- First details and sketches of new Volkswagen Passat revealed – Autocar: Punchy new diesel engine to headline range of VW’s forthcoming new rival to the Skoda Octavia and Ford Mondeo.
- Marchionne Hires Consultants to Review FCA Recalls – thedetroitbureau.com: The ongoing saga of recalls from General Motors is having a spillover effect on the competition: FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said he’s bringing in outside consultants to examine the company’s recall practices. He also wants to open contract talks with UAW next month: one year early.
- SOUTH KOREA: Renault and LG Chem to collaborate on batteries – Just-auto: Renault Samsung Motors has announced that the Renault Group and LG Chem have signed an MOU to develop next-gen long-range electric vehicle (EV) batteries and thus forged a strategic partnership.
- BELGIUM: EU raises Russia LCV duties with WTO – Just-auto: The European Union has said it wants consultation with Russia in the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning anti-dumping duties imposed on imports of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) from Germany and Italy.
- Legal dispute between Lotus and former chief Dany Bahar resolved – Autocar: Norfolk sports car firm’s parent company reaches an out-of-court settlement with former chief executive, who was dismissed in 2012.
- GERMANY: Mercedes C-Class estate SOP for Bremen – Just-auto: The new C-Class estate has been presented to the public for the first time at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, Germany. Daimler says the production plan for the model underscores Daimler’s commitment to its automotive manufacturing operations in Bremen and in Germany.
- Prolonged Political Unrest Could Hurt Thailand’s Automotive Industry; Automakers Adopt Wait & Watch Approach, Says Frost & Sullivan – Wards: The prolonged political unrest in Thailand could hurt the Kingdom’s lucrative automotive industry, says Frost & Sullivan.
- Great Wall Motors to build $520 million plant in Russia – CarNewsChina.com: Great Wall Motors will invest $520 million in a new car manufacturing plant in Russia. The plant will be build in the town of Uzlovaya in Tula Oblast, about 200 kilometer south of Moscow. Planned maximum annual capacity is 150.000 cars per year, which will make it Great Wall’s largest plant outside China.
- How much do performance figures on sports cars actually matter? – Autocar: Extracting the acceleration data from fast road cars isn’t quite the art form it once was, especially since launch control systems became commonplace.
- Spy Shots: Beijing Auto D70 EV is Ready for the China car market – CarNewsChina.com: Where some Saabs keep dying, others live on. This is the new Beijing Auto Shenbao EV, a full-electric vehicle based on the Beijing Auto D70, formerly known as the Beijing Auto D-Series, which again is based on the last-generation Saab 9-5. Beijing Auto bought the rights to the Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5 from GM […]
- 2014 Chevy Impala an ugly duckling no more – DetN: While GM recall woes are a reminder of The General’s haphazard past, the transformed, graceful Impala is evidence of its promising future.
- GM recalling 284K vehicles in latest campaigns – DetN: General Motors Co. said today it is recalling another 218,000 vehicles in two new campaigns for faulty components in daytime running lights that could cause a fire.
- Former U.S. auto adviser: GM recall crisis ’emblematic’ of cost culture – DetN: Obama administration officials said today that the auto task force was unaware of GM ignition switch problems in 2009 when they were crafting the $49.5B bailout.
- GM Chief Returns to Capitol Hill – WSJ: General Motors assigned one of its internal lawyers to directly assist its vehicle safety chief in initiating recalls while Chief Executive Mary Barra visited U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
- A Flurry of Recalls at G.M. as Pressure Mounts – NY Times: The latest recalls by General Motors bring the total to more than 13 million vehicles in the United States this year.
- Volkswagen considering production Golf R400 – Autocar: Super-hot hatchback with 395bhp could be put into production if VW can manage the cost of building it.
- Mercedes-Benz plots expanded C-class model range – Autocar: Modular underpinnings of latest C-class could open the door to even more new body styles and derivatives as part of an ambitious growth plan.
- Fiat Chrysler CEO says GM has made automakers more sensitive on safety – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Wednesday the fallout from General Motors’ delay in recalling millions of cars for faulty ignition switches has made automakers more sensitive about safety issues.
- GM adds 284,000 older cars as number of U.S. recalls this year hits 29 – Reuters: General Motors Co is recalling more than 284,000 older Chevrolet small cars in the United States and other markets because of a potential fire hazard, bringing U.S. recalls at the automaker this year to 29 and a record number of vehicles.
- GM expects to release recall reports at same time, AP says – Automotive News: General Motors CEO Mary Barra told lawmakers that GM plans to release its long-awaited ignition switch recall investigation simultaneously with its plan for compensating victims of the flawed part, The Associated Press reported today.
- GM brass ‘really cares about interiors now,’ design chief Welburn says – Automotive News: If most vehicles are going to share technology and offer the same functionality, then styling will be the differentiator, General Motors global design chief Ed Welburn says.
- Nissan Changes “Golden” Rule with New GT-R – thedetroitbureau.com: The world’s most memorable cars are often just that because of their exterior appearance or more precisely, the paint. It’s the first thing that catches the eye whether of a prospective buyer or a simple admirer. Nissan’s new GT-R sports car has real gold mixed in the paint giving it a special sheen.