- JAPAN: Clarion to supply Porsche Panamera with overhead camera – Just-auto: Clarion says it will supply Porsche with an all-surround view overhead camera system for its Panamera four-door sports sedan model range.
- UK: Jeep gives FCA Europe sales a kick – Just-auto: New product – primarily from Jeep – is paying off for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles which posted European November sales up 3.6% year on year compared with 1.2% for the industry.
- Honda recalls 553,000 vehicles in China over Takata airbags – Automotive News: Honda called back vehicles in China to investigate potential defects with airbags made by Takata, underscoring the global reach of the safety crisis after similar campaigns in the US, Canada and Japan.
- SWEDEN: Volvo rethinks its way to market – Just-auto: Volvo is cutting back on major motor show attendance around the world and winding down many of its sponsorship activities as part of a new global marketing strategy which the company said would allow it to market and sell cars in ways never before seen.
- Eurozone malaise dents car industry – FT: New vehicle purchases hit lowest levels in a year
- Lotus chassis guru joins Aston Martin – Autocar: Development of a new era of Aston Martins to be overseen by Matt Becker, who leaves Lotus after a quarter of a century. Lotus chassis guru Matt Becker has left the Norfolk sports car firm to take up a similar role at Aston Martin. Becker will take the role of chief engineer VAE (vehicle attribute engineering) at Aston from 5 January. His role at Lotus as chief engineer, vehicle test and development, will be filled by Dave Marler, a 17-year veteran of Lotus Engineering. New Aston chief Andy Palmer has given Becker responsibilities including vehicle dynamics, NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), aero
- US: Mazda to recall 330,000 more vehicles with Takata airbags – Just-auto: Having said earlier the move was under consideration, Mazda plans to recall 330,000 vehicles in the US equipped with driver side Takata airbag inflators.
- Europe Car Sales Rise at Slowest Rate in Year on Economy – Via Google News: … Automobile Manufacturersâ?? Association, or ACEA, said today in a statement. Eleven-month sales advanced 5.5 percent to 12 million cars.
- Volkswagen Returns To Nigeria, Set To Establish Assembly Plant – Via Google News: More than two decades after its forced departure global automobile … Prior to the birth of indigenous car companies in Nigeria, Volkswagen was one…
- “MOTORSPORTS” SIR CHRIS HOY ACCELERATES ALONG THE ROAD TO LE MANS WITH NISSAN – Nissan:
- Business Briefing: Lawyer Raises Death Toll to 42 in Faulty G.M. Vehicles – NY Times: The number of deaths linked to the problem is now more than triple the automaker’s original estimate of 13.
- Volvo Cars Billionaire Owner Revamps Chinese Brand Geely – Via Google News: Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. (175), its Hong Kong-traded unit, declined 17 percent this year through yesterday, compared with a 1.2 percent drop…
- A little transparency: Jaguar’s 360° Urban Windshield removes blind spots – Via Google News: As we await the arrival of driverless cars, even the very best human automobile operators can be caught off guard. Whether it’s texting pedestrians…
- UAW Chief Aims to End Entry Wage Level – WSJ: United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams said the two-tier wage scheme is unacceptable and the roughly $19.50 hourly wage new hires earn should be a “good starting point” in negotiations with Detroit auto makers.
- Anger at Uber as fares soar during Sydney cafe siege – CNN: Uber has crashed into its latest public relations disaster after attempting to charge passengers inflated prices to leave Sydney as a hostage crisis unfolded at a cafe in the city.
- RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE & AVTOVAZ TO CREATE NEW, MERGED PURCHASING ORGANIZATION IN RUSSIA – Nissan:
- BMW reveals new autonomous driving technology – Autocar: BMW has revealed anadvanced new laser scanning system that promises to take the pain out of parking in tight multi-story garages – and save you time doing so to as well. The move effectively ups the ante in terms of bringing fully autonomous driving to the motoring masses.Set to make its public premiere at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas early next month, BMW’s so-called Remote Valet Parking Assistant allows its latest research vehicle to park itself fully automatically
- Volkswagen looking forward to implement Torque-based nomenclature for its cars in the Asian … – Via Google News: Though, there has been no fixed timeline given by the German automobile manufacturer, the first implementation of this new system will be in…
- BMW’s Krueger must strengthen core products and improve in some niches – Automotive News: Harald Krueger, the 49-year-old tapped last week to become BMW’s next CEO, has some work ahead to maintain the German automaker’s competitive edge. Among the challenges: strengthening core products to combat much-improved rivals.
- Chevy’s next-gen cars will get Corvette styling cues, says Welburn – Automotive News: Subtle design elements of the Corvette will be recognizable in many of Chevrolet’s upcoming cars
- Daimler’s new CEO contender – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz sales and marketing chief Ola Kaellenius is emerging as a formidable candidate to replace Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche.
- How a billion-dollar deal is frustrating Nissan in New York – Automotive News: In 2011, New York City awarded Nissan the exclusive contract to supply all of the taxis sold there for 10 years. So far, the contract has given Nissan little to celebrate.
- Hyundai moves money to regain mojo – Automotive News: Determined not to let hard-won market share gains slip away, Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski is redirecting marketing dollars and asking for a bigger budget from his bosses in Korea.
- Last-minute Prius styling rebuff shows Toyota’s new focus on design – Automotive News: Toyota President Akio Toyoda’s push for more arresting design played a key role in an uncharacteristic move last year.
- Where are the GM program vehicles? – Automotive News: The flow of retired rental vehicles that General Motors normally sells at auction to its dealers has slowed to a trickle since mid-November, dealers say.
- Volvo to launch online car sales in marketing shift – Yahoo: [Reuters] – Volvo Car Corp said it will start selling vehicles online as it rolls out new models to compete with German luxury rivals such as BMW. The Swedish carmaker, controlled by China’s Geely , will gradually …
- Daimler hopes joint venture BAIC will ride China wave – Via Google News: Since Brilliance Auto was selected as BMW’s China joint venture partner in March … Last year, passenger car sales in the world’s second largest economy … two years according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
- Mini bosses unsure on production Superleggera Vision – Autocar: Though Mini’s stretched Superleggera Vision concept has been a hit worldwide, company officials are still unsure on whether the model should make production. Mini is continuing to evaluate the impact of the Superleggera Vision concept.In some quarters it has gone down so well, says Mini brand head Jochen Goller, that customers have visited dealers to place orders.
- Jaguar Land Rover previews transparent pillar technology – Autocar: High-tech augmented reality system offers 360deg view outside the car and ‘ghost car’ navigation. Jaguar Land Rover has released further details of its radical ‘360 Virtual Urban Windscreen’ technology.First teased on the Land Rover Discovery Vision concept earlier this year,it uses augmented reality technology to give the driver a 360deg view outside the car.The technology uses screens embedded in each pillar inside the car. These screens receive a live feed from exterior cameras which cover angles that can be obscured by blind spots.
- 2017 BMW 6-Series expected to lose 500 lbs; M6 with 600 HP – Via Google News: According to Automobile Magazine, the new 6-Series is going to be … 6-Series models will benefit from active aerodynamic elements and the cars will…
- Takata tightens screws on suppliers as airbag crisis mounts, report says – Automotive News: Takata has begun enforcing tighter quality controls on a group of parts suppliers as the auto safety equipment maker boosts production to replace millions of air bags recalled for a potentially deadly defect, people familiar with the situation told…
- Ford seeks infotainment middle ground – Automotive News: In replacing its widely derided MyFord Touch infotainment system, Ford gathered more outside input than it had ever considered in developing an entire vehicle.
- Letv.com unveils super car plan – Via Google News: 9 announced it would enter the new energy car industry on the second day of … to go into the automobile industry, Shanghai’s National Business Daily reports, … Letv.com aims to build the best smart electronic cars, establish an…
- We Hear: Slew of German EVs Will Battle Tesla Model S – Via Google News: But, according to our colleagues at AUTOMOBILE, a flood of German electric luxury cars will arrive to challenge Tesla’s dominance starting in 2018.
- DOE admits nearly 50 percent of EVs bought in California – Via Google News: As fuel prices keep falling across the US, sales of fuel efficient vehicles keep going with them. By AutoblogGreen’s tally, the market for green cars,…
- China offers billions in subsidies as electric cars run on gas – Via Google News: In China many car owners don’t have their own garages or parking spaces at … Dong Yang, secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile…
- Mountain Wheels: EcoBoost adds fuel-sipping oomph to tiny Fiesta – Via Google News: But when it comes to automobiles, the days of grumpily relying entirely on a ?Made in America? standard are pretty hard to come by. … a pretty decent little car ? though, it’s a pretty tiny little car, by Western American standards.
- Daimler’s mini car Smart says China will become its top market – Via Google News: Reuters/Reuters – Smart Automobile Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Annette Winkler (L) and Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche present the new…
- Daimler’s mini car Smart says China will become its top market – Via Google News: UK-CHINA-SMART:Daimler s mini car Smart says China will become its Smart Automobile Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Annette Winkler (L) and…
- Low Crude Oil Prices Hammer Tesla – Yahoo:
- How Crude Oil’s Global Collapse Unfolded – WSJ: The plunge in crude oil prices from over $100 a barrel to under $65 has been portrayed as a showdown between Saudi Arabia and the U.S., two of the biggest oil producers. But the reality is more complex, going back to 2008.
- Renault India to launch two models in 2015 – Via Google News: Chennai: French automobile maker Renault will launch two new models … and Nissan Motor Company, rolls out Renault and Nissan branded cars.
- Auto dealer chain fined for deceptive ads – Via Google News: IOWA CITY — A family-owned chain of automobile dealerships located in Iowa, … them from deceptively advertising the cost of buying or leasing cars.
- Cory Farley: Low gas prices rekindle SUV love ? again – Via Google News: Full disclosure: I’m a car guy. My first jobs after college were with automobile magazines, where I tested cars, explained cars, wrote movingly about…
- GM dealers take on more loaners – Automotive News: Dealers are seeing a huge expansion of General Motors’ Courtesy Transportation Program, a bid to create better loyalty via the service lane and by getting more people to try vehicles.
- Whose dashboard is it anyway? – Automotive News: When car companies do business with Apple Inc. or Google Inc., they like to say they are dealing with a “partner” — not a supplier. It’s becoming clear that they won’t always be silent partners.
- Audi readies more stylish A6 for 2017 launch – Autocar: Design boss says Audi will look to offer greater design differentiation between its models, as the next A6 prepares to take on its BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class rivals. The design for the next-generation Audi A6 has already been signed off, design chief Marc Lichte has revealed.The new saloon and estate range is set to launch in 2017, and its design will be inspired by the Prologue concept car seen at the recent Los Angeles motor show.Lichte, along with technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg, has promised much greater visual differentiation between future Audi models.
- Talks stall on VW’s bid to raise stake in Chinese JV – Wantchinatimes: German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen’s bid to raise its stake in a joint venture with Chinese partner FAW Group has stalled just as the German carmaker was stepping up expansion in its biggest market.