Toyota scraps dowdy compact strategy with bolder, roomier Corolla

Toyota is tossing aside a reliable but aging compact recipe by adding room, refinement, and bolder styling to the redesigned Corolla for 2014.... Read More »

GM to offer free maintenance across its lineup

DETROIT -- General Motors will include free maintenance on most 2014 Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models in a bid to increase sales through better customer loyalty, CEO Dan Akerson said today. Buyers will get free oil and filter changes, tire rotations and 27-point inspections for two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.... Read More »

Chrysler rejects NHTSA's request for recall of 2.7 million Jeeps

Chrysler Group said today it does not intend to honor a request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall as many as 2.7 million Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty SUVs. NHTSA said a recall is needed to address safety problems with the vehicles' fuel systems.... Read More »

Chevy's rushed redo boosts Malibu space, mileage for 2014

GM is making its next Chevrolet Malibu roomier and more fuel efficient as part of an unusually early overhaul aimed at reversing its sales slide in the critical mid-sized car market.... Read More »

Tesla accelerates plan for coast-to-coast recharging

Tesla Motors said today it will expand its network of fast-charge stations beyond California and the Northeastern seaboard within several months to a year.... Read More »

House Democrats seek details on consumer bureau auto loan rules

Thirteen Democrats in the U.S. Congress have asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for details on how it plans to enforce new rules on discrimination in auto lending.... Read More »

Fiat preparing $10 billion in financing for Chrysler merger, report says

Fiat is in talks for as much as $10 billion in financing from a pool of banks to buy the Chrysler Group stake it doesn't own and refinance the two automakers' debt, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday.... Read More »

U.S. auto sales will bounce back this month, forecasters say

May auto sales in the United States are expected to rebound from an April slowdown, easing concerns of another spring swoon, forecasters said. The light-vehicle seasonally adjusted annual selling rate for this month will be 15.2 million, both LMC Automotive/JD Power and Associates and TrueCar.com predicted today.... Read More »

Ford to shutter Australia car, engine plants in 2016

Ford, citing high operating costs, falling sales and financial losses, will close its Australian car and engine assembly plants in 2016, ending almost nine decades of manufacturing in the country.... Read More »

VW to modify late-model diesels to prevent improper fueling

Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks.... Read More »

Former Saab CEO Jonsson, two other execs arrested on tax charges

Three former Saab executives, including former CEO Jan-Aake Jonsson and Chief Financial Officer Karl-Gustav Lindstroem, were arrested by Swedish prosecutors in an accounting-fraud probe.... Read More »

Revamped Mercedes S class strives to set new luxury mark

Mercedes-Benz is heralding the redesigned 2014 S class as a flagship that will set new benchmarks for luxury sedans with its packaging of technology, safety gear and opulence.... Read More »

GM to rebadge Nissan's small commercial vans for Chevy

General Motors has turned to Nissan to put Chevrolet dealers into the small cargo van market. GM, in a statement today, said it will rebadge Nissan's new four-cylinder NV200 commercial van as the Chevrolet City Express in the fall of 2014.... Read More »

Mazda names production chief Kogai next CEO

Mazda has appointed Masamichi Kogai its next CEO. The production and purchasing specialist replaces Takashi Yamanouchi, who led the carmaker to its first annual profit in five years. The promotion takes effect pending approval at the Japanese company's June 25 annual shareholders' meeting, Mazda said in a May 9 statement.... Read More »

Toyota quarterly profit rises to $3.17 billion

Toyota more than doubled its fourth-quarter net profit as the yen's depreciation helped the automaker export more profitably and U.S. sales of the Avalon sedan and Tacoma pickup were strong. The company posted net profit of 313.9 billion yen ($3.17 billion), compared with 121 billion yen last year.... Read More »

GM's Q1 net falls 14% on N.A. decline

General Motors' first quarter net profit dropped 14 percent, to $865 million, as profit in North America slipped and losses in Europe narrowed.... Read More »

EV maker Coda files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Coda Holdings, the California-based assembler of Chinese-made electric vehicles, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today after selling just 100 of its all-electric sedans. Coda launched its $37,250 electric car in California a year ago.... Read More »

Chrysler profit tumbles on costs of product launches

Chrysler Group said net income fell to $166 million in the first quarter as costs of two large product launches crimped the automaker's seventh consecutive quarterly profit.... Read More »

New Vette's base price set at $51,995, up 3%

GM set the base price of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe at $51,995, including destination charges, $1,400 more than the outgoing model.... Read More »

NHTSA recommends disabling built-in texting, Web browsing

Federal regulators, moving to curb distracted driving, issued final voluntary safety guidelines today that would disable certain in-vehicle functions such as manual texting and video phoning while driving.... Read More »

VW hires McNabb from Maserati to extend U.S. sales surge

Volkswagen of America has hired Maserati North America CEO Mark McNabb, a former Nissan and General Motors sales executive, as its COO. McNabb, 51, will start at Volkswagen on May 1. He will report to CEO Jonathan Browning and oversee U.S. sales as VW continues an ambitious growth strategy.... Read More »

Continental, Federal-Mogul lead PACE Award winners

Suppliers Continental Automotive Systems and Federal-Mogul Corp. led the field of winners by picking up two Automotive News PACE Awards each on Monday night. The 19th annual awards honor outstanding innovations from suppliers.... Read More »

Chrysler names Bigland to replace Diaz at Ram; Kuniskis to lead Dodge

Chrysler Group has named Reid Bigland, head of U.S. sales and Dodge, to replace Fred Diaz as head of Ram, effective today. Diaz resigned Friday to take a job at Nissan. Chrysler also said today that it is moving Tim Kuniskis, who heads the Fiat brand in North America, to Bigland's old position as head of Dodge.... Read More »

Nissan names Chrysler exec Diaz to head U.S. sales, marketing

Nissan Motor Co. today named Fred Diaz, head of Chrysler Group's Ram brand and Mexico operations, divisional vice president of Nissan Division sales and marketing. Diaz, 47, becomes the first Chrysler Group brand-level executive to voluntarily leave since the automaker was taken over by Fiat S.p.A.... Read More »

Toyota, other Japanese automakers recall 3.4 million vehicles with Takata airbags

Japanese automakers including Toyota, Nissan and Honda are recalling about 3.4 million vehicles worldwide due to defective airbags supplied by Takata. This recall underscores the risk of huge global supply chain problems as automakers increasingly rely on a handful of suppliers for common or similar parts to cut costs.... Read More »

Ex-GM marketing boss LaNeve takes over Lincoln's ad agency

Mark LaNeve, former top North American marketer at General Motors and ex-head of Cadillac, has taken over as president of the Lincoln brand's ad agency. LaNeve replaces Cameron McNaughton, who had been president of the agency, Hudson Rouge, since it was founded in 2011.... Read More »

Fisker lays off 75% of its employees amid financial woes

Fisker Automotive, the plug-in hybrid sports car maker grappling with financial woes, today laid off 75 percent of its more than 200 employees. About 53 senior managers and executives have been retained to pursue buyers for the company's assets.... Read More »

BMW, amid crossover surge, preps X4 for U.S.

BMW, capitalizing on a surge in its U.S. light-truck sales, is expanding its new 4-series lineup with the X4 crossover that will be built in South Carolina and is expected to go on sale next year.... Read More »

U.S. seeks to revise crash ratings to protect seniors

Auto-safety regulators plan to change the rating system for new cars sold in the United States to keep up with advances in safety technology and better protect older drivers and passengers.... Read More »

GM says fuel economy of new big pickups will top Ford F-150's

General Motors today said its upcoming redesigned full-sized pickups will have the most fuel-efficient V-8 engines in the segment, even promising better highway fuel economy than the turbocharged V-6 engine that has become popular in the Ford F-150 pickup.... Read More »

U.S. auto sales wrapping up a strong March

Auto sales in the United States are finishing March on an upbeat note, with analysts expecting the industry to extend its strongest streak in five years.... Read More »

EPA proposes tougher tailpipe, gasoline rules

The EPA proposed a package of rules today that includes cleaner gasoline and stricter limits on pollution from the tailpipes of cars, despite objections from the oil industry.... Read More »

Auto loans prompt 1,585 complaints to new U.S. consumer watchdog

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received 1,585 complaints about vehicle financing since last March, according to data released by the agency today.... Read More »

Redesigned Cadillac CTS boosts performance, size to take on BMW, Benz

The redesigned Cadillac CTS sedan shows that the brand is sticking with performance in its bid to get onto the shopping lists of import-minded buyers. GM bills the 2014 CTS, unveiled on the eve of the New York auto show, as lighter than the BMW 5 series and Mercedes E class, with "the most agile driving dynamics" among mid-sized luxury sedans.... Read More »

AutoTrader CEO Perry to resign May 1

Chip Perry, AutoTrader.com's only CEO since the company began operating in 1997, will resign effective May 1. His duties will be handled by Sandy Schwartz, who will become president of AutoTrader Group and will remain president of vehicle auction giant and sister company, Manheim. Perry, 59, was the first employee of AutoTrader.com, the largest third-party Internet vehicle shopping site.... Read More »

American Honda keeps RPA as creative agency for Honda; Mullen picked for Acura

American Honda, following a three-month selection process, picked incumbent RPA to remain its advertising agency for the Honda brand, but has given the Acura business to Boston-based Mullen.... Read More »

Nissan: Lighter, stronger steel will cut weight, boost mpg

As part of a drive to shed weight and boost fuel economy, some Nissan brand vehicles will get the ultra-high-strength, lightweight steel that debuted in the Infiniti Q50 in January at the Detroit auto show.... Read More »

Chrysler tells 2,500 owners of V-6 Challengers to stop driving because of fire risk

Chrysler Group is warning about 2,500 owners of 2013 Dodge Challengers with V-6 engines built in December and January not to drive their cars because of a potential short-circuit that could lead to a fire. Seven such fires have occurred, none causing injury, on Challengers built from Dec. 3, 2012, through Jan. 24, 2013.... Read More »

Ford CEO Mulally's 2012 compensation falls 29% to $20.99 million

Ford CEO Alan Mulally's compensation fell 29 percent in 2012 as the company failed to hit several performance targets. Mulally's pay dropped to $20.99 million from $29.5 million in 2011. Mulally received $2 million in salary, a $3.95 million cash bonus and stock awards totaling $14.3 million last year, according to a proxy statement released by the company today.... Read More »

Chevy advertising account goes to McCann

The advertising joint venture formed last year to handle Chevrolet's creative advertising has split apart, with McCann Worldgroup emerging as the lead agency for the bow-tie brand globally. McCann said today that it has taken full ownership of the Commonwealth firm, which it formed in a 50-50 joint venture with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.... Read More »

Henrik Fisker quits Fisker Automotive in dispute with management

Henrik Fisker, the former BMW designer who co-founded Fisker Automotive, has resigned from the plug-in hybrid car maker, citing discord with company executives.... Read More »

GM considering Campbell Ewald for Cadillac ad work

Cadillac is considering naming a longtime General Motors partner, Campbell Ewald, to become its new advertising agency of record in a deal that could be worth about $244 million in media billings annually, sources have told Crain's Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News.... Read More »

GM's Akerson vows lighter vehicles, hails potential of CNG

General Motors aims to cut the weight of its North American vehicles by as much as 15 percent by the 2016 model year, compared with GM's current fleet, CEO Dan Akerson said today. GM estimates that a 10 percent reduction in curb weight cuts fuel consumption by about 6.5 percent.... Read More »

Toyota names former GM exec Hogan to board in overhaul

Toyota appointed former General Motors executive Mark Hogan to its board, installing the first foreigner since 2007 and the first outside director ever in an attempt to breathe fresh perspective into the mammoth Japanese carmaker.... Read More »

New Opel CEO Neumann readies turnaround plans

Karl-Thomas Neumann, Opel's new CEO, outlined three priorities while saying he took the job at General Motors' money-losing European subsidiary because of its improved vehicles and GM's commitment to spend billions of dollars turning the business around.... Read More »

'Vette convertible photos carry clues, raise questions

The first official images of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible -- but no details -- have been released ahead of the car's debut at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday.... Read More »

Japanese brands continue to dominate Consumer Reports' rankings

Japanese brands, led by Lexus, Subaru and Mazda, continue to dominate Consumer Reports' rankings of the best light vehicles on the market, claiming “top pick” honors in seven out of 10 product segments and capturing the top seven spots for overall brand reliability and performance.... Read More »

U.S. auto sales remain robust despite rising fuel prices, looming budget cuts

U.S. auto sales in February remain strong despite rising fuel prices and the threat of fresh government spending cuts, several forecasters and analysts say.... Read More »

Chrysler plans diesel version of 2014 Ram half-ton pickup

Chrysler Group's Ram brand plans to sell a half-ton pickup later this year with a diesel engine -- its first such offering since 1978.... Read More »

U.S. dealership count edges up again; more gains seen

The number of auto dealerships in the United States rose for the second straight year in 2012 and is projected to increase for "the next few years," reversing a decades-long pattern, a study says.... Read More »

Passion cools on facilities issue

Expansive new dealership buildings still aren't worth the millions of dollars invested in them, but facility renovation programs aren't as dramatic an issue for dealers as they were a year ago. So concludes an NADA study that was released Saturday. The finding on payback is an echo of the first phase of the study, released a year ago.... Read More »

Chrysler reaches deal making Santander preferred lender in U.S.

Chrysler Group agreed to make a U.S. unit of Banco Santander SA its preferred provider for auto loans, replacing Ally Financial. Chrysler and Santander Consumer USA will form Chrysler Capital to provide customers with financing to purchase and lease vehicles, the company said today in a statement.... Read More »

Auto advertisers hit it big in Super Bowl; Chrysler stands out

Auto advertisers were back in force in the 2013 Super Bowl with commercials that were funny and touching -- with a few that just fell flat. Chrysler stood out -- yet again -- despite not running with the pack online in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.... Read More »

Ford adds Lincoln MKZ inspectors to speed launch

Ford, seeking to speed deliveries of the 2013 Lincoln MKZ to dealers, is shipping some of the sedans to Michigan for quality inspections that can't be handled fast enough at the car's Mexican assembly plant.... Read More »

AutoNation to put its own name on most dealerships

AutoNation says it will drop regional brand names on its dealerships and use the AutoNation moniker on most of its 221 stores coast to coast. The transformation begins Friday when the nation's largest dealership group sheds the Maroone name from 22 stores in south Florida and unveils new AutoNation signage.... Read More »

GM's Opel names former VW exec Neumann as CEO

GM's Opel unit appointed Karl-Thomas Neumann as its top executive, tasking the former Volkswagen AG manager with ending years of losses at the German subsidiary. Neumann, 51, who was passed over in a management shuffle at VW last year after previously leading Chinese operations, will take the position March 1.... Read More »

Chrysler Q4 profits jump 68% to $378 million

Chrysler Group reported net income of $378 million in the fourth quarter as a yearlong string of sales gains in the United States led the automaker to its second consecutive annual profit. The fourth-quarter profit was up 68 percent from the $225 million profit it posted during the same quarter of 2011, Chrysler said in a report today.... Read More »

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to step down

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, 67, who raised awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, said he will leave President Obama's Cabinet after a replacement is confirmed.... Read More »

Daimler, Ford and Nissan sign deal on fuel-cell cars

Daimler, Ford and Nissan joined forces today to develop a line of affordable fuel-cell cars for sale starting in 2017 in what could be the first major advance for the promising zero-emission technology.... Read More »

Strong January auto sales boost 2013 outlook

Auto sales in the United States have been unexpectedly strong in January, adding to optimism about the industry's growth potential in the year ahead, analysts said.... Read More »

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. Until now, Group 1 and Penske Automotive Group have concentrated on Europe when it came to overseas acquisitions while joining their four big peers in selectively adding U.S. stores.... Read More »

Ford Atlas concept signals next F series, fuel-economy advances

Ford, trying to protect its turf in the large pickup market, unveiled a concept truck that previews the company's next-generation F series and advances in fuel economy. Ford kept a tight lid on the top-secret Ford Atlas Concept, unveiled today at the Detroit auto show. No pictures leaked out in advance, and Ford officials didn't let any clues or details slip.... Read More »

VW aims at family crossover market with CrossBlue concept

Volkswagen AG's VW brand -- signaling its intentions to target another high-volume United States segment -- introduced a three-row crossover concept today at the Detroit auto show. With six seats and a slight family resemblance to the Q7 sold by VW's sister brand Audi, the CrossBlue concept underscores the German automaker's determination to sell more vehicles in the United States.... Read More »

Cadillac ATS, Ram 1500 win North American car, truck awards

The Cadillac ATS and Ram 1500 were named 2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year today by a panel of automotive journalists.... Read More »

Retooled Chevy Corvette guns for new generation of enthusiasts

GM aims to capture a new generation of sports car lovers -- many raised on video games and extreme sports -- with a complete overhaul of the Chevrolet Corvette that promises additional power, a more refined and comfortable interior, and modern styling. GM believes the ground-up overhaul of the next-generation Corvette deserves a badge not worn by any 'Vette since 1976: a Stingray.... Read More »

Ford to add 2,200 U.S. salaried workers this year

Ford Motor plans to hire 2,200 salaried workers this year in the United States as it continues to beef up payrolls to handle rising sales and production in North America. The hiring surge is the largest increase in salaried workers in more than a decade, the company said in a statement today.... Read More »

GM expects 'modest' U.S. market share gains in 2013, Akerson says

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson expects GM to make "modest" market share gains in the United States this year, driven by the momentum of a busy launch schedule. "We expect a modest share increase in '13 given the new products and their acceptance in the marketplace," Akerson told reporters today at GM headquarters.... Read More »

Chevy picks 'Find New Roads' as tag line in global push

DETROIT -- General Motors plans to roll out a new Chevrolet advertising campaign next month, replacing the "Chevy Runs Deep" slogan with "Find New Roads." It will be Chevrolet's first global campaign, rolling out in the United States in the first quarter. Later it will spread to the other 140 markets where Chevys are sold, GM said today in a statement.... Read More »

NADA picks California dealer advocate Welch as new president

The new president of the National Automobile Dealers Association will be Peter Welch, 59, who as head of California's dealer group led a legal fight against Chrysler Group's factory-owned dealership in Los Angeles. NADA's board of directors unanimously approved the pick this afternoon during a meeting in Dallas, ending a five-month search, a top official told Automotive News.... Read More »

Automakers close out 2012 strong as Dec. volume rises 9%; SAAR reaches 15.38 million

U.S. light-vehicle sales -- led by Volkswagen, BMW and Honda -- jumped 9 percent in December, pushing the seasonally adjusted sales rate above 15.3 million for the second consecutive month and helping the industry finish 2012 on a high note. Automakers sold 14.49 million light vehicles in the United States last year, up 13 percent from 2011, for the highest mark since 2007.... Read More »

Silverado ad work being switched by GM to Leo Burnett agency

GM is switching creative advertising agencies for the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado ahead of the highly anticipated launch of the next-generation pickup next year. GM has assigned Silverado creative duties to Leo Burnett, which now handles advertising for Buick and GMC, including the Sierra pickup, a GM spokesman confirmed.... Read More »

New Camaro production to be moved from Canada to Mich.

General Motors plans to move production of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro to Michigan from Canada. The Camaro, currently made in Oshawa, Ontario, will be built at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing, Mich., GM said today in a statement.... Read More »

GM promotes Grace Lieblein to head of global purchasing, supply chain

General Motors has appointed the head of its Brazil operations as the company's global purchasing czar. Grace Lieblein, 52, will oversee GM's $77 billion annual purchasing budget as the company's vice president of global purchasing and supply chain, GM said in a statement today. She will assume the post immediately, reporting to GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky.... Read More »

Infiniti to rebadge car, light-truck lineup under Q, QX series

Infiniti is renaming its entire product portfolio for the 2014 model year, returning to the letter “Q” from the brand's early history for every car and “QX” for every Infiniti crossover and SUV. Nissan Motor Co.'s luxury division is undertaking the change to prepare for a broader array of global products.... Read More »

Toyota set to reclaim world sales crown as GM, VW vie for No. 2

Toyota is poised to take back the title of world's biggest automaker for 2012, as Volkswagen fights General Motors for second place heading into the final weeks.The battle among the world's biggest carmakers comes as the industry is headed for a record year.... Read More »

Ford aims at GM by showing new F-150 at Detroit show, report says

Ford plans to offer a peek at its 2015 F-150 pickup truck at the Detroit auto show next month, the latest example of attempted one-upmanship in the highly competitive American truck market. The teaser for the next generation F-150 takes direct aim at General Motors, two people familiar with Ford's plans told Reuters.... Read More »

Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Caddy ATS named 'Car of Year' finalists

The Cadillac ATS, Ford Fusion and Honda Accord were named finalists today for North American Car of the Year, while the Ford C-Max, Mazda CX-5, and Ram 1500 were named truck/utility finalists. The 2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year will be announced Jan. 14 during a press conference before the Detroit auto show press days.... 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 »

BMW to rename 3-series coupe, convertible as 4-series models

BMW, in a major marketing shift, is renaming the next-generation 3-series coupe and convertible the 4 series to create more exclusivity and command higher prices on some of its sportiest, high-volume models. The 4-series coupe is expected to go on sale in mid-2013, followed by the 4-series convertible in the fall, the company said today.... Read More »

American Honda places $700 million U.S. ad account under review

American Honda, facing a challenging but growing light-vehicle market in the United States, is placing its $700 million creative and media accounts for the Honda and Acura brands under review. The automaker has worked with California-based RPA on creative and United States media buying and planning for 26 years, and the agency will participate in the review process, Honda said today.... Read More »

Ford recalling 2013 Escape, Fusion because of possible engine fires

Ford is recalling the 2013 Ford Escape crossover and 2013 Ford Fusion sedan equipped with 1.6-liter engines that may overheat and cause fires. Ford estimates that there have been approximately 73,320 Escape and 15,833 Fusion models for 2013 distributed for sale in the United States and Canada with 1.6-liter engines.... Read More »

Ex-GM engineer, husband found guilty of trade-secret theft

A former GM engineer and her husband were found guilty today of conspiring to steal the automaker's trade secrets for hybrid and electric vehicles. Shanshan Du, 53, the former GM employee, was ruled guilty of conspiracy to possess trade secrets without authorization and two counts of unauthorized possession of trade secrets. She was found not guilty of three counts of wire fraud.... Read More »

Chevy Volt again ranked by Consumer Reports as most-loved car

The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid landed atop Consumer Reports' annual owner-satisfaction ranking for the second straight year. Ninety-two percent of responding Volt owners in a poll of the magazine's subscribers said they definitely would buy a Volt again, tops among 240 models, the magazine said today.... Read More »

Ford to upgrade, extend warranty on MyFord touch-screen system

Ford will upgrade and extend the warranty by two years on its MyFord Touch system following a series of consumer complaints and poor reviews of the automaker's touch-screen entertainment and navigation system. Ford has improved the voice recognition capability and navigation in what it calls "version 3.5" of the software, Mark Fields, Ford's head of the Americas, said on Wednesday.... Read More »

Fisker hires former GM marketing chief Ewanick

Fisker Automotive has hired ousted General Motors' global marketing boss Joel Ewanick to be interim chief of global sales and marketing for the maker of luxury plug-in hybrids.... Read More »

Mazda to produce car for Toyota at Mexico plant

Mazda will produce a car for Toyota at its new Mexican assembly plant starting in 2015, as the automakers seek ways to boost North American output. The Toyota vehicle will be a rebadged version of the Mazda2 targeting the U.S., Canadian and Mexican markets.... Read More »

Aston Martin's Kuwaiti owner approaches potential buyers, report says

Aston Martin's controlling shareholder, Investment Dar Co., has approached potential buyers for the maker of luxury sports cars featured in James Bond movies, five people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg.... Read More »

Obama victory may boost EV agenda, spur rules on emissions, safety

President Barack Obama's second term likely will include a return to an agenda of support for electric vehicles and also could clear the way for new rules on tailpipe emissions and auto safety that his appointees have been eager to release.... Read More »

Automakers will scrap 15,000 new vehicles damaged by Sandy

Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda plan to scrap about 15,000 vehicles damaged by Hurricane Sandy as automakers and dealers continue assessing the storm's impact. Including used autos and those of individual owners, as many as 200,000 may have to be replaced, said Larry Dixon, senior analyst for the National Automobile Dealers Association.... Read More »

American Suzuki to exit U.S. auto market

American Suzuki, rocked by a plunge in volume while the industry continues to climb back from a deep recession, is ending U.S. auto sales after nearly 30 years. In a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the company said it will maintain its motorcycle and marine engine operations and will continue to honor customers' automotive warranties.... Read More »

Hyundai, Kia to pay owners for faulty fuel-economy claims

Hyundai and Kia overstated the estimated fuel economy on more than 900,000 vehicles sold in the United States over the past two years and will compensate owners for the faulty claims. In addition, the South Korean partners will lower the fuel-economy estimates on most of their 2012 and 2013 models. The move follows an investigation by the U.S.... Read More »

Sandy stifles month-end sales as Oct. deliveries rise just 7%

Subaru, Volkswagen, BMW, and Toyota led the U.S. auto industry to a tepid 7 percent sales gain in October, as Hurricane Sandy stifled month-end deliveries in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate slipped to 14.3 million, from September's 14.9 million figure -- the highest since early 2008.... Read More »

GM Q3 profit falls 14% on weak Europe, higher N.A. costs

General Motors posted $1.48 billion in net profits during the third quarter despite wider losses in Europe, where the company now vows to break even by the middle of this decade. GM's net income fell 14 percent for the July-September period, even though production and pricing rose at its two largest divisions: North America and international, which includes China and other Asian markets.... Read More »

Ford posts Q3 net of $1.63 billion; record N.A. profits offset European losses

Ford posted a $1.63 billion third-quarter net profit as record high earnings in North America more than offset mounting losses in Europe. Pretax operating profit in North America increased to $2.33 billion, while pre-tax losses in Europe widened to $468 million from $306 million a year earlier.... Read More »

Chrysler Q3 net profit rises 80% to $381 million

Chrysler Group's third-quarter net profit rose 80 percent to $381 million on strong sales of cars and light trucks in North America. The company earned $212 million a year earlier as its North American sales of cars and light trucks were rising amid what is now a string of 30 consecutive months of year-over-year sales gains.... Read More »

Ford drops to near-bottom of Consumer Reports' reliability study

Ford plunged for the second straight year in Consumer Reports' survey of auto reliability and now ranks near the bottom of the annual scorecard. The Ford brand finished 27th out of the 28 brands; Lincoln fell to 26th from 14th. Toyota's Scion, Toyota and Lexus brands ranked first, second and third in a list that continues to be dominated by Asian brands.... Read More »

Ford to shut European plant; GM outlines product-sharing plan

Ford said it will close a Belgian assembly plant and GM outlined a joint product-sharing plan with a French rival as the Detroit automakers battle mounting losses in Europe. Ford is also preparing to close a chassis plant in Britain as early as next year, Bloomberg and other media outlets reported, citing people familiar with the plans.... Read More »

Nissan reverses plan to have Magna build Infinitis in Austria

Nissan, reversing course on a plan announced in May, said it will manufacture a new Infiniti compact car for 2015 in-house instead of contracting the work out to Magna Steyr, a unit of Canadian supplier Magna International.... Read More »

Volvo replaces CEO Jacoby to get China plan back on track

Volvo today named Hakan Samuelsson, the former head of German truck maker MAN, as its new CEO. Samuelsson, 61, replaces Stefan Jacoby, 54, who suffered a mild stroke last month. The move is effective immediately. The board's vice chairman said Jacoby's health was not the reason for the decision and the board wanted a new CEO to take the company "into a new phase."... Read More »

Jaguar Plano named 'Best Dealership To Work For'

Jaguar Plano, a Texas auto dealership that backs up its “help the client” mantra by giving employees $50 gasoline cards for doing the right thing, has won the top ranking in the first Automotive News' list of the “100 Best Dealerships To Work For.” The honor was announced Wednesday night at an event at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago.... Read More »

A123 files for bankruptcy, plans to sell automotive battery business to JCI

Lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today in federal Bankruptcy Court in Delaware and said Johnson Controls has agreed to acquire its automotive battery business.... Read More »