Category: Newswire

SAIC Volkswagen to expand production at Xinjiang plant

URUMQI, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) — SAIC Volkswagen's plant in China's far west Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is scheduled to increase production by mass-producing an SUV model in mid-2020.
The SUV production line has been installed and is expected to start mass production of the Tharu SUV model in July next year, said Fu Xuejun, general manager of the SAIC Volkswagen (Xinjiang) Automotive Co., Ltd.
The Xinjiang subsidiary previously only produced the new Santana sedan model, with the output exceeding 20,000 units last year.
After the mass production of the SUV model, total production at the Xinjiang plant is expected to increase to 50,000 units.
The subsidiary, based in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, is SAIC Volkswagen's first production facility in western China and also Xinjiang's first passenger vehicle assembly plant.

Jeep Gladiator recalled for potential driveshaft failure

The Jeep Gladiator pickup is being recalled to repair a problem that could lead to a fractured driveshaft.The vehicles were built from December 15, 2018 through June 25, 2019.The Wrangler-based Gladiator is Jeep’s most important new model this year and its first pickup since 1992.

FTC investigates BMW Japan for alleged pressure on car dealers

Fair Trade Commission investigators searched the Tokyo offices of BMW Japan on Sept. 11 over suspicions it set impossible sales targets for dealers and unfairly punished them when they failed to reach the goals.When dealers failed to achieve the targets, BMW Japan allegedly forced them to buy any unsold vehicles themselves.BMW Japan’s sales amounted to 285 billion yen ($2.6 billion) in 2018.

BMW Japan raided over improper sales quotas

The Fair Trade Commission raided BMW Japan Corp. on Wednesday for allegedly imposing unreasonable sales quotas on its distributors and making them buy vehicles when they missed the targets.The alleged unfair practice was apparently induced by fierce competition from Mercedes-Benz and other rivals in the imported vehicle market.Distributors registered BMW vehicles they purchased under their names and sold them in the used car market afterward.