The Dodge Breeze is A #1. Or, rather, it's an A1. Chinese automaker Chery's deal with Chrysler LLC to produce small cars for Chrysler's three brands begat the little buzz-about you see above. The photo appeared on a Chinese forum and is supposedly the Chinese Plymouth Dodge Breeze, one of the aforementioned adventures in rebadging. The cars produced as a result of the agreement would not be limited to China, as the low-end rides would be sold in other developing markets, and high-end cars will be destined for others. The Breeze would be a Chinese-built car that gives Dodge a presence in the minicar segment. It also has the honor of dragging (if obliquely) The Brand Formerly Known As Plymouth back into our lives, though we really wish they would have gone with Volare.
Daimler's not taking the close resemblance of a Chinese minicar to a smart fortwo lightly. The German automaker has gotten a court order forbidding Martin Motors, the European distributor for China's Shuanghuan Automobile, from displaying the Shuanghuan Noble at the upcoming Bologna Auto Show. This is the second time Daimler has blocked the Noble from being displayed, having taken similar action at the Frankfurt show.
Martin Motors is calling the Noble the Bubble in Europe, since there's already another Noble. Martin contends that the Bubble is not a copy of the fortwo, citing the four seats and front engine configuration among the differentiating details. Martin Motors has also demanded in Italian courts that Daimler prove its exclusive rights to the design of the smart. If a resolution can be reached, the Bubble will go on sale for about $10,000 euros across Europe. The resemblance is striking, but copying the look isn't the same as cribbing the underlying engineering. We haven't had the opportunity to crawl over, under, or through the Bubble, so we can't comment on whether it's better or worse than the smart, but from the looks of things in the video we've posted after the jump, the Bubble is hardly a premium vehicle. Shuanghuan also sells the CEO, a midsize SUV that borrows an awful lot from the BMW X5's looks. The appearance similarities between Shuanghuan's vehicles and those of well respected competitors may not help the Chinese automaker avoid having its European sales bubble burst.
Check the jump to see a video of the Noble/Bubble in action.
Automotive News has a quick blurb about a new model set to debut from the folks at Toyota during this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. According to AN, Toyota's 3000mm-long microcar will be known as the Endo and will slot in below the Aygo, the smallest vehicle in the automaker's European lineup.
Styling of the SMART-competitor will be similar to the concept that debuted at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, sharing the same name. The seating arrangement of the Endo will be somewhat unconventional, with a 3+1 setup that will seat three adults, along with a smaller, foldable throne behind the driver's seat that can fit a youngin.
Automotive News' inside source says that sales may begin in the summer of 2008, although we wouldn't expect such a vehicle to find its way across the Atlantic – unless SMART starts doing a booming business.
Speculation that the hush-hush global concept GM has headed to the New York Auto Show has varied wildly, with the Corvette SS a popular favorite among theorists. Turns out they're all wrong. The secret concept is actually three global concepts. Small ones, at that -- they're all minicars -- perfect for NYC's urban canyons. GM has released a photo of one of them, the Chevy Trax, and you can color us impressed. We love the chunky little wagon's look, with its big round lights and extra-thick Chevrolet crossbar grille. It's also got a combination matte/gloss orange finish that we'll reserve judgment on until we see how it looks in person.
Designed at GM's Incheon, South Korea design center, the Trax will be joined onstage by two other minicar concepts, and the public will be able to vote for their favorite one online at http://www.vote4chevrolet.com. That little marketing exercise will help the General gauge US market interest in the mini/city car segment as well as get reaction to the individual models they're debuting in the Big Apple. The Trax stows a 1.0L gasoline engine under it's stubby hood, and we're looking forward to getting up close and personal with the car next week.
The Japanese automakers are the kings when it comes to putting together special limited-edition, limited-availability models for their home market. More often than not, these editions feature little more than a special interior color, accessory pack, and badging. The limited availability adds exclusivity, which begets desirability, and the editions sell.
Mitsubishi's latest is a 100-unit limited edition of its "i" kei car. Dubbed the "i Kurashiki," it will only be sold out of Okayama Mitsubishi in the Okayama prefecture. Okayama, you see, is home to the city of Kurashiki, which is responsible for the bulk of Japan's domestic blue jeans production.
What makes this version of the "i" special? The seat cloth is printed with a special jeans pattern (but not upholstered in actual denim), and it sports a model-specific badge on its rump (shown after the jump). Other than that, it's an "i" in S trim. Four exterior colors are available, and it costs ¥1,099,000.
This is the strangest JDM special we've seen in a while.
Suzuki has brought a new kei car to the Japanese domestic market. Dubbed the Cervo, the little five-door gets a bold front end treatment dominated by oversized, teardrop-shaped headlamps that flank a chrome-trimmed trapezoidal grille. The lower fascia's grille opening extends to the corner foglight mounts, giving Cervo a smiling visage. The car's slab-sided profile is nicely interrupted by an upward-angled accent line. Drivers who select the sportier TX trim (above) see the car dressed up with alloys, additional skirting, and a rear decklid spoiler that caps a tidy rear end. The car's styling is such that if you covered the "S" logo and replaced it with, say, a Peugeot badge, you wouldn't bat an eyelash. This is a nice-looking kei.
In total, three trim levels -- G, T, and TX -- will be offered. G and T sport less aggressive bodywork (seen at right) than the TX. G models receive the normally aspirated 54-horse 660cc engine, while T and TX get the more powerful 60HP turbocharged variant. All cars receive a 4-speed automatic, and a choce of 2WD or 4WD is available for all trim levels. As for the interior, the two-tone buckets in front (on the TX at least) are joined by a split rear bench that flips down for extra cargo storage. Bluetooth, keyless entry/start, and iPod integration are all optional. Full pricing info for all grades is in the linked press release.
As an added bonus, the G model meets Japan's 4-star emissions standard and exceeds the 2010 fuel economy standards by an additional 10-percent. Economical, quirky, and practical -- the Cervo looks like another hit for Suzuki in Japan, where the consumer appetite for new kei cars is nothing short of voracious. We wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that initial orders smash the first month's sales projections to bits. Such has been the case with many new kei launches this year so far. Why should this one be any different?
Apparently the partnership between Suzuki and Nissan is one that both sides like. So much so that they are already discussing additional future collaborations. We have already reported about the Suzuki-built, Nissan-badged Moco minicar, the Nissan-built, Suzuki-badged Jimny from Thailand, and then the sharing of another minicar for Europe in exchange for Suzuki getting a Nissan minivan to fill capacity at its Indian factory.
According to this new Forbes item, Nissan Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp are now considering joint production to expand their ties in emerging markets. Russia and Brazil, in particular, were reported production sites.
Back in June the two firms decided to jointly build vehicles for the domestic market, while Suzuki would produce small vehicles in India for Nissan starting in 2008. The newest proposition has Nissan Co. producing Suzuki-badged vehicles at a new Nissan plant in St Petersburg, Russia. That plant won't start up until 2009, but with its annual capacity of 50,000 units, it could handle at least three midsize models.
Suzuki already sends SUVs from Japan and builds small cars at its plant in Hungary for export to Russia. They pulled out of the Brazilian market in 2003, however. Nissan, on the other hand, has been assembling vehicles in Brazil since 2001, including pickup trucks and SUVs.
High oil prices are proving to be a boon for automakers with a portfolio of small cars, and Suzuki is riding the wave. Japan's fourth-largest automaker announced Wednesday that it is raising its 2006-2007 revenue and profit forecasts by about 7 percent.
In the right place at the right time, Suzuki is enjoying a sharp increase in demand for its successful 660cc minicars in the Japanese domestic market, and a boom in the Indian vehicle market. In western markets, the company can hardly meet demand for its new SX4 small crossover (also branded as the Fiat Sedici) and Swift hatchback.
Investing in the future, Suzuki also announced plans to build a new small-car facility in Japan, with an annual capacity of 240,000 units. The $523 million plant will open in early 2008. The company is also doubling capacity at its plant in Hungary, and increasing by around 50 percent its capacity in India and Pakistan.
An unlikely visitor made the trip from Japan to London for the British Motor Show. Joining the rest of Mitsubishi's lineup at ExCeL is one of Mitsubishi's "i" kei cars. Mitsubishi UK is in the final stages of a feasability study as to whether or not there's a market for the "i" in Britain.
The automaker is conducting surveys nationwaide to gauge demand, and if you're in London, you can make your voice heard at the Mitsu stand as well. In Japan, the "i" is equipped with a 600cc MIVEC DOHC 3-cylinder engine that's good for 64 horsepower. It's mated to either a 2WD or AWD drivetrain. Current speculation is that if the "i" is exported to the UK, it'll use that powerplant and be a 2WD-only vehicle.
Given that small city cars are very practical and popular in Europe, and that the "i" is a uniquely stylish little car, there's probably a good chance that our British friends will be seeing them on local roadways in due time.
The Japanese Transport Ministry says that Nissan Motor Co. will recall over 144,000 of its 2002-2005 Elgrand minivans and more than 11,000 2002-2004 March minicars. The Elgrands seem to have a problem with brake parts that causes braking distances to be longer, while the March minicar is having problems with its electric switch system that might cause backup lights to operate improperly.
In total, three trim levels -- G, T, and TX -- will be offered. G and T sport less aggressive bodywork (seen at right) than the TX. G models receive the normally aspirated 54-horse 660cc engine, while T and TX get the more powerful 60HP turbocharged variant. All cars receive a 4-speed automatic, and a choce of 2WD or 4WD is available for all trim levels. As for the interior, the two-tone buckets in front (on the TX at least) are joined by a split rear bench that flips down for extra cargo storage. Bluetooth, keyless entry/start, and iPod integration are all optional. Full pricing info for all grades is in the 
High oil prices are proving to be a boon for automakers with a portfolio of small cars, and Suzuki is riding the wave. Japan's fourth-largest automaker announced Wednesday that it is raising its 2006-2007 revenue and profit forecasts by about 7 percent.
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