- Shanghai GM to Launch Cadillac ATS-L on August 15 – GM: Shanghai GM has announced that it will launch the Cadillac ATS-L luxury sport sedan on August 15.
- CHINA: Toyota’s subsidiary TMCAP starts production of CVTs – Just-auto:Toyota’s (TMC) vehicle powertrain production subsidiary in Changshu, China, Toyota Motor (Changshu) Auto Parts (TMCAP), has held a ceremony to officially mark the start of localised production of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), which is a first for Toyota outside Japan.
- ITALY: Rome mulls new car sales incentives – Just-auto: Car sales in Italy, growing at half the overall pace of the rest of the EU, could be boosted by tax incentives, according to news agency reports.
- US: GM faces lawsuit from alleged ignition switch victims – Just-auto: GM faces a lawsuit filed on behalf of 658 people who it is alleged either died or were injured due to the automaker’s ignition switch defect.
- Hyundai recalling 889,000 Sonata cars in U.S. – DetN: Hyundai Motor Co. said Wednesday it is recalling nearly 889,000 Hyundai Sonata cars in two separate recalls because they may roll away after being parked or may have braking issues.
- US: Ford looks at plug-in EVs talking to energy firms – Just-auto: Ford says it is collaborating with seven global automakers and 15 US utilities to develop technology that would allow plug-in electric vehicles to exchange messages with energy providers.
- Fiat reports fall in Q2 profit – Automotive News:Fiat, preparing for shareholders to vote on its merger with Chrysler Group in two days, reported a fall in second-quarter operating profit as a better performance from its luxury brands and its Asia and European operations failed to offset weak…
- Fort Wayne GM plant lacks parts, cancels shifts – DetN: An auto parts shortage has caused the cancellation of several shifts at the General Motors truck assembly plant in Fort Wayne.
- Car Dealers Conundrum: When Customers Think You’re More Profitable Than You Are – Via Google News: TrueCar, the vehicle-pricing website did a survey earlier this year of more than 3,000 U.S. consumers. Consumers think car dealers make about 20 …
- Production-ready Jaguar XE shown for the first time – Autocar: Front-end design of Jaguar’s BMW 3-series rival revealed in new teaser pic, ahead of a planned public debut at the Paris motor show in October.
- Range Rover Sport SVR takes Nürburgring record for SUVs – Autocar: Land Rover’s new high-performance flagship SUV records a time of 8m14s around the famous track, setting a claimed new record.
- VW closes gap on Toyota’s global sales lead – Automotive News:Volkswagen is closing in on Toyota as the global leader in vehicle sales, with a rapid expansion drive in China while Toyota curbs growth to focus on shoring up quality.
- VW closes gap on Toyota’s global lead – Via Google News: Volkswagen is closing in on Toyota Motor Corp. as the global leader in vehicle sales, with a rapid expansion drive in China – the …
- Peugeot Reports First Profit in Three Years on Cost Cuts – Via Google News: Workers make final inspections on Peugeot vehicles on the production line at the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen Automobile Ltd. plant in Wuhan, China, …
- New lawsuit filed over GM ignition switches – DetN: A Texas lawyer on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against General Motors Co. on behalf of 658 people who the law firm alleges either died or were injured due to the automaker’s ignition switch defect.
- Toyota is top automaker in first half of 2014; GM slips to 3rd – DetN: Toyota Motor Corp. remained the world’s largest automaker in the first half of 2014, selling 5.097 million vehicles, up 3.8 percent, the automaker said late Tuesday.
- Driverless Cars to Hit Public Roads in Britain by January 2015 – Via Google News: The self-driving cars for civilians will be an extension of ones already used by the British army, which are provided by MIRA, a vehicle-engineering and …
- Land Rover preps Discovery Sport with seating for 7 – Automotive News:Land Rover confirmed plans Tuesday to offer a Discovery Sport model — billed as a compact, family SUV — that will be available with seating for seven passengers in a 5+2 configuration.
- EVs, small cars get mixed ratings in crash tests – DetN:Only one small car out of 12 — BMW’s Mini Cooper Countryman — earned a ‘good’ rating earning from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in its latest round of tough, new front-end crash testing.
- Chrysler sued over ignition switches in follow-up to GM suits – DetN: Chrysler Group LLC was sued over allegedly faulty ignition switches in Jeeps, in a reflection of the more than 120 lawsuits General Motors faces over the same defect.
- VW closes in on Toyota as global auto leader – Reuters: Volkswagen is closing in on Toyota Motor Corp as the global leader in vehicle sales, with a rapid expansion drive in China – the world’s biggest auto market – while Toyota curbs growth to focus on shoring up quality.
- Toyota says first-half global sales rise 3.8 pct – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp said its first-half groupwide global sales rose 3.8 percent to 5.097 million vehicles, achieving a record for first-half sales as its reign at the top of the global auto industry comes under threat from Volkswagen AG .
- New York City Imposes a Used-Car Repair Rule – Via Google News: In an effort to prevent the sale of unsafe used cars, New York City is cracking down on dealers that sell vehicles recalled for safety defects without …
- GM sued over deaths, injuries linked to ignition switch – Reuters: General Motors was hit Tuesday with a lawsuit brought on behalf of more than 650 people allegedly injured or killed in accidents involving cars that have been recalled this year for faulty ignition switches.
- Bentley boss details new model plans – Autocar: All-new sports car and convertible under consideration as part of £800m development programme. Bentley is planning to launch two more models after its forthcoming SUV, currently at a road-going prototype stage, hits showrooms in 2016. Returning chairman and CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer says the company is laying plans either for a two-seat sports car or a more conventional model priced between Continental and Mulsanne, possibly a convertible.