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Few would have thought Kia was planning to launch a production version of its Soul concept when the trio of hatchback models was revealed at the recent Geneva Motor Show. The Soul concept was shown as far back as the 2006 Detroit show but it was restyled this year by Kia’s new head of design...

Rising raw material prices and manufacturing processes have forced carmakers to search for new ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs, and it’s not only volume manufacturers that are feeling the pinch. Premium labels like Mercedes-Benz and BMW aren’t immune to these rising costs...

GM dealers and customers are beginning to feel the effects of the United Auto Worker strike at American Axle, as well as the UAW walkouts in two GM factories. Despite GM's most recent attempt to buy off workers from American Axle with a $200 million payout, the General has had to cut production...

With plans for similar emissions-based taxation schemes like London’s congestion charge as well as tough new low CO2 emissions regulations planned for Europe from 2012 onwards, carmakers are focused on cleaning up tailpipe emissions as well as offering more models with lower CO2 levels than...

The UK government has offered Jaguar-Land Rover funding in order to speed up the development of emissions reducing technologies. The funding comes from the Technology Strategy Board, which is spending around £23 million ($45 million) on 16 various low carbon projects ranging across a field of...

Automotive parts suppliers 3M and Visteon recently held an event where they previewed a number of new vehicle interface technologies – 40 new features to be exact – in front of vehicle designers, engineers and employees from three different continents. Two different concept interiors...

Sharp increases in demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles has seen customers ditch cumbersome fullsize SUVs in droves. For years, American carmakers had a stranglehold on the market for gas-guzzling SUVs and pickups, but as sales dwindle and market share continues to erode executives are keen to...

The spreading exchange rate differential between the strengthening euro and weakening U.S. dollar means importing European manufactured models to North America is now significantly more expensive than just a few years ago. Established import brands are already finding it tough so imagine the...

Despite the harried road to production of the MG TF roadster - at times hindered by quality control, at others by legal hurdles - it seems the iconic car will be making a triumphant comeback under the leadership of the Chinese. The existing TF, with its outdated looks, has been vastly surpassed by...

In Europe the Ford Focus is an affordable, well-engineered and stylish small car available in hatch, sedan, wagon and convertible bodystyles. It also features latest technologies such as a Powershift dual-clutch transmission, flex-fuel engines, a folding hard top roof (cabrio models only), and a...

Special-edition takes on aging models are common in the auto industry, helping to speed sales of the soon-to-be-replaced cars to make way for the new model year hardware. The next-generation CLK is due to go on sale late this year or early next year, but until then, Mercedes is offering both the...

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler yesterday revealed a production electric vehicle from Audi was still at least five to ten years away, but that doesn’t mean the Ingolstadt-based carmaker isn’t investing in the technology. According to latest reports Audi and Japanese electronics giant Sanyo are...

Aston Martin chief Dr Ulrich Bez has criticized proposed carbon-dioxide emissions regulations in Europe as being unfair to certain carmakers, saying the rules should be based on the amount of CO2 emitted each year by a vehicle instead of each kilometer. European law makers hope to introduce a new...

Ford has added a new flagship model to its Mondeo line-up with the introduction of the new Titanium X Sport range topper. The new designation adds a number of styling accessories to the Mondeo, along with a brand new diesel engine. Available in five-door hatchback and estate body styles, Titanium X...

With both the Pontiac G8 GXP and Holden Commodore HSV range already being offered with GM’s new LS3 V8 engine, it was only a matter of time until their European cousin, the Vauxhall VXR8, got the new powerplant. Along with the added power and performance, the VXR8 is also available with...

Toyota will raise its prices in the U.S. due to high raw material prices and the weakening U.S. dollar increasing the cost of production significantly. The move comes during a global downturn for car sales and a time when Toyota is facing its first profit drop in almost a decade. Toyota’s...

Updated with new spy images. Last month we first heard that Volkswagen would enter its Scirocco coupe in the annual 24-Hour Race at the Nurburgring later this month and now we have the first image of the new 300hp racer. VW will in fact have three factory-developed racing versions of the Scirocco...

German based car customizer and bodykit specialist Rieger Tuning has presented a new styling and performance upgrade for the new B8 Audi A4 saloon at this week’s Tuning World Bodensee event in Germany. The Rieger A4 is a saloon redesigned for daily use with a kick and manages to keep the...

Volvo's sales slump of the past several months has led to a pretax loss of $151 million in the first quarter of the year, and with no sign of turnaround in sight analysts are predicting Ford could end up selling the carmaker just as it did with Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin. According to...

Chrysler's last few years have been emblematic of the difficulty some of the older portions of the automobile industry are having adjusting to the increasingly mature, saturated and urban U.S. and global automobile markets. But Chrysler isn't counting itself out yet. Repackaging the Chrysler...