Autoblog

With sales of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class down 23 percent in the United States, and off nearly 12 percent worldwide, Daimler officials are showing concern. The luxurious S-Class is the most profitable model in the lineup, contributing up to an estimated 25 percent of Daimler's pre-tax profits, the drop is getting painful. With the exception of the new C-Class (up 38 percent), overall sales for the German automaker have fallen in the first six months of the year. In response, Daimler is diverting shipments of vehicles to China and Russia as those emerging markets have yet to see a slowdown.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

Alfa Romeo is returning to the US market in about a year, offering the zooty 8C Competizione and 8C Spider atop a range of less spectacular offerings. While the top-end 8Cs will probably be Italian emigres, the 149 and 169 sedans could be put together in Mexico. Alfa doesn't have a hard and fast decision yet, and could pick another site, even one in North America. Moving the labor to Mexico for the volume sellers might prove to be a wise move on Alfa's part. The dollar continues to take a beating, pushing up the cost of European items on US sales markets, and building somewhere else would sidestep some of those increased costs. Alfa is trying this idea in China, too, where Chery will assemble automobiles for that market. We're all for it if it gets the keys to some stylish Italians in our hands while holding the prices down. The quality can't be any worse than it was in the bad old days that led to the notorious reputation for unreliability that afflicted Italian marques. Besides, those shop queens were so joyous to drive, they made suckers out of all of us, and we'd do it again, given the chance.

[Source: Inside Line]

Volvo has been trying its darnedest to reinvent itself, but the Swedish automaker is finding it can't escape its own image. Rather than trying to fight it, then, emerging reports suggest that the company will go with the flow while refocusing its model line-up to include more wagons, which already account for some two thirds of its languishing sales.

Among the new models Volvo is reportedly preparing is the V30, a sport-wagon aimed at the Audi A3. Expected to be a little taller and longer than the A3 Sportback, the V30 could incorporate the kind of flexible seating layouts we've seen in minivans, but in a smaller, more upscale package. Based on the European Focus platform, the V30 would slot in above the C30 sport-hatch to where the S40 and V50 fit currently. Those models, meanwhile, would grow slightly larger to take on the likes of the BMW 3-Series, but smaller than Volvo's own next-gen S60 and V70. An XC30 off-road version would likely also fall into the mix, with all-wheel-drive, higher road clearance and more rugged body-cladding.

Gothenburg (home to Volvo's headquarters, not Batman's Swedish cousin) is also tipped to be considering replacing the flagship S80 sedan with a new range-topping V100 wagon, as well as a Smart-style city-car and electric powertrain packages. One way or another, Volvo needs to find its niche and run with it, or it could find itself up for sale like its erstwhile Ford Europe/PAG sister companies Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover.

[Source: Autocar]

The Fiat group seems to be on a ceaseless campaign to bring its products to the U.S. market. A range of products from Alfa Romeo are in the pipeline for importation, the upcoming high-performance Abarth version of the new Fiat 500 has been tipped to make the trans-Atlantic voyage, and now Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has announced plans to bring the group's heavy truck subsidiary Iveco to the American market. But while the 500 and Alfas may take a while to make the trip, Marchionne has a much tighter time-frame in mind for Iveco, declaring that they company "will have something done within six to nine months." That's mighty soon.

Iveco, short for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, builds close to half a million diesel engines and some 200,000 commercial vehicles every year, including heavy trucks, military vehicles, fire engines, buses, vans and even a formula racing truck that makes NASCAR Craftsman Series trucks look like toys.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

The American market is thirsty for diesels and for more fuel-efficient cars altogether. That's why PSA's recently-installed CEO Christian Streiff sees now as the perfect time to bring Peugeot back to the United States. And though he's new on the job, he's planning on pitching just that idea in a three-year plan for the company as early as May.

The last time Peugeot competed in the US market was over fifteen years ago, when the only model it sold was the 405 sedan. Since then, Peugeot's model range has broadened considerably to include even a crossover sport-ute (pictured) through partnership with Mitsubishi. If Peugeot decided to run the 908 LM racing car in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), it could position itself in the US market as the leader in efficient diesel technology like Audi did with the R10.

Peugeot is also a market leader in hard-top convertibles, a segment which is growing in popularity on American shores. If PSA decides to go ahead with the venture, it could be the best thing France has given America since the Statue of Liberty.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Someone's bound to get in trouble for this, 'cause this is not a document that should have hit the internet. But since it has, we're glad to bring it to you. It was apparently prepared for a conference of Fiat Group investors held over the last couple of days.

A few weeks ago, we brought you the anticipated release dates through 2008 for Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo. This leaked document, however, gives us the release dates for Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Fiat commercial vehicles straight through 2010. The chart shows the dates for a total of 23 new models plus another 23 facelifts.

2009 will be a really big year for Alfa Romeo, with facelifted versions of the gorgeous Brera/Spider/159 line-up (already arguably the best-looking cars money can buy) hitting the market the same year as the new 169 and 149 (labeled "future c-segment"). Sadly, though the Maserati logo features on the top-right corner of the page, that division's production schedule is not included, nor is Ferrari's for that matter.

Click on the the chart above for all the juicy Italian details.

[Source: Carscoop]

They may live below a country run by a husky dictator who has a thing for BluBlockers and nuclear weapons, but South Koreans can take heart knowing that Infiniti has bestowed upon them the honor of being the first market to receive the new G35 sedan. Infiniti announced the G35's arrival in South Korea yesterday at the Seoul Trade Exhibition and Convention Center in Hagnyeoul, Seoul. Nissan's luxury division is keenly interested in presenting itself as a global brand (see Related posts below), which accounts for the decision to give South Korea's market the nod before selling the sedan in North America. The car's new generation VQ35HR 3.5-liter V6 now develops 315 horsepower, though the South Korean model will apparently only pair it with a 5-speed automatic and not the 6-speed manual that will also be offered in North America. There's also no mention of an all-wheel drive model. Instead, South Koreans can choose from a "premium" or "sports" version of the G35 sedan, the former offering a bit more luxury and the latter offering a bit more sport. Prices start at 47.5 million won ($49,780USD) for the "premium" model and 49.8 million won ($52,190USD) for the "sport" model.

[Source: Nissan]

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