Category: Motoring

Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited has expanded its dealership with the appointment of Uyo-based vending and aftermarket shop, Enebros Motors Limited as the company’s fifth agent including Warri, Awka, Anambra State and two dealerships in Lagos.

Enebros Motors will cater for the growing Hyundai clientele in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and provide sales and technical support to customers in neighbouring Oron, Eket and other Niger Delta communities.

At a sign-on ceremony in Uyo, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Head of Sales and Marketing Jatin Nadkarni said the investiture was in line with Hyundai business expansion plan to guarantee seamless access to valued automobile products and services with the provision of higher level customer satisfaction and enhanced hospitality.

Nadkarni urged the dealer to embrace Hyundai’s global vision of ‘Life time partner in automobiles and beyond’ by moving one step closer to customers and extending its role beyond being a simple sales and service shop to become customers’ lifetime companion.

“It isn’t enough to be Hyundai certified dealer but you must be constantly focused and embrace the brand best practice for high level performance,” he said.

While also encouraging the new dealer to value the basic principle of maintenance and improvement as standard ways of working throughout an organisation, Nadkarni said: “Our aim is to provide customers with best-in-class products and services and look forward to a long lasting and successful association.”

Enebros Motors Limited Chairman, Elder Enefiok Udoh applauded Hyundai Motors’ resilience and decisive response to her request for representation in the Niger Delta, pledging allegiance to industry best practice and create exceptional awareness for Hyundai products and services in the fledging Akwa Ibom market.

Elder Udoh also promised to provide efficient after sales facility for existing customers in Uyo, Oron and Eket.

“We discovered in our survey that most customers who drive Hyundai vehicles here and in neighbouring communities are confronted with challenges of after sales and in most cases, they travel all the way to Port-Harcourt or Calabar for mere servicing but now that we are here we can bridge the gap,” he said.

“We are ready to collaborate with Hyundai Motors to develop a local brand that could in future place Nigeria on the global map of technologically inclined,” he said.

Crossovers and SUVs were showroom favorites in April, with shoppers snapping up the Jeep Renegade, Nissan Murano, Chevrolet Equinox and Ford Edge.

“As the U.S. continues its love affair with utility vehicles, April is likely to be the 20th straight month in which light trucks outsell cars,” said Jessica Caldwell, an Edmunds.com senior analyst.

Automakers, including GM, Fiat-Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and Nissan, crowed about strong sales of SUVs and crossovers. GM noted that April was its best-ever month for crossover sales.

“Light truck sales have carried the auto industry to its best start in 15 years,” said Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager, in the automaker’s preliminary report. “The demand for crossover SUVs is off the charts and both the RAV4 and Highlander set April records.”

Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers in the U.S. delivered 269,056 vehicles in April, up six percent year over year.

“Consumer and commercial customer demand for pickups and utility vehicles have been building since last fall,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president of sales operations, in a statement. “The auto industry continues to be on track to have its best sales year since 2006.”

Chevrolet crossover deliveries were up  by 51 percent. The Chevrolet Equinox was up 42 percent for its best April ever.

The same theme was repeated at Nissan.

“Nissan’s new Rogue and Murano crossovers couldn’t have launched at a better time,” said Fred Diaz, senior vice president of Nissan’s U.S. sales & marketing and operations, in a statement.

Nissan Group, including Infiniti, set an April record with sales of 109,848, an increase of 5.7 percent over the previous April. Sales of the Murano increased by 73 percent, while Rogue sales were up  by 44 percent.

Fiat-Chrysler reported U.S. sales of 189,027 vehicles, a six percent increase compared with sales in April 2014, powered by Jeep SUV sales.

“Our all-new Jeep Renegade small SUV is off to an exceptional start with more than 4,200 units sold in its first full month in the market, helping to propel our Jeep brand to its best monthly sales ever,” said Reid Bigland, Fiat-Chrysler head of U.S. sales, in a statement.

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee had its best monthly sales ever last month with a 27 percent increase.

“With more small SUVs in its lineup than any other brand, Jeep certainly has products that match consumer demand at the moment,” Caldwell said.

Ford-brand SUVs turned in an all-time April sales record, the automaker reported.

“Our SUVs are in particularly high demand and the new F-150 is off to an outstanding start,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, in a statement.

Sales of the 2015 Ford Edge were up by 78 percent. Edge is now turning on Ford dealer lots in just 10 days, Ford said.

Ford reported a five  percent increase in total U.S. sales in April with 222,498 vehicles sold.

Luxury automakers also basked in the glow of strong SUV sales.

April represented strong demand for Audi luxury SUVs, with a 35.6 percent increase in sales encompassing the Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7 models, the automaker said.

Car shoppers did not turn away entirely from small cars.

Hyundai Motor America said it was the “best April ever for Elantra and Genesis sedan,” in a tweet.

Overall, Hyundai’s April sales were up 2.9 percent with 68,009 vehicles sold.

The Ford Motor Company, in association with its accredited dealer in Nigeria, Coscharis Motors, has announced call for entry into the 2015 edition of the Ranger Odyssey Africa Challenge.

The third edition of the annual Ranger Odyssey will see a total of 20 contestants navigating through the extremely challenging north-western region of Namibia on a 12-day expedition. The adventure starts off at Spitzkoppe and travels through Palmwag, Khuwarib and the barren and unforgiving Desolation Trail that follows the Huab River to Desolation Valley.

“The Ranger Odyssey is a unique event that gives dynamic individuals with a spirit for adventure the chance to see some of the most spectacular parts of Africa,” says Tracey Delate, General Marketing Manager, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA).While the life-changing experience is an exceptional prize in itself, there is also the allure of the grand prize which includes the use of an Odyssey-spec Ranger for a year, along with R5 000 or its naira equivalent (in case a Nigerian emerges winner) worth of fuel per month.

General Manager Marketing and Corporate Services, Coscharis Motors, Abiona Babarinde said Ford is offering Nigerians, with an adventurous spirit, the opportunity to experience the adventure of a lifetime through the Ranger Odyssey. “The Ranger is built for the tough, and through this competition, Ford aims to bring together a group of people across the continent who have adventurous spirit to experience the best Africa has to offer.”

He explained that in preparation towards the Namibia competition, Nigeria will hold an antecedent event on May 29.

The National Automotive Council (NAC) has launched a National Automotive Repository Portal (NARP) for all manufactured and imported vehicles in Nigeria.

NAC Director-General Aminu Jalal, said the NARP would serve as effective tool for town planners on infrastructure needs, especially in roads, bridges and parking development

Jalal said the portal would also be helpful for petroleum marketers as it would assist them to determine the level of fuel requirement and pattern of allocation nationwide, among others.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga, at the official launching of the portal in Abuja, said the system would serve as a database for all vehicles in Nigeria.

According to him, the NARP is vital, saying it will serve as a collection of Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for all locally assembled and imported cars in the country.

Aganga explained that VIN was intended to be a cross-reference portal for all vehicle licensing authorities before the issuance of vehicle licence and number plate.

He said that the NARP would serve as a platform for national vehicle registration system, adding that it would also facilitate the tracking and auditing of vehicles registration in Nigeria.

Aganga added that NARP was designed to integrate all stakeholders in Nigeria, to provide them with a national automotive database for all the vehicles in the country.

He listed the Police, Federal Road Safety Commission, Vehicle Inspection Officers, Customs Service, auto dealers and town planners as those that would benefit from the scheme.

According to him, the NARP would assist the council to  know the number and profile of registered vehicles in Nigeria for purpose of planning and decision making.

According to him, NARP will help Nigeria Customs Service to control smuggling which would lead to increase in its revenue generation and ensure a smuggled vehicle is easily identified.

Aganga said it would serve as marketing intelligence report for dealers in auto industry and prevent the diversion of automobiles to other ports.

According to him, this is because all vehicles entering Nigeria will not be registered if their VIN is not in the database.

Aganga said that NARP would assist the Police, Road Safety and Vehicle Inspection Officers to know about the historical information of vehicles.

Mrs Valentina Mintah, the Managing Director of WestBlue Consulting, which designed the portal, said one could access the portal via www.Narp.Nac.org.ng.

Mintah reiterated that the portal would enable the public to access any information needed on any vehicle.

Hyundai Motor has used the brand’s ‘New Thinking’ approach to connect the most distant of families; setting a novel world record in the process.

When the daughter of an astronaut on the International Space Station had a special hand-written letter to send to her father, Hyundai Motor found an ‘out of this world’ way to share her message.

The campaign, titled: ‘A Message to Space’, revolves around a 13-year-old girl from Houston, Texas, whose father is an astronaut and often away on space missions for many months at a time. Hyundai Motor conceived  a way for her to stay in touch with her father while he is gone by writing a personal message in giant lettering, big enough to be read from space.

Using the Delamar Dry Lake, Nevada, United States as a blank canvas, Hyundai Motor dispatched 11 Genesis cars to write an epic message covering an area more than one and a half times that of New York City’s Central Park. Capturing the message from his daughter, Stephanie, from the International Space Station, the astronaut was able to demonstrate the enormous scale of the mission.

Measuring 5.55 km2, the creation has been recognised as ‘the largest tire track image’ ever by Guinness World Records, proving that distance is no obstacle for Hyundai when uniting loved ones.

Describing the brand’s philosophy of caring for its customers, Scott Noh, Head of Overseas Marketing Group, Hyundai Motor Company said, “Keeping in line with Hyundai Motor’s corporate vision of being a ‘lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond’, the campaign highlights our philosophy of caring for customers through emotional interaction and becoming a brand beyond simply a means of transportation. Although sending a message to space with our Genesis cars was not an easy challenge, it enabled us to demonstrate our caring vision to our customers.”

Experts from Korea, Europe, and the United States gathered to successfully deliver the ambitious project. Firstly, the team had to identify optimal locations based on numerous geographical and meteorological factors. After several expeditions to various locations, and analysing global weather data, Delamar Dry Lake in Nevada was selected as the most optimal destination.

The event proved challenging and required a vehicle with outstanding engine performance, precise handling, a proven powertrain, and excellent driving stability to cope with the rough surface while creating the elaborate message. Perfect synchronisation was required to perform the tire track writing, so the team decided that the Hyundai Genesis was the ideal automobile for the challenge.

Mazda CX-5 is not only beautiful and cheap, it also offers much more. It has superior power and is minuscule fuel economic. Despite these, the most striking thing about the car, experts say, is its athletic advantage, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO with agency addition.

If you are shopping for a compact yet versatile vehicle with a relatively affordable price tag, a small crossover SUV is one of the best options available. With its outstanding fuel economy, functional, well-built interior, stellar safety ratings and excellent overall driving experience, the stylish 2015 Mazda CX-5 is one of our favourites in this class. If there is a small crossover in your future, this Mazda should be on your short list.

Though there are many reasons to like the 2015 CX-5, this Mazda is one of those vehicles that just makes life easy. It is very comfortable to drive to work or run errands in with the kids, and one will have no problems seeing out of it or parking it. In addition, the 2.5-litre engine that is standard on most trim levels offers strong acceleration while returning class-leading fuel economy. If you venture out of town for the weekend, you will find that the CX-5’s smooth ride, generally quiet cabin and comfortable seating make it a great road trip vehicle as well. Finally, compared with other small crossovers you might consider, this Mazda is actually kind of fun to drive, thanks to its precise steering and sporty handling.

Of course, no vehicle is perfect, and one of our main complaints about the CX-5 involves its subpar electronics interface. Compared with the infotainment systems in rivals, the CX-5’s system has mediocre graphics, poorly organised menus and, with navigation equipped, no scrolling feature for its map screen. Similarly, sound quality is nothing to write home about, even with the available Bose audio system. And while the base two-litre engine on the Sport trim level is quite fuel-efficient, it’s also pretty low on power. If extended highway travel or full passenger loads are in your plans, we certainly recommend the available 2.5-litre engine.

There are a lot of choices in the small crossover class, so it’s worthwhile to check out a few rivals before making your decision. Another top pick is the Honda CR-V, which has lots of space, high-quality interior materials and an easygoing driving demeanor that most shoppers will like. It is not as athletic as the CX-5, but it is an equally desirable choice. Others you may want to consider include the Ford Escape, which has top-notch interior materials and a powerful, optional turbocharged engine, and the Toyota RAV4, which is also quite roomy and especially comfortable on the highway. For shoppers interested in a small crossover SUV that can handle the occasional off-road excursion, we recommend looking at the Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Forester.

While each of these competitors has certain advantages, Mazda CX-5 is one of the best vehicles in the small crossover segment and deserves strong consideration.

 

Body Styles

 

The car is a five-passenger compact crossover SUV available in sport, touring and grand touring trim levels.

The base Sport comes standard with 17-inch wheels, full power accessories, air-conditioning, cruise control, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, auxiliary audio jack and a USB/iPod interface. The optional Bluetooth Audio package adds Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a touchscreen interface, HD radio, Pandora Internet radio, automatic crash notification, SMS text message reading and audio system voice controls. Stand-alone options include foglights, rear parking sensors and remote ignition (automatic-transmission models only).

The touring includes all the Sport’s equipment and the contents of the Bluetooth Audio package. It also features a more powerful engine, keyless ignition and entry, a rearview camera, a blind-spot warning system, a six-way power driver seat, a 40/20/40-split-folding rear seat, a six-speaker sound system, upgraded cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a six-speaker sound system. The Moonroof and Bose Audio option package adds a sunroof and an upgraded nine-speaker Bose audio system.

The grand touring includes touring’s equipment, 19-inch wheels, automatic headlights, automatic windshield wipers, heated mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats and leather upholstery.

Available on both the Touring and Grand Touring, the Technology package tacks on the Smart City Brake Support System (see Safety section), automatic and adaptive bi-xenon headlights, an auto-dimming mirror, satellite radio and a navigation system. The latter two items are available as stand-alone options. The Touring version of this package also includes automatic wipers.

 

Powertrains and Performance

 

The front-wheel-drive Mazda CX-5 Sport comes with a two-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 155 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a six-speed automatic is optional. With AWD, the automatic is standard. Note that Mazda only built the CX-5 Sport with the two-litre engine and AWD for a brief period before switching it over to the larger 2.5-liter engine.

The Sport AWD (built after last May), Touring and Grand Touring models come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that’s good for 184 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. The six-speed automatic transmission is standard, and both front-wheel and all-wheel-drive versions are available for the touring and grand touring.

 

Safety

 

Every Mazda CX-5 comes standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. An automatic crash notification feature is optional on the Sport and standard on the Touring and Grand Touring, which also get a blind-spot warning system.

Optional on the Touring and Grand Touring, the Smart City Brake Support system uses a laser sensor to detect stationary objects (such as stopped cars or pedestrians) in front of the vehicle at speeds up to 19 mph. If the driver fails to respond to a warning, the CX-5 can automatically apply the brakes.

 

Interior Design and Special Features

 

Regardless of the trim level, the cockpit of the Mazda CX-5 is attractive, modern and functional. It is a mature design, and it isn’t swathed in poorly rendered fake wood or highly reflective chrome trim. Instead, materials are simple and high in quality, and soft-touch surfaces are set off with limited use of satin-finish metallic details. The CX-5’s black gauges with white lettering are also highly legible.

On the other hand, CX-5’s touchscreen electronics interface, which is available with or without navigation, is just okay. The screen is small, and the system is sometimes slow to process touch inputs. The TomTom-sourced navigation software will get you to your destination, but there’s no ability to scroll on the map screen and the navigation units in most competitors have better graphics.

Most Mazda CX-5 drivers will be able to find a good driving position, and front seat comfort is excellent on long road trips. The backseat is spacious and offers plenty of legroom for this class. Although the seat-bottom cushions might feel a bit flat to adults, they feature an innovative folding mechanism on the Touring and Grand Touring that lowers the seat bottom before folding the seatback on top to provide a near-flat load floor. With all seats occupied, there are 34 cubic feet of luggage space that grows to a competitive 65 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

Honda has produced its five millionth vehicles, a 2016 Acura RDX, at its East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, United States (US).

The plant had early started production of the updated 2016 RDX luxury SUV, which went on sale at dealerships the same day the milestone RDX was built.

Workers at East Liberty last year marked the factory’s 25th anniversary. The plant also built the Honda CR-V and will add the Acura MDX in 2017.

Honda completed major renovations at East Liberty to enhance assembly operations, including replacing the main and sub-assembly lines.

“These new innovations will allow the plant to leverage its flexible manufacturing capabilities,” the automaker said.