- Peugeot Sets Out Recovery Plan – WSJ: French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroën plans to streamline its product catalog and continue to reduce costs and inventory in Europe as it struggles to get back to sustainable profitability over the medium term.
- Peugeot launches plan to restore profits – FT: Chief executive Carlos Tavares launches plan to cut model numbers and develop DS unit into standalone brand after suffering years of losses
- Peugeot and Citroen to axe 19 models by 2020 – Autocar: PSA Peugeot Citroën announces plans to streamline its model range in order to regain profitability.
- PSA to halve lineup in push for 2% margins by 2018 – Automotive News: PSA outlined plans to cut its model lineup by almost half and to make Citroen’s DS unit a separate brand in a bid to restore the automotive division’s profit.
- Clues in GM crashes easy to miss – Automotive News: At the time, many of the crashes now tied to faulty General Motors ignition switches looked like the predictable consequences of drunken driving, speeding or inattentiveness late at night.
- GM Invests $449 Million for Next Generation Electrification – GM: In preparation for the next generation of electric vehicles and advanced battery technologies, General Motors will invest $449 million to upgrade manufacturing processes at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly and Brownstown Battery Assembly plants.
- General Motors Sells 1 Millionth Vehicle in China in 2014 – GM: General Motors and its joint ventures today sold their 1 millionth vehicle in China in 2014. This is the eighth consecutive year that GM has sold more than one million vehicles in a calendar year, and the earliest it has reached the 1 million mark.
- Renault mulls moving to one shift at Flins: source – Just-auto: Tougher European Union (EU) controls on diesel engines could see Renault move to one shift instead of two at its Flins plant near Paris, although no redundancies are believed to be involved.
- BRAZIL: Growing inventory rattles automakers – Just-auto: By the end of the first quarter, Brazil’s domestic auto market showed weak sales compared to the same period of 2013, despite the seasonal effect of Mardi Gras. Forecasts for 2014 range from a 1% downturn (some already admit up to 3%) to marginal 1% growth.
- US: Nissan to show smart rear view mirror in New York – Just-auto: Nissan is showing off its smart rear view mirror in the US on the 2014 Rogue to be displayed at the New York show.
- CHINA: Sales up 6.6% in March – Just-auto: New vehicle sales in China increased by 6.6% year on year in March to 2.17m units, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
- FRANCE: PSA to slash model range as part of new business plan – Just-auto: New PSA Peugeot Citroën chief Carlos Tavares has set out plans for an acceleration of the group’s recovery based on cutting back the product portfolio and stepping up expansion in Asia.
- Mid-sized sedans and crossovers to square off in the Big Apple – Automotive News: Hyundai will roll out its 2015 Sonata while Toyota offers an aggressive midcycle freshening of the Camry at the New York auto show this week. And Subaru will pit its redesigned 2015 Outback crossover against the next Nissan Murano.
- Dodge tests innovative 1-year lease on ’14 Charger, Challenger – Automotive News: Dodge will defy industry convention this week with its “Double-Up” deal on the Charger and Challenger. The one-year lease on the outgoing 2014 editions comes with an incentive to switch to next year’s refreshed models.
- ‘Villains’ campaign aims to recast Jaguar’s reputation for badness – Automotive News: A Shakespeare soliloquy might seem out of place in a car ad, but Jaguar wants to make a key point — that it is a quintessentially and unapologetically British challenger to BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
- With the new Honda Fit, engineering solutions once again take priority – Automotive News: If there is any question about whether smart engineering is on its way back at Honda Motor Co., one need look no further than the second-row “magic” seats of the 2015 Honda Fit.
- Nissan sees styling as the Altima’s path to mid-sized sales leadership – Automotive News: With the redesigned Nissan Murano, which debuts at the New York auto show this week, Nissan Motor Corp. aims to replicate some of the design magic that worked wonders for rival Hyundai Motor Co.
- Ruling keeps Chrysler case in the courts – Automotive News: About 150 dealerships that lost Chrysler franchises during the company’s 2009 bankruptcy won a round in federal court last week.
- Nissan sells dealers on new spiff strategy – Automotive News: Nissan’s U.S. chief is convinced that a dealer sales incentive program launched nationally on April 1 will make his retailers bigger and richer, and propel Nissan toward its goal of a 10 percent U.S. market share.
- Volkswagen Golf SportWagen Concept previews new U.S. model – KBB: Making its debut in New York, the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen Concept will be heading to America in production form early next year.
- New Audi R8 supercar nears 2015 launch – Autocar: Audi returns to the Nürburgring for performance testing on the second-generation Audi R8, which uses tech from the new Lamborghini Huracán.
- Nissan GT-R N-Attack to lead Nissan product offensive – Autocar: 2014 will bring a hotter version of the Nissan GT-R as well as a new Focus rival and a facelift for the Juke.
- Motorsports: Formula One’s New-Age Hybrids Find Their Footing – NY Times: Just as the critics were attacking Formula One over an engine change, a tense race last weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix gave the series a thrilling showcase.
- Revised Volkswagen Jetta set for New York debut – Autocar: Mild update for Jetta saloon, including visual upgrades and an interior refresh.
- Texas Law Firm HMG’s Clients Want Recalled GM Cars Off The Road – Wards: Bob Hilliard, lead lawyer and partner at Texas law firm Hilliard Munoz Gonzales LLP, says his clients urge General Motors to issue a “Park It Now” alert immediately. Hilliard represents the siblings and parents of 29 victims read more.
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