- Subaru Facing Lawsuit Over Oil Use Problem – thedetroitbureau.com: Subaru of America is facing a lawsuit – that may become a class action – because of the amount of oil their vehicles use. In the opinion of some owners, the vehicles use a lot of oil…and quickly. The result in some instances has been some pricey repairs in the thousands of dollars. For more details, go to TheDetroitBureau.com.
- US: More GM switch part number trouble – Just-auto: General Motors made changes to redesigned ignition switch parts on four models in 2003 and 2004 but did not ensure that older, potentially faulty parts were taken out of circulation, the automaker said in a filing with US safety regulators made public on Friday.
- US: Ignition switch leads to Cadillac ‘stop sale’ orders – Just-auto: Ignition switch problems are continuing to plague General Motors. Over the weekend, it was reported the automaker had earlier this month ordered Cadillac dealers to stop selling some versions of the CTS model range because it does not have a fix yet for cars recalled in late June over an issue where engines can be shut off if the driver’s knee bumps the ignition key.
- BMW defends plan to build bigger SUV – FT: Chief executive says there is no contradiction between the company’s carbon emission goals and its decision to build a bigger SUV
- INDIA: Maruti Suzuki extends diesel engine deal with Fiat – Just-auto: Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) and Fiat India have extended their diesel powertrain sourcing deal for an additional three years, reported local media.
- BMW airbag glitch prompts 1.6 million 3 Series recall – Via Google News: Once a car manufacturer discovers a safety problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires the company to inform the NHTSA …
- GERMANY: Porsche expands Weissach R&D centre – Just-auto: Porsche has officially opened three new buildings at its Weissach development centre, marking the conclusion of the largest investment project in the centre’s history.
- INDIA: Nissan learns from its mistakes – Just-auto: There are a number of things Nissan got wrong when it entered the Indian market, according to executive vice president Andy Palmer, but it has learned lessons.
- Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge prototype first drive review – Autocar: The high-performance Q50 Eau Rouge is more than just a concept and previews what could be an incredible sports saloon. Infiniti’s four-door retort to the likes of the Audi RS6, BMW M5, Jaguar XFR and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG – the rapid Q50 Eau Rouge. First unveiled as a so-called concept at the Detroit motor show back in January, the four-wheel drive performance saloon, which runs a modified engine from no less a car than the mighty Nissan GT-R, is the brain child of former Infiniti president, Johan de…
- 2016 Mercedes Benz GL-Class Spy Shots Surfaced – Via Google News: Mercedes-Benz, the German car manufacturer being the reputed brand that they are, provide a host of mainstream business class luxury saloons and …
- Hybrid and electric cars to help Japan fight way back into Chinese market – Via Google News: Japan is fighting to regain market share in China’s automobile sector with hybrid and electric cars being in the forefront of the effort. Nissan Motor has …
- A VW-FCA deal would be risky, reasonable – Automotive News: If Volkswagen does buy Fiat Chrysler — despite the companies’ denials of a report that they are in talks — it would be because the fixations of VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech may line up perfectly with the needs of the family that controls Fiat…
- Selling vehicles for export angers automakers, but is it illegal? – Automotive News: Authorities working to stop the flowof high-end cars overseas have run into a significant obstacle: Exporters arranging the shipments may not be breaking any laws, even if so-called strawbuyers are sometimes deceptive.
- The vision for self-driving cars? 2020 – Automotive News: The self-driving car is moving from research lab to product plan, with a wave of advanced features due to hit the market by 2020, automakers and suppliers say.
- Kaspersky Lab: connected cars are now a reality, but are they secure? – Via Google News: The main objective of this study is to provide an overview of the connected car market, combining all available information to answer some burning …
- DealBook: In a Subprime Bubble for Used Cars, Borrowers Pay Sky-High Rates – NY Times: Millions of Americans are receiving auto loans they cannot possibly afford, in a lending climate marked by some of the same lack of caution seen in the housing industry before its 2008 implosion.
- Feds want faster pace for auto recalls – Via Google News: The nation’s auto safety agency has taken a much more aggressive role in recent years. It began after criticism in 2010 that NHTSA didn’t do more to …
- Competition mounting among eco-friendly carmakers in China – Via Google News: Chinese state-owned automobile maker JAC Motors’ new electric cars went on sale in Beijing on July 15. At a ceremony in the Chinese capital the …
- GM Details June 30 Recall of Midsize Cars – WSJ: General Motors Co. changed the design of ignition switches in certain midsize cars in 2003 and 2004 after discovering that the force of a swinging, heavy key chain could turn the vehicles off.
- Champagne on ice for Europe’s carmakers – FT: Europe’s car market is stuttering into life, but the rise in demand is nowhere near enough to fill idle, inefficient, factories that are bleeding cash
- GM eyes budget range for Europe – FT: US carmaker wants to recapture sales lost to budget marques such as Kia, Hyundai and Dacia, as it fights to return to profitability in Europe
- Maserati Ghibli Targets the Mainstream – WSJ: Maserati is being transformed from a niche maker of sporty, exclusive Italian machines into a mass-class competitor/alternative to Porsche. Will it work?
- Production VW Golf R400 leads new Ford Focus RS rivals – Autocar: Ford’s upcoming high-performance Focus set to battle Volkswagen’s new 395bhp flagship Golf, as well as rivals from Mercedes, Audi and Honda. The spectacular new Ford Focus RS is set to encounter a raft of even more powerful and potentially faster rivals in a burgeoning global market of performance hatchbacks when it reaches showrooms in 2016.Key among them is a production version of the Volkswagen Golf R400, which, company officials have revealed, has entered an initial stage of development after an…
- General Motors Resists Expanding Victims’ Fund – NY Times: The company maintains that a distinct difference exists between its recall of 2.6 million older Chevrolet Cobalts and other cars, and has refused to expand a compensation fund, infuriating safety advocates.
- Development underway on new 330bhp Ford Focus RS – Autocar: Third-generation Ford Focus RS, powered by 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, due to go on sale in 2016Development is underway on a new Ford Focus RS, about two years before the car is expected to be launched. The third-generation Focus RS is again set to be front-wheel drive. It will draw its power from a turbocharged 2.3-litre, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, derived from that of the 2015 Mustang. A power output of about 330bhp has been mooted by insiders, while a limited-slip?differential and Ford’s…
- Maserati Plans to Cap Global Sales at 75,000 – thedetroitbureau.com: Following in the footsteps of its Fiat stablemate, Ferrari, Maserati plans to limit global sales to 75,000 vehicles. However, in this case, the cart may be before the horse, as Maserati isn’t expected to reach that mark until 2018. The move is designed to keep demand for the vehicles strong. For more, go to TheDetroitBureau.com.
- GM Tracking to Meet Recalled Ignition Repair Target – thedetroitbureau.com: Delphi Corp. CEO Rodney O’Neal told a senate subcommittee that the supplier has produced 1 million replacement ignition switch repair kits for the 2.6 million vehicles recalled by General Motors and 2 million by the end of August. GM maintains it is on track to finish the repairs by the end of October.
- All-new Mazda2 Breaks Cover – thedetroitbureau.com: Mazda gave its first hint of what it’s bringing to the Geneva Motor Show last March when it rolled out the Hazumi concept. But now, the company is making it official with the roll-out of the new Mazda2 subcompact. A new design may seem too soon for U.S. buyers, but it’s been available in Japan for seven years now.
- Seven-seat BMW 2-series Active Tourer due in 2015 – Autocar: New variant of BMW’s front-drive Active Tourer spotted undergoing trials; expected to cost upwards of £25,500The seven-seat version of the new BMW 2-series Active Tourer has been spied testing in preparation for its arrival in car showrooms in 2015.BMW’s new seven-seat model will have the same wheelbase as the five-seat 2-series Active Tourer, which goes on sale in the UK in late September.
- SOUTH AFRICA: All sides in strike to sit down tomorrow in Johannesburg – Just-auto: South Africa’s Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC), says it is “more than concerned” all parties reach a swift resultion in the country’s colossal strike, which has forced some automakers to curtail operations.
- SOUTH AFRICA: Metalworking parties mull how to end huge strike – Just-auto: South African government negotiators say both sides in the country’s hugely damaging metalworkers strike are now considering ways to end the walkout, which has seen 220,000 employees down tools.
- GERMANY: Volkswagen plans to save US$6.8bn by 2017 – Just-auto: By 2017, Volkswagen plans to generate savings worth EUR5bn (US$6.8bn) in order to boost profitability at its namesake brand.
- Ericsson’s networks unit recovers, shares rally – Reuters: A recovery in Ericsson’s network equipment business pointed to strong results for the rest of the year, propelling its shares toward their biggest daily gain in more than three years.
- SOUTH AFRICA: Chink of light as strike talks possible Monday: NUMSA – Just-auto: Striking metalworkers in South Africa are holding out the possibility talks could resume on Monday (21 July) to resolve the country’s bitter dispute, which has seen several automakers forced to cut back or stop production.
- Rolls-Royces and rags mix in Phnom Penh – FT: Carmaker opens in country where annual income barely tops $1,000 and average citizen would need more than quarter of millennium to afford its cars
- Electric cars: BMW versus Tesla – FT: As BMW, Porsche and others move further into electric car production, can Tesla afford to share the road with these upscale automakers?