Subaru reaches 15 million vehicles that utilise their all wheel drive system, but it has taken 44 years.

• Milestone achieved in the 44th year of production

Subaru of America, Inc. announced today that total production of Subaru All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicles from their parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), reached 15 million units. This milestone was achieved in the 44th year of production of AWD vehicles with the introduction of the Subaru Leone 4WD Estate Van in September 1972.

Since then, Subaru has continuously enhanced its AWD technology and the basic functions of its cars, with the consistent strong aim to make driving safer and more enjoyable.

In 2015, AWD models accounted for 98 percent of Subaru’s global sales. Fitted with the horizontally-opposed SUBARU BOXER® engine, all of these models featured Subaru’s distinctive symmetrical AWD system.

Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive offers a combination of superior stability and traction intrinsic to AWD and balanced distribution of weight provided by the symmetrically-laid-out drivetrain with a longitudinally-mounted BOXER engine positioned in line with it. The synergy delivers excellent performance such as stability at high speeds and brisk cornering. The symmetrical AWD system is one of the core technologies that underpins Subaru’s commitment to safety and driving pleasure.

Under the “Confidence in Motion” brand statement, Subaru will continue to enhance its engineering excellence and distinctive appeal to offer an “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind” driving experience to customers worldwide.

FIAT 500 reaches historic 1.5m production milestone yesterday, November 10 2015, at the Tychy plant in Poland

• FIAT 500 reaches historic 1.5m production milestone today, November 10 2015, at the Tychy plant in Poland
• Impressive tally is reached in little more than eight years
• More than 240,000 units have been sold in the UK since its launch in late 2007
• New FIAT 500 is on sale in the UK from £10,890 OTR

The FIAT 500 has today reached the 1.5 million unit milestone in Europe with the landmark car in question, a white 1.2 Pop, rolling off the production line in Tychy, Poland, destined for its new owner in France.

The FIAT 500 has reached this impressive tally just eight years and four months after its launch, collecting more than 40 international awards along the way including the prestigious European Car of The Year accolade in 2008. It is now on sale in more than 100 countries around the world, from Japan to North America, with the UK accounting for more than 240,000 of the total number sold in Europe.

For 2015, FIAT refreshed the exterior and interior, retaining the unmistakable 500 look that has made it such a global success but making it even more attractive and contemporary, adding advanced technologies, improved efficiency and even more customisation options than ever before. 

In total, no fewer than 1,900 changes have been made, most noticeable of which are the new front headlights with LED daytime running lights, the distinctive new rear light clusters and the new dashboard with its innovative UConnect infotainment system.

Half a Million in just 21 months, that will be the new generation Qashqai, the fastest UK production milestone.

• 500,000^th second-generation Qashqai rolls off the production line in Sunderland
• Flagship Crossover reaches half-million milestone faster than any UK-built car
• New generation Qashqai in demand across 84 countries worldwide

Nissan celebrates a record breaking milestone as the 500,000^th Qashqai rolls off the production line in Sunderland, UK. Achieving the feat in a record-breaking 21 months, Nissan’s pioneering flagship Crossover has become the fastest ever UK-built vehicle to smash the half million production mark.

Since its start of production in January 2014, a new Qashqai has been built every 62 seconds  on the Sunderland factory’s Line 1, with nearly 100,000 (20%) of these being delivered within the UK.

Today’s announcement also sees the Qashqai beat previous records set by the MK1 Ford Cortina, which took 34 months to hit the half million landmark, and the Austin/Morris 1100/1300 which reached the same total in 29 months.  

The Qashqai’s package of quality, style and class-leading technology make it the best-selling Crossover in Europe with France (68,044), Italy (45,464) and Spain (42,306) accounting for almost a third (31%) of global Qashqai sales.

Although originally designed for the European market, it’s not just Europe where the Crossover is a popular choice – the Qashqai is now in demand in 84 countries worldwide including Uganda, Zambia, and Saint Kitts, to name a few.

“The Nissan Qashqai is going from strength to strength,” said Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe. 

“Half a million Qashqais in just 21 months is an astonishing achievement and proof that the Qashqai is hitting the spot with buyers. Together with the pioneering first generation version, there are now more than 2.5 million Qashqais on the road in Europe, making Nissan the undisputed leader in the Crossover sector.”

Total global production of the Qashqai now tops 2.5 million. From late autumn 2015 the new Qashqai will also be manufactured in St. Petersburg for domestic sales in Russia.

Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd will be celebrating this milestone at an event in central London today.  Hosted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the event is designed to showcase the importance of the UK automotive industry ahead of the 66^th Frankfurt Motor Show.

To find out more about Nissan’s award winning Qashqai please visit www.nissanpress.co.uk or visit your local Nissan dealer.

USA - GM's Lansing Delta Township plant builds its 2,000,000th vehicle.

White Frost Tricoat Buick Enclave is milestone large crossover

A 2016 Buick Enclave, painted in White Frost Tricoat, rolled off the production line at General Motors’ Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant today, the 2 millionth vehicle produced at the automaker’s newest assembly plant in North America.

"This milestone directly reflects the dedication and hard work that our employees put into these crossovers every day,” said Mike Trevorrow, Lansing regional plant manager. “This team has established a strong foundation since opening to enable us to produce our 2 millionth vehicle in nine years, which is quite an accomplishment.”

Opened in 2006, Lansing Delta Township Assembly blends best practices and the newest technology in one facility. It was the first automotive manufacturing facility in the world to be a Gold Certified Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Since starting production, Lansing Delta Township has manufactured the Saturn Outlook, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Acadia Denali and Buick Enclave. A white Outlook was the first vehicle produced on May 24, 2006.

The plant currently employs approximately 3,200 employees on three shifts.

GM has announced more than $580 million in investments for Lansing Delta Township facility over the last two years, including $63 million in 2014 to expand the plant by nearly 263,000 square feet and $520 million earlier this year for tooling and equipment associated with future new vehicle programs. 

“Producing the 2 millionth vehicle would not be possible without the great people we have here,” said UAW Local 602 President Bill Reed.

While most vehicles follow somewhat of a bell curve for sales during their lifecycle, the Enclave has continued an upward trajectory after more than seven years. 

Minor dips in 2009 and 2012 reflected overall trends in the recovering auto industry, but record-setting 2014 sales represented a 39-percent increase over the Enclave’s first full year of production. As of June 2015, more than 500,000 Enclave models had been sold worldwide.   

“The Enclave led Buick’s product renaissance, redefining what consumers should expect from a full-size luxury crossover,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. “It is fitting that an Enclave is the 2 millionth vehicle to roll off the line in Lansing, demonstrating continued consumer demand.”

This milestone for Lansing Delta Township is part of GM’s celebration of 500 million vehicles built globally, more than any other automaker.

USA - Acura celebrates 2,000,000 US produced cars in 20 years with a refreshed ILX Sedan

• Acura marks major milestone with U.S. sales of two-million North American-made Acura vehicles
• ILX production begins today at Marysville, Ohio Auto Plant

The Acura brand today celebrated sales in the U.S. of the 2 millionth North American-made Acura vehicle, 20 years after Acura production began in the U.S., as the first new 2016 Acura ILX sports sedan rolled off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio. The redesigned and reengineered 2016 ILX delivers more performance, more advanced technology and more luxury refinement than ever before.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the start of Acura production in Ohio, so the introduction of the ILX is another exciting stage in our history with the Acura brand," said plant manager Rob May. "Our associates are applying our tremendous experience in producing high quality Acura products and will leverage the production of TLX and ILX in one plant to meet the high expectations of our Acura customers."

Production of the Acura ILX, the gateway to the Acura sedan lineup, began in 2012 at the company's Greensburg, Indiana plant. It now will be produced alongside Acura's highest volume luxury sedan, the Acura TLX, which launched in August of last year. The Marysville Auto Plant has made major investments to further advance Acura quality with the launch of the TLX sedan and will continue to advance the world-class levels of quality for Acura customers with the launch of the new ILX.

"Reaching two million in sales of North American-made Acura vehicles as we begin production of the 2016 ILX at the Marysville Auto Plant portends great things for the Acura brand," said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura Division. "We deeply appreciate the loyalty of our customers which fuels our desire to build Acura products of the highest quality in America."

The 2016 ILX gets a major injection of Acura performance DNA with the application of an all-new 2.4-liter DOHC direct-injected i-VTEC engine and 8-speed dual clutch transmission, the same powertrain that drives one version of the popular new Acura TLX sedan. The 2.4-liter engine that powers both the TLX and new ILX is produced at the nearby Anna, Ohio engine plant. The Marysville plant introduced new equipment and processes to support production of the 2016 Acura ILX, including new glass installation and rear suspension equipment.

Acura now has sold 2 million North American-made Acura vehicles to its customers in America, since U.S. production of the first Acura model began in 1995, with the Acura CL produced at the East Liberty Auto Plant. In 2014, 94 percent of Acura vehicles sold in America were made at the company's plants in Indiana, Ohio and Alabama, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Total U.S. sales of North American-made Acura models reached an all-time high of 158,043 vehicles in 2014, on total sales of 167,483 Acura performance-luxury cars and SUVs for the year.

Starting this fall, Acura will begin production of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar at the new Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC), located adjacent to the Marysville Auto Plant and the nearby development center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., which led the development of the NSX.

Mitsubishi Triton L200 sales tip 1.1 million.

Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co. Ltd. (MMTh) has announced a significant milestone when passing 1,100,000 global sales for the current generation L200^[1] pickup truck accumulated since launch in 2005.

As Masahiko Ueki – MMTh’s new President - detailed: “Over the last 9 years, 1,148,000 L200s have been sold with Thai domestic sales totalling 263,000 units and export sales 885,000 units.”

He added: “This 77% share echoes the warm welcome L200 has received in the 158 countries where it is available. This is especially true in Europe, the ASEAN and the Middle East with real customers’ trust and following.”

In details (2005 - April 2014):

Year	Domestic Thai Sales	Export Sales
2005	13,632	434
2006	25,327	77,578
2007	22,415	134,012
2008	17,718	135,007
2009	9,440	64,150
2010	20,344	110,011
2011	40,613	100,107
2012	61,012	117,717
2013	42,292	107,920
2014	10,644	38,567
Total	263,437	885,503

Since launch early 2006 until April 2014, Europe has remained MMTh’s largest export market for L200 with 198,530 units (excluding Russia and Ukraine) sold, the United Kingdom (54,900 units), Turkey (25,367 units), Germany (16,429 units), Italy (15,773 units), France (12,879 units) and Spain (10,216 units) forming the European Top Six.

Next Step…

L200 has played a significant corporate role in making Mitsubishi Motors the first automobile exporter in Thailand from its five local plants (to be supported by new local R&D facilities from 2015) and a strong profit contributor for the Corporation overall.

Longer term, this positive contribution should continue with the recently announced introduction of an all-new L200 pickup truck, scheduled for this coming autumn – a striking (low emission) vehicle taking many of its design cues from the acclaimed 2013 Concept GR-HEV show car.

^[1] ”Triton” in Thailand and some other world markets

Halewood celebrates breaking the ONE MILLION production milestone.

• 1,000,000 vehicles built at Halewood since 2001 including, Jaguar X-Type, Land Rover Freelander 2 and Range Rover Evoque.
• Milestone vehicle will be a unique Range Rover Evoque, donated to Cancer Research UK.
• A record breaking 220,000 Range Rover Evoques built in just 24 months brings 1m milestone to Halewood ahead of original forecast schedule.

Jaguar Land Rover is celebrating the production of the 1,000,000^th Jaguar Land Rover vehicle at its Halewood advanced manufacturing facility, near Liverpool, today (25^th November 2013).

The 1,000,000 vehicle is a unique Range Rover Evoque, painted in a special one-off colour combination and will be donated to Cancer Research UK. The vehicle is a Fuji-White, Dynamic with ebony-black alloy wheels and distinctive and unique Firenze-Red contrast roof, matching Firenze-Red mirror scalps and red/black sports seats and interior door panels.

Global demand for Range Rover Evoque has exceeded expectations with 18,000 advanced orders before job 1 on 4 July 2011. With continued demand for Evoque and growing sales of Land Rover Freelander 2, this production milestone was achieved earlier than predicted. Production volume at Halewood has increased significantly over the past 12 months due to 24 hour working, bringing the arrival of the 1,000,000 vehicle ahead of original forecasts.

Between 2001 and 2009, 363,603 Jaguar X-Type and X-Type Estates were manufactured at Halewood. The Jaguar X-Type was Jaguar's best-selling model during much of its production run and was Jaguar's first compact executive car for 50 years. In 2002, the Jaguar X-Type Diesel 2.0 was launched and made history for the company as Jaguar’s first ever diesel model. Also in 2002 the Jaguar X-Type Estate was launched, again making history as Jaguar’s first ever estate vehicle.

In 2003 the X-Type achieved best in class Paint Appearance in the JD Power US survey, a hotly contended and sought after prize, which was retained in 2004 and again in 2006. In 2005 Halewood celebrated another significant manufacturing award, this time with the JD Power European Gold Plant Award in Recognition of X-Type’s excellent quality. In 2006 the 2.2 Diesel was launched and in December 2009 the last Jaguar X-Type drove off the line at Halewood.

In 2005 manufacturing preparation works commenced, following significant investment by Land Rover, for the production of the all new Land Rover Freelander 2. On 25 October 2006 the Land Rover Freelander 2 Job 1 drove off the production line and was welcomed into the world by Premier League footballers from Liverpool Football Club. In May 2012 Halewood celebrated the 300,000 production milestone. The global demand for Freelander 2 continues today and it has been one of Land Rover's most popular models with 381,211 being manufactured to date.

In July 2011 Halewood, and the world, welcomed the arrival of the Range Rover Evoque. The smallest, most efficient production Range Rover ever made. When the Evoque started life it had already generated an exceptional market response with more than 18,000 advance orders from customers worldwide. Waiting lists for the car peaked at 12 months for some markets during the second half of 2011. As a result of this demand, Halewood Operations moved to 24 hour production for the first time in its 50 year history. The Evoque has received over 130 global awards and is the biggest selling Jaguar Land Rover vehicle, breaking Jaguar Land Rover production volume records in both of its first two years of production. Halewood has manufactured 255,186 to date.

Richard Else, Operations Director, Halewood, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating this huge milestone for Halewood. This unique Evoque looks stunning and is a one-off vehicle that will raise money for Cancer Research UK projects here in the North West.”

“Over the past few years many of the families of my growing team have been impacted by various forms of cancer. This milestone vehicle, built with pride at Halewood, will help raise much needed funds to help eradicate this dreadful disease.” 

The 1,000,000^th vehicle will be donated to Cancer Research UK, who will take ownership of the vehicle later in the year. The CRUK team will be placing the car in a special auction event in 2014. Details of the event will be revealed in the new year and funds raised from the vehicle will then be spent on CRUK projects in the North West of England.

Cancer Research UK funds world-class research and clinical trials throughout the North West and last year spent nearly £21 million supporting the work of doctors, nurses and scientists at hospitals and major universities in the region. Every hour more than four people in the North West are diagnosed with cancer.

Head of Volunteer Fundraising at Cancer Research UK, Simon O’Leary, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Jaguar Land Rover for thinking of us and making such a generous gift. Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research, so every step we make towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated. The money raised by the auction of the car will make a real difference in the fight against cancer.”