MOTORS NEWS:We have become used to Kias with high quality, Kias with style and Kias with a long warranty, but are we ready for a Kia with a high-performance engine? Well, we will find out very soon as Kia will be presenting its Cee'd and Pro_Cee'd GT models (below) at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, with a new 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with 200bhp.
That will put Kia head-to-head for the first time with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Focus ST and Peugeot 208 GTI. The GT models get lower, stiffer suspension, LED running lights, Recaro bucket seats and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Figures don’t add up for Ford
Ford expects to lose about $2 billion (€1.4bn) in Europe this year as a likely recession in the region continues to sap demand for cars. Yesterday, Ford Europe reported losses of $732 million (€545m) in the fourth quarter and $1.75 billion (€1.3bn) in the region for the full year, more than its previous forecast given in October of about $1.5 billion (€1.1bn).
The deficit will be worse in 2013 than Ford’s previous projection for a similar loss to a year earlier because a Europe-wide recession is likely this year, according to Ford’s chief financial officer, Bob Shanks. “We’re seeing weakness in the industry; certainly it will be lower than last year,” he said during a briefing at Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. “It’s just a very tough economic environment in Europe. We have a lot of difficult times in front of us.”
Toyota gets back on top in 2012
Toyota sold a record 9.75 million vehicles last year, overtaking General Motors and Volkswagen to reclaim its title as the world’s top automaker in 2012.
General Motors, which held the top spot in 2011, mustered 9.29 million vehicles in global sales last year. The US company had been the top-selling automaker for decades before losing its lead to Toyota in 2008.
Volkswagen sold 9.1 million vehicles last year, a record for the German automaker, which has expanded its presence in emerging markets. VW also outsold Toyota in 2011.
Toyota estimated last month that it sold 9.7 million vehicles for the year, and final figures were slightly higher.
By confirming its number one title, Toyota cements a strong comeback from several years of tumbles. A sharp slowdown in exports during the global economic crisis led to the automaker’s biggest losses in decades, while controversy over its handling of recalls tarnished its image for quality and reliability.
In 2011, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, as well as widespread flooding in Thailand later that year, severely disrupted production, weighing on sales in important markets such as the US, and pushing Toyota to number three in global sales.
In Europe, sales of Toyota cars rose by 2 per cent, a significant growth given the lacklustre state of the overall European market.