Top News:
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GM to pay $900 million, settle U.S. criminal case over ignition switches – Reuters. General Motors Co (GM.N) has agreed to pay $900 million and sign a deferred-prosecution agreement to end a U.S. government investigation into its handling of an ignition-switch defect linked to 124 deaths, two sources told Reuters.
- Honda launches a new Civic small car into an SUV crazy world – Reuters: Honda Motor Co unveiled the tenth generation of its Civic small car Wednesday, aiming to reinvigorate its best-selling model at a time when many consumers are bypassing small sedans for sport utility vehicles.
- Fiat Chrysler to pay UAW members $3,000 ratification bonus, report says – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will pay UAW members $3,000 bonuses if they ratify a new contract in the coming days, people briefed on the matter told Bloomberg.
- CHINA: Volvo and Geely open new R&D centre in Shanghai – Just-auto: Volvo Cars, controlled by China’s Geely Automobile Holdings, inaugurated its new CNY420m (US$66m) R&D in Shanghai this week.The Volvo Car (China) R&D Centre will develop a new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) to be shared by the next generation Volvo 40 and a forthcoming Geely compact model. It will be the first platform architecture to be shared by the two brands.
- BMW Unveils New X1 Luxury Compact Crossover – Detroit Bureau: Lost in the hubbub surrounding the collapse of Harald Krueger, is that BMW has its next-gen X1, ready just as the segment is taking off.
- Honda Targets Compact Luxury Buyers with New Civic – Detroit Bureau: Honda took the wraps off the 10th generation Honda Civic sedan with a clear plan in mind: attract compact luxury buyers.
- Daimler Moving U.S. HQ to Michigan – Detroit Bureau: In an unexpected announcement, Daimler AG announced that its North American headquarters will move from New Jersey to Michigan. The news comes even as Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz USA subsidiary completes its own move from N.J. to suburban Atlanta.
- Infiniti: We want a win-win situation with dealers in China – Automotive News: Lately,Daniel Kirchert, General Manager of Infiniti, said that according to the statistics, the performance of luxury car market inChinawas weakened by…
- ‘Made in Japan’ is back in vogue – FT: Weaker yen and robots make reshoring local manufacturing more viable
- Why simple car design is the best car design – Autocar: Nissan and Infiniti designer Shiro Nakamura proves that simple car design is alive and well in an age of increasing complexity “Why,” I wondered out loud to Nissan and Infiniti designer ShiroNakamura, “aren’t cars elegant anymore? Why do designers revel in complexity?””Complexity?” he asked, grabbing my pencil and pad from my hands.
- Toyota will challenge Nissan in Europe with new SUV – Automotive News: Toyota’s new SUV to challenge the Nissan Qashqai will give the brand a boost to help win back the title of Europe’s top-selling Asian…
- Hyundai refines sport ute Tucson for 2016 – Detroit News:
- Bigger battery extends Nissan Leaf’s range to 107 miles – Detroitnews: The 27 percent increase in range will make the Leaf the top performer in its class, which Nissan defines as all-battery electric cars not named Tesla.
- Mazda MX-5, Alfa Romeo 4C share the same goal: fun – Detroitnews: I’m talking here about the Mazda MX-5 and the Alfa Romeo 4C, both brand new sports cars that share a goal of being fun to drive above all else.
- Firm’s system lets smartphone shape exhaust sounds – Detroit News: Roush’s system has been launched for owners of Roush-modified 2015 Mustangs equipped with the company’s Quad Tip exhaust
- FCA-UAW contract sets new wage range for 2nd tier – Freep: Both new and longtime autoworkers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles represented by the UAW will receive wage increases under a new four-year contract…
