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93 AutoData | October 2018 besides the Argentine HR-V. For 2018, the expectation is for stability compared to the previous year’s numbers, when it produced 129,5 thousand engines. According to the industrial vice president, Carlos Eigi, the economic situation inArgentina affects the export activities, which makes it difficult to have projections for 2019: in any case, the expectation is for stability. While Honda is close to its production capacity’s limit, Toyota is undergoing expan- sion at the Porto Feliz, SP, motor plantwhich will be inaugurated in 2016. The unitwill end 2018 with 124.6 thousand units produced, 10% more than in 2017, and the company plans to raise that volume next year, the first complete year of Yaris. For this, the factory will already start a third shift in November. EXPECTATION FOR THE DIESEL ENGINES With regard to the diesel engines Cummins’s forecast is to end 2018 clo- se to 47 thousand engines produced. Its president, Luís Pasquotto, reveals that “the scenario is moderately optimistic for 2019. There are many uncertainties due to elections, exchange rate variations and tensions on the global market that may have repercussions in Brazil, but we work with the hypothesis of some growth”. In numbers, the production volume es- timate is about 50 thousand units, increase of 6% compared to 2018. The estimate is still less than half the peak reached by the company in 2011, 111 thousand engines. Part of the current reaction, according to Pas- quotto, is due to investments made during the economic downturn - the company has invested around R$ 400 million in Brazil since 2015: “Our objective is to keep applying re- sources to diesel engines and also in new technologies such as ultra-clean diesel, natural gas, biofuels and even hybrids and electrics”. Marco Rangel, president of FPT Indus- trial LatinAmerica, says that the diesel seg- ment has suffered a lot from the recession but it is beginning to recover mainly due to the goodmoment of the agricultural sector: “Despite this improvement many agri- business companies have not yet renewed their fleet, which is expected to start happe- ning in 2019. In addition to that, when the resumption beginswith the heavyvehicles, as occurred this year, it tends to reverberate later in themediumand light vehicles, which makes us optimistic, still in a cautious way, for the coming year”. The company, part of CNH Industrial, estimates to produce 46 thousand engines in 2018, 10% more than in 2017, and grow another 2% in 2019 - the crisis in Argentina is the biggest reason for the reduced index. MWM follows the same line ofmoderate optimism: in 2011, its best year, the company produced 148 thousand diesel engines and 25 thousand last year, a number expected to grow 30% this year. Thomas Püschel, director of sales and marketing, announ- ces that “for 2019, we expect to increase our production in another 25%, considering that the Brazilian economy is recovering. We have expanded our customer base in othermarkets, reaching 45 countries, where we destine 18% of our current production”. Another manufacturer of diesel engi- nes, Mercedes-Benz, has chosen not to disclose production figures or projections for next year. 50% MORE Volkswagen’s engine factory in São Carlos, SP, strongly increased the volume produced in 2018 thanks to an export contract with Mexico Disclousure/VW