Rezultate financiare in lumea auto

Renault sufla in ceafa lui Daewoo

Cotidianul, 19 Noiembrie 2005


Bucurestiul ramine zona in care se vind cele mai multe masini, iar Renault este cea mai vinduta marca straina si ataca pozitia celor de la Daewoo.








In primele zece luni ale anului, in Romania s-au vindut 178.000 de autoturisme noi, atit din productia interna, cit si din import. Desi Bucurestiul nu detine, statistic, decit 10% din totalul populatiei Romaniei, aici s-au vindut, in aceasta perioada, aproape 64.500 de autoturisme, adica mai mult de o treime din totalul vinzarilor pe intreaga tara.

Urmeaza, in ordine, Argesul, cu 10.730 de masini noi vindute, Brasovul (6.833) si Doljul (6.490). La polul opus stau judetele Salaj si Calarasi, zone in care, in primele zece luni ale acestui an s-au vindut doar 454 si, respectiv, 447 de autoturisme.

Din punctul de vedere al marcilor de automobile, cele mai vindute sint, evident, Dacia si Daewoo, care se afla in top, cu aproape 100.000 de masini vindute in zece luni. Liderul “strain” al pietei autohtone este Renault, cu 17.840, si, desi este in pozitia a treia in topul national al marcilor, doar 111 unitati vindute ii mai despart pe francezi de sud-coreenii de la Daewoo. Deja marca franceza detine 10% din piata romaneasca.

Less than three years since its U.S. debut, the Porsche Cayenne has run out of steam with sales here slumping for the 10th month in a row.

The Cayenne's decline again raises the question of whether Porsche stretched the brand too much with an SUV -- particularly a vehicle with below-average quality scores.

U.S. sales of rival luxury SUVs also are down, leading some dealers and Porsche executives to conclude that the Cayenne is a victim of gasoline prices and the economy. Cayenne sales for the first 10 months of 2005 were 10,907, down 26.5 percent from a year earlier.

Indeed, the Volkswagen Touareg SUV, with which the Cayenne shares a platform and many components, is performing worse than the Cayenne. U.S. Touareg sales are down even more -- 36.9 percent through October.

Other dealers say the Cayenne reached its peak when sales hit 2,075 units in October 2004. They say it's a fashion-statement vehicle that doesn't command the loyalty that Porsche's sports cars do.
The Cayenne isn't due for a facelift until 2007.

Some decline expected

Peter Schwarzenbauer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, says the Cayenne is a success. With the SUV in its third year, Porsche expected a decline between 10 and 15 percent compared with 2004, he says.

Schwarzenbauer says sales are down more than expected because of high gasoline prices and wobbly consumer confidence.

Unlike the competition, Porsche won't offer cash incentives on its SUV. Considering this, Schwarzenbauer says, "the Cayenne is still doing OK."

Porsche isn't putting on incentives, but dealers are. Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research Inc. in Bandon, Ore., estimates that the average dealer incentive on the Cayenne is between $3,000 and $4,000.

Todd Turner, president of Car Concepts Inc., an automotive consulting company in Thousand Oaks, Calif., says Porsche never should have made an SUV. "It is a me-too vehicle and doesn't fit the brand at all," he says.

But image isn't the Cayenne's biggest problem. Turner says Porsche still hasn't ironed out the Cayenne's quality problems.

"There are problems with electrical bits, pieces not connected tight enough and cooling problems," he says. "Look at a 1-year-old Cayenne, and it looks used. The fit and finish isn't there."

Porsche says its initial quality numbers for October from J.D. Power and Associates show 163 problems per 100 vehicles for the Cayenne, compared with 223 in October 2004 and 233 in October 2003. J.D. Power publicly releases initial quality results once a year and this May said the industry average was 118 problems per 100 vehicles.

By contrast, Porsche's Boxster sports car had 94 problems per 100 vehicles in October, and the 911 sports car had 87 problems.

High gasoline prices sent the sales of many SUVs spiraling downward in the past few months. Cayenne sales fell 46.8 percent in October, compared with a year earlier.

Down, down, down

October was a disastrous month for nearly every brand. But Cayenne sales have been down every month this year, falling at least 20 percent most months compared with a year earlier.

Jerry Nelson, owner of Schneider + Nelson Porsche in West Long Branch, N.J., says unlike Porsche's sports car buyers, "customers who come off-lease of an SUV don't have a great deal of loyalty and move around to whatever is new on the block.

"Cayenne was the hottest thing a few years ago. Now it's whatever else is new. And we don't have a facelift on it yet."

Schwarzenbauer says it's too early to tell whether lessees will go into a second Cayenne because most haven't come off their three-year contract.

He says that initial data show that between 40 and 45 percent lease another Cayenne -- the same rate as the sports cars.

Jim Hall, an analyst with AutoPacific in Southfield, Mich., agrees that luxury SUV buyers aren't loyal, but he doesn't fault Porsche for wanting to attract buyers looking for a bigger vehicle.

Referring to the four-door Panamera sedan Porsche has approved for production in 2009, Hall says, "in retrospect, the sedan looks like a better choice."

Mercedes expects to generate a record operating profit of over 4.1 billion euros ($4.82 billion) in 2007, according to a report by Reuters. The reported numbers are in line with the division’s stated goal of a operating margin of over 7 percent by 2007, more than double that of 2004. Citing updated internal planning documents reviewed by the carmaker’s top management, Capital magazine said the division’s unit sales were set to climb to 1.43 million cars by then from 1.22 million last year. The division includes the Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach brands. The full report will appear tomorrow in Capital magazine. This morning, we pointed readers to an interview with DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche, where he expressed his confidence in the Mercedes brand.

Traditional automakers may be struggling this year, but the world’s appetite for supercars does not appear to be waning. Ferrari expects to sell more than 5,000 cars this year, a new record for the Italian company, Deputy Managing Director Amedeo Felisa said Thursday. “The sales are the result of a year of hard work in which we have had a strong push on product renewal,” Felisa told reporters at the Bologna Motor Show, where Ferrari is unveiling its new $1.8 million 800hp FXX model (shown right). Felisa said one of Ferrari’s most popular models, the low-slung 612 Scaglietti, had sold a record 650 units this year. Ferrari, owned by Fiat, sold a total of 4,900 cars last year. Last month, Lamborghini announced it sold a record 3,000 Gallardo coupes, exceeding the previous record of 2,903 Diablos built over the course of 10 years.

For the first time ever, China’s vehicle exports outweigh its imports, according to China’s ministry of commerce. Its 135,000 exported vehicles represent a jump of 133.6 percent over last year, while its imports of 128,000 are an 11.6 percent drop. China’s automotive industry has a ways to go before its passenger vehicle exports outweight its imports, however — the Ministry said that 59 percent of the exports are commercial vehicles.

Less than three years after launching the new Phantom, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrated the 2000th Phantom to roll out of the company’s factory in Goodwood, England.

In marking the occasion, chairman and CEO Ian Robertson promised to build on the success of the market-leading Phantom with the launch of a new convertible in the next 12 to 18 months.

By the way, the 2000th Phantom is on its way to China.

Renault a facut din Dacia o companie de 1 mld. euro

Ziarul Financiar, 12 Decembrie 2005




Dupa sase ani de investitii de 650 mil. euro, producatorul auto Dacia va intra in clubul restrans al firmelor romanesti cu afaceri care bat miliardul.

Dupa investitii pana acum de 650 mil. euro, producatorul auto Dacia va realiza anul acesta afaceri de peste 1,1 miliarde de euro, de aproape cinci ori mai mult fata de momentul intrarii Renault ca actionar in anul 1999. Producatorul local va trece in premiera anul acesta si pe profit, dupa cinci ani de pierderi.

"A fost cel mai bun an de pana acum pentru Dacia. Am inregistrat vanzari record atat pe piata interna, cat si la export. In aceste conditii, vom realiza pe ansamblul anului o cifra de afaceri de peste 1,1 miliarde de euro", declara Francois Fourmont, directorul general al Automobile Dacia.

In 2004 doar patru companii au realizat in Romania afaceri de peste un miliard de euro: Petrom, Sidex, Petromiodia si Metro Cash & Carry Romania, fata de doar doua (Petrom si Sidex) in 2003.

Este posibil ca si RomTelecom sa intre anul acesta in clubul "un miliard" pentru ca a avut anul trecut afaceri de peste 800 de milioane de euro.

Vanzarile Dacia de anul acesta reprezinta o crestere de aproximativ 85% fata de nivelul realizat anul trecut si sunt superioare anticiparilor initiale ale producatorului, care vizau un prag de un miliard de euro. "Vanzarile peste asteptari realizate de Logan vor aduce pentru primul an profituri la Pitesti", sustine Fourmont.

El nu a dorit sa precizeze la cat este estimat profitul, aratand ca rezultatele financiare ale grupului vor fi facute publice la inceputul anului viitor.

Anterior, presedintele grupului francez, Carlos Ghosn, estima ca marja profitului operational in cazul modelului Logan se situeaza in apropierea valorii medii pe industrie - 5%. Dacia a vandut pe piata interna in primele 10 luni ale anului peste 95.049 de autovehicule din care aproape jumatate au fost reprezentate de Logan.

Planurile producatorului pentru intreg anul vizau o productie de 175.000 de autovehicule.
Volumul va creste anul viitor, producatorul anuntand deja investitii consistente in extinderea capacitatilor de productie. Tot anul viitor va aparea pe piata si varianta de caroserie break pentru Logan, care va completa gama actuala.

In plus, oficialii Dacia au anuntat ca un an mai tarziu va aparea pe piata si o furgoneta bazata pe modelul Logan.

Informatiile vehiculate in aceasta toamna pe piata vizau chiar lansarea unui monovolum sau a unei variante de automobil cu tractiune integrala bazat pe break-ul Logan. "Vor mai fi si alte lansari", completeaza Fourmont, care nu a dorit sa faca alte comentarii.

Impulsionat de rezultatele peste asteptari ale modelului Logan, producatorul auto a demarat recent o ampla campanie de recrutare de personal, la finalul careia numarul angajatilor companiei va creste de la 11.500 in prezent la 13.000 in urmatorii doi-trei ani.

Compania a derulat pana la finele anului 2004 investitii de aproximativ 650 de milioane de euro, alte 150 de milioane de euro fiind programate pentru anul viitor.

Francezii de la Renault sunt interesati si de al doilea producator de automobile local, Daewoo Craiova, depunand, alaturi de Nissan, o scrisoare de intentie pentru achizitia fabricii oltene.
Miza acestei achizitii este reprezentata, potrivit informatiilor din piata auto, de producerea la Craiova de automobile Nissan, compania asiatica neavand in prezent facilitati de productie in tarile din Europa de Est.

Lexus RX (97,001 units; $37,065)
BMW 3 Series (96,358 units; $30,900)
Acura TL (70,943 units; $33,940)
Infiniti G35 (62,507 units; $31,700)
Lexus ES 330 (60,807 units; $32,995)
Cadillac DeVille/DTS (56,459 units; $41,990)
Cadillac CTS (53,959 units; $31,235)
Acura MDX (52,426 units; $37,740)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (50,852 units; $29,975)
Cadillac Escalade (46,813 units; $54,185)

How times change. The market value of the Fiat Group is now $12.87 billion, comfortably ahead of General Motors at $12.67 billion.

The Financial Times reports that a little over 2 years ago, when it was planning to buy the group’s automaking division, GM was worth more than seven times Fiat.

I guess that multi-billion dollar loss on the Fiat deal is taking on a whole new dimension now…

A record 200,000 Minis have been built this year at the company’s sole manufacturing plant in Oxford. BMW, which owns and operates Mini, said it had doubled the 100,000 cars it set out to make each year at the plant when production of the new model began in April 2001. The 200,000th car - a Mini Cooper S Convertible - went to an Australian buyer, BMW said. A total of about 766,000 Minis have now been made at the plant

Ford South America (FSA) has turned in a positive preliminary report for 2005. Based on forecasts, the company should produce the best financial results ever in its history, especially in Brazil - possibly becoming the company's most profitable regional operation the world over, according to Antonio Maciel Neto, president for FSA. Market share has risen to 13 percent in Brazil, 18 percent in Argentina, and 21 percent in Venezuela. Barry Engle, president of Ford of Brazil, said exports have grown seven-fold in six years, to nearly $1.4 billion in 2005. He added that Ford has just opened the first port privately owned by any automaker, in the state of Bahia - a must, as the company exports one-third of its total production

Since the “Ur-quattro” was launched in 1980, more than 2,000,000 Audi customers have opted for models with permanent four-wheel drive – a figure which will continue to rise.

The most successful German pop star of the last few years, Xavier Naidoo, today took ownership of the two-millionth Audi to feature permanent four-wheel drive – an A8 W12 L with a twelve-cylinder engine. The German soul singer stated: “I am an avowed car enthusiast. My new A8 not only provides a great experience in driving terms, but also features a high-end sound system for audio enjoyment.” The A8 is fitted with the Advanced Sound System from Bang & Olufsen. This has a total output of more than 1000 watts and comprises 14 speakers housed in enclosed capsules and tweeters which extend automatically from the dashboard.

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG, commented: “quattro technology is inextricably linked with the Audi brand. Audi is quattro, quattro is Audi. Together with the TDI diesel engines, the petrol direct-injection units with turbocharger, the aluminium body and multitronic transmission, permanent four-wheel drive is the principal genetic feature and the actual brand essence of Audi. It ensures that the classic brand claim “Vorsprung durch Technik” can be directly experienced.

It is 25 years since Audi revolutionised the automotive industry with the unveiling of the first Audi quattro at the Geneva Motor Show. More traction, better handling, consistent dynamism, safe driving – this is what the continually enhanced quattro drive system has stood for right up to the present day.

This is confirmed by numerous awards: this year, for example, the Audi A6 quattro and the Audi A8 quattro were voted the best four-wheel-drive cars in the luxury class for 2005 by the readers of “Auto Bild Alles Allrad”, Europe’s best-selling four-wheel-drive magazine. With runners-up spots going to the A3 quattro, the A4 quattro and the TT Coupé quattro, Audi was the most successful brand of all in this readers’ poll.

Cars which distribute their propulsive power between all four wheels can generate a higher cornering force at each wheel than front-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive vehicles; their traction and cornering behaviour are superior. quattro drive can always transfer considerably more propulsive power than two-wheel drive thanks to the superior traction. The less friction provided by the road surface, the greater the reserves available due to increased driving safety. The Audi model range currently comprises 74 four-wheel-drive versions.

Anul 2005 a prilejuit cel mai mare succes din istoria Porsche Romania in ceea ce priveste vanzarile. Cu un total de 32.450 de unitati vandute, importatorul a beneficiat de o crestere de 84,3 la suta fata de 2004, cand au fost livrate 17.610 masini.

Aceasta reusita a survenit pe fondul cresterii extraordinare a vanzarilor de automobile in tara noastra, dar mai ales maririi numarului dealerilor marcilor importate de grup si imbunatatirii constante a serviciilor depuse de acestia. Sfarsitul lui 2005 a inregistrat cea mai mare crestere, lunile octombrie, noiembrie si decembrie consemnand livrarea a aproape 10.000 de masini. Cea mai prolifica luna a anului trecut a fost, din acest punct de vedere, octombrie, cand au fost vandute 3.386 de unitati, in crestere cu 106,1 la suta fata de perioada similara a lui 2004.

De asemenea, unele dintre cele mai importante realizari in anul recent incheiat au fost consacrarea marcii Audi in segmentul premium, clasarea pe primul loc a modelelor Volkswagen Passat si Touareg in segmentele lor si detinerea primului loc in Europa in ceea ce priveste importurile modelului Skoda Octavia Tour.

VOLKSWAGEN - Passat ocupa primul loc la vanzari in clasa C

Marca Vokswagen se poate mandri cu un adevarat record de vanzari in anul ce tocmai s-a incheiat. Fata de 2004, vanzarile au crescut cu 82,6%, succesul datorandu-se noului model Volkswagen Passat. Dupa ce generatia a patra si-a incheiat cu succes cariera, noul Passat a devenit instantaneu un succes de vanzari, nu mai putin de 2.733 de unitati gasindu-si proprietarul in 2005.

In luna iulie, Passat a inregistat un record de vanzari, 404 masini fiind livrate. Ca de obicei, o contributie mare la vanzari au avut modele Bora cu 2.151 unitati, Golf V, cu 1.857 unitati, si noul Polo, cu 1.663 automobile vandute.

Un alt model important in gama Volkswagen a fost Touareg, cel mai bine vandut SUV premium, 725 de unitati fiind livrate proprietarilor. In medie, doi romani pe zi au ales modelul Touareg. In total, Volkswagen a vandut in Romania 11.198 de unitati in 2005.

VOLKSWAGEN AUTOMOBILE COMERCIALE – Caddy, cea mai bine vanduta utilitara

Divizia de automobile comerciale a marcii Volkswagen a inregistrat o crestere de 50,2% a vanzarilor fata de anul 2004. Cel mai popular model a fost utilitara mica, Volkswagen Caddy, 943 de unitati fiind achizitionate in 2005. Luna cea mai importanta la capitolul vanzari pentru Caddy a fost noiembrie, cand vanzarile au atins cota de 130 de unitati.

Pe locul doi s-a situat utilitara Vokswagen LT, din care au fost vandute 647 unitati, iar pe locul al treilea modelul Volkswagen T5, cu 541 unitati.

AUDI - primul loc in segmentul premium la clasele A, B si C

2005 a fost un an plin de succese si pentru marca Audi. Constructorul premium a ocupat primul loc la vanzari in clasele A, B si C. Fata de 2004, Audi a inregistrat o crestere a vanzarilor de 40,5%, cu 1300 de unitati livrate clientilor.

Cel mai de succces model este noul Audi A6, limuzina de clasa mare fiind foarte apreciata de public, cu 434 de unitati livrate proprietarilor. Luna cea mai de succes pentru acest model a fost decembrie, cand 57 de conducatori auto au ales A6.

La fel de apreciat a fost si noul Audi A4, 408 unitati fiind vandute. Al treilea jucator important pentru Audi a fost noul A3 Sportback, versiunea cu cinci portiere a modelului A3 fiind vanduta in 256 de unitati.

SEAT – Crestere de aproape 100 la suta

Faptul ca SEAT este o marca a carei popularitate este in continua crestere in Romania este demonstrat si de faptul ca in 2005 vanzarile marcii spaniole in tara noastra au crescut cu aproape 100%, mai precis 95,1 procente.

Cu un total de 2.927 de unitati comercializate anul trecut, fata de 1.500 in 2004, SEAT este, alaturi de Skoda, marca din cadrul Porsche Romania cu cea mai mare crestere pe piata autohtona. Cel mai vandut model al marcii iberice a fost Ibiza, care a intrat in posesia a 1.215 clienti, fiind urmat in clasament de Cordoba, cu 913 unitati si de Altea, cu 239 unitati.

De asemenea, noile modele SEAT lansate in cursul anului 2005, Toledo si Leon, au fost foarte bine primite de iubitorii marcii din Romania, fiind comercializate in 166, respectiv 167 de unitati.
In cazul lui Leon, cuantumul acestor vanzari a fost inregistrat in numai patru luni de zile, lansarea sa comerciala avand loc in luna septembrie.

SKODA – Romania, cea mai mare piata pentru Octavia Tour

Anul 2005 a inregistrat un nou record de vanzari pentru Skoda, cresterea fiind de 95,6 la suta fata de anul precedent, cand au fost comercializate 7.570 de masini ale marcii cehe in Romania. Modelul numarul 1 pentru Skoda pe piata autohtona a fost Octavia II, care a fost comercializat in 4.654 de unitati, cel mai mare numar de vanzari ale acestei masini realizandu-se in luna septembrie, cand au fost livrate 506 unitati.

De asemenea, un mare succes de piata a fost repurtat de modelul Octavia Tour, care a fost preferat de 4.577 de romani.
Aceasta performanta a clasat tara noastra pe prima pozitie a importatorilor acestui model de pe piata europeana, locul doi fiind ocupat de Germania, care a vandut jumatate din totalul Skoda Romania.

PORSCHE – Cayenne, cel mai de succes model din gama

Marca sportiva a grupului s-a dovedit si in anul 2005 una dintre preferatele romanilor care stiu sa aprecieze calitatile unui supercar. Cu vanzari totale de 88 unitati, Porsche a inregistrat o crestere de 31,34 la suta fata de anul precedent. Cel mai bine vandut model Porsche pe piata autohtona in 2005 a fost Cayenne, care a fost preferat de 67 de romani, cele mai multe unitati, 11, fiind achizitionate in luna decembrie. De asemenea, modelul Carrera a cunoscut 18 vanzari in 2005, in timp ce Boxster a fost comercializat in trei unitati.