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December 8, 2008
Car Cutaway
Norway’s Think City has three battery suppliers The new Think City electric car gets its power from a trio of battery makers. Swiss company MES DEA supplies the nickel-sodium battery while US partsmaker A123 Systems provides the City lithium-ion battery. In early 2009, a second lithium-ion battery option will be offered, WIPERS: THE MATADOR COMPANY
HVAC: VALEO SYSTEMES THERMIQUE
panels. The City is on sale now in Norway priced at about €23,000. Launch dates for the rest of Europe have yet to be determined.
supplied by Enerdel of the US. Think Global’s assembly plant in Aurskog, Norway, has no press or paint shops. The car’s high-tensile steel crash structure is produced by Thai Summit Autoparts while the Turkey-based Lider group provides the car’s colored plastic car body
AIR CONDITIONING COMPONENTS: SANDEN INTERNATIONAL
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER: VISTEON SYSTEMAS AUTOMOTIVOS
REAR-VIEW MIRRORS: FICOSA
Steven Wingett SPOILER: POLYTECH HOLDEN
DRIVER AIRBAG: AUTOLIV
STEERING WHEEL: DALPHIMETAL
GLASS/BODY BONDING: DOW AUTOMOTIVE
ELECRICAL HARNESSES: LEWDEN ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES
UPPER FRAME: HYDRO
FUSES: LITTELFUSE
SEATS: LEAR
TRANSFER CASE: OERLIKON GRAZIANO
SEALS: CABSEAL
AIR EXTRACTOR: WEGU
POWER DOOR WINDOW: CASTELLON
INDUCTION MOTOR: LEROY SOMER
TRAKYA CAM SAN: DOOR GLASS ASSEMBLY
TRANSFER CASE: OERLIKON GRAZIANO
IGNITION STARTER SWITCH: METHODE ELECTRONICS
POWER CONVERSION UNIT: ARENS CONTROLS
REAR FRAME: THAI SUMMIT
HORNS: FIAMM
REAR SUSPENSION: PEUGEOT CITROÊN MOTEURS
COOLANT RESERVOIR: TEMA
TIRES: MICHELIN
SOUND DEADENING: ANTIPHON
STABILIZER BAR: ASIAN AUTOMOTIVE STEELS
FUSES: LITTELFUSE
BRAKE LINES: TI AUTOMOTIVE
FLUID PUMPS: ROBERT BOSCH
ABS BRAKING SYSTEM: CONTINETAL TEVES
THERMAL COVER: POLYFORMES
BATTERIES: MES-DEA
SEALS: OTTO OLSEN RADIATOR/CONDENSER UNITS: RAAL HOLLAND
STEERING COLUMN: TRAVEN TECHNOLOGY COOLING PIPES: ERICH KUCHLER
TRANSFER CASE: OERLIKON GRAZIANO
CONNECTORS: TYCO ELECTRONICS LOGISTICS
GEARBOX: GRAZIANO
DRIVESHAFT: GKN
FRONT STRUTS: SAPURA AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES
POWER STEERING: TRW CONEKT
ACCELERATOR PEDAL: DRIVESOL
GEAR SHIFTER: ADIATOR
Suppliers wanted: If you are a supplier and have questions or want your information considered for our cutaway features, contact Steven Wingett at
[email protected] or through www.supplierbusiness.com
Infiniti, it’s not another Lexus Nissan’s luxury brand uses a different way to enter European market
Amy Wilson & Kathy Jackson Automotive News Europe
Wim Oude Weernink Automotive News Europe MARSEILLE, France Nissan luxury brand Infiniti has chosen a different path to enter Europe than Japanese rival Lexus. Infiniti is charging into Europe with a range of models that includes the lower-premium G sedan and coupe as well as two premium SUVs, the EX and FX crossover. The cars went on sale in France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Bulgaria and Poland in October. The brand launches in Germany and UK in the first half of 2009. When it launched in Europe in 1990, Lexus’ only model was the LS400, a high-priced sedan. The brand’s second model, the GS300, arrived three years later. And it took until 1999 for Lexus to launch its first model design specifically for European tasted, the IS200. Lexus continues to struggle in western Europe, where sales were down 28.1 percent to 22,655 through 10 months. Infiniti aims to sell 25,000 cars a year in Europe, including Russia, by 2011. Infiniti Europe communications head Wayne Bruce said the brand, which debuted in North America in
Ford to retain Mazda expertise
Infiniti says its G37 lower-premium sedan (above) and coupe will compete with Audi and BMW rather than “safe-choice” cars from Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.
Inside look Key facts on Infiniti’s lineup for Europe
1989 and launched in Russia two years ago, delayed its start in Europe until it had the right mix of products. It also has tuned the cars to give Europeans what they want, such as a harder suspension and better-performing brakes.
V-6 diesel for 2010 All of the Infinitis for Europe offer 320hp 3.7-liter V-6 gasoline engines. The FX also has a 385hp 5.0-liter V8. The engines are mated to seven-
speed automatic transmissions. A new 230hp V-6 diesel engine is due in 2010. Bruce said that because it is targeting entrepreneurs who want highperformance luxury cars, Infiniti does not consider Lexus and Mercedes-Benz its main competitors. “We focus on BMW and Audi drivers,” Bruce said, “and less [on] Mercedes-Benz, whose customers are more the safe-choice type.” Infiniti will add a G convertible to ANE the range in 2010.
Platform Segments
Nissan FM G37, lower-premium; EX37, FX37/50 premium SUV Main rivals BMW 3 series, X3, X5; Audi A4, A5, Q5 Starting prices G37, €41,420; EX37,€48,620, FX50, €74,950 Where built Tochigi, Japan Sales target 25,000 by 2011 CO2 emissions 247g/km to 310g/km
Ford may be giving up control of Mazda, but it won’t give up access to the Japanese automaker’s engineering and product development know-how. Executives from both companies said Mazda and Ford will continue joint ventures and the sharing of vehicle platforms and powertrains. Ford raised $540 million by cutting its stake in Mazda from 33.4 percent to just over 13 percent. The sale reflects Ford’s increasing financial troubles, not a dissatisfaction with its relationship with Mazda. Ford executives determined they could sell a large part of Mazda without sacrificing advantages gained from the collaboration.
Engineering benefits Mazda will continue to be a model for Ford’s product development system. Ford copied the Japanese automaker’s template for engineering and building vehicles. Mazda has delivered significant platform engineering benefits to Ford, including the Ford Fiesta which is based on a platform engineered at Mazda. In the US market the Ford Fusion is an update of the ANE original Mazda6.
