The Nation Newspaper

Category: Motoring

  • GAC Motors partners Cars 45

    CIG Motors Co. Limited, the sole authorised distributor of GAC Motors in Nigeria, has announced a long-term partnership with Cars 45, a foremost online trading automobile company.

    The benefit of the partnership is to offer trade in facility for any used GAC cars or other brands for brand new GAC Motor vehicles.

    “This partnership not only makes easy and increases the acquisition of brand new cars, it also grows the GAC used car market, thereby putting on the roads, a brand that we can trust to deliver,” Cars45 Vice President Trading, Mohammed Iyamu, said.

    The flag off held at CIG Motors Showroom in Ayorinde Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Some customers who were present were said to have their used cars inspected and valued to take the opportunity for the partnership.

    CIG Motors Marketing Senior Manager Kayode Adejumo said: “This is an ongoing opportunity for upwardly-mobile professionals and business community to experience GAC Motor state-of-the-art vehicles. Currently, in the market, the following vehicle models GA3S in the saloon range, GS4 and GS8 in the compact and large SUV category are available.

    “As part of the scheme, inspections, evaluations and test drives for interested buyers will be conducted daily in all CIG motors showroom across Nigeria. A promotion is running and with only about 10 per cent deposit and with the support of our financial partners owning a GAC vehicle has become even easier.”

  • Nissan records best sales in two decades

    Nissan has announced its best sales in nearly two decades. It hiked 10 per cent market share in 2017, with passenger vehicles growing 44 per cent against the previous year and bakkies (pick-ups) mustering a share of 19.5 per cent up by nearly a fifth.

    Datsun, the brand’s highest market share in South Africa since 1981, similarly rose to 1.3 per cent, just as the Sub-Saharan Africa sales also grew, rising to 13.9 per cent.

    Nissan Sub-Sahara said the sales success came on the back of product launches, including the Patrol, X-Trail and Micra Active.

    Nissan had in the year under review also focused on customer- service, winning eight awards.

    “Nissan is poised to build on our success with further growth in Africa,” Managing Director of Nissan South Africa Mike Whitfield, said.

    He said: “We have invested almost R1 billion rand to increase the efficiency of our plant at Rosslyn increasing automation without reducing jobs, and in training and skills development for our people.”

    Nissan has developed its supplier base with initiatives to encourage young black entrepreneurs to become suppliers and the company continues to produce a high number of engineers at Rosslyn through its graduate development programme, which has been supporting South Africa employees to become master trainers by sending them to Nissan manufacturing plants across the world.

    To drive future growth, Nissan will focus on further developing its dealership network in South Africa with improved customer experience and enhanced facilities, while it continues to work to increase its share of the passenger vehicle market, and maintaining its strong position in bakkies.

    Nissan was the first manufacturer to introduce electric vehicle to South Africa, with the Nissan LEAF launched locally in 2013. Globally, more than 300,000 units of the LEAF have been sold, more than any other electric vehicle.

    Whitfield said: “The global automotive industry is going through revolutionary technological change, with electric vehicles, autonomous driving and connectivity. South Africa has the potential to lead Africa in embracing this change, and the automotive industry here and the economy stand to benefit. To do that we need to ensure that the infrastructure and support is in place in South Africa to help build demand for these products.”

    Rosslyn is Nissan’s manufacturing hub for the rest of the continent where demand is growing rapidly. And in April 2014, Nissan became the first mover to assemble cars in Nigeria, and is exploring new manufacturing opportunities on the continent.

    “Africa has huge potential but not every country can have a plant and manufacturing hubs needed to be developed. The automotive industry has been a driver of economic growth around the world for a century, and Africa will be next. What is we need now is a conducive environment, including the development of free trade areas, for the continent to flourish. Africa’s middle class is forecast to grow from 137 million people in 2009 to 341 million by 2030,” he added.

  • Ex-VW CEO Winterkorn indicted over diesel scandal

    FORMER Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn was charged in federal court in Detroit, United States (U.S) with conspiring to mislead regulators about the German automaker’s diesel emissions cheating.

    Winterkorn, 70, was listed for the first time with five other German Volkswagen executives originally charged in 2016, who, the government believes, are responsible for the company’s diesel emissions scandal. Winterkorn and the other five, Richard Dorenkamp, Heinz-Jakob Neusser, Jens Hadler, Bernd Gottweis and Juergen Peter, are in Germany, where they are safe from extradition to the U.S. under the German Constitution.

    A lawyer for Winterkorn in Germany did not immediately comment. Winterkorn in January, last year told German lawmakers he had not been informed of the cheating early and would have halted it had he been aware, but he did not say when he first became aware of the issue.

    A Volkswagen spokesman in Germany said the company “continues to cooperate with investigations” of individuals but would not comment on last Thursday’s charges.

    The indictment, filed in March under seal, was unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court. In court filings, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider says the indictment was unsealed “because there is no longer a belief that unsealing these documents will compromise an ongoing investigation.”

    The indictment alleged that Winterkorn specifically approved the efforts to mislead regulators about the falsified emissions claims. He has been charged with conspiracy and wire fraud.

    U.S. Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, Environmental Protection Administration chief Scott Pruitt and other senior Trump administration official issued statements criticising VW with the indictment, which marks a rare instance of a CEO being subjected to criminal prosecution for corporate behaviour.

    “If you try to deceive the United States, then you will pay a heavy price,” Sessions said.

    Sessions said the charges against Winterkorn showed that “Volkswagen’s scheme to cheat its legal requirements went all the way to the top of the company.”

     

     

  • Sokoto: PCN seals off 360 erring medicine stores, pharmacies

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria ( PCN ), has sealed off 352 patent medicine stores and eight unregistered pharmacies for various offences in Sokoto State.

    Mrs Anthonia Aruya, the PCN Director, Inspection and Monitoring, who addressed a news conference on Friday, said their offences included operating without registration and failure to renew premises licence.

    Aruwa listed other offences as dispensing ethical products without supervision of a pharmacist, poor sanitary conditions among others.

    She explained that the PCN is a Federal Government’s agency charged with the responsibility of controlling education, training and practice of pharmacy in all aspects.

    “The core mandate is to ensure rational distribution and dispensing of medicines that are safe, effective and of good quality to the public.

    “The PCN cannot guarantee drugs sold in unregistered outlets, that have not complied with the statutory production and distribution laws,’’ Aruya said.

    At the end of the enforcement exercise in Sokoto, she said 513 premises comprising 26 pharmacies and 487 patent medicine shops were visited.

    She added that the PCN observed that many pharmaceutical premises began operations without fulfilling the minimum requirements for registration while many failed to renew their licences.

    Read Also: Sokoto: Lawmaker offers free medical treatment to 10,000 constituents

    “Some of these premises stored products in environments where the quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products cannot be guaranteed.

    “They exposed public lives to serious danger, as many have no requisite knowledge or skills to handle ethical drugs and control medicines in their facility,’’ she added.

    She said the exercise was part of the measures to arrest the ugly trend, as similar exercises were conducted in other states of the federation.

    This, she noted, has prompted owners of such unregistered facilities to troop into the PCN office in Sokoto to regularise their operations, even as she lauded the activities of the state task force in this direction.

    Aruya said the National Assembly had directed the PCN to close down all illegal premises nationwide and called on the public to patronise only registered medicine stores or pharmacies.

    NAN

  • TATA, IPI unveil 200th locally assembled truck

    Tata Africa Services (Nigeria) Limited and Iron Products Industries (IPI) Ltd have rolled out the 200th locally assembled vehicle.

    Tata’s Head of the Auto Division, Suraj Prakash, said the firm would continue to pursue a local content programme that would ensure competitive pricing.

    Prakash said: “TATA Motors has a strong presence in Nigeria with investment of over 10 million dollars. We started assembly in 2016 which was well received by Nigerians. Our vehicles are well assembled and cost effective and it is better. Our vehicles are durable, up to standard and made for the Nigerian terrain. We will like to have more of government’s support on automobile policy because importation of tokunbo (second-hand) vehicles is of great disadvantage. Our vehicles are not expensive because most of the materials are sourced locally, so the cars are cost effective.”

    IPI Managing Director Nunu Diwan boasted that his company is the leader in steel fabrication in the country.

    Noting that the plant assembled about four TATA trucks daily, Diwan said the capacity could be increased if the need be.

    He hinted of plans to move from assembling of the vehicles to actual manufacturing by sourcing most of the components locally.

    “We are targeting manufacturing, not just assembly. By next year, 40 percent of the TATA trucks available in the market will be locally made,” he said.

    Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) Industrial Infrastructure Director Abdulwaheed Odetoro, praised President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for retaining the auto policy initiated by the previous regime.

    Odetoro assured that government will continue to support and protect locally manufactured vehicles.

    He said: “In the past, what we had was policy somersault, but now the government has put up a bill passed by National Assembly and waiting for the President’s assent. Once it is signed, the core operators in Nigeria will be protected.

    “The country is appreciative to those who have faith in Nigeria because manufacturing is key to economic development. We need to transform the sector from import dependent to full-scale manufacturing with realisation of technology transfer to indigenous experts in the industry.”

    In a symbolic gesture, the dummy key to the 200th TATA truck was presented to one of the brand’s loyal customers, Cobil Nigeria Limited.

     

  • Toyota showcases new RAV4 at Motor Show

    The all-new Toyota RAV4 has been unveiled at this year’s New York Motor Show – and it’s a more chiselled, head-turning affair than earlier crossovers, judging by these first official photos. It is the fifth generation of RAV4.

    Based on the group’s latest Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) like the new 2018 Auris hatchback, the latest RAV4 promises a step-change improvement in dynamics, fuel efficiency, safety and packaging, according to its makers.

    The hybrid is claimed to be unique in class, although that position is unlikely to remain for long, as car makers race to electrify their crossovers.

    All-wheel drive is available and the hybrid set-up uses an additional, second electric motor to power the rear axle. The 2.0 petrol model’s AWD set-up is entirely mechanical. Although not an off-roader, shorter overhangs and a modest hike in ride height are claimed to provide better soft-roading ability.

    Inside the cabin, Toyota claims a step change in quality. It should be roomier, too: the wheelbase is 30mm longer and the new RAV4 is 10mm wider at 1855mm. There’s the usual array of digital dials, tablet-style touchscreens and all the latest Japanese tech, including an EV button so you can save charge for whisper-quiet urban driving.

    The use of the TNGA platform should make the RAV4 much better to drive than its predecessor. Despite its tip-toe SUV proportions, the newcomer does in fact have a lower centre of gravity, to the benefit of handling and nimbleness, its maker claims.

    Although no official economy or CO2 figures are available yet, Toyota is claiming good advances in both to make this more fuel – and tax – efficient.

    Toyota has confirmed it is phasing out diesel in its passenger cars from 2018 and expanding its hybrid range offerings, instead. This applies across its car range, but excludes the Hilux, Proace and Land Cruiser utility vehicles.

    Hybrids accounted for about 78 per cent of C-HR crossover sales last year, for example, and the brand is bringing two hybrid offerings to the new Auris range – the already-in-service 1.8 Hybrid and the new two Hybrid.

  • Wanted: Drivers day (II)

    Other memorable or motivational activities.

    Benefits:

    • Boost Driver Education.
    • Boost experience-sharing among drivers and other officers.
    • Boost the morale of drivers among other staff (gives the drivers a sense of belonging in the organisation).
    • Motivates the drivers for improved productivity.
    • Promotes the commitment of the drivers.
    • Promotes safe driving and security.
    • Promotes positive competition for efficiency and effectiveness.
    • Promotes driver retention.

    Although this is an initiative in Nigeria, we would like to draw a quick reference: The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was started by Road Peace in 1993. Since then, it has been observed and promoted worldwide by several NGOs. However, on  October 26, 2005, the United Nations endorsed it as a global day to be observed every third Sunday in November each year making it a major advocacy day for road traffic injury prevention.

    The whole World is concerned about the high rate of road traffic crashes and how to drastically reduce it but no programme has been specifically established to directly address the drivers (human factors) who constitute over 70 per cent of the causes of accidents.

    I believe that if Nigeria starts the observance of the Drivers Day, other countries and the UN will quickly see the relevance and the need to make it a global event to be observed yearly. Nigeria will  be on global record as the initiator of the event.

    I hereby use this forum to encourage all the employers of drivers, transport companies, driver unions and other stakeholders in the transport and safety sectors to key into the proposed Drivers’ Day to be observed on the third Thursday in November of every year. The third Sunday of November is already the UN Day of Remembrance of road accident victims.

    These two events when appropriately marked every year, will greatly boos safety – consciousness and reduce road traffic crashes on the roads. No cost is too high to prevent the loss of lives.

     

  • Hyundai begins vehicle service clinic

    Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited (HMNL) has started Vehicle Service Clinic, urging customers to take advantage of its comprehensive 30-day service campaign to tune-up their vehicles and avoid undue cessations and unwarranted cost implications.

    Its Head of Service, Srinivas Jayaram said the promotional routine vehicle upkeep would help customers appreciate Hyundai driving experience and the dealership’s commitment to the brand.

    He said about 25 per cent discount on value-added services, including 20 per cent discount on mechanical repairs as well as 20 per cent discount on body repair parts and 10 per cent discount on labour charges will be permitted during the campaign, which also offers free 25-point-checkup.

    The sequence of check-up, according to Jayaram, also include free engine diagnosis with report, battery test with report, a/c gas quality, wiper blade replacement, body damage and generous brake assessments.

    Customers could also take advantage of special prices on upholstery cleaning, engine steam wash, wheel alignment and balancing as well as body wax, the HMNL head of service assured.

    “The Hyundai ‘Car Care Clinic’ is a rare opportunity for desiring customers’ to tune-up their vehicles to avoid undue cessations and unwarranted cost implications,” he said.

    He added that the dealership understands the evolving needs and preferences of Hyundai, HMNL’s head of service cautioned that “the service campaign is pertinent to 2015 and prior models, and subject to part availability.”

    While the offer may be accessed at Hyundai facilities in Abuja and Port-Harcourt, customers in and around Lagos are to use the Orile, Ijesha workshops as well as the Hyundai Commercial Vehicle Centre at Isolo.

    “Our obligation at HMNL is to make ownership of Hyundai vehicles an enjoyable experience and we recognize the importance of excellence both in quality of our vehicles and in after sales service,” Jayaram said.

    He said the company has dependably retrained its service technicians in multiple auto repair disciplines and acquaint them extensively in Hyundai cutting-edge and ever changing technology and, “we are proud to say we have some of the best technicians that are trained to handle complex auto repair jobs.”

     

  • ABC makes N766.84m profit

    ABC Transport Plc has released the audited results for last year, recording a consolidated profit before tax (PAT) of N766.84million as against a loss after tax of N599.79million recorded in 2016.

    This was conveyed in a statement released to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) on March 29.

    Turnover grew from N6.71billon in 2016 to N7.19billion in 2017 representing an increase of 7.15 per cent while operating loss of N490.85million recorded in 2016 reversed to an impressive profit before tax of N766.84million last year.

    In like manner, a profit after tax of N513.25million was earned by the group in 2017 against a loss after the tax of N599.79million recorded in 2016.

    The company re-strategised to  recover from the recession which hit the transport sector, affecting the growth of Transit Support Service Limited, its auto assembly and sales subsidiary.

    To reward shareholders, the firm’s board has proposed a dividend of 3k per share amounting N49.73m.

    It should be recalled that the company was unable to pay dividends in 2016 as a result of the loss incurred owing to the economic recession which hit the entire logistics subsector of the economy.

    The company currently has over 22,000 shareholders and remains the only road transport company quoted on the NSE.

     

  • Kia gets three awards at Red Dot

    Kia has triumphed again in the Red Dot Awards, securing three prestigious awards for design. The new Stinger fast-back sedan, the Stonic compact crossover and the third-generation Picanto city car won in their respective categories.

    The international jury of design experts awarded the Stinger the ‘Best of the Best’ title, praising the car for its pioneering design.

    The trio of victories adds to Kia’s continuing success, with the company having won a remarkable 21 Red Dot Awards since the Kia Soul first took victory in 2009. The latest awards follow Kia’s triple iF Design Award win earlier in 2018.

    “Our global design team can be incredibly proud of their latest triple triumph. It highlights Kia’s passion for design quality and ingenuity, which has once again been lauded by a panel of international design experts,” said Peter Schreyer, the President and Chief Design Officer of Kia Motors Corporation.

    “Winning the ‘Red Dot: Best of the Best’ for the fourth time is truly exceptional. With its modern take on the classic gran turismo style, the Kia Stinger is further proof of Kia’s high design standards,” Schreyer added.

    The Stinger, designed at Kia’s European design centre in Frankfurt, Germany, marries classic gran turismo design with a spacious and cosseting interior. Taking inspiration from the grand tourers of the 1970s, the Stinger features elegant fastback proportions and a muscular ‘coke bottle’ shape down its flanks, highlighting the car’s rear-wheel biased power delivery.

    Also designed in Frankfurt, the Stonic, Kia’s debut compact crossover, offers a striking and bold exterior design, combined with an elevated seating position and practical SUV format. It is the most customisable Kia ever made, offering buyers a wide choice of two-tone paint combinations and interior colors.

    The third generation of the Kia Picanto – Kia’s smallest car – brings a youthful and energetic character to the A-segment. It boasts a distinctive new design and a high-quality, high-tech cabin, with huge potential for customisation. Despite its compact dimensions, the Picanto’s intelligent design makes it one of the most spacious cars in its class.

    Over 6,300 products from 59 countries submitted entries for The Red Dot Awards.

    Since launched in 1955 by the Design Centre of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Red Dot Awards has become one of the most prestigious design competitions worldwide. The judging panel comprises of 40 expert independent designers, design professors and trade journalists from all over the world.

    The presentation of the Red Dot Awards will take place on July 9  in Essen, Germany at the Aalto Theater, an opera house designed by Alvar Aalto.