said in its statement.
The deal was signed at an event attended by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Hyundai Motor Executive Vice Chairman Euisun Chung. Widodo is in South Korea for a meeting of ASEAN leaders hosted by South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Moon has been pushing a “New Southern Policy” aiming to deepen ties with Southeast Asia as Seoul seeks to curb its reliance on traditional trading partners like China and the United States.
Hyundai is far behind Japanese rivals in Southeast Asia, with its sales reaching 122,883 vehicles versus Toyota’s 854,032 from January to September this year, according to research firm LMC Automotive.
LMC Automotive forecast a 4% year-on-year decline in total vehicle sales in the ASEAN region in the fourth quarter, partly because the slowdowns in the Thai and Indonesian economies show no signs of abating.
Hyundai said key ASEAN countries including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore are expected to see combined vehicle sales grow to 4.49 million units in 2026, from 3.16 million in 2017.
First time with a new 1.0 liter TURBO engine with 122 PS that offers driving performance superior to a 1.5 liter engine, torque equivalent to 1.8 liter engine, and fuel efficiency to a maximum 23.8 kilometers/liter. – Exterior design combines sportiness and elegance with a more spacious cabin than other city cars. – Value-added functions and features for comfort and comes with a lower price for every variant. – Takes the sporty look to the next level with an RS variant available for the first time. – Experience the all-new Honda City at the 36th Thailand International Motor Expo 2019 and at Honda showrooms nationwide starting from 24 December, 2019. BANGKOK, Nov, 25 2019 – (JCN Newswire) -Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. officially launched the world premiere of the 5th generation all-new Honda City in Thailand, the next level of a city car that offers an unprecedented and unparalleled experience that goes beyond any possibilities. The new model’s exterior design offers an image of uncompromising sportiness and elegance, while the cabin is spacious and luxurious beyond its class.
The all-new Honda City takes driving performance to the next level with a new 1.0 liter VTEC TURBO engine that delivers 122 PS for the ultimate in performance combined with superior fuel efficiency, and it’s also fully equipped with advanced technologies for comfort and safety. An RS variant of the all-new Honda City is available for the first time, offering a sportier look with a complete RS package, the latest generation of Honda CONNECT technology that provides connectivity between a driver and car, and a new exterior color “Ignite Red.” Interested customers can experience the all-new Honda City at the 36th Thailand International Motor Expo 2019 which takes place from 29 November until 10 December. The all-new Honda City will be available at Honda showrooms nationwide starting from 24 December, 2019. As an exclusive offer, customers who reserve an all-new Honda City between 25 November and 31 December, 2019, and take delivery of the car within 31 January, 2020, will receive a Fitbit Smart Tracker Charge 3 in a graphite/black color, worth 6,490 THB.
Mr. Masayuki Igarashi, Chief Officer for Regional Operations (Asia & Oceania), Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and President and CEO, Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd., said, “Honda City, one of our most important models, was developed and launched as a regional model back in 1996. It has consistently received overwhelming feedback from the 1st through the 4th generation, with accumulated sales of four million units in 60 countries worldwide. The Asia & Oceania region is an important market for Honda City, with more than 100,000 units sold in the region in 2019 (January to September 2019), which accounts for almost 70% of Honda City sales worldwide. We also consider Thailand as a key market for Honda City due to the country’s strong market potential and because it is Honda’s largest production base in the region. As Thailand is the leading market for City, today Thai people will be the first to witness the world premiere of the 5th generation all-new Honda City, which we expect to create an unprecedented phenomenon as it exceeds the expectations of customers and sets a new standard for Thailand’s automotive market once again.”
The all-new Honda City’s exterior delivers a more premium yet sportier look with sharp character lines that will really attract attention, as well as projector headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), LED Tail Lights, Chrome Front Grille, Shark Fin Antenna, and newly-designed 15-inch alloy wheels.
The interior design contributes to its unprecedented ergonomics along with a more spacious cabin that creates an ergonomic environment with seating that provides optimal comfort for the driver and all passengers. The all-new Honda City’s luxury and elegance is enhanced by a black interior or leather seats with a two-tone ivory/black interior (SV variant only), a Piano Black console, and chrome inside door handles. It responds to all driving styles with premium functions such as a Multi-information Display (MID) with illumination, 8-inch Advanced Touch Display Audio with Apple CarPlay and Siri Voice Control, Multi-function Steering Wheel with HFT, Bluetooth connectivity, and an automatic Air-conditioning system.
For the first time, the all-new Honda City is available in a RS variant that gives it a sportier and more premium look. The RS variant comes with a complete set of sporty aeroparts including a Gloss Black front grille with RS logo emblem, sporty front bumper and grille, LED Headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL), LED Fog Lights, Sporty Black Power-retractable Side Door Mirror with Turning Light, Gloss Black Trunk Spoiler with an “RS” logo, and new sporty-design 16-inch Alloy Wheels. The cabin is fully equipped to reflect a complete look of sportiness with newly-designed suede leather seats with red stitching, a Multi-information Display with red illumination, and an eye-catching new Ignite Red exterior color exclusively available for the RS variant.
The all-new Honda City takes performance to the next level with a new 1.0 liter DOHC 3-cylinder, 12-valve, VTEC TURBO engine. The turbocharger further enhances combustion efficiency, and the engine delivers a maximum 122 PS at 5,500 rpm and maximum torque of 173 Newton-meters at 2,000 to 4,500 rpm. The new engine provides driving performance superior to the 1.5 liter engine in the previous generation and powerful torque equivalent to a 1.8 liter engine. The engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to ensure ultimate fuel efficiency of 23.8 kilometers/liter. The 7-speed paddle shift offers exciting driving yet a comfortable drive with the cruise control system. The all-new Honda City is more environmentally friendly as it meets the EURO 5 standard and has a CO2 emission rate of only 99 grams/kilometer. This engine is compatible with E20 fuel. To enhance confidence in all driving conditions, the all-new Honda City’s advanced safety technologies include a G-CON (G-Force Control) body structure, six airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and Multi-angle Rearview Camera. The all-new Honda City is available in four variants: – RS 739,000 THB – SV 665,000 THB – V 609,000 THB – S 579,500 THB
It comes in six colors including new Ignite Red Metallic exclusively for the RS variant, Platinum White Pearl exclusively for the RS and SV variants, and Crystal Black Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, Modern Steel Metallic, and Taffeta White for the V and S variants. Customers who reserve an all-new Honda City from 25 November until 31 December, 2019, and take delivery of the car within 31 January, 2020, will receive a Fitbit Smart Tracker Charge 3 in a graphite/black color, worth 6,490 THB.
To complete the all-new Honda City’s sportier look in your style, Honda offers a Modulo accessories set under the concept “Stage Up Booster” that includes a Trunk Spoiler (Wing Type) at 8,150 THB, Sport Pedals at 1,300 THB, Side Step Garnish LED at 4,400 THB, 15-inch Sport Alloy Wheels at 3,600 THB(price per wheel not including tires), LED Fog Lights at 5,500 THB, and a Drive Recorder at 3,850 THB. The Modulo Accessories are also available in three packages: – Modulo Aero Package, priced at 15,500 THB, which includes a set of two front under spoilers, a set of two side under spoilers, and a set of two rear under spoilers. – Modulo Aero RS Package, priced at 17,900 THB, which includes a set of two front under spoilers, a set of two side under spoilers, and a set of two rear under spoilers. – Modulo Aero Sport Package, priced at 23,500 THB, which includes a set of two front under spoilers, a set of two side under spoilers, a set of two rear under spoilers, and a trunk spoiler (wing type).
Hyundai Nishat Motors Private limited (HNMPL) has not yet
announced the prices of their ‘Hyundai H-100 Porter’, however, as per Automark
sources the launching ceremony, booking opening and the price announcement is
expected to be on 2nd of December 2019 in Lahore. The ceremony invites have
been sent to large number of dealers, various bankers, vendors and valued customers.
Pakistan’s famous light commercial truck/pickup ‘Shehzore’, has the same engine as that of Hyundai H-100 previously which has now been discontinued and people are waiting for this pickup since a long time. The pickup has 1.0 ton towing weight capacity, 2.6L Euro II diesel engines with 5-speed manual transmission power. The Porter H-100 has various applications; it can be used as a flat deck van, an ambulance, a security van, a refrigerator van, and a delivery van. Also, Hyundai H-100 Porter will be the first locally assembled pickup that offers a four- year or 100,000 km warranty. This news is a relief for the rapidly, falling automotive industry of Pakistan.
The offer has never been given by any other local assembler
in Pakistan because of which the consumers have been anticipating the pickup to
be launched for a long time. These offers make the Hyundai H-100 Porter a tough
competition to tackle.
Hyundai Nishat Motors Private limited (HNMPL) announced a
local assembling vehicle plant in October 2019 during its launch program.
According to the announcement, the plant was to be operational by January 2020.
The launch ceremony was done for their digital showroom and Hyundai Ioniq
Hybrid car in Karachi on last month. The inaugurated facility included the
company’s trademark 3S dealership, along with a digital showroom.
Locally assemble Huyndai Porter H-100 in its manufacturing
facility in Faisalabad which would give the Hyundai H-100 Porter a 20% indigenization.
Talking with media at the occasion of Inauguration ceremony of showroom in
Karachi, Tatsuya Sato of HNMPL says that a total investment of $150 million has
been made in the Faisalabad facility which will have an annual production
capacity of 15,000 units. It is a CKD operation in which the parts would be
imported and locally assembled in the production plant. Also, the facility will
open up 250 employment opportunities for the locals. Lastly, he added that the
company aims to increase localization by 45% over the next 5 years.
With the rupee depreciating as dollar raises the
indigenization can help make the market more sustainable. Speaking on this the
COO said that that this parity is also hitting current assemblers regardless of
attaining 65% localization. “Higher indigenization in vehicles can stabilize on
which we are focusing more.”
As per Automark sources, the HNMPL is also eyeing the Prime
Minister ‘Kamyab Jawan Kamyaab Pakistan’ campaign by the National Youth
Development program. The program offers 6 schemes through which the youth can get
more opportunities to excel in their desired programs.
HNMPL is a joint venture between Nishat Group (Pakistan),
Sojitz Corporation (Japan), and Millat Tractors Limited (Pakistan), and is
partnering with Hyundai Motors (Korea) to become a leader in the automobile
market in Pakistan.
Companies like HNMPL are focusing on the startup scheme
through which the young people will be encouraged to try their hands at
business by investing in the commercial vehicle business. Opportunities like
these are lucrative for both the industrialist and the youth. If successful,
this would be a boost to the industrialists who are moving rapidly towards
indigenization.
The ground breaking ceremony of the Hyundai-Nishat vehicle
assembly plant at Faisalabad’s M-3 Industrial City took place in last December
2017. The local production of vehicles is expected to begin within two years.
Hyundai-Nishat Motors signed an investment agreement with the Ministry of
Industries and Production under the Automotive Development Policy 2016 – 21 in
early December 2017 to set up a Green Field project to undertake assembly and
sale of passenger cars and one-ton commercial vehicles.
The groundbreaking was performed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The venture sees an investment of US $230 Million as the plant will initially produce 7,000 vehicles by 2020 and will enhance its production to 30,000 units by year 2023. Hyundai-Nishat intends to launch a range of vehicles from hatchbacks, sedans & SUVs to commercial vehicles. Three vehicles were displayed during the event, namely Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai H-1 van and Hyundai H-100 pickup (The latest version of Hyundai Commercial Pickup known as Shehzore in Pakistan).
A panel of 11 experts have named the all-new 2020 Toyota Corolla and its first-ever hybrid variant as the 2020 Green Car of the Year. It may surprise you to learn this is only the second time a Toyota model wins the award since 2007, when the Toyota Camry Hybrid had earned the honor (though many Toyota models did finish as runners-up).
“The new Corolla and Corolla Hybrid represent significant achievements for Toyota and clearly deserve the 2020 Green Car of the Year honor,” said Green Car Journal editor and publisher Ron Cogan.
“Corolla sells in huge numbers worldwide. This means the impressive fuel efficiency of both gasoline and hybrid Corollas promises to bring substantial, cumulative and meaningful reductions in carbon emissions and fuel use now and in future years.”
The all-new 2020 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Hybrid were launched earlier this year and have already been changing the subcompact car landscape. The Corolla Hybrid is now the most affordable hybrid vehicle you can buy with a Toyota badge, and with its estimated 53 city mpg rating, it’s one of the most fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles you can buy too.
It’s not a stretch to say that the Corolla’s stylish new design and new, fuel-efficient powertrain have been responsible for keeping it ahead of the industry. Toyota says that sales of the total Corolla lineup are “holding steady” even though the subcompact segment is currently down more than 15 percent compared to 2019.
“This award is one we’ve been eyeing for a while now, so it’s great to get this recognition and stamp of approval,” said Bill Fay, senior VP of automotive operations at Toyota Motor North America. “It really is a testament to the desire and effort of Toyota team members to help reduce our environmental impact, while delivering quality and choice to our customers.”
