- BMW, Mercedes to test subscription services in US – Automotive News: Luxury rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW are preparing to launch vehicle subscription pilots in the U.S. in 2018. Mercedes will offer a pilot in a U.S. market this year to help it figure out whether a subscription model has long-term merit, Mercedes global…
- Continental has $6 billion to spend but no major deal seen in 2018: CEO – Reuters: German automotive supplier Continental (CONG. … We have leeway in the ballpark of up to 4 to 5 billion euros, chief executive Elmar Degenhart said in an interview at the Detroit auto show, but added that a larger deal comparable to the 1.4…
- Audi A7 is brand’s ‘secret weapon’ to win Porsche and Tesla buyers – Automotive News: The A7 has become Audi’s secret weapon for attracting new customers, according to the automaker’s head production manager Anthony Foulk. Audi gave its second-generation Audi A7 a public debut at the Detroit auto show on Monday. The coupe-styled sedan…
- BMW Group acquires Parkmobile, LLC to become world’s leading provider of digital parking solutions – Bmw: Parkmobile serves now 22 mio customers in more than 1,000 cities
- 2018 Ford Focus: new pictures of upcoming Astra rival – Autocar: Eagle-eyed Autocar reader Geoff Watson spotted Focus test cars in Lapland Overall dimensions looks unchanged but a longer wheelbase should provide passengers with more leg room; it’ll come with three- and four-cylinder engines
- Why the American Sedan Is Marked for Death – Bloomberg: U.S. automakers would effectively be waving the white flag after decades of ceding share in these segments to Japanese and Korean car brands. President Donald Trump’s vow to relax fuel economy rules could add momentum to the SUV and truck boom and…
- SUVs help PSA to 15% growth in 2017 vehicle sales – Automotive News: PSA Group’s global sales rose 15 percent to 3.63 million last year, driven by new SUVs and crossovers and the acquisition of Opel from General Motors. Strong gains in Europe and emerging markets offset declines in China, the world’s largest auto market…
- BMW’s sporty X2 fills key gap in SUV lineup – Automotive News: BMW’s new X2 crossover will fill a key gap in the automaker’s SUV lineup that accounts for a third of its worldwide sales. BMW gave the X2’s production version a public debut at the Detroit auto show on Monday. The X2 will join BMW’s family of X-badged…
- VW’s Skoda delivers record 1.2 million cars in 2017 after SUV launch – Reuters: VW’s Skoda delivers record 1.2 million cars in 2017 after SUV launch … PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech carmaker Skoda Auto, a Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) unit, boosted its global sales by 6.6 percent to a record 1.2 million vehicles in 2018 after the launch of…
- Pickup Makers Are Betting $45 Billion on Your Infidelity – Bloomberg: This week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, each of Detroit’s so-called Big 3-Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co.-is showing off a new pickup truck in the hopes of tempting customers currently…
- Setra shows US variant of the TopClass in Texas – Daimler: Setra started 2018 with an appearance at the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Expo bus trade fair in North America.
- Mercedes-AMG to launch high-performance electric cars – Autocar: SLS Electric Drive Pure electric cars now in the works at AMG to supplement new hybrid models, Merc”s R&D boss has hinted
- Fiat Chrysler CEO warns consumers could ‘pay the price’ if NAFTA unravels – CNBC: Fiat Chrysler is concerned consumers could be left exposed to price hikes as a result of NAFTA negotiations. Speaking on the sidelines of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Fiat Chrysler’s Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne told CNBC…
- VW’s Skoda delivers record 1.2 mln cars in 2017 after SUV launch – Reuters: Czech carmaker Skoda Auto, a Volkswagen unit, boosted its global sales by 6.6 percent to a record 1.2 million vehicles in 2018 after the launch of new SUV models and growth in Europe, it said on Tuesday. Skoda delivered over 1 million cars for the…
- Carmaker PSA’s sales lifted by growth in Iran and Asia – Reuters: PSA said it had solid sales for its Peugeot and Citroen light commercial vehicles (LCV) in overseas markets such as the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. 2017 was an exceptional year, with record high results for Peugeot, said Peugeot Chief…
- BlackBerry launches cybersecurity product for driverless cars called Jarvis – CNBC: And BlackBerry has traditionally been strong in cybersecurity. It is now combining security and automotive to offer a new product for the future of the industry. BlackBerry has already begun trialing Jarvis with some automakers including Jaguar Land…
- Peugeot maker sees 15% sales jump in 2017 – FT: Michael Lohscheller, chief executive of Opel, has said he wants to achieve €1.1bn of savings by 2020 across Opel and Vauxhall through cuts in labour costs but without closing any production sites. On Monday, rival French carmarker Renault also reported…
- French carmaker PSA’s worldwide sales rose 15.4 pct in 2017 – Reuters: French carmaker and Peugeot-brand owner Groupe PSA reported a 15.4 percent rise in its worldwide sales for 2017, echoing a similarly robust performance from its domestic rival Renault earlier this week. Groupe PSA sold 3,632,300 vehicles worldwide in…
- BMW i3 and i8 might not be replaced – Autocar: The iX3 is based on the current-generation X3 model BMW’s electric vehicles division won’t necessarily directly replace the i3 and i8 in next-generation line-up
- BMW iX3 to kick-start new wave of electrified models – Autocar: The iX3 is based on the current-generation X3 model BMW’s electric vehicles division won’t necessarily directly replace the i3 and i8 in next-generation line-up
- 700bhp Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 coming in 2019 – Autocar: The 2010 Shelby GT500 The new Shelby GT500 will be the most powerful road-legal production Ford yet, says the car maker
- Autocar confidential: Mitsubishi e-Evolution concept car, Toyota’s fight for V8s & more – Autocar: Mitsubishi e-Evolution concept car Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up this week’s gossip from across the automotive industry
- Toyota unit takes stake in Australian lithium producer – FT: Toyota Group’s trading arm will take a stake in Australian lithium miner Orocobre for almost A$300m as car manufacturers seek to secure supplies of the critical ingredient for batteries to meet growing electric vehicle demand. Toyota Tsusho will take a…
- 2019 Kia Forte – Detroitnews: Michael Sprague, CEO and Executive Vice President, Kia Motors America, introduces the 2019 Kia Forte on Monday January 15, 2017 at the North American International Auto Show at Cob…
- Lexus LF-1 Concept – Detroitnews: Jeff Bracken, Group Vice-President, General Manager, Lexus Division, introduces the Lexus LF-1 Limitless on Monday January 15, 2017 at the North American International Auto Show at Cob…
- Chinese Carmaker May Use Fiat Chrysler for Foothold in United States – New York Times: At the Detroit auto show on Monday, officials of GAC Motor, based in Guangzhou, outlined a broad plan to build up its operations in the United States and begin selling a vehicle here next year, possibly in partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles….
- Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne To Step Down, Warns Auto Industry of Commoditization – Fortune: Sergio Marchionne, who has led Fiat Chrysler Automobiles since 2009, has words of advice for the automobile industry: The future of cars is coming swiftly, and if you can’t innovate and differentiate, you won’t survive. Marchionne, one of the…
- Big Brother on wheels: Why your car company may know more about you than your spouse – Washington Post: By monitoring his everyday movements, an automaker can vacuum up a massive amount of personal information about someone like Dunn, everything from how fast he drives and how hard he brakes to how much fuel his car uses and the entertainment he prefers….
- Ford plans new Shelby GT500 with 700-plus horsepower – Detroitnews: Fast-back coupe, with supercharged V-8, will be twice as powerful as original 1967 Mustang performance…
- Volvo lacks venue to accept award – Detroitnews: The automaker lacks a display at this year”s Detroit auto show, though its XC60 won a major…
- Ford to hatch most powerful street-legal Mustang under Shelby badge – Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. next year will launch its most powerful street-legal Mustang ever: a 700+ horsepower Shelby GT500. Joe Hinrichs, head of … The Shelby GT500 will mark one of 12 new performance vehicles that Ford has vowed to bring to market by the end…
- Germany’s Continental hires JP Morgan for potential break-up: sources – Reuters: N) to advise on a possible break-up, sources told Reuters, as the auto parts maker repositions for a market focused on electric and self-driving vehicles. … With the auto industry wrapped up in a strategic transition to zero-emission and autonomous…