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The Poll will run until 4:00 PM of April 21 (Saturday). The Car entry with the highest vote will be awarded at the Trans Sport Show (Mega Trade Hall 5th Floor).

TRANS SPORT SHOW 2012
By Tsikoteer Community Wordlwide  |  View on Facebook

Tsikot.com Philippines

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) has announced that it is voluntarily recalling thousands of CR-V units to replace the wiring to the headlight switch that could heat up because it is too short.

A total of 20,587 units of Honda CR-V covering the model years from 2002 to 2004, all assembled and sold in the Philippines, are affected.

HCPI said that because it is too short, the electric wire connected to the headlight switch wire is stretched during operation. With the resulting tension, the terminal wire joint moves and contacts with a metal part and may generate enough heat to melt the wire connecting coupler. This, it said, eventually leads to headlight switch malfunction, causing the low beam to become nonoperational.

Xavier Eyadan, HCPI marketing head, said the company is replacing the part for free starting April 4. Replacement should take only about 40 minutes, he said.

by Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tsikot.com Philippines

BMW Importer Asian Carmakers Corp. (ACC) is calling on owners of the luxury car brand’s 5 and 6 Series models to bring their vehicles in for checks owing to a possible defect.

ACC, in a statement issued yesterday, said it was implementing a Quality Measure Campaign to fix possible incorrect mountings of a battery cable cover found in 5 Series (E60/E61) and 6 Series (E63/E64) models. The defect could lead to an electrical system malfunction that would prevent the car from starting.

ACC’s move is in line with a global recall affecting some 1.3 million cars announced by BMW on Monday. ACC said some 700 vehicles in the Philippines need to be brought in for the checks. Owners will be notified by mail and will be asked to bring in cars for the free half-hour repair.

“ACC is being proactive in addressing this campaign to reach out to our customers and communicate to them that their safety is our top of mind,” ACC Executive Director Glen Dasig said in the statement.

Business World Online

Tsikot.com Philippines

Ford Group Philippines expects to bounce back in the second half of this year from a sales dip caused by floods in Thailand, even projecting a better performance than the record-high levels seen in 2011.

“We expect a pickup in sales after the end of the second quarter … We can achieve slightly higher sales than last year,” Edward R. Krieger, Ford Group Philippines president last week said.

The local arm of American car giant Ford Motor Co. ended 2011 on a high. December sales rose by a quarter, while the full-year tally jumped by half to a high of 9,778 units.

Heavy flooding in Thailand that hit the Ford factory, however, has stalled the automaker’s production schedule for the entire region and consequently sales in the Philippines fell by 46.65% in January and 49.27% in February compared to yearago levels.

Among the models severely affected by the Thai flood crisis were the Fiesta and the Everest — “primary sales drivers” in the local market, Mr. Krieger explained. The Fiesta contributes roughly 300 units a month, while the Everest accounts for 200 to 300.

The rollout of the all-new Ranger in the country was likewise postponed as the floods hit just before its supposed launch date.

However, Mr. Krieger estimated that operations could normalize beginning June, setting the foundation for a rebound in the second semester.

“We will bounce back from June until the end of the year, especially in the ‘ber’ months,” he said.

“With all the new models lined up for this year, we think it will drive a lot of interest from consumers,” he added.

The all-new Ford Ranger, a pick-up truck, was unveiled at the Manila International Auto Show last week. This followed the release of the all-new Fiesta in February. Meanwhile, the all-new Focus, unveiled to Asia-Pacific media last week, will likely be available by the mid-year too.

Mr. Krieger also has an optimistic outlook for the economy, with private consumption expected to stay strong despite rising oil prices.

“Various international organizations have forecast 4.5-5% growth this year, which is great,” he said. The government’s growth target is 5-6%.

Ford plans to open 12 new authorized dealerships in 2012 as well, increasing its network to 35 dealers nationwide to reach more customers, he added.

In a related development, the car maker is still studying how to make use of its assembly plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, as it transfers output of most models to its new $450-million factory in Rayong, Thailand.

“We are phasing out the production of the Focus in the Philippines by the mid-year. But we’re continuing to build the Escape, which is still selling well for us,” Joseph R. Hinrichs, Ford Asia-Pacific & Africa president, said in a separate interview.

“The Escape will be assembled there until at least the end of this year,” he continued.

Most of Ford’s supply base is located in Thailand and parts account for the largest chunk of the vehicle cost, Mr. Hinrichs said, noting that the Philippine supply base does not have much scale or capacity.

“We have a strong interest in staying in the Philippines. We have a great workforce, a nice facility, and we have been in the country for a long time. But there is no decision yet,” he said.

Ford is still analyzing which of the vehicles in its global portfolio will make sense in the Southeast Asian market, he explained. Moreover, it would have to “make business sense” to assemble the model in the Philippines.

“If it’s a smaller volume product, then it would make sense to put it in the Philippines,” Mr. Hinrichs reckoned, although he declined to identify possible models.

Peter Fleet, Ford ASEAN president, added: “There is a serious study underway, including private discussions with the government. We will need a couple more months to come up with a major decision.”

Business World Online

Tsikot.com Philippines

The Hyundai Elantra was named the 2011-2012 Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P) by the Car Awards Group Inc.

This was the first time for a Korean carmaker to win Car of the Year in the country.

The Hyundai Elantra, which bested 11 finalists out of 36 nominees, was described as the “car that offers best value to the consumers.”

It ranked high in the qualitative tests, where it was scored based on criteria such as aesthetics, comfort, and drivability. It was also a top performer in the technical test, which evaluated acceleration, braking, and handling characteristics of each vehicle, while offering great value for money.

“The COTY-P award is well-deserved by the Hyundai Elantra and makes this the 4th COTY award received worldwide by the Elantra. The results are also a validation that CAGI’s COTY testing procedures are internationally up to par,” CAGI President Ferman Lao said in a statement.

Other winners include:

Basic Subcompact Car: Kia Picanto 1.0 M/T
Subcompact Car: Suzuki Swift 1.4 A/T
Compact Car: Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS A/T
Crossover: Kia Sportage 2.0
Luxury Mid-sized Car: Volvo S60 T4
Luxury Compact Crossover: MINI Countryman S
Midsize SUV 4×2: Mitsubishi Montero Sport 4×2 M/T
Midsize SUV 4×4: Mitsubishi Montero Sport GTV 4×4 A/T
Luxury SUV: Ford Explorer V6 AWD
Pickup 4×2: Mitsubishi Strada 4×2 A/T
Pickup 4×4: Mitsubishi Strada 4×4 A/T

The COTY-P awards is an annual event organized by CAGI, an organization of more than 50 motoring journalists from various print, broadcast, and online media outlets.

ABSCBNNEWS.COM

Tsikot.com Philippines

Honda Automobile Thailand’s Ayutthaya assembly plant has resumed production for the local and Asia Pacific market after operations were suspended in October 2011 due to flooding.

Since completely draining the plant of flood waters at the end of November 2011, Honda Thailand has cleaned, inspected, repaired, and replaced facilities and manufacturing equipments that were damaged by the flood.

The carmaker also started scrapping over 1,000 flood-damaged cars last December. After four months of restoration efforts, Honda Thailand has announced that it is now ready to resume car production at the plant.

“Honda has been supplying automobiles alternatively from Japan to some countries in the Asia Oceania Region including Thailand, which were impacted by the disruption of production due to the flooding.

However, as of today, all production plants have resumed production and are expected to normalize in April. For all other Honda production operations outside of the Asia Oceania Region, the impact of the flooding in Thailand has already been resolved,” Honda Thailand said in a statement.

This means Honda Cars Philippines will likely resume importing its supply of vehicles from Thailand. That’s your cue to snap up the remaining Japan-made Civics, Jazz and Accords units in its inventory.

Journal Online

Tsikot.com Philippines

BMW will recall 1.3 million luxury cars, including 367,000 in the US, because of a potential problem with a battery cable connector.

It is BMW’s largest recall ever, company officials said, and it is big by industry standards, rivaling some of the large recalls issued by Toyota Motor Co. as it dealt with quality issues in the past two years.

The recall includes all BMW 5 Series sedans and sport wagons produced between June 1, 2003, and March 31, 2010, and 6 Series coupes and convertibles produced between Sept. 1, 2003, and July 31, 2010.

The German automaker said the problem is with the bolt connecting the positive battery cables at the insulated bulkhead connector in the vehicle’s trunk.

In the Philippines, BMW car importer and distributor Asian Carmakers Corp. (ACC) said it will roll out a Quality Measure Campaign for owners of the previous generation BMW 5 Series (E60/E61) and BMW 6 Series (E63/E64). The campaign will focus on a possible incorrect mounting of the battery cable cover inside the boot. This may lead to a malfunction of the electrical system and lead to the vehicle failing to start. However, there have not been any reported accidents or injuries to persons resulting from this fault.

There are approximately 700 vehicles in the Philippines that will be affected by the recall order. The cars involved were manufactured between 2003 and 2010. Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail and will be asked to bring their vehicle to a BMW dealer for a 30-minute repair at no charge, said ACC.

“ACC is being proactive in addressing this campaign to reach out to our customersand communicate to them that their safety is our top of mind. Immediate information is key to make sure that they get their cars to the dealerships for this campaign as soon as possible,” said Glen Dasig, ACC Executive Director for sales and marketing.

“In rare cases, the insulated bulkhead connector may have been incorrectly attached to the trunk floor panel. Over time, this can lead to a loosening of the bolt connection causing various systems in the vehicle to malfunction,” BMW said.

The cable connection could overheat and cause a fire starting in the vehicle, even when it is not being driven, the company said.

This was the second recall of a high-end German car this month. Porsche said Monday that it will recall 2012 model year 911 Carrera S sports cars because the fuel line might come apart. The recall involves 1,232 of the cars, which each sell for about $100,000.

Business Mirror Online

Tsikot.com Philippines

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) recorded a double-digit growth in sales in February from January, pushing year-to-date sales up when industry sales were on a decline.

MMPC said in a statement it sold a total of 2,751 units, an increase of 19 percent from the previous month. Year-to-date sales totaled to 5,062 units, up 1.5 percent from January to February 2011.

MMPC said it recorded strong and improved sales on most of the industry segments.

Sales of light commercial vehicles (LCV) increased by 19.1 percent with 2,591 units sold capturing a 35.4 percent market share. During the same period last year, LCV increased by 5.1 percent.

MMPC credits its robust performance particularly in the LCV segment to the Montero Sport and Strada which continuously dominate its categories.

Sales of Montero Sport are 25.63 percent better than January sales with 951 units sold making it the bestselling Midsize SUV.

The Strada also dominated the double cab pick-up segment with 446 units sold accounting for an increase of 31.2 percent. Locally manufactured L300 and Adventure also increased by 8 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.

Being practical and dependable LCVs these two models are very much appealing and ideal to small and growing businesses.

Fuso trucks also improved by 40 percent compared to January sales.

Aside from the extensive vehicle lineup, MMPC credits its sales feat to its aggressive promotions offering flexible plans fit for the budget.

During the start of the year, MMPC launched the Dragon Deals promo and now there is an ongoing promo which is the Summer Business Booster offering affordable deals and great freebies.

With the improving demand and recovering supply especially from Thailand, combined with the aggressiveness of financing and bank partners, MMPC is optimistic that sales will continue to surge for 2012.

“To support this growth, MMPC will be banking on the new model and variants to be introduced as well as opening of additional dealership outlets for this year,” said Hikosaburo Shibata, president and chief executive officer of MMPC.

Manila Business Insight

Tsikot.com Philippines

Growth in imported motor vehicle sales jumped 41% in the first two months of the year over the same period last year buoyed by the strong performance in the passenger car segment in February.

The Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) led by Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo reported that sales in the first two months reached 3,911 units or 41 percent higher than 5,507 units in the same period last year.

“The arrival of new models and the ready supply of units to meet strong consumer demand beefed up AVID members’ positive sales outcomes,” Agudo said.

In February, AVID sold a total of 2,881 units compared to the 1,971 that were sold in the same month last year, posting 46% growth. This impressive performance was largely driven by the passenger car sales that rose by 117% to 2,025 units from 934 units sold in February of last year.

Among the AVID members, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. led the group with 2,369 units sold from 1,538 units in February last year followed by The Covenant Car Company Inc. (Chervolet) with 318 units and Motor Image Pilipinas with 73 units.

Cats Motors Inc. (Mercedes Benz) sold 60 units in February, PGA Cars Philippines Inc. (Audi) 25 units, Scandinavian Motors Philippines (Volvo) 20 units, and British United Automobiles Inc. (Mini Cooper) 16 units.

”On the back of continuing positive consumer outlook, favorable macroeconomic landscape and aggressive marketing campaigns, we expect our strong sales performance to be sustained in the next quarters,” Agudo said.

Agudo further cited the continuing optimism of Philippine businesses based on the latest Business Expectations Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Respondents cited key factors, such as increase in government spending, business expansion arising from steady investment inflows, sound macroeconomic fundamentals, and possible credit upgrades for the Philippines. Optimism in the Philippines mirrored the improved business outlook of firms in the USA, Germany, and India.

The continued strengthening of the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals will ensure stability and growth in 2012, she added.

“All bodes well for consumer spending, with overseas Filipino remittances reaching an all-time high of $20.1 billion in 2011, Philippine banks being given a stable outlook by Fitch Ratings last February 2, inflation at a low point of 2.7%, and an additional 25 basis point reduction of the BSP key policy interest rates in March,” she said.

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
Manila Bulletin Online

Tsikot.com Philippines

The local arm of Hyundai Motor Co. grew sales by nearly 50% in the first two months versus year-ago levels, a statement released yesterday showed.

Sales up to February rose by 47% to 4,522 units from 3,079 for the same period last year as passenger car sales more than doubled last month, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) said.

HARI, a former member of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc., thus bring a partial count of industry sales to 23,529 units for the two months, down 8.08% from year-ago levels.

The drop is less steep than the 15.7% recorded by CAMPI sans Hyundai sales.

In February alone, sales of the South Korean automaker grew by 54% to 2,369 units from 1,538 reportedly owing to the popularity of the i10, Accent and Elantra models.

“We anticipate our strong sales performance to be sustained by favorable consumer outlook, the introduction of new models, and consistent brand promotion efforts,” said Maria Fe Perez-Agudo, HARI president and chief executive, in the statement.

Its passenger car sales last month grew 149% annually to 1,695 units, offsetting the 21% annual decline in light commercial vehicles to 674 units.

HARI’s current performance has kept it as the third top seller in the Philippines after the local arms of Toyota Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

by Eliza J. Diaz
Business World Online

Tsikot.com Philippines