- Fiat CEO says tie-up with Volkswagen was never on agenda – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne on Wednesday quashed speculation of a possible tie-up with Germany’s Volkswagen, saying the idea had never been on the agenda.
- Nissan pledges to keep it quirky after cutting Cube – Automotive News: Nissan pledges to add an ‘iconic’ design to keep its lineup quirky after cutting two of the brand’s most polarizing nameplates, the Cube and Murano CrossCabriolet.
- Marchionne says Fiat Chrysler tie-up with VW was never on agenda – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne quashed all speculation of a possible tie-up with Volkswagen Group today, saying the idea had never been on the agenda.
- Daimler’s plan helps improve profit at Mercedes – DetN: Daimler AG’s plan to restore its Mercedes-Benz brand to the top of the luxury-car market gained traction in the second quarter as surging deliveries of the flagship S-Class sedan propelled a jump in profitability.
- Vauxhall boss confirms low-cost Dacia rivals in development – Autocar:As part of its European revival plans Vauxhall will look to rival the Dacia Sandero and Duster models with its own entry-level hatchback and small SUV. Vauxhall boss Karl-Thomas Neumann has confirmed the company is planning a new line of entry-level vehicles to rival the likes of Dacia. Speaking to the Financial Times, Neumann said the budget sector was “very interesting,” and confirmed the brand was “definitely looking at the segment.”
- Daimler second-quarter profit boosted by new models – Reuters: Germany’s Daimler reported a 12 percent gain in underlying second-quarter operating profit, propelled by Mercedes as its new C-Class and E-Class models helped the luxury auto maker lift margins.
- Tesla rival? Japan’s coolest electric sports car is ready to roll – Via Google News: The startup’s first car is released in association with noted Japanese racing car manufactuer TommyKaira, which was founded in 1968. The electric …
- UK: Ford Fiesta now UK’s top all-time nameplate – Just-auto: Ford’s Fiesta is now the UK’s best-selling vehicle nameplate of all time after total sales topped 4,115,000 this month, 37 years after launch.
- BMW to Recall 1.6 Million Cars to Replace Airbag Facilities – Via Google News: BMW calls for a campaign and its main aim is to make car lovers to inform about the fact that the use of airbag should be prohibited. They want to …
- Daimler quarterly earnings rise 12% on sales of S class – Automotive News: Daimler said second-quarter profit rose 12 percent as Mercedes S class sales doubled and the company scaled back spending.
- VW ‘urgently’ needs higher profit to fund future growth, Winterkorn tells staff – Automotive News: VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told workers today that the automaker “urgently” needs higher profit to help fund future expansion. Winterkorn plans to cut costs by 5 billion euros ($6.
- Ford names new president of Lincoln brand – DetN: Kumar Galhotra, Ford Motor Co.’s former vice president of engineering, has been named president of Lincoln in a move that underscores the automaker’s commitment to overhauling its troubled luxury brand.
- Millions of car recalls spark confusion – Via Google News: With nearly 40 million car recalls so far this year, car manufacturers have already recalled more vehicles in 2014 than any other year in history.
- 2016 Volvo XC90 debuts world-first safety systems – KBB: The 2016 Volvo XC90 will offer a pair of innovative safety technologies that will be introduced on this 7-passenger SUV slated for its formal unveiling later this month.
- Pull the plug on electric car rebate for rich – Via Google News: It’s a made-in-California, high-performance sports car that makes a peppy … The value of the incentive is based on the vehicle’s battery capacity and …
- Michigan tax breaks to spur GM, supplier expansions – DetN: General Motors Co. and several auto suppliers are ramping up investment in Michigan to the collective tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and plan to create thousands of jobs after the Michigan Strategic Fund approved tax breaks for the companies.
- Kia in talks to open $1.5 billion Mexico assembly plant, report says – Automotive News: Kia is in talks with Mexico to open a new auto assembly plant worth at least $1.5 billion, officials from Nuevo Leon’s state government told Reuters.
- GM to invest $800 million to renovate operations, add 1,750 jobs in Michigan – Automotive News: GM plans to invest $800 million in Michigan as part of plans to renovate facilities throughout the state to support future vehicle platforms and programs.
- Chrysler Recalling 800,000 Vehicles for Ignition Switch Problem – thedetroitbureau.com: Chrysler is expanding an earlier recall, targeting nearly 800,000 older Jeeps because of an ignition switch problem that could cause the vehicles to stall, disabling their airbags and other safety systems. It is an issue on as many as 1.2 million Chrysler products, and similar to the 2.6 million vehicles GM recalled earlier this year.
- Ford’s Fields Makes Mark with New Appointments – thedetroitbureau.com: Less than a month after taking over as Ford Motor Co.’s CEO, Mark Fields is making his first tweak to the company’s leadership team by replacing Jim Farley as the head of Lincoln with Kumar Galhotra, who had been vice president of engineering.
- Hackers Prove That Tesla Cars Aren’t Safe From Attack – Via Google News: The company recently posted on its social networking channel, Sina Weibo, and warned Tesla drivers about it. The post said that the sunroof of the car …
- Ford reveals details about engines in aluminum-body F-150s – DetN: Ford today revealed details about the engines that will power the aluminum-body 2015 F-150, and showed the pickup is lighter than originally estimated.
- New F-150’s fuel economy will improve, but can it best Ram 1500? – Automotive News: Ford’s new aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150 pickup coming this fall might not be able to beat Chrysler Group’s Ram 1500 and claim best-in-class fuel economy.
- Opel Takes Over GM Europe Operations – thedetroitbureau.com: General Motors plans to make its European operations profitable are taking shape as the automaker has rebranded its European unit as the Opel Group and a renewed its focus on small, profitable cars. GM’s operations have lost nearly $18 billion in the last decade.
- Ford Reveals ’15 F-150 Engine Ratings, Weight Savings – Wards: Ford’s all-new 2.7L EcoBoost V-6, which comes standard with auto stop/start, will make 325 hp and 375 lb.-ft. of torque in the new F-150.
- Convertible Owners are More Educated, Affluent, Finds New Study – thedetroitbureau.com: Don’t let it go to your head, but if you drive a convertible, chances are you’re both more educated and more affluent than the typical American motorist, or so shows a new study from Experian Automotive.
- US: UAW cites 1776 Constitution as Local 42 takes flight – Just-auto: America’s powerful UAW union is citing the country’s 1776 Constitution as the basis for establishing its Local 42 body in Tennessee, but is voicing fears the new grouping could come under political pressure.
- SOUTH AFRICA: Strike talks stall as both parties dig in on Section 37 – Just-auto: Talks to end South Africa’s month-old metalworking strike have broken up today (22 July) as employers and unions consider new proposals to put an end to the four-week old strike affecting automakers.
- New Honda NSX takes to the Nurburgring for final testing – Autocar: Honda’s long-awaited NSX puts in some fast laps at the Nürburgring ahead of a likely reveal later this year and sales starting in 2015Honda is putting the final touches to its new NSX sports car ahead of a likely reveal later this year. Looking visually similar to the prototype model which has already been seen putting in laps in Ohio, this latest mule has taken to the Nürburgring in what is likely to be the final stages of testing. Among the minor changes made to the production bodywork is the adoption…