Short Torque

September sales remaining strong for Great Wall

Great Wall Motors saw its September sales rise 15.33 percent year-on-year to 100,019 units despite an overall downturn in China's passenger car market, according to a company statement on Friday. Its Haval-branded vehicles were a major driving force, the statement revealed. Their sales in September went up 22.14 percent to 75,253. The Haval H6 has been the best-selling SUV in the country for 76 months in a row. Sales of Wey-branded vehicles stood at 8,701 in September and totaled almost 70,000 in the first nine months of the year. Great Wall Motor's total sales from January to September totaled 724,113, up 7.01 percent from the same period last year.

VW weighs up its Lamborghini business options

Volkswagen is weighing options for its supercar brand Lamborghini, which is valued at around $11 billion, according to Bloomberg, as the German automaker is planning an overhaul aimed at more than doubling its market value and getting ahead of an expected industry shakeout. The options Volkswagen is mulling include a sale or stock listing, said people with knowledge of the plan. CEO Herbert Diess plans to focus future expansion on the group's main global brands of Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi in a push to channel resources more efficiently and avoid duplicated efforts. Volkswagen has not commented on the issue.

Hyundai, Kia put money aside to settle class action

Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia Motors Corp said on Friday that they have earmarked 900 billion won ($758 million) to settle a class action litigation in the United States and address engine-related issues there and in South Korea. The move marks their first major effort to resolve years of trouble over engine defects. They said that they would install software to monitor for symptoms of engine failure and take other steps, including offering compensation options and lifetime warranties. A total of 4.17 million Hyundai and Kia models equipped with Theta II gasoline direct injection engines will be affected by the US settlement.

GM's Chinese orders continue decline in third quarter

General Motors delivered 689,531 vehicles in China in the third quarter, an 18 percent fall from the same period last year. The drop for the quarter ended Sept 30 marks the fifth straight quarterly decline for GM in China, the world's biggest auto market. It delivered 2.26 million vehicles in the first nine months of the year, according to a Reuters calculation. As GM and Ford face extended declines, the US companies' share of total China passenger vehicles sales fell to 9.5 percent in the first eight months of the year from 10.7 percent in the same period a year ago, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Boeing, Porsche working on flying vehicles

United States-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing said on Thursday it was working with German premium carmaker, Porsche, to develop an electric flying vehicle capable of transporting people in urban settings. Boeing is already competing with rival Airbus and other companies to introduce small self-flying vehicles capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Porsche has been aiming to build flying cars that can be used as taxis and for ride-sharing purposes. As part of the deal, Boeing and Porsche will analyze the market potential for premium aerial vehicles and their possible use in highly populated cities and metropolises, the companies said.

Motoring Agencies

(China Daily 10/14/2019 page19)