Toyota Maintains World’s Number One Spot in Global Value Report

Toyota may have lost the first place in global sales to GM, one of the reasons being the lack of supply after the March earthquake, and it has seen the VW Group relegating to third place, but it still has a number one position to brag about.

Branding consultancy Interbrand has placed the Japanese carmaker in the top spot among carmakers, and sixth overall, in its latest global value report that was released today.

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Report: New SUVs are Safer for Other Cars’ Occupants in the Event of a Collision

One of the most controversial issues concerning SUVs is that as their number rose during the 1990s and 2000s, they caused more injuries and deaths to occupants of normal passenger cars during crashes. The reason being that their front end had the undesirable effect of hitting normal cars much higher, where their occupants were less protected.

A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) involving one- to four-year old vehicles shows that the situation has improved significantly in the past decade.

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Polk Says 2011 Non-Dedicated Hybrid Model Sales Down 1.5% Versus 2010

With the notable exceptions of the Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, most of the hybrids on sale today are merely spin-offs of existing ICE models with gas / electric powertrains fitted; take the hybridized Chevy Tahoe, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic for instance.

According to automotive statistics website Polk online, in the first seven months of 2011, sales of non-dedicated hybrid models dipped 1.5% compared to last year. Analyst Tom Libby blames the sales slump on the lack of distinct styling; hybrid buyers want their cars to stand out from the crowd.

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Study Shows that New Porsche 911 Garnered the Most Web Buzz from the Frankfurt Motor Show

Now that the 2011 International Auto Show in Frankfurt has passed into history, analysts are crunching the numbers to see which carmakers and models sparked the crowd's interest the most.

UK-based Kantar Media Precis released the results of a study that looks into the number of online stories from websites, Tweets, blogs and other social media starting from two weeks before the first press day of the Frankfurt Motor Show on Aug. 30, 2011, until the end of the second press day on Sept. 14, 2011.

The study reveals that the most talked about model on the internet was the new Porsche 911 sports coupe, while next up was the Mercedes-Benz B Class small MPV, followed by the BMW i3 Concept hatch, the Audi Urban Concept studies and the Ford Evos Concept.

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Land Rover Scores 54% of the Vote in MSN Cars’ Poll of Best 4x4 Brands

In a recent online poll, MSN Cars asked its readers a simple question: “Which firm makes the best '4x4' type cars?” The winner, with an astonishing 54% of the 39,663 votes is Indian British automaker Land Rover.

The brand’s winning combination of aggressive yet attractive styling, “go anywhere” off-road ability, ruggedness and comfort have made Land Rover the powerhouse brand it is today – and a deserved winner. Land Rover UK managing director Colin Green is understandably over the moon:

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J.D. Power Projects Increased US Sales for September, Readjusts 2011 Forecast

After a drop in sales in May and June, US vehicle sales picked up and as a result, July and August sales were better than originally expected -though still lagging behind the January to April numbers.

Today, J.D. Power and Associates reported that this trend is continuing in the first half of September, mainly due to the increasing inventory of many carmakers.

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Office of Fair Trading to Begin Fact Finding Probe into UK Insurers

The UK Office of Fair Trading has launched a preliminary investigation – known as a call for evidence – into the nation’s insurance companies after car insurance premiums rose 40% over the last twelve months.

The consumer watchdog is probing whether there is genuine competition between the major insurers – and if there is, why it isn’t offering adequate protection for consumers against massive rate rises.

In the past, the industry has been blaming fraud, the so-called “compensation culture” (which must share a room with the “nanny state” and the “me generation” at the Hoary Old Cliché Hotel) and the activities of accident management companies like RTR.

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