Headlines for Friday, December 7, 2012

Aston Martin fans won't be cheered by deal with private equity group

The news that private equity firm InvestIndustrial will buy a 37.5 percent stake in Aston Martin won't be well received by fans of the brand. They would certainly have preferred to see contender Mahindra and Mahindra or another carmaker sign the deal. Read More »

AutoNews Now: The champions of MPG

Prius models win efficiency race, with Ford hybrids close behind; world sees cars in black and white; Chevy's Disney debut. Read More »

Fiat's plan to cut Polish workforce causes government concern

Poland's government will ask Fiat to reconsider plans to lay off a third of its workforce in the country. Fiat plans to lay off around 1,500 workers at its factory in Tychy, Poland. Read More »

Honda plans 3 Fit variants, with sedan, from Mexico

Honda plans to build three variants of its Fit compact, including a sedan version, at its Mexican plant currently under construction. The two other variants are the standard hatchback and a Fit-based crossover, said an executive familiar with the plans. Read More »

First Shift: Help for Aston Martin

Italian investment firm taking 37.5 percent stake, Ford MPG falls short in Consumer Reports tests, a 'Beast' of a car name. Read More »

Marchionne offers VW owners special rebates for Fiats, Chryslers

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who was re-elected on Friday to head Europe's main carmaking lobby group, is taking his rivalry with Volkswagen AG in their home region overseas. Marchionne is offering $1,000 rebates to current VW owners in the U.S. Read More »

Toyota prices 2013 Camry, Prius c and Scion xB

Toyota Motor Sales announced prices Friday for some of its 2013 models. All prices in this report include a $795 freight charge; for Scion models, the charge is $755. Read More »

North America car and truck production - 12/10/2012

This is data compiled by the Automotive News Data Center and requires a Data Center subscription to access. Read More »

Michigan 'right-to-work' law exempts existing union contracts

The proposed Michigan "right-to-work" law will not apply to existing union contracts, a leading sponsor of the proposal said today. Such an exemption in the measure would likely blunt the its immediate impact on the huge auto industry in the state. Read More »

GM juices incentives amid pickup glut, sweetens some car leases

General Motors today is rolling out bigger discounts on full-sized pickups and other vehicles in an effort to slash bloated inventories, which are at their highest levels since before GM’s June 2009 bankruptcy. A GM program that starts today and runs through Jan. Read More »

NHTSA calls for black boxes in all light vehicles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today proposed a rule ordering automakers to put event data recorders, commonly known as black boxes, in all new light vehicles manufactured after September 2014. Read More »

Fisker CEO expects to partner with other automakers in 2013

Fisker Automotive’s CEO, warning of the pitfalls facing independent small automakers, says the luxury plug-in hybrid manufacturer is poised to partner with other automakers next year. Read More »

GM's Akerson: Employees are 'agents of change'

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson is convinced employees are starting to feel empowered. The 64-year-old says, “Nothing motivates people like a bankruptcy. Read More »

Dealers have plenty of worries, but a fiscal cliff isn’t one of them

Many folks, including some auto executives, have a watchful eye on Washington. There are negotiations under way to avoid looming spending cuts and tax increases. And if Democrats and Republicans in Washington fail to reach a deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff on Jan. Read More »

2014 Acura RLX will use Agero for infotainment system services

Agero Connected Services said it will provide core services for the 2014 Acura RLX luxury sedan's AcuraLink connected-car system this spring. AcuraLink, an online-based system that brings infotainment to drivers, will be delivered through Agero's system. Read More »

BMW names new sales for key China operations

BMW has appointed veteran executive Karsten Engel to lead sales in China, the company's single biggest market. He will succeed Christoph Stark, who will retire as China head in February after overseeing BMW sales jump about 15-fold over eight years in the country. Read More »

Fiat's cost for buying the rest of Chrysler may rise amid litigation

Fiat's bid to win full control of more profitable Chrysler is set to become more expensive in a few weeks, as a court ruling on a price dispute drags on and Chrysler's possible share flotation looms. Read More »

Ford recalls 2013 Fusion in U.S. again

Ford is recalling 19,106 2013 Fusion sedans in the United States to replace faulty headlamps, federal safety officials said today. Read More »

Fiat's cost for buying the rest of Chrysler may rise amid litigation

Fiat's bid to win full control of more profitable Chrysler is set to become more expensive in a few weeks, as a court ruling on a price dispute drags on and Chrysler's possible share flotation looms. Read More »

China's SAIC plans to build MG cars in Thailand with local partner

China's SAIC plans to set up an assembly plant in Thailand with the local Charoen Pokphand Group to build MG cars for sale in Southeast Asia. The two companies will initially invest 1.8 billion yuan ($289 million) in the joint venture ahead of planned car sales in 2014. Read More »

PSA JV will build 3 Citroen DS models in China by 2014, report says

PSA's China joint venture with Changan Automobile plans to produce three Citroen DS models -- the DS5, a three-box sedan and an SUV -- in the country by 2014, according to a Chinese newspaper report. PSA currently imports the DS3, DS4 and DS5 into China. Read More »