USA - Mazda today announced that it has sold out of the 1,000-car allocation for the 2017 MX-5 Miata RF Launch Edition.

Two-Thirds of Customers Select Manual Transmission, Deliveries to Begin Early 2017

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced that it has sold out of the 1,000-car allocation for the 2017 MX-5 Miata RF Launch Edition.

In the first week of ordering, which started September 26, more than 500 loyal Mazda customers put down deposits to buy a Retractable Fastback MX-5 Miata. When ordering opened to the general public on October 3, the remaining cars sold out in just 13 hours. In all, 67 percent of customers opted for manual transmissions.

Each U.S.-bound MX-5 RF Launch Edition will be painted Machine Gray Metallic and come with Auburn Nappa leather seating appointments, a hand-painted black roof and special badging—the latter three exclusive to the MX-5 RF Launch Edition for 2017. Customers also will receive a serialized Tourneau 42mm MX-5 RF Launch Edition watch.

“The 2017 MX-5 RF Launch Edition preorder program was created to reward loyal Mazda customers with exclusive access to some of the first MX-5 RF models to be sold in the U.S., as well as to ramp up anticipation for what was arguably the star of the 2016 New York International Auto Show,” said Robert Davis, senior VP, U.S. Operations. “By every measure, this program was a success, and we’re excited to be that much closer to getting these cars into the garages of customers from all over the U.S.”

Production of MX-5 RF started last week, and orders have been submitted this week for the U.S. MX-5 RF Launch Edition, with deliveries to customers beginning early 2017.

With the MX-5 RF Launch Edition having sold out, focus now shifts to the standard-production MX-5 Club and Grand Touring models.

The hardtop sibling of the 2016 World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year will come in tech-laden MX-5 RF Grand Touring and harder-edge MX-5 RF Club trim levels and will be available with a SKYACTIV-DRIVE six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic in either trim level.

While most features of the MX-5 RF are carryover from soft top models, there are a few additions for 2017 that will separate the Retractable Fastback from its cloth-covered sibling, including a 4.6-inch full-color TFT gauge and the availability of Machine Gray Metallic paint in substitution of Meteor Gray Mica that is available on the soft top. For 2017, all MX-5 Club models will come standard with Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, regardless of their roof option. Previously, these features were available only on MX-5 Grand Touring models.

All MX-5 RF models come with a seven-inch MAZDA CONNECT^TM touchscreen infotainment system that integrates audio, SiriusXM and HD Radio, phone and diagnostic functions that can also be used via Commander control knob or voice commands as well as a nine-speaker BOSE^® audio system with integrated headrest-mounted speakers, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob and LED headlights and tail lights. MX-5 Club models come with premium cloth seats with red stitching, a Bilstein suspension, front and rear black functional aerodynamic body extensions and a limited-slip differential in models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission.

MX-5 RF Club models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission can be further optioned with the Brembo/BBS Package that includes a front shock-tower brace; side sill body extensions; forged, lightweight BBS 17-inch wheels; and Brembo front brakes with wider brake pads for greater heat dissipation during spirited driving. The package also includes red-painted brake calipers.

MX-5 RF Grand Touring models feature heated leather seating surfaces, Adaptive Front-lighting System, High Beam Control and Lane Departure Warning.

MSRP[1] for MX-5 RF Club and Grand Touring models:

MX-5 RF Club 6MT	$31,555
MX-5 RF Club 6AT	$32,285
• Brembo/BBS Package (6MT only)	$3,400
MX-5 RF Grand Touring 6MT	$32,620
MX-5 RF Grand Touring 6AT	$33,825
• Advanced Keyless Entry (Standard on 6AT models)	$130

Premium paint options:

Soul Red Metallic	$300
Machine Gray Metallic	$300
Crystal White Pearl Mica (GT models only)	$200

UK SALES SEPT - Hyundai Motor UK is celebrating its strongest ever sales month, which saw it achieve the highest sales recorded by any Hyundai European subsidiary

• September saw Hyundai Motor UK achieve the highest sales ever recorded by a Hyundai European subsidiary
• Hyundai Motor UK sales up 9.6% year on year, with retail sales up 11.5%
• Sales across all end user channels up 14%

Hyundai Motor UK is celebrating its strongest ever sales month, which saw it achieve the highest sales recorded by any Hyundai European subsidiary.

In September, Hyundai Motor UK sales were up 9.6% year on year, in a market up just over 1%, while retail sales were up 11.5%, a figure made all the more impressive given that the market has declined by 3.4%. 

Across all end user channels, sales were up 14% year on year with a total of 17,090 vehicles sold.

The strong sales results can, in part, be attributed to the company’s expanding and young range of vehicles. In September, it was the i10 city car, offering an award-winning package of design, space, technology, efficiency and safety, which achieved the most retail sales. The Tucson took the top spot both in fleet sales and overall, with its striking design and outstanding space, comfort and safety.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO at Hyundai Motor UK said: “We are delighted to announce such strong sales figures for September, which are a testament to our strategy of delivering total customer value throughout the buying and ownership process.

“We continually focus on how we can improve our offering for consumers, whether that be embracing the process of digitalisation throughout our dealer network or the development of new models, such as the new generations of the i10 and i30 which recently made their public debuts at the Paris Motor Show. This approach has helped us to deliver this sales growth in a very competitive market and we hope it will continue to enable us to not only retain current customers but also attract new ones.”

EUROPE SALES SEPT - Nissan breaks records in the UK and pushes sales higher across the whole of Europe.

	2016	2015
September Sales (units)	78,192	77,270
September Market  share	4.2%	4.5%

Nissan announced today European sales for September of 78,192 units (Nissan and Datsun), representing a market share of 4.2 percent. Calendar sales to date total 559,155 units.

With the UK well and truly ahead as any other European market, it is no wonder that Nissan utilises the country to produce vehicles at its state of the art facility, producing not just Nissan, but the new Infiniti Q30/QX30 sub compact too.

The brand also had a hugely successful Paris Motor Show, with the world launch of the new Micra Supermini, at long last the car has gotten back to its roots and is designed with loads of flair and not like the last couple of models that have failed miserably to match the sales of the MKI and MK II

September highlights:

• Sales in the UK totaled 29,229 units with a market share of 5.5 percent. Calendar year sales total 130,116 units.
• Sales in Germany totaled 7,491 units with a market share of 2.4 percent marking the best September result since 2011 and Nissan in Germany is the best-selling Japanese brand. Calendar year sales to date total 60,520 units.
• Sales in France totaled 7,108 units with a market share of 3.5 percent. Calendar year sales total 57,590 units.
• Nissan in Italy sold 4,912 units in September, with a market share of 2.9 percent. Calendar year sales to date totaled 48,578. The Nissan LEAF is the Italian electric market leader in Italy from January to September 2016 with 346 units sold.
• Datsun sales in Russia totaled 1,516 units in September with 13,108 units sold from January to September 2016.
• Sales in Russia totaled 6,682 units with a market share of 5.2 percent.
• Sales in Spain totaled 4,651 with a market share of 5.1 percent. Calendar year sales to date total 48,743 units.

Top Five European Markets in September 2016
#	Market	Unit Sales
1	UK	29,229
2	Germany	7,491
3	France	7,108
4	Russia	6,682
5	Italy	4,912

Top Five Models in September 2016
#	Market	Unit Sales
1	Qashqai	27,210
2	JUKE	11,183
3	X-Trail	9,570
4	Micra	7,793
5	Note	5,447

USA - GM Expands the Spring Hill production facility to a third shift with another 650 jobs to meet expanded sales.

General Motors today announced plans to add a third shift and 650 jobs to Spring Hill Manufacturing to increase output of the recently launched Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia.

The shift is expected to begin in January 2017. Staffing details are being finalized and positions will be filled starting this quarter.

“Spring Hill is demonstrating again its flexibility and agility to meet increasing customer demand for GM’s hot products,” said Cathy Clegg, vice president, GM North America Manufacturing & Labor Relations.

“Just last month, Spring Hill quickly converted engine production to meet higher demand for full-size truck engines,” Clegg said. 

“Now the Spring Hill team will need to move with lightning speed to launch a third shift in vehicle assembly in only three months.”

UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada said she is confident the Spring Hill team is up to the challenge.

“Today’s announcement of an added shift is a credit to UAW Spring Hill members who launched a highly successful quality product in the new Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia,” Estrada said. “It is a credit to the productive UAW workforce and GM Spring Hill team that 650 jobs are now being added in Tennessee.”

Spring Hill’s UAW Local 1853 Chairman Mike Herron said, “This is outstanding news for our entire Spring Hill workforce and the middle Tennessee area.

“The tremendous success in the marketplace of the Cadillac XT5 and the GMC Acadia is indicative of the pride and craftsmanship that are built into each of these vehicles by the highly skilled UAW members that make them,” Herron said.

The GM Spring Hill Manufacturing facility is located on 2,100 acres in Spring Hill, a growing community 40 miles south of Nashville. The site manufacturing operations currently consist of a flexible vehicle assembly plant, including a body shop, paint shop, two polymer injection molding operations and general assembly, and an engine plant. There are 3,300 hourly and salaried employees at Spring Hill.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said, "Thirty-one years after GM chose to locate a plant in Tennessee from among 38 states, the Spring Hill plant is proving that GM made exactly the right decision: Tennessee is still the best place in the country for auto jobs. I congratulate GM and its Spring Hill employees on this great news."

Tennessee’s Governor Bill Haslam highlighted the importance of manufacturing for the state.

"We want to thank GM for today's announcement and creating these additional high-skilled jobs, another important investment by a company that can choose to do business anywhere," Haslam said. "Manufacturing has long been a hallmark of Tennessee's economy, and the Brookings Institution recently ranked Tennessee No. 1 in the U.S. for advanced industry job growth."

Spring Hill Mayor Rick Graham said he is thrilled with GM’s commitment to the community.

“We remain excited and proud of the continued success and momentum at GM Spring Hill Manufacturing with yet another major job growth announcement,” said Graham. “These are good-paying jobs with excellent benefits that will spawn more economic growth in Spring Hill and contribute to our goal of moving away from being a commuter city, allowing more people to live where they work.”

The XT5 model is the biggest contributor to Cadillac’s global growth. The brand has registered double-digit sales increases globally for four consecutive months. In its first six months on the market, the XT5 has become Cadillac’s best-selling model with more than 22,000 sales in the U.S.

The all-new 2017 GMC Acadia is also selling fast. Acadia models stay on dealer lots for an average of 19 days before they are sold, according to GM sales data. The industry average is 73 days, according toEdmunds.com.

General Motors has announced more than $2 billion for the Spring Hill Manufacturing operations since 2010. This includes a $148-million investment announced in February to repurpose flexible machining and assembly equipment to build Small Block 6.2L V-8 engines for trucks. Spring Hill Manufacturing recently broke ground for the expansion of its engine plant, part of the $788.7 million investment announced in April.