Volvo Combines Test Driving with Speed Dating in Australia

Now here’s something we haven’t heard of before; Volvo Australia joined forces with dating specialist Fast Impressions to offer the opportunity to twenty single Aussies from Sydney to participate in Australia's first 'test drive dating' event.

The participants were chauffeured driven in Volvos to a dealership and given eight minutes in the front seats of Volvo's range of models to meet their perfect match. After the speed dating event, the guests were taken to a bar in Sydney to party at an exclusive Fast Impressions event with hundreds of other singles.

"To the best of our knowledge this is a world-first. It gives us an opportunity to create a buzz around the brand by promoting our cars in an unconventional way," said Matt Braid, marketing director, Volvo Car Australia.

Tag : carscoop

Read more!

Nissan’s Wall Sculpture Hints at Next Generation 350Z Coupe

Nissan’s The fuzzy looking sculpture you see in the above picture was hung on a wall of a meeting room in Portugal where Nissan organized its annual product review. According to Edmund’s Senior Editor John O’Dell who took the picture, Nissan’s Design Chief Shiro Nakamura told journalists that the sculpture represents “a new Nissan that people would be seeing more of in the fall” – aka the next generation Z Coupe which will go on sale next year.

And if that wasn’t enough to stir a commotion, Nakamura decided to treat the journalists with a dark red design study that he said “contained elements of future design treatments for Nissan's upscale Infiniti division”. Even if these two pictures create more questions that the ones they answer, you have to admit that they do spark our imagination.

Read more!

Credit Card Interest Payments

Minimize Your Credit Card Interest Payments - Things to do Now!! Sometimes you don't realize how much interest you are paying on your credit cards until you look at your end of the year statement or begin to follow your statements closely and see that your balance is not decreasing much. One of the most common causes of escalating interest payments is that of only making minimum payments, especially if you have a high credit line and frequently use your card. It may not seem like much of a problem until you want to use the card and discover you don't have very much available credit to make purchases or take cash advances.

One of the easiest ways to minimize interest payments on your credit cards is to pay them off during your grace period, but that is not always practical, especially if you have a high credit line and use your card to make larger purchases such as furniture and airline tickets. If you frequently make these types of purchases, you must get into the habit of making substantial payments on your credit cards each month. Making only the minimum payments will not only add to the amount of interest you pay, you will soon find that you have no credit to make additional purchases.

Another way you can minimize interest on your credit cards is to choose the cards with the lowest interest rates and look for those that offer low or no interest for a trial period. Prior to the expiration of the introductory interest rate you secure another card with a low introductory rate that includes balance transfers. With so many different offers today it makes little sense to remain loyal to a credit card issuer. A few decades ago customers tended to be true to their credit card issuer, but there is too much competition today and credit card issuers are less likely to give their customers a special price just to maintain their business.

Even if you are unable to pay your credit card balance in full each month, making larger payments and paying on time will minimize the interest you pay. This is especially important today since many credit cards have a special interest rate that is only effective if you pay your bill on time every month and don't go over your credit limit. If you do either of those things your interest rate may increase as much as twenty per cent, and depending on the credit card issuer, it may remain at that rate for a substantial amount of time. Make sure you know the regulations concerning the interest rate on your credit card so that you can avoid any pitfalls.

Michael writes for Card Sense, where you can compare credit cards from all the major issuers, including low rate cards, ones with introductory 0% on purchases deals, and balance transfer offers. Visit today to get a geat deal on your next credit card.

Read more!

Tata Jaguar any worse than Ford Jaguar?

Ta Ta Jaguar
The European luxury brands have been a drag on Ford, which is focusing on a turnaround in its North American business. The company is getting $2.3 billion in the sale, but it is contributing $600 million to the Jaguar and Land Rover pension plans when the deal closes. That means Ford is netting roughly a third of what it paid for Jaguar (acquired in 1989) and Land Rover (in 2000).

For Tata, much has been written about how the deal marks a big global leap for the 139-year-old Indian conglomerate that began making cars just 10 years ago. Tata Group, a large steelmaker, has recently ventured into businesses like chemicals and luxury hotels. With the purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, Tata Motors hopes to learn about marketing and selling in the West.

Some have questioned how Tata Motors can make what seems to be a bigger leap: from mass to class. Tata is best known for being the maker of the cheapest car in the world: the Nano, a 100,000 rupee ($2,500) 33-horsepower car, in India.

Still, if Jaguar and Land Rover can continue to retain their mystique and cachet while being made in Britain—and its history of failed automakers and sometimes shoddy manufacturing—then buyers shouldn't mind too much if their owners are now in Mumbai.

John Elliott on the Riding the Elephant blog on Fortune.com says that besides whether Tata can break the British auto industry's "cycle of decline," the other big question is what happens when Ratan Tata, the conglomerate's patriarch who is now 70, retires.

"It is Tata who has provided the personal drive and leadership to turn Tata Motors into a business that can produce the Nano and buy two world-famous brands in the same year. There's a big job waiting for someone—and Tata is not yet saying who."

After years of being unable to make a profit off Jaguar, Ford is trying to sell it. One of the interested buyers is Tata, a highly profitable Indian firm that runs several luxury brands including Taj hotels and Tetley Tea.

The TATA brand is a well-established brand in India. As you would know, the TATA group has a diversified portfolio of brands whether it be in the steel industry ( Corus, for example) or other industries such as automobiles, hotels etc. So, they know how to manage brands. Plus, they are a highly efficient group and have always been since their inception. The only difference is that they are now going global (though frankly, the Indian market itself provides ample scope). I would be surprised if the American public subscribed to the view of this gentleman. Rather, i believe that people will appreciate the core values that the TATA's live by, especially their work ethic. Assuming they strike the Jaguar deal, one would hope their efforts will maximise value for shareholders and help in growing the value and visibility of brand jaguar. Further, i must add that the gentleman's remarks show that even businessmen wear blinkers. Indian business talent, managerial skills etc have developed over decades (pre and post market-liberalisation)and therefore one finds Indians at the top rung in global companies(Citibank, Pepsi etc)and as successful entrepreneurs/businessmen(of course with great inputs in higher education from American universities and India's IIM's/IIT's). So, clearly, talent and ability to manage a brand/business is not the deficiency here. The deficiency arises out of warped ideas and perceptions which are relics of a Cold-War era when there was little Indo-US cultural (and business) exchange and the only reports newspapers carried of India were one of poverty, starvation, snake-charmers and elephants! Now, i wouldn't say it was all fake but i certainly feel that it was exaggerated. Actually,it was bound to be so, considering the complexity, variety and diversity of India and the fact that one can't generalise its people culturally or economically.

Read more!

Beijing 2008: Nissan unveils new Teana and Teana XV

All New Teana:
Back in October of last year, Nissan unveiled the Intima concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. The large front-wheel-drive sedan previewed the styling for the new Teana (above, dark) and more luxurious Teana XV (above, light) that Nissan and its Chinese joint-venture partner Dongfeng debuted at the Auto China show in Beijing. The connection between concept and production vehicle is strong here, with the windswept front fasica, large greenhouse, and kink at the bottom of the C-pillar coming over intact. The flush grille, LED headlamps and suicide doors, however, did not.

The Teana will have a strong link to the western world thanks to the platform on which it rides, which is also shared with the Altima, Maxima and Murano. Power is provided by Nissan's award-winning 3.5L VQ V6 engine, which is mated to a CVT transmission for the Chinese. It appears that a bevy of 2.0 and 2.5L four-cylinder powerplants will also be available when the car goes on sale in late Summer.

Make no mistake, the Teana is a large, luxurious front-wheel-drive sedan, just like the current Maxima here in the U.S. It even features such niceties as a BOSE 5.1-channel surround sound system and Nissan's panoramic sunroof in the XV version.
Check out more pics of the new Nissan Teana in the gallery below.

Read more!

New local UAW strike disrupts GM crossover production

It looks like GM can't catch a break lately, as a fresh UAW strike at Alliance Interiors, the automaker's interior parts supplier, disrupted production of its crossover SUVs. The strike involves 90 workers at Alliance, located in Lansing, Michigan, over contract negotiations with the UAW that started nearly one year ago, in May.

As a result of the walk-out, production of the Lambda platform CUVs (Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia) was halted on Wednesday morning at GM's Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, with partial production slated for the day's second shift, according to a GM spokesperson in an Automotive News report.

"We are ready to hold talks any time, any place," said UAW Local 724 Dean Poggiali, "and sit down to work out a deal that is fair and equitable to our members."

Ref : new local uaw strike disrupts gm crossover production

Read more!

ASI Bentley GT Speed

(from ASI) ASI Corp. was established in Nagoya, Japan in December 2007, and is now aggressively developing a variety of tuning solutions for Bentley automobiles. We made our world debut at the 2007 SEMA Show, and since then have received excellent reviews and inquiries from all over the world.

Accuracy, Spirit, Imagination. That is what ASI stands for, and it is our goal to produce tuning solutions that are unequalled in each of these qualities. To ensure the highest level of quality, all ASI parts are entirely Made-in-Japan.

The GT Speed images feature our standard GT body kit, with the addition of a dry carbon bonnet and trunk + rear wing, and also our original 3-piece forged wheel.

Ref : cars top 2008 ASI Bentley GT Speed

Read more!

2009 Infiniti FX35

The 2009 Infiniti FX will continue to use a 3.5-liter VQ engine to power the base model. Some speculated the 3.7-liter engine found in the G37 would appear under the hood of the FX to distance it from the new EX35, but that won't happen. Instead of a slight difference in displacement, the V-6 crossovers will be separated by only a few horsepower and a pair of gears in the transmission.

To be specific, the FX35 will produce 303 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. That's an increase of 28 hp, but a loss of 6 lb-ft of twist compared with the outgoing FX35. Both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models use a new seven-speed automatic transmission with manual override and rev-matching downshifts. Magnesium paddle shifters are available for those who wish to maximize the effectiveness of the manu-matic option.

The FX35 will not be available with the 21-inch Enkei rims found on the FX50. Base models make do with 18-inch alloy wheels, but 20-inchers with a metallic finish are available. Another difference between the FX50 and FX35 is only the FX50 will have the option of active rear wheel steering.

Inside the FX, the V-8 model has an 8.0-inch information display to the V-6 model's 7.0-inch display. Features like heated and cooled seats, driver's seat memory function, aluminum pedals, and Bluetooth capability are optional on the FX35, but standard on the FX50.

Click the links below for high-resolution FX images, as well as our coverage of the FX50 that was recently unveiled in Geneva.

Read more!

BMW Will Revive tii Badge for 1- and 3-series

The tii revival didn't exactly start off with a bang. At the Tokyo auto show last fall, BMW resurrected its fabled tii suffix-best known as the high-performance version of the company's marque-making 2002. Unfortunately, the Tokyo concept was little more than a 1-series coupe with a cosmetic package. The show car was accurate in that a tii kit is in the works for the 1-series coupe, according to BMW chief Norbert Reithofer. The package consists of aero body add-ons, carbon-fiber trim, wider wheels and tires, sport seats and instruments, and a new, M-style steering wheel with an integrated LED rev counter.

That's fine, but a tii deserves substance, not just style. The good news is that the substance is coming, and eventually tii cars will supplement the M cars as a second strain of performance models, one that's more accessible and emphasizes connectedness rather than absolute power. They are designed to be raw and rather loud driving machines that deliver a particularly intimate aural and tactile experience, as well as a higher level of dynamic connectivity. In technical terms, this means upgrades such as more direct steering, a firmer suspension, reduced noise insulation, and a brawnier drivetrain.

The good stuff could start arriving as early as later this summer, with the face-lifted 2009 3-series. That car is under consideration for a tii version that, in addition to styling tweaks, would include M3 brakes, nineteen-inch wheels, a sport suspension, a dual-clutch transmission, and increased boost pressure that would bump the output of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine from 300 hp to about 355 hp.

The tii revival gets into full swing with the next-generation models of the 1-series (due in late 2011), the 3-series (out in early 2012), the X3 (also in 2011), and the new X1 (coming in mid-2009). All four of those cars are slated to get tii versions that will have emphatically sporty appearances and exceptional dynamic abilities. The 1-series tii would feature a lighter unibody and use a direct-injected, 2.0-liter twin-turbo four-cylinder good for 300 hp. BMW is even evaluating unique, tii-specific body styles. The most intriguing is the so-called "sharknose" version-a special tii body style for the 3-series. It is almost retro in character, with thin roof pillars, a relatively upright windshield and rear window, and simple head- and taillights, as well as traditional "waterline" styling (which also can be found on the current 1-series coupe and cabriolet). Aslightly longer front end and a cab-backward greenhouse should also help create a quite different tii-only appearance.

It's too early to tell whether the tii game plan will first come into effect on the 1-series or the 3-series or what the exact scope will be. But it's clear that BMW is determined to plug the gap between the sport packages and the M cars, using a more affordable mix of visual and engineering enhancements worthy of the iconic tii suffix.

Ref : automobilemag.com

Read more!

New Teana 2009

Nissan Teana 2008-2009 all New
Nissan will indeed be expanding its Chinese line-up at the upcoming 2008 Auto China in Beijing, or so states a Chinese press release on the 2008 Auto China motor show pages. On top of this, Nissan China has released a teaser image of what can only be the production version of the Nissan Intima Concept. The press release mentions nothing about the name but does label the car as Nissan’s new flagship model in China.

Read more!

Trip by Car to Phang Nga Thailand

As people who enjoy fantastic caves and peculiar mountains – not to mention temples, waterfalls, and the occasional wild-goose chase – Stephan (photographer and chauffeur) and I built a do-it-yourself daytrip. Northern neighbour, prepare to be checked out. With fuelled bodies and a fuelled car, we point the car north and left Phuket Town. Fifty minutes later, we cross Sarasin Bridge and arrive in Phang Nga Province.

08:57 At the Highway 4 junction, we head east towards Krabi. Go the other way and you could end up in Bangkok.

09:12 Our first destination is a temple - Wat Suwannakhuha. Between us, we’re armed with ambiguous directions and a faulty memory, but being confused is a good way to meet people. We stop and ask the family running the gas shack near a green and orange pay-phone. They’re very nice, though their sense of distance leaves something to be desired.

Unfortunately closed on that day

09:16 Thailand has many, many Buddhist temples. And most have arches over the entrance. We brake often – is this it? – and usually continue on. But this temple has an attractive sign: Free Museum. It’s closed.

09:22 Another gas station, more questionable assistance we graciously accept.

09:30 Monks are good sources of temple-related information, even if you’re not in the right temple. Three more kilometres, and don’t park too near the entrance or you’ll have monkeys all over your car. Wise words.

Tour Review : Phang Nga Trip by Car

Read more!

Toyota denies using government money to develop Prius

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp. denied on Wednesday it had received any funding from the Japanese government to develop its hit Prius gas-electric hybrid car.

Japan’s top automaker rejected a March 24 Business Week report that quoted Jim Press, vice chairman and president of Chrysler LLC and a former board member at Toyota, as saying, “The Japanese government paid for 100% of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius.”

Press worked for 37 years at Toyota, including the years of research for the Prius, which went on sale 10 years ago. He left Toyota for Chrysler last September.

The Prius has become a global hit because of the appeal of its technology that boosts fuel efficiency by switching between a gas engine and electric motor amid growing concerns about global warming and soaring gas prices.

Toyota said the report was untrue.

“I can say 100% that Toyota received absolutely no support — no money, no grants — from the Japanese government for the development of the Prius,” Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said.

Toyota received no public money for developing the battery or any other part of the Prius, he said.

Japanese companies have a reputation for having close relations with the government, and some private-sector projects receive public money, especially those for clean energy. But there have been no previous high-profile reports alleging that Toyota’s hybrid project received public money.

Separately, Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru cars, in which Toyota owns an 8.7% stake, said they were in talks about collaborations but denied a report in The Nikkei business daily they were considering raising Toyota’s stake in Fuji to 17%.

Toyota is generally cautious about taking over companies. It took three decades to make Daihatsu Motor Co., which makes small cars, and Japanese truckmaker Hino Motors Ltd. its subsidiaries since an initial partnership. Toyota also holds a 5.9% stake in truckmaker Isuzu Motors Ltd.

Under the current alliance, Fuji makes Toyota’s Camry sedans in the United States, while Daihatsu makes the Justy compact car that Fuji sells in Europe.

Shares of Toyota and Fuji rose in Tokyo. Toyota shares gained 4.4% to 5,240 yen ($51) while Fuji climbed 6.6% to 438 yen ($4.30).

Read more!

Nissan Teana 2008-2009 all New

Nissan will indeed be expanding its Chinese line-up at the upcoming 2008 Auto China in Beijing, or so states a Chinese press release on the 2008 Auto China motor show pages. On top of this, Nissan China has released a teaser image of what can only be the production version of the Nissan Intima Concept. The press release mentions nothing about the name but does label the car as Nissan’s new flagship model in China.

Earlier this week the new flagship was photographed by Autoblog China, which sparked the rumor that the Intima Concept was indeed headed to China. But the images were of very low quality and revealed only parts of the rear.

Alongside this mysterious new flagship model, Nissan will be showing their PIVO 2 Concept (Chinese debut) and the NV200 Concept van. The almost 2,000 square meter stand will be filled with the remaining Nissan models like the 350Z and Livina range.

Stay tuned for the world debut later this month.

Content : Preview Picture 2008-2009 All new Nissan Teana

Read more!

Defining Profit Zones

To decide whether buying puts is a reasonable strategy for you, always be aware of potential profits and losses, rather than concentrating on profits alone. Make Money for Funds

Comparing limited losses to potential profits when using puts for downside protection is one type of analysis that helps you pick value when comparing puts, And when looking for a well-priced speculative move, time to expiration coupled with the gap between current market value and striking price--which dictates the amount of time value premium--will help you to find real bargains in puts.

Premium level is not a reasonable criterion for your selection.

The profit and loss zones for puts are the reverse of the zones for call buyers, because put owners anticipate a downward movement in the stock, whereas call buyers expect upward price movement. See Figure 4.5 for a summary of loss and profit zones and breakeven point using the following example.

sorrow can't put example do that.

tag : Defining profit zones P.105 by Michale C. Thomsett

Read more!

Cars Insurance

ว่าด้วยเรื่อง ประกันภัยรถยนต์ Cars Insurance

"จ่ายชั้น 3 รับคุ้มครองเหมือนชั้น 1" คิกๆๆ ว่ากันว่า เมื่อถึงเวลาต่อประกันภัยรถยนต์แต่ละครั้ง ทำเอาใครหลายๆ คนต้องคิดหนัก เจ้าของรถทุกคนอยากได้รับบริการที่ดีและความคุ้มครองสมน้ำสมเนื้อกับมูลค่ารถ แต่ครั้งจะตัดใจซื้อกรมธรรม์ประกันภัยประเภท 1 ก็ทำใจได้ยากเสียเหลือเกิน เพราะถือว่าเป็นเงินก้อนโตไม่ใช่น้อยหากในปีนั้นไม่ได้เคลมเลย บางคนอาจคิดว่าเสียดายเงิน แต่ทว่าหากจะซื้อแค่ประกันภัย (Insurance) ประเภท 3 เมื่อเกิดอุบัติเหตุรถชนขึ้นมา ก็อาจสู้ค่าซ่อมรถไม่ไหวอีก

เรื่องประกันภัยรถยนต์ ถึงแม้ว่าจะเป็นเรื่องพื้นฐาน แต่สำหรับบางคนจ่ายเงินค่าประกันภัยไปแต่ละปี โดยที่ยังไม่แน่ใจว่ารถของตนเอง เหมาะกับกรมธรรม์ประเภทไหน สำหรับรถใหม่ป้ายแดง แน่นอนซื้อประกันภัยประเภท 1 เพราะได้รับความคุ้มครองทุกอย่างเต็มที่ รถยนต์ที่ใช้ในปีที่ 2 - 5 เจ้าของรถส่วนมากก็ยังคงเลือกประกันภัยชั้น 1 อยู่ แต่ก็มีจำนวนไม่น้อยที่หันมาเลือประกันภัยชั้น 3 ที่ราคาถูกกว่า เนื่องจากมองว่ารถที่ใช้ไม่ใช่รถใหม่ ส่วนรถคันไหนที่อายุปาเข้าไป 10 ปีแล้ว บางทีเจ้าของรถแทบไม่เห็นความสำคัญของการทำประกันภัย แค่มี พ.ร.บ ตามที่กฏหมายกำหนดเอาไว้ก็ถือว่าเพียงพอแล้ว

ช่วงปีที่ผ่านมา ตลาดประกันภัยรถยนต์ (Insurance) กลับมาคึกคักอีกครั้งหลังจากที่มีผลิตภัณฑ์ประกันรูปแบบใหม่ เป็นลูกผสมความคุ้มครองการชนจากอุบัติเหตุเข้ามาไว้ในกรมธรรม์ประเภท 3 โดยมีจุดขายที่ราคาถูกแต่ออกค่าซ่อมรถให้ด้วย หรือที่รู้จักกันดีในชื่อว่า "ประเภท 2 พลัส" หรือ 3+

ประกันภัยประเภท 3 พลัส ให้ความคุ้มครองต่อตัวรถที่เอาประกัน ในกรณีที่เกิดอุบัติเหตุการชน ซึ่งเดิมจะมีในประเภท 1 เท่านั้น และค่าเบี้ยประกันภัยไม่แพง ประมาณ 6,000-7,000 บาทเท่านั้น แต่มีข้อจำกัดคือวงเงินความคุ้มครองที่จะถูกจำกัดไว้ไม่เกิน 250,000 บาท ประกันภัยแบบ 3 พลัสนี้ พิจารณาในแง่ความคุ้มครองแล้วเหมาะกับรถยนต์ที่มีอายุการใช้งานมาแล้วระยะหนึ่ง มูลค่าของรถไม่สูงนัก และเจ้าของรถให้ความสำคัญกับความเสียหายต่อตัวรถหากเกิดอุบัติเหตุ เนื่องจากจะไม่ได้รับความคุ้มครองกรณีรถหายหรือไฟไหม้ การคุ้มครองความเสียหายต่อตัวรถยนต์ที่มีคู่กรณีที่เป็นยานพาหนะทางบกเท่านั้น ไม่ว่าถูกหรือผิด ซ่อมให้ทันทีในวงเงินสูงสุด 100,000 บาทต่อครั้ง พร้อมรับผิดชอบทรัพย์สินของคู่กรณี 1,000,000 บาทต่อครั้ง โดยไม่ต้องตรวจสภาพรถ ไม่จำกัดอายุรถ และไม่ระบุชื่อผู้ขับขี่

ทุกครั้งที่มีการเคลมและรถตนเองเป็นฝ่ายผิด เจ้าของรถต้องจ่ายค่าเสียหายส่วนแรก (Deductible) ตามจริงแต่ไม่เกิน 2,000 บาทต่อครั้ง แต่ถ้ากรณีเป็นฝ่ายถูก ไม่ต้องเสียค่าใช้จ่ายใดๆ ทั้งสิ้น และบริษัทจะซ่อมให้ในวงเงิน 100,000 บาทต่อครั้งทันที โดยที่ไม่ต้องมานั่งเรียกร้องเงินจากคู่กรณีที่ไม่มีประกัน Black list Car Insurance

ข้อแตกต่างจาก ประกันชั้น 1 คือ ไม่คุ้มครองกรณีรถหายหรือไฟไหม้ โดยต้องมีคู่กรณีเป็นยานพาหนะทางบกทุกชนิดจึงสามารถเคลมรถตัวเองได้ ซึ่งถ้าเกิดอุบัติเหตุที่ไม่มีคู่กรณีเป็นยานพาหนะ เช่น ไปชนรั้ว เสา ชนกำแพง เสาไฟฟ้า โดนขูด บริษัทประกันภัยจะซ่อมให้กับคู่กรณีฝ่ายเดียว นั่นคือจะซ่อมให้กับเฉพาะสิ่งที่ชน เช่น ซ่อมรั้ว ซ่อมเสาไฟฟ้า ซ่อมกำแพงเท่านั้น และการซ่อมรถอาจต้องซ่อมเฉพาะอู่ในเครือข่ายของบริษัทประกันภัยเท่านั้น ไม่สามารถซ่อมอู่ห้างได้ ในช่วงที่ผ่านมา มีบริษัทประกันภัยหลายแห่ง กระโดดลงมาแข่งขันในเซ็กเมนต์นี้ เนื่องจากขายดี มีฐานลูกค้าผู้ที่ไม่อยากทำประกันภัยชั้น 1 เพราะค่าเบื้อแพงไป และไม่ต้องการซ่อมรถเองหากซื้อประกันภัยชั้น 3 พลัส โดย Insurance market share เบอร์หนึ่งในตลาดนี้น่าจะเป็น "เอเชีย 3 พลัส" ของบริษัทเอเชีย ประกันภัย 1950

แต่หากมองในความต้องการที่แท้จริงของผู้บริโภคแล้ว เจ้าของรถหลายๆ คนซื้อรถราคาหลายแสนบาท ความคุ้มครองแค่ 100,000 บาท คงไม่เพียงพอ ยิ่งถ้าเป็นรถหรูหรือรถยุโรป เจ้าของรถคงไม่กล้าเสี่ยงซื้อประกันแบบนี้ แต่ก็วนเข้าเรื่องเดิมอีกที่ว่า ราคาประกันภัยประเภท 1 นั้นนับวันจะยิ่งปรับตัวสูงขึ้น ผู้บริหารหนึ่งในผู้เล่นหลักในตลาดประกันภัยรถยนต์ นายชัย โสภณพานิช บมจ.กรุงเทพประกันภัย (KBI) กล่าวว่า บริษัทประกันภัยเริ่มตระหนักถึงภาระค่าใช้จ่ายที่สูงขึ้นจากค่าอะไหล่รถยนต์ที่ปรับตัวสูงขึ้นเกือบทุกปี แต่ข้อจำกัดเรื่องวงเงินทุนประกันของประเภท 3 พลัส กลายเป็นจุดบอดที่ไม่สามารถเติมเต็มความต้องการของลูกค้าในกลุ่มที่ต้องการทุนประกันสูงตามมูลค่าของรถได้ "ผลิตภัณฑ์ประเภท 2 พลัส จะมาช่วยเสริมช่องว่างของการประกันชั้น 1 กับชั้น 3 พิเศษที่มักเรียกกันว่า 3 พลัส ที่มีข้อจำกัดในเรื่องทุนประกันไม่สูงนัก ซึ่งในตลาดยังมีลูกค้าที่ต้องการทำประกันรถด้วยทุนประกันสูงกว่านี้" นายชัยกล่าว

แบบประกันภัยประเภท 2 พลัส จึงกลายเป็นสินค้าใหม่ที่น่าสนใจ เป็นทางเลือกให้กับลูกค้าที่ต้องการความคุ้มครองเหมือนการทำประกันภัยรถยนต์ประเภท 1 แต่เบื้อประกันจะถูกกว่าถึง 35-55% โดยให้ความคุ้มครองความเสียหายต่อรถยนต์เนื่องจากการชับชนที่มีคู่กรณีเป็นยานพาหนะทางบกเท่านั้น ทุนประกันตั้งแต่ 350,000 บาท ด้วยเบี้ยประกัน 8,300 บาท ซึ่งผู้ทำประกันสามารถเลือกทุนประกันให้ตรงตามความต้องการได้ โดยรับประกันสูงสุดถึง 5 ล้านบาท

นอกเหนือจากการให้ความคุ้มครองความรับผิดชอบต่อบุคคลภายนอก ได้แก่ ความเสียหายต่อชีวิต ร่างกาย หรืออนามัย 1 ล้านบาทต่อคน สูงสุดไม่เกิน 10 ล้านบาทต่อครั้ง และความเสียหายต่อทรัพย์สิน 1 ล้านบาทต่อครั้ง รวมถึงคุ้มครองอุบัติเหตุส่วนบุคคล (PA) 100,000 บาทต่อคนต่อครั้ง ค่ารักษาพยาบาลสูงสุด 100,000 บาทต่อคนต่อครั้ง และการประกันภัยตัวผู้ขับขี่ 250,000 บาทต่อครั้ง แล้วยังให้ความคุ้มครองกรณีรถหาย และไฟไหม้ตามทุนประกัน สูงสุดไม่เกิน 5 ล้านบาท และยังคุ้มครองถึงภัยก่อการร้ายสูงสุดไม่เกิน 5 ล้านบาทอีกด้วย ซึ่งตรงนี้ถือว่าเป็นจุดเด่นที่แตกต่างจากประกันภัยรถยนต์ประเภท 3

ที่มา : Cars Insurance

Read more!

Tata Motors buys Jaguar and Land Rover

The sale of Jaguar and Land Rover has been completed following the finalisation of the complicated deal between Ford and India’s Tata Motors.

The Indian conglomerate has borrowed $2.3 billion (ฃ1.2 billion) to buy the two brands, but maintains that it will not move production of Jaguars or Land Rovers to India, and will respect the brands' British heritage.

Tata chairman Ratan Tata confirmed his company will stick to the five-year investment plan for the UK factories in Halewood, Solihull and Castle Bromwich. Announcing the deal, he said:

“We are very pleased at the prospect of Jaguar and Land Rover being a significant part of our automotive business. We have enormous respect for the two brands and will endeavour to preserve and build on their heritage and competitiveness, keeping their identities intact. We aim to support their growth, while holding true to our principles of allowing the management and employees to bring their experience and expertise to bear on the growth of the business.”

Union worries about job losses have been partially allayed by the five-year promise and assurances that Tata will continue to use Ford-supplied engines. Many of Jaguar and Land Rover’s engines, such as the 2.7-litre V6 diesel and 3.2 V6 petrol, are made in Ford’s Dagenham and Bridgend factories. Ford will also transfer $600 million to the Jaguar and Land Rover pension fund.

Ford’s Executive Vice President, Lewis Booth, told Autocar that Ford will help Tata to integrate green technology into the Jaguar and Land Rover ranges, and he also that the engine supply arrangement is a long-term deal, saying that “Tata is really committed to the business and really committed to Britain.”

Booth also confirmed that Ford is not maintaining any stake in Jaguar / Land Rover, in contrast to the 15 per cent holding it maintained in Aston Martin when it sold the company last year.

Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Geoff Polites, welcomed the formal announcement of the deal by saying:

“Jaguar Land Rover’s management team is very pleased that Ford and Tata Motors have come to an agreement today. Our team has been consulted extensively on the deal content and feels confident that it provides for the business needs of both our brands going forward.”

Ref : autocarindia

Read more!

mazda 12

You see to madza12, mazda protege gtx driveby

Read more!