Caterham enlists a new regional distributor in Latin America to push sales further ahead.

• Caterham appoints respected automotive distributor, Global X-Sports

Caterham has increased its global sales network by appointing respected automotive provider, Global X-Sports, as the Latin American regional distributor.

It’s the first time in Caterham’s history there has been a distributor for the whole Latin America region.

With over 19 years of automotive distribution experience, Global X-Sports will be offering the full Caterham EU range of lightweight sports cars including the Seven 165, 275, 355 and the range-topping 485 to Latin American customers.

It’s another exciting development for Caterham following a record-breaking year in 2016 which saw the car manufacturer toast its best sales in 20 years.

Caterham Chief Commercial Officer, David Ridley, said: “To increase our presence in Latin America is an exciting step. Following a record 600 sales in 2016, we want to carry the momentum into 2017.”

“As we celebrate 60 years of the Seven this year, we want people across the world to experience the pure, driving thrill the Seven provides.”

Fabrice Odeide, Managing Director, Global X-Sports Group said “The opportunity to bring Caterham to Latin America is one that is very exciting to us. We believe that there is a real demand for this desirable product that represents British automotive heritage and offers boundless joy behind the wheel.

“We look forward to bringing Caterham to a growing a network of dealers throughout the whole region, highlighting the unique, driving experience that comes with owning a Seven.”

USA - Next generation Chevy Spark gets debut at Seoul and New York Auto Show.

Chevrolet’s redesigned global minicar to debut in Seoul and New York on April 2

The all-new 2016 Spark will debut on April 2 at the Seoul and New York auto shows, Chevrolet announced today.

A sleeker, more aerodynamic profile and a progressive take on Chevrolet’s signature design cues will give the redesigned Spark a more sophisticated aesthetic that reflects the changing tastes of the global minicar market.

“The new Spark’s design has evolved and grown up with the segment,” said Michael Simcoe, GM International vice president of Design. “The youthful whimsy of the original Spark is still in its genes, but it is conveyed in more traditional proportions that reinforce the customer’s refined expectations.”

Chevrolet has sold more than 1.1 million Sparks around the world since it went on sale as the Beat in India in late 2009. Today, the Spark is available in 71 markets worldwide, selling the most in South Korea, followed by the United States and Mexico.

Spark is attracting younger and first-time car buyers to Chevrolet with 26 percent being under the age of 35.

Sales of the Spark in the U.S. are up 32 percent in the first two months of 2015 versus the same period in 2014.

Caterham to expand into Columbia from November.

Caterham Cars will make its official debut in Colombia at this year’s Bogota Auto Show on November 19-30.

The iconic British sportscar brand has signed an exclusive dealer based in the Colombian capital, which will sell a full range of Caterham’s iconic Seven variants – the new Seven 165, Roadsport, Superlight, Seven 485, Seven 620 R and CSR 175.

Caterham Colombia (www.caterhamcolombia.com) will have its full stock of vehicles in place for the Bogota show but the dealer is already open and able to take orders.

The business is very experienced in the automotive retail sector and will offer a full parts and servicing package for its customers, supported by Caterham Cars in the UK.

Caterham Group CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: “We are continuing our rapid, global expansion and Colombia is the latest new market to join our ever-expanding list of territories. South America is an important market and one that we have high hopes for – within four hours of a Bogota newspaper announcing the signing of the new dealer, our team there had 30 unique sales leads.”

More information about Caterham Colombia can be found at the in-market website. For all other enquiries, visit www.caterhamcars.com.

Ford Everest Concept shows Ford’s vision for a mid-size SUV designed for ASEAN and global markets.

• Ford Everest Concept shows Ford’s vision for a mid-size, seven-seat versatile SUV designed for ASEAN and global markets, to be built in Thailand
• Ford Everest Concept builds on Ford’s global SUV expertise to show how Ford expects to bring new levels of refinement and capability to the fast-growing SUV segment
•  Premium comfort sets the Everest Concept as the new benchmark for what it means to be a truly progressive, tough SUV with a refined appearance that communicates the vehicle’s capabilities

Presenting a breakthrough blend of strength, style and technology, Ford showcased the new Ford Everest Concept at the Bangkok International Auto Show today. The ASEAN debut of the Ford Everest Concept follows its global reveal in Sydney in August 2013.

“The Ford Everest Concept shows the bold new direction that we envision for a mid-size, seven-seat SUV that has been designed for ASEAN and global markets,” said Matt Bradley, president, Ford ASEAN. 

“Extending Ford’s unsurpassed heritage of creating class-defining SUVs, the Everest Concept features a stunning design that hints at its toughness and exceptional capability. And, like the current Everest, the production version of this next-generation SUV will be built right here in Thailand.”

The Ford Everest Concept builds on Ford’s SUV expertise and is aimed squarely at the global utility market, which grew 13 percent in 2013. Thanks to its global strengths and growing lineup of products, Ford outpaced this rapidly growing segment in 2013, selling 1.2 million utility vehicles, up 35 percent from a year earlier.

A vehicle like the Ford Everest Concept will strengthen Ford’s utility offering in the fast-growing ASEAN region, and comes after the introduction in the region of the all-new Ford EcoSport, a class-defining urban SUV.

Unshakable toughness and premium comfort sets the Everest Concept as the new benchmark for what it means to be a truly progressive SUV.

Featuring a powerful, yet refined, design that is unmistakably Ford, the Ford Everest Concept is a strong precursor to a vehicle that will meet the needs of customers in ASEAN markets looking for a highly capable vehicle that is equally at home up-country or in the city, combining world-class toughness with premium refinement.

The Ford Everest Concept is built upon key Ford design cues, combining sleekness and refinement with bold and rugged technical details. Headlamps connected to a prominent inverted trapezoid grille set high on the front allowed designers to maximize the headlamps’ dimensions, communicating better functionality while emphasizing the grille and the SUV’s width. The result is a strong and powerful presence for the entire front end, one which is unmistakably a Ford. 

Moving back from the upright grille, the headlamps are swept back for a modern and aerodynamic look. The vehicle’s profile is sculpted, with sleek and tailored body sides that give the Ford Everest Concept a modern and sophisticated air.

At the back of the vehicle, designers placed prominent, chiseled taillamps over a negative scallop, making for a sculptural and robust rear that contrasts with the square, flat liftgates on traditional SUVs. Combined with high ground clearance that indicates the vehicle’s off-road potential, the distinctive design of the Ford Everest Concept reflects the SUV’s fun-to-drive Ford DNA.

Amplifying and reflecting the vehicle’s tough physique and impressive capabilities, the Ford Everest Concept is painted in a show-stopping red with a flash of orange, called “Sunset Flare”. Bold and powerful, it has a warmth that expresses the vehicle’s premium qualities.

Created by Ford’s regional design and product development team in Australia, the Ford Everest Concept is the latest proof point of Ford’s regional design and engineering capabilities, as it creates world-class vehicles for markets in Asia Pacific and around the world.

“The Everest Concept represents our vision of a global Ford vehicle with regional heritage that will allow customers to take on the world,” said Bradley. “It shows how we continue to implement an ongoing product-led transformation and further expand our showrooms across the ASEAN region.”