just-auto's Annual Confidence Survey Highlights Key Trends and Winners and Losers for 2013

  just-auto's Annual Confidence Survey Highlights Key Trends and Winners and
                               Losers for 2013

  PR Newswire

  BROMSGROVE, England, March 14, 2013

BROMSGROVE, England, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

A survey of the global auto industry undertaken by just-auto suggests that
2013 will be another challenging year for many companies in the automotive
industry. However, many participants also expressed optimism over prospects
for their own companies.

The just-auto Confidence Survey is conducted in January every year and asks
respondents for their views on business prospects, car company winners and
losers, expectations for national car markets and emerging market preferences
in areas like new technology fitment. Participants are drawn from just-auto's
audience of industry professionals around the world.

Among the survey's results this year:

  * Almost 80% of respondents are either 'quite optimistic' (44.1%) over
    business prospects in 2013 or expect 'little change' (35.7%);

  * The risk of recession or market contraction was felt by 56.9% of
    respondents to be the biggest risk for the year ahead, much higher than
    for other business risks such as increased oil or raw material prices;

  * Pressures to restructure (lower costs) and maintain profitability are seen
    as the biggest challenges for two-thirds of participants

  * In terms of vehicle innovation, improved fuel efficiency is seen to be of
    greatest interest to the consumer, followed by vehicle connectivity and
    growing interest in driver assistance systems such as assisted parking and
    collision avoidance;

  * Car demand prospects look good in North America and especially emerging
    markets in Asia, but Western Europe's car market is heading for
    contraction in 2013;

  * A 24-strong company ranking of projected car manufacturing group winners
    and losers for 2013 puts Hyundai Kia at the top, followed by VW, BMW,
    Toyota and Ford. At the bottom of the list is PSA Peugeot-Citroen.

  * On electrification, views diverged on prospects for hybrids and pure
    electric vehicles. Some 71% of respondents expect hybrids to gain greater
    market acceptance in 2013 while a big majority (87%) expect pure electric
    vehicles to continue to undershoot sales targets.

"The macro picture painted by the survey this year is not very different to
last year's," says just-auto editor Dave Leggett. "Looked at globally, the
industry isn't doing too badly and a record level of vehicle sales and
production - heading towards 85m units - is in prospect for 2013. There is
plenty of growth out there, especially in the emerging markets and the US car
market is continuing its recovery. Car market worries - and the impact of weak
demand on the industry through price-cutting, overcapacity, poor productivity
and financial losses - remain centred on Europe and the effects of its
economic crisis.

"However, our survey highlights that there are plenty of growth opportunities
in certain technologies and that the successful companies are the ones able to
effectively meet rising consumer expectations across the world and do that on
a good global manufacturing footprint."

The results of the just-auto annual Confidence Survey were presented at a
recent just-auto webinar. The webinar is available to view on-demand and
presentation slides are available to view here.

About just-auto.com

Established in 1999, just-auto is a leading online resource for the global
automotive industry, publishing around 50 news articles, analysis features and
insights every working day. Under the direction of Managing Editor David
Leggett, its experienced team of journalists, consultants and analysts provide
a unique blend of that is delivered to over 90,000 business executives per
month.

Via its website, webinars and QUBE, CONSULT and PLDB research platforms,
just-auto offers insight into OEM and supplier corporate strategies,
manufacturing developments, in-depth management briefings, supplier
technologies and innovations, component market trends and forecasts and
current/future car model programmes.

For details of how just-auto is "helping decision makers make decisions" visit
http://www.just-auto.com .

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