Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

The Japanese economy has suffered from recession for most parts of this decade.  The Japanese auto industry was severely affected by the global recession.  Sudden appreciation of the yen against the U.S. dollar also had a negative impact on the auto export business.  Top automobile manufacturers like Toyota Motor Corp posted operating losses of billions of yen in the last few years.  Major auto makers in Japan slashed their production to minimize the losses.  However, gradually the Japanese auto industry is rebounding from the effects of the recession, by boosting export sales.

Japanese truck makers realized well that expanding sales to cover global markets is the only way to achieve sustainable growth.  The exports not only increase the revenues for truck makers in Japan and the supportive industries, but it also offers some level of protection from the weak local markets in Japan.  As per a report published by Frost and Sullivan, roughly 49% of all trucks sold in 2008 by Japanese truck makers were actually sold in export markets which included emerging economies such as China, Russia and India apart from established markets like Europe and North America.  Major portion of these exports – 64% – go to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Europe.  At present, just about 2% of Japan’s commercial truck exports are made to North America.

The urbanization of many developing countries is giving rise to many compact cities, characterized by narrow roads.  These cities require smaller light trucks which could be easily maneuvered.  Heavy trucks would still be needed to move freight between these cities.  Japanese truck makers are also taking steps to promote sales of mini-trucks, light trucks and other light commercial vehicles to capture this market in the world’s emerging economies.  Japanese truck makers are also targeting the North American market for mini trucks.

Japanese automakers are also focusing to capture larger shares of the Indian and Chinese car and truck market, which is growing by leaps and bounds.  Japanese truck maker Hino Motors recently had a technology tie-up with Ashok Leyland in India and would soon launch its premium range of trucks in the fast growing Indian market, competing with Tata Motors, Volvo, and MAN.

To summarize, exports to developed nations as well as emerging economies have helped Japanese truck makers to sustain their business and grow in spite of the recession.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Japanese truck, Heavy trucks

As per the latest survey released by Parker’s – the leading used car magazine from UK – Honda Jazz was declared Britain’s best car for retaining its for 2009.  Honda Jazz was selected from about 300 different car models Parker’s tested in their annual survey.  According to Parker’s, the Japanese automaker Honda’s popular hatchback “Honda Jazz” has been voted number one for resale value as it  suffers theleast from depreciation.

Honda Jazz loses just about US$2,200 in value during the first 12 months, having done minimum 10,000 miles, as per the research conducted by Used Car Expert magazine.  Depreciation for luxury cars like Maybach 62 can be as high as US$205,500.  These figures suggest that not all luxury cars and supercars are good from the point of view of long-term investment, small cars have much better resale value than larger ones.

This survey was carried out by Parker on the basis of average values of one year old cars driven 10,000 miles.  Out of the top 40 positions 35 were occupied by small cars.  Suzuki Swift and Kia Picanto appeared in list of top 10 while Hyundai’s i10 occupied fourth position following Fiat 500 and SEAT Ibiza respectively.  The survey points out the fact that during the first year of ownership, most of the cars depreciated more slowly compared to following years.

Honda Jazz is known as Honda Fit in South and North America as well as in Japan and China.  The car is called the Honda Jazz in Oceania, Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa and India.

People interested in buying used cars should definitely consider buying used Honda Jazz (Honda Fit) as it has a high resale value.  Investing money on Honda Jazz is one of the safest investments on 4 wheels, as Honda Jazz has the reputation of being the most desirable used car.

Features of Honda Jazz

Honda Jazz comprises whole lots of features such as incredible flexibility, larger interior space and low running costs making it quiet appealing to new car buyers as well as used car buyers.

For the safety of the car occupants, Japanese car maker Honda have utilized Advanced Compatibility Engineering’ (ACE), G-Force Control (G-CON) construction and anti-lock braking to build up their cars.  This engineering provides improved protection  in case of collisions.  The Honda Jazz is powered by a 1.2 litre engine and equipped with the pretensioner seat belt.  The new Jazz has with ample space,  spacious head and leg room,  good looks is great with turns and easy to park.  The Honda Jazz is a small but powerful and efficient car.

Despite recession Honda Jazz has managed to retain good depreciation value, so Honda Jazz is the ideal car with great looks, good performance which is comfortable to drive.  This versatile car can not only provide you good performance, but also fetch you good resale value when you try to sell it to second hand market.  Honda Jazz, therefore,  is an ideal investment to make!  If you are looking for a used Honda Fit from Japan, please inquire with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Honda Fit, used cars, Honda Jazz, used Honda Fit, Japan

In spite of the tight economy, use of information technology for In-vehicle entertainment is becoming increasingly popular.  At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas held this month, technology companies such as Google and Intel and in collaboration with car manufacturers displayed their latest Internet enabled gadgets for the modern cars.

These new in-vehicle gadgets will revolutionize the motoring world, by bringing Internet access to the driver’s seat.  Demand for such dashboard innovation is growing steadily; sales of in-vehicle gadgets reached $9.3-billion in 2009.

The new generation of Wi-Fi enabled gadgets, will allow drivers to access the Internet in a very friendly way.  While behind the wheels, you can listen to your emails as well as compose voice-activated e-mails, use 3D maps to navigate while other passengers are watching movies, or check up restaurant reviews for your destination.

Ford, for example, unveiled new features for its Sync in-car technology at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics show.  Ford showed off how their cars decked out with Internet displays can allow people to use Twitter and Facebook, check movie times, get free maps with street directions and listen to Internet radio from behind the wheel.  Ford Sync system can recognize over 1,000 voice commands.

However, there are warnings issued by motoring organizations about using such “infotainment” systems as these systems can distract drivers as they are driving and increase the risk of accidents.  Motoring organizations are demanding that such innovative interactive technology works only when the cars are stationary.

Many companies are voluntarily coming up with gadgets which have built-in safety features that would prevent distraction of drivers.  For example, software developed by ZoomSafer locks down phone calls and texting when a car hits the speed of 25 km/hr to make the communication safer on the road.

Technorati Tags: cars, in-vehicle gadgets, Ford Sync, infotainment

According to Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA), Toyota Motor’s Prius was topmost selling car in Japan in 2009. For the first time in the history of top selling cars any hybrid car has secured that top position. Toyota Prius sold about 208,876 cars in 2009, which is thrice the number of Prius cars sold in the earlier year. Toyota dominated Japanese car market by producing 8 of the top 10 best selling models last year. Toyota Prius is also the best-selling gas-electric hybrid in the world and has sold about 1.6 million vehicles so far.

The world’s biggest automaker – Toyota rolled out a revamped, fuel-efficient and cheaper model with the capacity of about 38 kilometers per litre in May 2009. Since then, Toyota Prius has been Japan’s top selling vehicle. Success of Toyota Prius in Japan emphasizes the growing consumer acceptance of green cars. As the numbers speak for it, the Prius exemplifies the ideal package people in Japan are looking for whether that is in terms of driving, environmental or performance.

The sale of hybrid vehicles in Japan has increased due to the incentives and tax breaks offered by Japanese government to the buyers of green vehicles. This has also helped Japanese automakers like Toyota to improve their hybrid sales figures.

To avoid competition, the Japanese automaker – Toyota have kept the price of Toyota Prius very low like the starting price of basic U.S. model is $21,000 and starting price of Prius is $22,000 which is same as last year’s base price of same model . In Japan, the price of Toyota Prius starts at 2.05 million yen, or about $22,000.

After Toyota Prius, the second position was occupied by Honda’s fit which is non-hybrid car and sold around 157,324 cars. The other competitor of Toyota – Nissan is busy with preparation of its own all electric which will be launched by the end of 2010.

Toyota’s success has proved that hybrid cars are not just fancy concept cars people used to watch at the auto shows, but they are now affordable and practical cars for today’s world. The success of Prius has given a new dimension to Japanese automakers. Though the Japan’s auto market has been sluggish for many decades but the benefit from hybrid sales is a bright spot in the middle of overall gloomy demand.

Battered by the global economic downturn last year, Japanese automakers hope that the popularity of fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles will re-energize the deteriorating auto market. Even then hybrids have to face competition from pure electric vehicles like mini-electric car i-MiEV manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors, Subaru Plug-in STELLA manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries etc

Technorati Tags: Japan, hybrid car, Toyota Prius, Japanese car, Toyota, Nissan, hybrid vehicles

In these tough times of recession and slow economy, if you are looking for a heavy duty truck for your tough applications which is also cost effective, we suggest you go for the Isuzu’s Giga series trucks.  The Isuzu C/E Series and Isuzu Giga is a line of heavy-duty commercial vehicles from Isuzu.  New generation Isuzu Giga trucks will surely satisfy your needs for a heavy-duty truck.

Isuzu Gigamax series trucks have the highest power rating in the entire Isuzu Giga truck range.  With the launch of Gigamax EXY 510, the Japanese truck maker Isuzu has cracked the 500 hp barrier.  This 26 meter B-double compliant model, with 15 liter six cylinder 512 hp engine, is rated to pull up to 70 tons has more than enough power, torque and specifications to satisfy the most demanding hauling operations.  Isuzu Gigamax can definitely handle abnormal applications with its 70 ton GCM.

Major features of Gigamax EXY 510 are as follows:

• 15,681 cc, 6 cylinder 24 valve SOHC Engine
• Lockble 1,000 liter fuel tanks
• Air suspended cab
• 16 speed Automated/Manual Transmission
• 315/80 R22.5 Steering and driving tyres
• Radio/CD Player
• ABS brakes with EBD and ASR
• Power Windows
• Cruise Control
• SRS Airbag
• Electronic Braking System (EBS) and Voith retarder

We recently tested Isuzu Gigamax EXY510 over a period of 3 days, with a running of around 1,000 km in city, highway and countryside.  We must say that we were fully satisfied with this test drive.

First of all, the truck cab is spacious with plenty of space overhead even for tall drivers.  Air suspended ISRI seats are fantastic with adjustable shock absorbers and many other features to make the driver comfortable.  The layout of the gauges is done very well and one can easily see the gauges through the steering wheel.  Gigamax has plenty of storage space which is laid out very well, with a large overhead shelf and three overhead compartments. We also found the gearbox very smooth doing its job perfectly.

On the road, the Gigamax had a very convincing performance.  It has plenty of power to go make cruising through city traffic and highway running a very light task.  It’s firm and direct steering gives a feeling of confidence and security even under fully loaded conditions.  When we were going at 100 km/hr in the top gear, the engine rpm was just over 1,500 rpm and cruising comfortably.

With the climate control feature, ISRI seats and cabs mounted on air suspension, the ride was very comfortable.  The noise level inside the cab noise was so low that engine was hardly audible.  Isuzu Gigamax engine performed at about 2 km per liter of diesel in our entire journey of 1,000 km.  An experienced driver may achieve a better fuel economy.

Overall, Isuzu Giga trucks are quiet and comfortable workhorses for all your heavy duty applications.  We have many used Giga trucks in our stock, in different configurations such as dump truck, wing body truck, or a refrigerated van.  Please get in touch with us with your specific requirements.

Technorati Tags: Isuzu Giga, Isuzu Giga trucks, heavy-duty truck, Japanese truck, Isuzu Gigamax, Gigamax EXY510

Tips to improve fuel economy in winter

Every winter, the truck industry encounters new problems.  This year we have to be extra careful as weather forecasts have predicted the 2009-10 winter to one of the snowiest and coldest.

It’s time to face the cold, hard truth – Winter conditions do cause a drop in fuel economy.  So, why does cold weather affects most vehicles’ fuel economy?  Well, there are many reasons, but increased friction is a one of the main reasons.  In the cold weather friction increases on almost every front, and in snowy weather, trucks have to work harder to push through slush and snow.  All these conditions contribute to greater resistance and more fuel spending.

Also, diesel or gasoline does not atomize and burn completely at low temperatures; traces of unburned fuel are left in the cylinder and evacuated with the exhaust.  All vehicles have an optimum operating temperature, and the colder it is, the longer to reach that full operating temperature, and it’s in that warm-up period that efficiency is lost.

Here are some tips for truck drivers to improve fuel efficiency and overcome other problems in winter:

1. Check for air pressure of your truck’s tire regularly and maintain it as per the required range. You may also invest in a tire-pressure checking gauge.  If you don’t have an air compressor, then most gas stations will have them. Just five minutes of care can help you save more than five dollars per month.
2. Its better to plan your trips well in advance so that you can carry out all tasks in one area at one time.  You will not only save your precious time but also minimize the amount of time your vehicle spends in warm-up mode by reducing the start and stop up rounds, irregular on-and-off operation of your vehicle in sub-zero temperatures.
3. Go easy on the accelerator as it’s easily worth 1-2 mpg and the results will show up on your next fuel bill, also it might help to prevent a wipe-out on black ice.
4. A far as possible try to park your truck in garage area to keep it warm, and this helps to shorten the time needed to reach full operating temperature.
5. Avoid idling of the trucks.  It is useless to start a cold truck and idle it.  If you wish to warm up your truck, it is better to drive around in your yard for it to reach the optimum temperature and oil pressure.  This will warm truck engine, suspension, differential, and transmission, and prevent any damage.
6. The function of Block heaters is not to warm an engine. They are specially designed to maintain the temperature of engine and not to heat up the engine. So it is important to plug in the block heater while truck engine is warm.
7. Before starting the Truck, drivers should always unplug it. If the block heaters are plugged in, even two or three seconds of the engine running can cause the block heaters to burn out.
8. It is necessary to drain fuel-water separators and air-tanks. As the ambient temperature falls down, water can get condensed in fuel tanks and it can also reach the heater/filter unit.  An engine is protected against the fuel contaminants only through fuel filters.  So, avoid using a fuel filter with larger micron just to increase fuel flow; it can cause damage to the pump, injectors and also make the warranty void.
9. Make sure that glad-hands have a nice and snug fit.  If they are not tight, they may come off in and may cause the air compressor to cycle unnecessarily.
10. To avoid the freezing up of air brakes, air hoses should be properly ‘hooked up’ with one another or to the dummy glad-hands.  If you find moisture present in the air hose, pour recommended brake line anti-freeze ONLY in the red (EMERGENCY) side. Never put the anti-freeze in the blue side as it may result into locking up of the brakes.
11. Get a radio with weather band so that you can listen to weather forecasts and get an advance warning about bad weather conditions.  Drive slowly and safely. It is better to reach late than never.

We hope these winter tips for truck drivers would be useful for our customers in cold countries.

Technorati Tags: truck industry, fuel economy, truck drivers, fuel efficiency, trucks

As we care about our customers, we would like to warn you about fake Japanese used car exporters on the Internet.  According to a news article published in East Africa News, many bogus online Japanese car exporters are swindling car buyers by luring them into buying used cars at unbelievably low prices, by making false claims that they are trying to get rid of their stock due to bankruptcy caused by the financial crisis.

Many vehicle importers from East Africa have reportedly lost millions of dollars due to such scams by bogus Japanese used car exporters.  Many Tanzania based used car importers who have spent thousands of dollars ordering these cheap Japanese cars from these fake online dealers have lost their money in the end.  Most of the time, they would be dealing with phantom companies who just take their money and then disappear.  It turns out that there are even Japan based Tanzanians who are operating these bogus car dealer companies.

How such bogus Japanese car exporters scam people?

1. It is not possible to contact the dealer once you send money to them.
2. Weeks, even months go by without ever receiving the vehicle from the dealer.
3. Even if the customer gets a vehicle, it is way different than what he paid for.

How to identify such bogus Japanese car exporters operating online?

You should look for the following signs which are common with most fake used car dealers online.

1. You should avoid dealing with car exporters who have phone numbers that start with either 81-80 and 81-90, as they are cell phone numbers. You’ll have a hard time tracking down these dealers.
2. Check out for their address from their website and make sure it is authentic.
3. Also check for a certification from the Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporter’s Association (JUMVEA) in order to verify authenticity.

Our foremost concern is our customers receiving the highest quality of service backed by honesty and integrity, and it concerns us when Japan gets such a negative connotation because of these scam artists.

Some of the infamous examples of bogus car exporters are ‘Car Zone Japan,” which has taken almost $100,000 from people without giving them the automobiles they bought.  Another scamming company known by the name of ‘Global Trading Co Ltd,’  ‘41 Expo Inc.,’ ‘The Trading Club,’ and ‘Progress Ltd.’ – all of them claim to have gone bankrupt and so offering vehicles at low prices.

We sincerely hope our candor has convinced you to continue doing business with us.

Technorati Tags: used car exporters, Japanese car, East Africa, cheap Japanese cars

The automotive world is not just made of luxury vehicles and fancy sports cars which are made for cities.  There are also vehicles for enjoying the nature in the wildest conditions.  Last weekend I had a chance to test drive Mitsubishi Pajero 2007 – the fourth generation Pajero SUV.  At present, Mitsubishi Pajero is the most successful SUV to compete in the Dakar Rally – a grueling competition under the harshest conditions to be found on the earth.  Pajero won the legendary race twelve times including seven straight victories since 2001,  and carved a name for itself in the off-road circles.  I was therefore very happy that I could experience the thrill of driving such an incredible machine.

In Japan, most of the roads and highways are of very fine quality and so it is very difficult to test an SUV in rough conditions.  We therefore decided to drive the vehicle in Oze National park area in Tochigi and Fukushima prefecture.  After driving for 6 hours on the highways we finally reached the hilly plains of Tochigi prefecture.  It was snowing already, roads were slippery and the weather condition was awful, just right environment to test the Mitsubishi Pajero!

I would like to stress on the unbelievable off-road capabilities of Mitsubishi Pajero.  We went through a lot of natural obstacles like streams, bumps, boulders, hilly terrains and we could manage these situations at ease even in a snowy weather!  Despite the slippery roads and hilly terrains, we could easily maneuver the Car.  This just proved to us that the SUV had a simply incredible potential.

If you look at the Japanese domestic car market, the Japanese car makers do not offer that many true 4×4 vehicles though they may be offering many models in their lineups. Mitsubishi and Toyota are the only car manufactures in Japan, which offer trur 4×4 SUVS – Pajero and Land Cruiser, both of which are highly acclaimed in the International market too.

A first look at the Pajero will convince you that the car is strong looking yet elegant. Mitsubishi Pajero SUV offers rugged off-road capabilities as well as high levels of passenger comfort.  Rugged yet refined, with advanced design and technology offers increased safety, heightened comfort and strength, and superb performance.  With its tall, impressing looks, the Mitsubishi Pajero SUV surely catches attention whether you are climbing hills or cruising on city roads.

If you are planning to buy a four wheel drive SUV not just for city drives, but also to enjoy nature on all kinds of terrain,  we wholeheartedly recommend Mitsubishi Pajero 2007 SUV.  If you are interested in importing used Mitsubishi Pajero, please get in touch with us with your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Pajero SUV, Mitsubishi Pajero, Japanese car