American automakers aren't turning as many heads these days as they used to. Kelley Blue Book (KBB) released its quarterly Brand Watch report this week, giving insights on what brands shoppers considered the most amongst mass market, luxury and electrified vehicles. Toyota took the top position among all mass market brands, reclaiming it from Ford who knocked the Japanese automaker off of that position in the previous quarter. Prior to that, Toyota had held that spot for almost four years. In the survey, 34 percent of shoppers said they considered a Toyota vehicle, with the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Highlander receiving the highest levels of attention. Ford and Chevrolet were runners-up, finishing the quarter with 32 percent and 30 percent, respectively. The top three non-luxury models that were considered, were the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 , the 2022 Ford F-150 and the 2022 Honda Accord. Those surveyed said cited Toyota's reputation for reliability as a key … [Read more...] about BMW and Toyota (Not Tesla) top shoppers’ most desirable vehicle brands list
Toyota
Knotty supply chains deepen global chip shortage
If the pandemic had a partner in crime, it must be the global chip shortage. The duo has hit established economic systems world-wide, and made several organisations scale back production and rework their manufacturing and supply chain processes. Toyota Corporation on Tuesday apologised to its suppliers and customers a third time in less than two months for delaying making new vehicles and changing production plans for the June ending quarter. On March 17, the Japanese automaker said it is pressing the brakes on production targets to rework a plan that will not max out factory capacity, push employees to their limits, and make do through overtime work. A month later, the Japanese automaker cut its global production target for the period between April and June by 1,00,000 to 7,50,000 vehicles in May. And then again, on May 24, it said ,“Due to the impact of semiconductor shortages, we have adjusted our production plan by tens of thousands of units globally from the number provided to … [Read more...] about Knotty supply chains deepen global chip shortage
Mexican Congressional Van Seized in Election Crimes Case in Border State
Authorities in a Mexican border state seized a van registered to Mexico’s Congress as it was being used to spread propaganda for the country’s ruling party. The seizure comes as the state of Tamaulipas prepares for a contested gubernatorial race. The case took place in the port city of Tampico, where state police on the north side responded to anonymous calls about individuals coercing residents into surrendering their federally issued voter ID cards, a statement from the Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office revealed. When authorities checked the vehicle, they discovered the white Toyota van was registered to Mexico’s Federal Congress and was being used by members of Morena, the ruling political party founded by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Inside the vehicle, authorities found propaganda materials. Authorities seized the assets and turned them over to Tamaulipas Ministerial Agents for investigation and prosecution on the charges of misappropriation of public … [Read more...] about Mexican Congressional Van Seized in Election Crimes Case in Border State
Maruti Suzuki Leads Passenger Vehicle Exports in April at 18,216 Units
Carmakers Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Hyundai Motor India Ltd led the industry in terms of passenger vehicle exports last month, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association (SIAM) said on Wednesday. As per the export data released by SIAM, Maruti Suzuki had shipped out 18,216 units (17,131 units in April 2021) while Hyundai Motors exported 12,200 units last month (10,201 units). The other passenger vehicle exporters last month were: Honda Cars India Ltd 2,034 units, FCA India Automobiles 366 units, Kia Motors India 8,077 units, Mahindra & Mahindra 693 units, Nissan Motor India 1,229 units, Renault India 917 units, Toyota Kirloskar Motor 14 units and Volkswagen India 2,802 units. According to SIAM data, last month the manufacturers rolled out 307,506 units (305,952 units) and sold – domestic 251,581 units (261,633 units), and exports 46,548 units (42,017 units). “Sales of passenger vehicles is still below the April 2017 figures, while two-wheelers are even below … [Read more...] about Maruti Suzuki Leads Passenger Vehicle Exports in April at 18,216 Units
Tata Altroz Dual-Clutch Automatic Variant Bookings Open Ahead of Launch in India
Tata Motors has commenced the bookings of the Altroz DCA – the Dual-Clutch Automatic version of India’s premium and safest hatchback. The Altroz DCA is an advanced Dual-Clutch Technology that is designed for the Indian consumer. It comes with a wet clutch transmission, which ensures the best performance for all Indian driving conditions. Those interested can now book their Altroz automatic at any authorized Tata Motors dealerships at just Rs 21,000 with deliveries starting from mid-March 2022. Commenting on this much-awaited product, Rajan Amba, Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Customer Care, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. said, “India’s safest hatchback, the ALTROZ, has carved a niche for itself in the premium hatch segment with more than 1.25 lakh happy customers. Taking our success story further, we wanted to delight our customers by introducing a world-class automatic transmission to the line-up in the form of the Altroz DCA. We are confident that the Altroz DCA will set … [Read more...] about Tata Altroz Dual-Clutch Automatic Variant Bookings Open Ahead of Launch in India