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Volkswagen AG, Europe’s largest automaker and the biggest overseas carmaker in China has started selling Magotan sedans in the country and in the process challenging Toyota Motor Corp.’s Camry which is equipped with high quality Toyota thermostat.

The Magotan sedans are equipped with 1.8-liter or 2-liter engine and have a base price starting 192,800 yuan or $25,000 basing in an email coming from Volkswagen. On the other hand Toyota’s China-made Camry has a price that starts at 197,800 yuan more expensive than the Magotan by 5,000 yuan.

The Wolfsburg-based automaker plans to add as many as 14 new models in China by the end of 2009 in an effort to maintain its market lead. Likewise, the automaker’s Santana and Jetta sedans has claimed the top two spots in the first-half sales rankings in the country and comparing that with Camry which went on sale last year and was only able to obtain the fourth rank.

According to Tiecheng, President of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co. one of Volkswagen’s China ventures, “The Magotan helps to diversify FAW-Volkswagen’s product structure, allowing us to be more competitive in the market.”

Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen has about 19 percent of China’s car market accomplished in the first half of the year after boosting sales by a quarter to 431,369. The FAW-Volkswagen which is a venture with China FAW Group Corp. will make the Magotan which is offered as the Passat in Europe. Volkswagen also has a venture with Shanghai Automotive Co. the listed unit of SAIC Motor Corp.

In other news, Jim Press, the President of Toyota North America has made a rather bold statement saying that “eventually, everything will be a hybrid.” And aside from that he has shown his confidence in Toyota’s ability and so proud of their product line that he goes as far as saying that the ground-breaking Toyota Prius hybrid is just like Ford’s Model T.

It should be noted that the Ford Model T has often been considered as the first of its kind and a car which was made accessible to the masses. It was somewhat advance for its time and has helped in shaping the automotive industry into what it is today. Mr. Press is also saying that the Prius just like the Model T is equally revolutionary.

The everything-will-become-hybrid speech of Mr. Jim Press has aroused various reactions and of course there are those that contradict Mr. Press’ statement saying that not everything will be hybrid. But with the present trend in the auto industry maybe who knows we might all end up driving hybrids.

The brand Infiniti was introduced in 1989 by the Japanese firm, Nissan Motor Co Ltd. in the US as a luxury car. Today the company has expanded its operations in more than 15 countries worldwide. Due to poor marketing, the car could not compete well with its competitors Toyota’s Lexus and Honda’s Acura during initial years after it was launched. However, gradually with better advertising and launch of some award-winning models, the brand became a strong contender in the luxury car segment, with consistently growing sales.

During late 1990s and early 2000s, the Infiniti brand started losing much of its charm, but thanks to its rededicated effort to develop the powerful and dynamic line-up of sporty luxury cars, the brand almost saw a revival in the early part of 2000s. Its model, G35 almost turned the sale around for the company as it was voted the “Motor Trend Car of the Year” in 2003. A number of variants of G35 have been launched in subsequent years, and the company has redefined the brand Infiniti as “Japanese BMW”.

All variations of the Infiniti, namely coupes, sedans as well as crossovers today are based on the Nissan FM platform, in which the center of the car engine is located behind the front axle centerline. This positioning of engine shifts the weight of the car more towards the center that makes the front suspension less burdened. The wight of the car is thus distributed equally on all four wheels that improves acceleration, braking and handling. This design was first included in the 2001 version of V35 Nissan Skyline, and was later incorporated in all the variants of Infiniti, though it has been slighly modified in some of the M35 series as enhanced FM platform.

Infiniti car is equipped with powerful engine that gives excellent performance and very high speed. Once you are on the driving seat you can feel its high power. The icing on the cake is that Infiniti car with such powerful engine is not a high maintenance car, a problem that you generally face with most other powerful luxury cars. Whenever you are looking for a dream car for yourself, the least that you expect is a perfect exterior with modern and stylish features. Infiniti car with its sleek body will captivate your attention at the very first glance. All its models are beautifully designed and are perfect blend of style and comfort. Once you become the proud owner of Infiniti car, be assured that it will give you company for a long time.

A luxury car is a great add-on to a person’s status and class, and it is not looked upon as a mere utility vehicle but also as a status symbol. Today, with most of the people striving to own a luxurious and elegant car, Infiniti car is an ideal choice with high tech engineering and excellent performance. Infused with its luxury content and spirited performance, Infiniti has achieved a premium status in the market today.