In the recent economic crisis where most of the automobile manufacturing companies are minimizing their production, laying off their employees and filing bankruptcy, the Govenment of USA announced ‘Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS)’ program to help the ailing auto industry to enhance the production. Hence industrial as well as commercial activity would be increased that helps to overcome the unemployment.

This decision came at the right time when the sales of vehicles dropped significantly in the first half of 2009 in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation is responsible for this program which will ensure that the CARS payments go to the right people.

On 10th March 2009, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation made an announcement for its upcoming replacements in the senior management of the company, effective from 1st April 2009. The Japanese automobile manufacturer specializes in extensive range of cars and trucks, and has plants across the globe with a major market in Far East, Europe, and the US.

The company has decided to announce Jim Tyrrell as a new Vice President of the company. Jim Tyrrell was previously serving as the Managing Director and has a long and trustful relationship of 9 years with the company. He will be now taking over one of the most responsible job of the company and playing his active role to advise the board on new strategic and operational goals of Mitsubishi.

After eight years of continuous record profits, Toyota is predicted to post its first annual parent-only operating loss in 70 years owing to low sales and the appreciating Japanese Yen. The current financial turmoil has pushed up the value of the Japanese Yen by about 25 percent since the summer, making Japanese products more expensive overseas.

Toyota has been seen as the most vulnerable of Japan’s big automakers because it had been investing heavily in new products, including a full-sized pickup truck for the U.S. market, just when auto sales started to fall. Last year it earned a record profit of 2.27 trillion Yen ($25.4 billion). Whereas this year the giant manufacturer expects the group net profit of 50 billion Yen instead of 550 billion Yen.

Toyota, the giant Japanese auto manufacturer has launched Toyota iQ which is considered to be world’s smallest four-passenger car. This model has been specially designed for the European market where it will offer customers “a new mode of urban transport”.

The name iQ is the best representation of what the car symbolizes. “i” stands for “individuality”, at the same time also expressing “innovation” and “intelligence”. “Q” stands for “quality”.

One of the best new launches of recent years is the Suzuki Splash, which is now being imported into Japan. The car is manufactured in Hungary by Suzuki’s subsidiary company Magyar Suzuki Corporation. This car represents the start of a fresh stage in the development of Suzuki brand in Europe.

This brand new concept is aimed at satisfying the needs of demanding European customers in terms of compactness, modern design, aerodynamics, quality, driveability, and environmental friendliness. Suzuki also touts excellent ride comfort as a selling point for the new car. It’s distinctly designed according to the European flavor where Suzuki’s past small car offerings have always been overwhelmingly Japanese.

Honda quit Formula1 world championship earlier this month and was out to sell this unit. Like all of its competitors in Japan and abroad, the renowned auto manufacturer is also struggling in the current global economic slowdown. The company spent more than $400 million a year on its F1 program, but the program hasn’t been competitive and sustainable in recent years.
Honda, led by founder Soichiro Honda, owned a Formula One team as early as 1964, even before it began making cars in 1967. It returned to F-1 in the 1980s as an engine supplier. In 2004 it purchased a stake in the BAR (British American Tobacco) F1 team , and a year later it bought the team to form the Honda team for the 2006 season.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., one of the leading Japanese Car Manufacturing Companies, Announced the launch of a new clean diesel X-Trail “20GT”, which went on sales last year at Nissan dealers nationwide. The new diesel version has met Japan’s stringent “Post New Long-term Regulations” becoming the first vehicle in the world to do so.

The X-Trail “20GT”, powered by a newly developed M9R diesel engine, achieves high fuel efficiency of 15.2m per liter under Japan’s 10-15 test mode operation, representing an increase of approximately 30% in fuel economy over a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with the same power unit.

Nissan has used new technologies in the M9R engine which reduce emissions, noise and vibrations include: