Headlines for Thursday, January 24, 2013

Group 1 deal for Brazil's UAB Motors opens new frontier for growth

Group 1 Automotive's plan to acquire one of Brazil's largest dealership groups signals another frontier for the U.S. auto industry's expansion-minded publicly traded dealership groups. Read More »

Toyota to show new Tundra in Chicago

Toyota plans to unveil an all-new Tundra full-sized pickup at the Chicago Auto Show next month. The redesigned, third-generation Tundra is expected to go on sale this spring and will become the third revamped big pickup planned by automakers for the 2014 model year. Read More »

First Shift: Buick's goal for Encore

GM wants small crossover to match Verano's conquest rate; Toyota, BMW seal deal; sun shines on Volkswagen's new crop. Read More »

Renault will build new Nissan hatchback in France, report says

Nissan plans to build its a new hatchback at one of alliance partner Renault's French factories, a French newspaper reported. Read More »

Pony up $1,000, get an Elio t-shirt ... maybe a discounted 3-wheeled car

Elio Motors this month revealed plans to reopen the former GM plant in Shreveport, La., where it will pay 1,500 workers 50 percent more than new hires at GM earn to build $6,800, three-wheeled vehicles that get 84 mpg. Read More »

Hyundai Motor profits fall 5.5% in Q4

Hyundai reported a 5.5 percent drop in quarterly net income after the won appreciated more than any major currency, reducing the value of overseas sales. Read More »

AutoNews Now: Cold truth about EVs

Frigid weather tests limits of electric cars; BMW, Toyota tackle EV range limits; GM may get air-powered cars. Read More »

Chrysler drops one shift at Dundee Engine plant line

Chrysler Group has eliminated a shift of production at its Dundee Engine plant on the line that builds 1.4-liter engines, including the turbocharged version, for the Fiat 500 subcompact and some variations of the Dodge Dart. Read More »

Sergio promises updated Chrysler product plan next week

Sergio Marchionne said he will update the five-year product plan that the automaker laid out in November 2009 when Chrysler Group announces its earnings Wednesday. Read More »

Harold Wells, NADA leader who challenged factory-owned stores, dies at 81

Harold Boney “Toby” Wells, a leader in the 1999 auto dealer revolt against factory-owned stores, died Wednesday at Waltonwood Assisted Living in Cary, N.C. He was 81. Read More »

VW releases ad teaser: No car, no problem

Volkswagen of America gave a glimpse of its Super Bowl spot today with an online teaser video, and like another of the automaker's most recent advertisements, it does not include a car. Read More »

PSA-GM joint vehicle programs will use French carmaker's platforms

General Motors and PSA will build joint vehicle programs using underpinnings from the French automaker. The first vehicles from the tie-up are due in 2016. Read More »

Mitsubishi recalls 14,700 EVs globally over brake problem

Mitsubishi said it will recall about 14,700 electric vehicles globally, including some PSA models, due to a brake pump problem. Read More »

JLR profit growth stalls on Evoque's growing share of sales

Jaguar Land Rover said fiscal third-quarter profit growth probably stalled because of currency shifts and its cheaper Evoque SUV model attracting a higher share of buyers. Read More »

Ghosn says Renault must act to lift French competitiveness

Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said the automaker must take action to increase productivity. 'The best thing we can hope for is a market stabilization' in Europe, he said. Read More »

Toyota, BMW sign agreement for fuel-cells, sports car

Toyota and BMW are tightening technical ties with plans to jointly develop a sports car platform, lithium-air batteries and new lightweight materials. Read More »

Europe's crisis forces Renault to get tough

Faced with steep sales declines, Renault may dare the previously unthinkable: Closing unproductive car plants in France. Read More »

VW plans extra shifts to meet demand for new Golf

Volkswagen says it is planning additional weekend production to meet demand for the latest version of its best-selling Golf which went on sale at the end of last year. Orders for the seventh-generation model have exceeded 100,000 cars, the company said. Read More »

Volkswagen joins other carmakers investing in Spanish output

Volkswagen plans to invest 785 million euros ($1 billion) over the next 5 years in a plant in northern Spain that builds the subcompact Polo model. VW is the third carmaker in recent months to boost investment in the recession-hit country. Read More »