November 24, 2008 www.autonewseurope.com · PAGE 19

Europe snatches bigger share of US market

Bosch keeps Ibiza on straight and narrow with ESCSeat’s new Ibiza has a world premier in its electronic stability controlsystem (ESC). For the first time, sensors that detect when the car isskidding are integrated within the main ESC unit instead of beinglocated separately and connected to the unit via a wiring harness. The

unit’s supplier, Robert Bosch, says this new arrangement eliminates anumber of design and construction issues for the manufacturer. Pegu-form produces the Ibiza’s instrument panel and the front bumper whilePlastal supplies the rear bumpers. AKT Plasticos delivers the Ibiza’s

front seat plastic covers to Johnson Controls Eurosit. Inalfa Roof Sys-tems contributes the Ibiza’s optional panoramic sunroof.

Steven Wingett

Suppliers wanted: If you are a supplier and have questions or want your information considered for our cutaway features, contact Steven Wingett at automotivenews@supplierbusiness.com or through www.supplierbusiness.com

Staff reportAutomotive News Europe

European brands captured nearly10 percent of US new-car sales inOctober.

US unit sales fell 31.9 percent lastmonth, but Europe’s 17 brands weredown just 17.9 percent on averagecompared with October 2007. Thatgave the Europeans 9.2 percent of themarket, up from 7.6 percent in Octo-ber of last year and 7.8 percent in Sep-tember of this year.

BMW’s US sales were down just 5percent. Volkswagen group was off6.3 percent.

Among the 37 top-selling brandsin the US, only two Europeans –BMW group’s Mini and VW’s Audi –posted year-on-year sales gains inOctober. Mini sales were up 56.4 per-cent to 5,272.

Meanwhile, the BMW brand iscatching up with Japanese rivalLexus.

BMW was down just 13.9 percentfor the month, compared with Lexus’35.2 percent drop-off. Toyota’s luxu-ry brand has outsold BMW for 10straight years in the US.

But the German marque eclipsedLexus 20,203 to 16,283 in Octoberand has pulled to within 5,000 units

for the year to date. After the first 10 months of 2007, Lexus held a leadof about 30,000. ANE

GKN sees hope in ChinaNamrita ChowAutomotive News Europe

SHANGHAI � UK-based engineer-ing group GKN says China will helpthe company offset a big drop in or-ders in Europe and the US.

“The Chinese market is slowingbut we expect this to be short lived,”said GKN spokesman Paul Dinwiddy.

GKN expects global demand for itsautomotive business to fall 8 percentnext year compared with this year.

Nigel Stein, GKN AutomotiveCEO, said the supplier is not slow-ing down investments in China.

“We have a slightly lower growth

profile than previously mentioned,however that does not change ourview that this is a good market withgood growth,” he said.

GKN’s China partner is ShanghaiAutomotive Industry Corp. Thecompanies’ joint venture ShanghaiGKN Drive Shaft currently has a 50percent market share of China’s dri-veshaft business, Stein said. In2007, GKN had sales of 2.5 billionyuan (about $365 million) in China.

GKN and SAIC will open a newdriveshafts factory in Wuhan in Jan-uary to supply Dongfeng Honda Au-tomobile and Dongfeng PeugeotCitroen Automobile. ANE

Mini sales are contributing to BMW’sstrong showing in the US

MAIN FUSE BOX:DRÄXLMAIER

SIDE DOOR LATCH:KIEKERT

FUEL TANK:KAUTEX TEXTRON IBÉRICA

CAMSHAFTS:NEUMAYER TEKFOR

ENGINE MOUNT:VIBRACOUSTIC

INTAKE MANIFOLD:MANN+HUMMEL

DIESEL INJECTION RAILS:HIRSCHVOGEL AUTOMOTIVE

TIMING BELTS:CONTITECH

HEAD AIRBAG:DELPHI

QUARTERLITE:AGC AUTOMOTIVE

BUMPER:PEGUFORM; PLASTAL

TIRES:BRIDGESTONE EUROPE

SEATING SYSTEM:JOHNSON CONTROLS

REAR HEADRESTS:GRAMMER

COLUMN & I-SHAFT:THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA STEERING

SIDE AIRBAG:AUTOLIV

MICROPHONES:PARAGON

WIRING SYSTEM:LEONI

ABS/ESC:BOSCH

FUEL CAP:MAGNA STEYR FUEL SYSTEMS

PANORAMA ROOF:INALFA

TORSIONAL VIBRATION DAMPER:TRELLEBORG AUTOMOTIVE

GLASS BONDING:DOW AUTOMOTIVE

WATERPROOF PIECES:SCAPA

GLOW PLUGS TIME CONTROL UNIT:BERU

REAR VIEW INTERIOR AUTO-DIMMING MIRROR:GENTEX; FICOSA

GAS SPRING TAILGATE:STABILUS

REAR LAMPS:MAGNETI MARELLI

AXLE SENSOR:HELLA

BRAKE BOOSTER:FTE AUTOMOTIVE

HOODLINER:RIETER

BELT DRIVE TENSIONER [1.6L CRD ENGINE]:GATES

PISTONS:FEDERAL-MOGUL; MAHLE

PIPE FASTENERS:TRW ENGINEERED FASTENERS & COMPONENTS

OIL FILTER MODULE:SOGEFI FILTER DIVISION

RADIATOR GASKET:HUTCHINSON

HEAT SHIELDS:ELRINGKLINGER

COOLANT HOSE:TEKLAS KAUCUK

SHIFT FORK INSERTS:SULZER FRICTION SYSTEMS

HEAT SHIELD:LYDALL GERHARDI

FRONT SEAT PLASTIC COVERS:AKT PLASTICOS

MANUAL SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTER:BROSE

REAR CALIPERS:TRW AUTOMOTIVE

CLUTCH:ZF

LIFTGATE HINGE:EDSCHA

BASECOAT:BASF COATINGS

BACKLITE:PILKINGTON; SAINT-GOBAIN SEKU-

ROOF MODULE:MAGNA EXTERIOR & INTERIOR SYSTEMS

RADIO:BLAUPUNKT

BRAKE LINES:TI AUTOMOTIVE

BELLOWS:FREUDENBERG

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