Toyota, PSA and BMW Closest to Achieving EU’s New CO2 Targets

Toyota, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and BMW are the carmakers closest to reaching their CO2 targets next year, according to a report by market research firm JATO Dynamics. The targets are imposed by the European Union, whose objective for 2015 is to enforce a fleet average CO2 level of 130 g/km for manufacturers selling cars in Europe.

In order to reach that objective, CO2 targets are lowered progressively each year. In 2009 the average was 145.9 g/km and in 2010 it went down to 140.9 g/km. Emissions regulations will be imposed starting next year, with significant fines to be enforced to automakers that will not comply with the new emissions limits.

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VIDEO : 2011 Peugeot 308 Facelift Commercial is the Next Best Thing to a Wet T-Shirt Contest...

You can never get it wrong when casting attractive women in commercials, right? That's what the people from Peugeot must have thought when they commissioned this TV ad for the restyled Peugeot 308. The car plays a very marginal part in the commercial, with the 30-second long footage being dominated by the Peugeot's owner, an attractive young lady who walks with no umbrella in the pouring rain just to get to her beloved 308. Not the most creative of ads, but at least the people from the casting department did their job.

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Internet Sales, the Next Big Thing for Renault's Dacia and PSA’s Rumored Simca Budget Brands

A low-cost company has to find low-cost ways not only to produce, but also to market and sell its products. This is why Renault devised a strategy to sell Dacia models online, through an Internet sales program that will be implemented in Europe.

“Internet sales will quickly become a reality. Many of our customers know what they want before they step into our showrooms, so an online sales channel makes sense,” said Gerard Detourbet, head of Renault's low-cost program.

But that isn't the only reason. Renault will be soon facing the threat of a low-cost rival coming from the French group PSA Peugeot-Citroen. Rumored to receive the abandoned Simca name, the new make could sell its vehicles exclusively through the Internet, as sales chief Jean-Marc Gales hinted at the Geneva Motor Show.

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Peugeot Reveals 908 HYbrid4 Le Mans Racer at the 2011 Geneva Salon

At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Peugeot uncovered its new 908 HYbrid4, a diesel-hybrid endurance race car designed to compete in the 2012 edition of the 24 hours of Le Mans. Starting from 2011, regulations for the Le Mans race make hybrid vehicles eligible for top honors, with the objective being to encourage makers in developing hybrid race cars that can challenge the supremacy of diesel-powered Audis.

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