- 2018 Kia Ceed revealed: revamped hatch takes aim at Golf – Autocar: This is the new Kia Ceed Kia”s rival to the Golf and Focus is due at Geneva motor show alongside an estate version; a shooting brake is expected later this year
- 2019 Toyota Supra leaked: 1496kg, 335bhp, 0-62mph in 3.8sec – Autocar: This is our best look yet at the 2019 Toyota Supra Styling and some statistics of upcoming sports car appear to have been leaked by Japanese media; Toyota won’t confirm if they’re legitimate
- A star is born: Volvo’s Polestar1 pioneers electric-luxury brand; US sales begin in 2019 – Freep: Volvo’s new Polestar brand for high-performance electric vehicles is racing toward the start of public sales, with its first car – a 600-horsepower plug-in hybrid – debuting shortly and two more all-electric vehicles in the works. The brand expects to…
- Citroen adds seats, versatility to new Berlingo – Automotive News: The underlying platform is a combination of the existing architecture at the rear and PSA’s EMP2 platform in the front. Development of the vans began under a joint program with General Motors, before PSA’s purchase last year of Opel and Vauxhall from…
- BMW ‘confident’ it can win solid state battery race – Autocar: BMW’s electric i3 has recently been updated; it has an NEDC range of 186 miles BMW”s Ian Robertson says that firms are searching for next-generation battery and electric systems that can provide a competitive advantage
- Lada-maker Avtovaz cuts annual losses as auto market recovers – Reuters: Russia’s biggest car maker Avtovaz reported a sharp reduction in its annual loss on Thursday, helped by a recovery in its domestic market. The maker of Lada cars said its annual net loss narrowed to 9.7 billion roubles ($171.3 million) compared to a…
- BMW makes leaner, sleeker 6-series GT – Automotive News: BMW hopes a more appealing design, greater variability and increased comfort will propel sales of its latest full-size Gran Turismo, which is now sold under the 6-series nameplate. Combining the driving dynamics of a luxury sedan with the sporty…
- Trade unions at Volkswagen’s Skoda Auto reject wage offer, prepare strike – Reuters: Trade unions at Volkswagen’s Skoda Auto plants in Czech Republic have rejected a wage offer from the carmaker and started preparations for a possible time-unlimited strike, the unions said on Thursday.
- European sales rise 7% in January, boosted by SUVs – Automotive News: Europe’s car market opened the year with a 6.8 percent sales upswing in January, building on the 10-year high reached in 2017 as the region’s economy expanded. Registrations for the month advanced to 1.29 million vehicles in the EU and EFTA markets,…
- GKN chairman says Melrose deal ‘low price and high risk’ – Reuters: The 7.4 billion pound hostile bid for GKN from Melrose Industries is low price and high risk and undervalues the company, GKN Chairman … GKN, which makes parts for the Boeing 737 jet, Black Hawk helicopter and components for Volkswagen and Ford cars,…
- Uber chief executive says group about more than car transport – FT: Uber’s new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi plans to expand the company into buses, bikes and all forms of transportation, he said at a conference outlining his long-term vision for Uber for the first time since being named chief executive last…
- New Citroën Berlingo gets SUV influence, extended variant – Autocar: Citroën”s second-best-seller worldwide has been revealed ahead of the Geneva motor show, with new engines and a new front-end platform
- French companies complain of skills shortages – FT: In Valenciennes, the northern French automotive bastion where Aurelien Martel was born, unemployment is a daily struggle for many, but not for the 37-year-old maintenance worker, whose skills are in short supply. At the Peugeot gearbox manufacturing…
- Uber’s new CEO plans expansion into buses, bikes – FT: Last week Mr Khosrowshahi successfully settled a high-profile lawsuit brought by Waymo, which accused Uber of stealing trade secrets related to self driving cars, with around $250m worth of Uber shares and an agreement for Waymo to monitor Uber’s…
- ‘Cars Are to Us What Books Are to Amazon,’ Uber CEO Says – Bloomberg: Uber started out as a car-booking service, but has since expanded into ride sharing and food delivery, while testing autonomous vehicles and transport of goods. The San Francisco-based company has raised approximately $19 billion in funding and has a…
- Uber ‘s CEO on His First 5 Months on the Job: It Looked Messy and It Was Messy – Fortune: Khosrowshahi’s comments come just days after Uber settled a lawsuit in which Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google parent Alphabet, had accused it of stealing trade secrets. Less than a week into the trial, Uber agreed to give Alphabet…
- 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class tests in production bodywork for the first time – Autocar: Luxury saloon is still two years off, but incremental changes in the car’s self-driving technology, drivetrains and interior tech are all expected
