VW admitted in 2015 to equipping about 11 million cars worldwide with “defeat devices”, which allowed them to deceive emissions laboratory tests but emit up to 40 times the permissible levels of harmful nitrogen oxide during actual driving.

The tainted cars were recalled by VW, but the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) said tests it commissioned on local vehicles before and after being updated showed they were still exceeding regulations in real-world settings.

“Emissions analysis… found an affected VW diesel vehicle to be using up to 14 percent more diesel after recall, and still emitting noxious emissions more than 400 per cent higher than levels observed in laboratory testing,” the AAA said in a statement.

The emissions were lower than before the fix, but higher than the limits allowed in Australia, added the AAA, which conducted the tests in partnership with motorsports’ governing body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

Volkswagen on Monday rejected the comparison and said Germany’s KBA motor vehicle authority had approved its software update, and the fixed vehicles “continue to satisfy European and Australian emissions standards”.

A spokesman said in a statement to AFP that automobile organisations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland had tested the updated vehicles and also found they “continue to perform as expected”.

The AAA said the results showed that actual driving tests, rather than those carried out in lab settings, would allow policymakers to ensure regulatory settings reflect real-world conditions.

Some 42,000 VWs in Australia and more than six million across the globe have been fixed, according to the German auto giant.

The scandal has so far cost Volkswagen over 25 billion euros ($31 billion) in fines, settlements and remediation, and some VW executives have been charged or jailed.

Legal proceedings brought against VW over the scandal by Australia’s consumer watchdog the ACCC and a class action on behalf of motorists both began in Federal Court last week.

Sales growth in February was 65 per cent, the highest in three years, Mazda Sales (Thailand) announced.

Sales of the Mazda2 reached 3,448 units, increasing by 84 per cent, maintaining the firm’s leadership in the markets for small passenger cars and eco-cars for the second straight month.

The Mazda CX-5 unveiled late last year also proved popular, with 752 units sold in February, representing a 231-per-cent increase.

The Mazda CX-3, with 333 units sold, jumped by 52 per cent, and the Mazda BT-50 Pro pickup with 477 units and 8 per cent growth.

The 391 units of the Mazda3 sold represented a drop of 22 per cent.

MST president Chanchai Trakarnudonsuk said Thailand’s economy was on an upward trend in 2018, with signs of recovery showing up since the fourth quarter of last year.

“This year the government expects GDP to reach 3.8 per cent, with 37.8 million tourists a 7-per-cent growth over 2017,” he said.

“Among the contributing factors to tourism growth are the expansion of international airline routes, particularly those connecting Thailand with secondary Chinese cities, and Thailand’s 55-province secondary city tourism promotion.”

The deal underlines a commitment to share their professional skills and knowledge in developing an “Internet car ecosystem” and an Internet-connected transportation service platform for Thailand.

A memorandum of understanding was signed at the offices of MG Sales (Thailand) in the Silom Complex Building in Bangkok.

Krungsri Auto plans to introduce a variety of new products throughout this year to reinforce its leadership in digital marketing in automotive finance market.

Pornthep Tirasuntrakul, senior vice president, deputy head of Krungsri Auto Marketing Division, Bank of Ayudhya PCL, said: “As a market shaper and pioneer in automotive finance services on digital platforms since 2014, Krungsri Auto carried out more comprehensive digital marketing initiatives in 2017 through making its services more convenient and widely accessible as well as creating online campaigns to effectively reach target audiences. With this effort, Krungsri Auto’s new lending volume via online channels grew by 98 per cent from the previous year, with a total amount of Bt1.31 billion.”

The company said the main driving force behind the success can be attributed to a customized calculator for private car loan, an innovation that was developed based on insightful understanding of consumer behaviors. With its ability to calculate monthly installment with an interest rate specific to each car’s model in real time, the system facilitates customers in auto financial planning and enables them to apply for Krungsri Rod Baan loan instantly with just once click.

The tool has also been linked with the partner Kaidee’s RodKaidee platform through API technology. After launching the partnership in September last year, the calculator drove approximately 1,000 engagements per day.

“This results in over a 100 per cent increase of monthly average of completed online forms for Krungsri Rod Baan loan, compared to the previous months,” the company said.

“The achievement marks another milestone for business partnership within the auto finance market, which encompasses broader cooperation with brands from outside the industry, and for digital marketing innovation that truly answers customers’ digital lifestyle.”

The most popular model, with 40 per cent share, is the top GLX-Navi model priced at Bt629,000, said Yoji Murasaka, president of Suzuki Motor (Thailand) Co Ltd.

He said Suzuki plans to sell 15,700 vehicles in Thailand this year.

In February, Suzuki sales grew by 23 per cent to 3,823 vehicles, comprising Ciaz (1,770 units), Swift (1,196), Celerio (352), Ertiga (91) and Carry (414).

The new 340-horsepower A8 L is available in two trims – Premium priced at Bt6.799 million and Prestige priced at Bt7.999 million.

Krisada Lamsam, president and CEO of Audi Thailand, said the company sold 610 luxury vehicles in its maiden year in 2017.

“This is the all-new A8 which is a revolutionary vehicle in itself with an array of digital technology and modern styling,” he said, “Apart from the latest technologies, it also gives customers a new motoring experience led by the highest levels of comfort and convenience.”

The company plans to grow sales by 100 per cent this year, he said, setting a target of 1,200 units.

In a press statement, the company said BMW Thailand posted the highest growth rate across BMW’s global network at 43 per cent year-on-year.

“Starting in 2018, BMW Group Thailand achieved the best-ever January with 816 BMW and Mini deliveries, representing a 10 per cent increase year-on-year. BMW Motorrad also achieved a 36 per cent increase in sales year-on-year with a total of 150 BMW Motorcycles delivered in January,” the company said.

In addition, BMW Group Manufacturing plant – located in Amata City Industrial Estate, Rayong province – surpassed 100,000 units in local assembly. Selected new BMW cars and motorcycles have also been unveiled ahead of their public debut in the 39th Bangkok International Motor Show in late March.

“In addition to sales reaching a five-figure total for the first time last year, our success in reaching the major milestone of 100,000 vehicles assembled in Thailand is yet another solid proof of our commitment to Thailand’s luxury car market,” said Stefan Teuchert, president of BMW Group Thailand.

“I have full confidence that BMW Group Thailand will build upon these accomplishments under the leadership of my successor, Christian Wiedmann, through a combination of exceptional innovation in manufacturing and the ultimate vehicle ownership experience.”

BMW’s lineup of new arrivals for the Thai market in 2018 is led by the BMW X2 – the latest addition to BMW’s adventurous X range – the BMW 530i Touring M Sport, the BMW M4 CS, and the all-new BMW M5.

“Diesel will be phased out in our passenger cars in 2018,” Johan van Zyl, president of Toyota Motor Europe, said in Geneva, where Europe’s first major car show of the year opens this week.

“We will not develop new diesel technology for passenger cars, we’ll continue to focus on hybrid” vehicles, he added.

An emissions cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, has heaped discredit on diesel technology, criticised for belching out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates.

This has been a major blow for car makers, who had essentially sought to bet the house on diesel as they strove for years to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.

Major cities including Paris have announced plans to ban diesel, while a top German court last month opened the way for cities to ban older diesel cars from the streets on air quality grounds.

Diesel’s fall from grace has pushed manufacturers to turn their attention to producing more in-demand petrol models or make the jump to electric, or at least hybrid, vehicles.

Last year nearly 15 percent of Toyota’s sales in Europe were from diesel vehicles, down from 30 percent in 2012.

Meanwhile sales of Toyota’s hybrid models have risen sharply.

Toyota vice president Didier Leroy said that back in 2011, before “Dieselgate” erupted, the company had “already started to anticipate the fact that we should not allocate resources to develop a new small diesel engine”.

Toyota, Nissan and Honda formed a joint venture with major gas and energy companies, including French industrial gases company Air Liquide, to build 80 new hydrogen stations in the next four years, to add to the 101 stations currently in Japan.

“At this stage, we believe there is significant space for cooperation, rather than searching for areas of competition,” Shigeki Terashi, Toyota executive vice president told reporters.

The new venture — “Japan H2 Mobility” or “JHyM” — comes as the world’s top economies rush to issue tougher environmental regulations that are spurring development of new clean cars and trucks.

Japan has focused on promoting fuel-cells, which combine hydrogen and oxygen in an electrochemical reaction, producing clean electricity to power vehicles or home generators.

But fuel-cell vehicles cannot get off the ground without a network of hydrogen stations, and vice versa, and the chicken-and-egg dilemma has stalled the roll-out of the technology, say industry professionals.

Hydrogen stations and fuel cell vehicles must be promoted in tandem in order to lower their cost, executives said.

“Unless infrastructure makers team up, new hydrogen stations tend to be concentrated in urban areas,” said Hideki Sugawara, president of the new firm.

“In order to maximise the demand for FCVs (fuel cell vehicles), we have to expand geographically,” he said.

The 101 hydrogen stations serve around 2,400 fuel-cell cars in Japan, according to official data, but a lack of viable stations has been a major hurdle for carmakers as they seek to boost production.

The Japanese government and the auto industry aim to introduce 160 stations and 40,000 fuel-cell vehicles by March 2020.

The government is also pushing to deregulate the sector to lower costs.

Toyota launched the Mirai, the world’s first mass-market hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, in late 2014 as it looked to push further into the fast-growing market for environmentally friendly cars.

Nissan and Honda also have their version of fuel-cell projects.

“Geneva really ought to have been a lovely salon,” says, with heavy irony, Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of German-based Center Automotive Research of a Europe’s first major car show of the year running from March 8 to 18.

(FILES) This file photo taken on March 7, 2017 in Geneva, shows a general view during the first press day of the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. Electric cars sales accelerate in the world, a trend that is expected to be reflected at 2018 Geneva Auto Show opening on March 8, 2018. / AFP PHOTO

“The luxury car makers continue to present their new models and worldwide sales set new records in 2017.

“But behind the glamour and the finery are plenty of worry wrinkles.”

Number one overriding concern is the increasing slide in diesel sales, a blow for European constructors who had essentially sought to bet the house on diesel as they strove for years to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.

The emissions cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, has heaped discredit on a technology criticised for belching out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates.

Major cities including Paris have announced their intention to ban diesel progressively while a top German court last month opened the way to banning older diesel cars from the streets on air quality grounds.

Diesel’s fall from grace has pushed constructors to turn their attention to production of more-in-demand models running either on petrol, dubbed “dinosaur juice”, or else make the jump to electric or at least hybrid.

 – Are future friends electric? –

The top global constructors have earmarked investments worth tens of billions of euros (dollars) over the past few years to accelerate their push to electric. Yet the commercial upshot of the strategy remains unclear.

This year’s Show, the 88th edition, will see the unveiling of several new electric models and concepts at Tuesday and Wednesday’s media days, before opening its doors to the general public on Thursday.

Among new potential star turns are Jaguar’s first all-electric model as it shows off the production version of its I-Pace, as well as Hyundai’s Kona, advertised as the world#s first fully electric subcompact SUV.

Constructors also have to contend with the fact that where fuel engines are concerned, their greater emissions of CO2 will render a tough challenge compliance with future European norms.

They will have to cut CO2 emissions to an average 95 grams per kilometre across the board by 2021 from 130 grams in 2015, or else face swingeing fines.

Auto makers are bound to continue investing, furthermore, to ensure improved performance of their combustion engines as these still make up the bulk of sales. And yet they will prove progressively less of an earner as volumes inexorably fall off.

Traditional constructors also have a wary eye on sector newcomers, led by those in the electric vanguard such as Tesla, as well as giants from the high-tech such as Apple or Google and would-be Chinese rivals all seeking their slice of a “smart car” cake.

The future belongs to those whose vehicles enjoy ever more autonomy through increasing recourse to artificial intelligence and telecommunications.

Such qualities are not the preserve of the traditional automobile constructor.

– Square the circle –

The last few weeks have seen a slew of carmakers post record profits — but the question is the degree to which that will act as a springboard to paying for the switch to a new auto-tech world.

Eric Kirstetter of the Roland Berger consultancy told AFP that, currently, some constructors are doing “very well,” yet their “future is very complicated”.

They must “reduce costs in such as way as to make savings allowing them to achieve their R&D plans,” said Kirstetter, adding this will involve surmounting “a problem of squaring the financial circle.”

That, he says, is “an equation extremely difficult to resolve in order to make the necessary investments to develop new generations of vehicles while continuing to invest massively in improving the combustion engine” in the shorter term.

The task may be more readily surmountable for pioneers in the development of alternatives to diesel, including the Renault-Nissan alliance, with both leaders in the move towards electrification, while Toyota has the early jump on the hybrid market.

However the future of a metamorphosing industry ultimately pans out, the 700,000 Salon visitors expected to descend on Geneva’s Palexpo in the coming days will be able to cast their eyes over some 900 vehicles.

Monday will see the car of the year unveiled from seven finalists for the accolade.

The contenders are the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi A8, BMW series 5, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Stinger, Seat Ibiza and Volvo XC40.

Representatives of the FIA booth fix up a electric car Formule E, during the last preparations prior opening of the press preview days at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show, in Geneva, Switzerland, 03 March 2018. // EPA-EFE PHOTO