America
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While the Detroit 3 and the rest of the established automotive industry reel from the blows dealt by the poor world credit market and nosediving economy, smaller, newer companies like Chongqing Changan Auto Company (Changan Auto) are ramping up their plans for world conquest. Taking advantage of the down state of their biggest competitors, Changan Auto hopes to make significant inroads into the U.S. and Europe even as it continues overseas acquisitions and mergers, reports Reuters. Chinese carmakers have long been reviled as copy artists with little or nothing original to add to the industry...
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Opel's next-gen Zafira previewed in new sketch
Future may be the F-word at General Motors' Opel, Vauxhall and Saturn brands, but that's not stopping development work from continuing on core vehicles like the Zafira seven-seater. Prepping for release in 2011 or 2012, the new car wears a brand identity that was first previewed with the Flextreme...
Kenneth Hall -
Mitsubishi confirms i-MiEV for U.S.
Already angling for sales in excess of 20,000 units annually, Mitsubishi took the opportunity of the New York Auto Show to announce it will be selling the i-MiEV electric car in the U.S. and other global markets. The car is already in testing in California, Oregon, Tucson and elsewhere, but the...
Ralph Hanson -
Volvo cuts XC90 pricing by 8% for 2009
The poor car market has led many carmakers to take drastic action with their workforces, to ask for government assistance or to offer unprecedented incentives, but so far most carmakers haven't taken the knife to their base pricing. Volvo bucks the trend today by cutting the price of their XC90 SUV...
Alex Kaufmann -
U.S. raises fuel economy floor to 27.3mpg for 2011
You might disagree with his methods, but you can't deny President Obama's determination to improve the U.S. car industry's situation and to remedy the nation's current energy policy. Part of both plans is a rise in the fuel economy requirements to 27.3mpg fleet-wide by 2011. It's actually a step...
Ralph Hanson -
Honda struggling to meet demand for Insight, U.S. production still a long way off
Honda’s new Insight hybrid vehicle has been on sale in the U.S. for just over a week but demand for the car is already pushing production at the company’s Suzuka plant in Japan to the limits. Sales of the Insight in Japan are already triple what Honda had hoped for and with predictions...
Kenneth Hall -
Fresh from a trip to number two on Europe's sales charts and a journey across the Atlantic Ocean, Ford's new Fiesta hatch has begun arriving on American shores. One-hundred forty of the cars made the trip over from the factory in Cologne, Germany. Ford's Fiesta Movement program is an experiment where 100 young 'trendsetters' chosen from a list of 3,300 applicants will be given the hatchback for six months to share their experiences online through social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube to build buzz and anticipation for the vehicle’s North American launch early next...
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Fiat CEO says market is recovering, leaves Chrysler decision to Task Force
Chrysler might seem like the ugly girl at the dance right now, but Fiat wants to partner up for the long haul, and it thinks it has made a strong case to be allowed to do it. While the company leaves the decision up to President Obama's Task Force on the Auto Industry, Marchionne has turned his...
Nelson Ireson -
Smart dealers left holding the bag on canceled orders
News of blockbuster sales and pre-orders of the Smart ForTwo in the U.S. last year is being tempered today with the revelation that a large number of depositors that had reserved cars are now backing out. With the economy still circling the drain and a great deal of uncertainty in many people's...
Alex Kaufmann -
VW will sell sedan and hatch versions of Polo compact in U.S.
The small-car surge in the U.S. was cut short last year when once-high fuel prices dropped as suddenly as they'd risen, but the future of the market seems clear: prices will rise again, and small cars will be the best solution. To that end, Volkswagen is planning to bring its 2010 Polo compact car...
Ralph Hanson -
Nissan announces new EV program in Tucson, Arizona
ECOtality has partnered with Nissan and the Pima Association of Governments to bring a new zero-emissions initiative to the Tucson, Arizona region. By pairing prototype EVs and a new charging network, Nissan hopes to further expand its development of practical research into widespread use of...
Ralph Hanson -
Germans scrap clunkers as Americans hang on to theirs longer than ever
The U.S. Senate killed the 'Cash for Clunkers' bill in February on the argument that it wouldn't have enough of an impact. While they may have been right - the bill only allowed for limited incentives - the premise has proven successful in Germany. Running against a very strong current of downward...
Nelson Ireson -
Times are tough, and even some of the wealthy may be making more-than-normal use of their ultra-exclusive credit cards such as American Express' Centurion Card, commonly known as the Black Card. But that membership entitles cardholders to special benefits, one of which was admission to the unveiling of a new special-edition Maserati Quattroporte designed with the Centurion theme. The Maserati Quattroporte for Centurion, as the car is called, is available in two trim levels, though every individual car will be built to order. The primary differences are the choice between a standard 4.2L 400hp...
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Volkswagen shows off 71mpg Polo BlueMotion concept car
Volkswagen is set to expand its BlueMotion range of fuel misers with the launch of a new version based on the recently revealed fifth-generation Polo hatchback. While the Polo BlueMotion isn’t due to hit the streets until next year, a concept version of the car has made an appearance at...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Honda's new Insight doubles first-month sales targets in Japan
Making plans for the future is tough when the market is as shaky as it is now, but Honda is trying to find a way to get its Insight hybrid to market in the U.S. for less than $20,000. To do so, it may have to build the car in the U.S., but it won't be able to justify that step unless it can sell...
Nelson Ireson -
Mini considering U.S.-market diesel by 2011
Diesel engines are still failing to gain much traction in the U.S., in part because of a national memory of the diesels of three decades ago, and in part because diesel fuel and engines are still too expensive to make good business sense. But Mini is thinking a small, sporty and efficient diesel...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford study claims SYNC reduces driver distractions
Jim Morrisson sang what may have been the best driving advice in rock and roll history in the quintessential "Roadhouse Blues": Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel. While that advice may have been aimed at keeping a half-potted rocker between the lines, it's equally apposite in...
Nelson Ireson -
China outpaces U.S. in January cars sales
The phenomenally weak market in the U.S. is setting record lows on a regular basis, and today is no exception: China has surpassed the U.S. in total car sales for the month of January. Conservative estimates for 2009 have the U.S. market selling 10.5 million or more vehicles, but so far this year...
Nelson Ireson -
Depending who you're talking to, Americans are either SUV-loving small-car haters or clamoring for more Euro-hatches to be brought to U.S. streets. Audi of America president Johan de Nysschen thinks most Americans fall into the former camp, saying that the country's car-buying populace just isn't ready for the A1 premium subcompact, despite statements to the contrary by global Audi personnel. The judgment comes from polling Audi's U.S. dealers, who apparently returned a resounding refusal to sell the A1 at a price tag around $25,500, reports Automotive News. "They said: 'This is impossible...
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Next-gen Buick small sedan could be built by Opel
A next-generation Buick small sedan, headed for sale in the U.S. and China, could be built around the FWD Delta II platform in Opel's Russelsheim, Germany plant, according to sources inside Opel. The move would displace some Saab production, but the next-generation 9-3 is already expected to be...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford launching dual-clutch transmission in U.S. in 2010
In the never-ending pursuit of efficiency, performance and smooth power delivery, the next step forward for many carmakers is the adoption of the dual-clutch transmission. Once the province of high-end performance cars, dual-clutch units have been finding their way into everyday vehicles from...
Ralph Hanson -
Report: Volkswagen considering sale of Polo in U.S.
The small-car surge in the U.S. was cut short in 2008 when once-high fuel prices dropped as suddenly as they'd risen, but the future of the market seems clear: prices will rise again, and small cars will be the best solution. To that end, Volkswagen now appears to be contemplating bringing the Polo...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW's new 116d tops 53mpg, rivals hybrids
The 1-series has been a popular staple among premium small-car buyers in Europe for some time, but it has only hit the U.S. recently. The fun-to-drive and attractive compact has just gained a new sibling in the form of the 116d, powered by an efficient four-cylinder diesel. Unfortunately it's only...
Nelson Ireson -
WTO denies China's appeal on car part tariffs ruling
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has confirmed a ruling against China’s import tariffs on car parts in response to complaints from the U.S., Europe and Canada. By denying China's appeal to the decision handed down in July, the WTO puts a deadline on China's compliance with the measure...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran