The group for instant number eight on the U

Monday 11 January

It should logically be unveiled at the upcoming Paris Motor Show in September but it is at the Detroit Motor Show that Ford chose to lift the veil on the new version of the Focus. The gesture is intended. As for the blue oval group, it is much more that of a consolidation of its classic sedan. This global ambitions vehicle is the first to reflect the new policy instilled by the President and CEO Alan Mulally: it is to build a maximum of vehicles from a same technical platform. By 2012, Ford plans to launch ten different models from this unique basement. At the time vehicles segment C (medium size) should move from one million units sold per year in 2008 to 2 million by 2012.

If the Focus sedan was logical for the European market, Dearborn group is that it also matches the aspirations of American or Asian clients. Boosting the theme of a world car, on which several general practitioners themselves are already broken teeth in the past. This car will be launched from early 2011 in 122 different countries. Goal: sell 850,000 per year to run in the world. Five plants, in the United States, Germany, Spain, Russia, then China will be reserved for this platform from models, which will include compact minivans such as the new C - Max or the so-called newer forms multi-activity (MAV) models.

In the United States, the arrival of the new Focus gives the size of the industrial conversion of Group: the Wayne plant, near Detroit, which saw large typically American models like the Ford Bronco, the F-150 pick-ups or large SUV Expedition, is totally renovated to accommodate the new sedan. Amount of investment: $ 550 million. Workers flock the car according to the same standards as their colleagues German or Russian. With this model, expected in a year, Ford intends to paste back to the forefront that are on this segment in the United States the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. D.F.

Claim or step, the US market more than ever Volkswagen interested. The German manufacturer, number two world, will invest a total of EUR 3 billion in the coming years to reach the threshold of the 450,000 cars sold in the country, against 314.000 last year.

Cornerstone of this offensive, a new plant under construction in Tennessee, which accounts for only an investment of$ 1 billion, according to Stefan Jacoby, President of Volkswagen Group of America. The group for instant number eight on the U.S. market with a share of less than 3 assemble in this new site a new sedan adapted to market local, larger than the current Passat, and intended as a challenger of the Toyota Camry, and Chevrolet Malibu. It will be launched in the third quarter of 2011.

Prior to this, the existing plant VW's Puebla, the Mexico, will be responsible for the successor of the small Jetta sedan, this year, then the new version of the Beetle, next year. Based in North America several significant models, the German group seeks to circumvent the problems of adverse currency parities and hopes to make his American activity starting in 2012 or 2013, he still loses money on the spot. In America, Chatanooga represents a comeback since VW has already operated a plant in the past, in Pennsylvania, but that he had been forced to abandon in 1986, lack of profitability. Today, "it seemed normal and logical to return to us", says Christian Klingler, Member of the Executive Board of the German group in charge of marketing.

If the US market fell even lower than last year, with only 10.4 million cars sold, it should move towards 11 million or 11.5 million this year, prior to the 15 million road, says Stefan Jacoby. The future Tennessee plant will start with a capacity of 150,000 units per year, but the land has been planned for the double if necessary. Possible manufacture of an Audi model, study for a long time, has not yet been decided. The authorities were in all cases is a mont d'Or: in settling in this southern state, VW will benefit from tax exemptions of some 750 million dollars in the long term. D.F.

The CEO of ", indicated last week the CEO." Prudent nevertheless faced with this new technology, GM is not considering first launch across the United States. Will exempt some markets "guinea pigs", including California, Washington and the Detroit area. Anyway, lithium, battery capacity, are not unlimited. D.F.

Sunday 10 January

Now restructured and shed its old constraints, General Motors (GM) can become "a much stronger competitor", promised his Vice President Bob Lutz again "really optimistic for the future", on the eve of the opening to the press by the Salon of Detroit 2010. "There are certain times in the past 18 months where it in was almost finished General Motors but now that begins this new decade our future (...)" "is much, much brighter," admitted to the association of automotive analysts (SAA), comparing the constructor for the "the phoenix reborn from the ashes". "For first time that we can deploy the full power of GM without the weight of all this horrible legacy of costs and the overwhelming debt", he added. With "a balance reduced its debt", costs structures, two times less than brands but a lower dollar against the yen and the euro, "General Motors is well positioned to take advantage of the increase in demand," he continued. For 2010, GM table on a resumption of sales of vehicles to 11 or even 12 million cars sold this year in the United States against some 10.4 million last year. So, back to the Group profit promised for this year by its CEO, Ed Whitacre, does not appear still entirely guaranteed. "It will depend on possible additional restructuring costs, but" GM will "certainly" recipient "on an operational basis", qualified Bob Lutz.