Automotive News Europe Breaking Alerts
Former Saab CEO Jonsson, two other execs arrested on tax charges
May 21, 2013 13:04 CET
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 » Comments [0] | Recommendations [0]
AdvertisingToyota overtakes BMW as most valuable global car brand
May 21, 2013 01:15 CET
Toyota has overtaken BMW as the world's most valuable automotive brand, an annual ranking of the world's top brands shows. Toyota's 2013 brand value rose 12 percent to $24.5 billion largely because of its significant inroads in the hybrid market, according to the study.... Read More »Europe car sales rise for first time in 19 months
May 17, 2013 08:34 CET
European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months on strong demand in the UK and a rebound in Germany. Registrations in April increased 2 percent to 1.08 million vehicles from 1.06 million cars a year earlier, industry association ACEA said.... Read More »Toyota plant in France starts Yaris output for U.S.
May 16, 2013 14:48 CET
Toyota Europe has started making the Yaris for North American export at its plant in Valenciennes, France, marking the first time the automaker's European-built models have been exported to the United States and Canada.... Read More »Ford aid from Spain probed by EU antitrust regulators
May 15, 2013 12:19 CET
European Union antitrust regulators will investigate whether a 25.2 million euro ($32.71 million) grant given by Spanish authorities to Ford's factory in Valencia breached EU state aid rules.... Read More »GM will move Opel Zafira production to German plant
May 15, 2013 11:58 CET
General Motors will move production of the Opel/Vauxhall Zafira minivan to Ruesselsheim in Germany from its Bochum factory. Ruesselsheim and Vauxhall's plant in Ellesmere Port, England, had been in the running to gain Zafira production after Bochum closes.... Read More »Schaeffler to end Continental accord as merger project wanes
May 13, 2013 21:46 CET
Schaeffler, the largest investor in tire and components supplier Continental, plans to end an agreement between the two German companies as it continues to dismantle a plan for a gradual merger.... Read More »UK has best April car sales since 2008
May 7, 2013 11:16 CET
UK new-car sales were nearly 15 percent higher in April than a year ago, according to the SMMT, which said 2013 sales would be stronger than it previously forecast.... Read More »Renault will build next Nissan Micra in France
April 26, 2013 11:48 CET
Renault said it will build the next Nissan Micra at its plant in Flins, near Paris. Production will begin in 2016 at an estimated annual volume of 82,000 vehicles.... Read More »Fiat weighs New York listing following merger with Chrysler, report says
April 24, 2013 18:19 CET
Fiat may select New York as the primary exchange for its stock after a planned merger with Chrysler Group, sources said. The move would be highly political and symbolic for debt-ridden Italy as it struggles to emerge from a cycle of recessions.... Read More »2013 SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW
Mercedes unveils GLA concept
April 18, 2013 09:01 CET
Mercedes released pictures and details of the Concept GLA ahead of its debut at the Shanghai auto show. The production version will launch next year as a competitor to the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.... Read More »VW names Stackmann as new Seat boss
April 15, 2013 17:49 CET
VW Group has named Juergen Stackmann as head of its money-losing Seat brand. He replaces James Muir, who will assume an unspecified senior management role within the group.... Read More »VW sees tougher markets after flat March sales
April 12, 2013 11:47 CET
VW Group said economic uncertainty in many regions is having a greater effect on its sales, which were flat in March following stronger gains in the first two months of the year.... Read More »NEW PRODUCT
Ghibli will be Maserati's first diesel-powered car
April 9, 2013 12:44 CET
Maserati released images of the Ghibli four-door sedan ahead of the car's debut at the Shanghai auto show. The Ghibli will be the first Maserati production car to offer a diesel variant.... Read More »NEW PRODUCT
Porsche's plug-in Panamera to start at 110,400 euros
April 3, 2013 10:19 CET
Porsche will begin sales of its first plug-in hybrid in July with prices starting at 110,409 euros in Germany. The 416-hp Panamera S E-Hybrid will debut in China this month.... Read More »EUROPEAN RESTRUCTURING
Opel will close Bochum plant early after workers reject deal
March 21, 2013 20:35 CET
GM's Opel unit said it would close down its factory in Bochum earlier than planned after the plant's employees turned down a deal that would have saved 1,200 jobs.... Read More »BMW names ex-Audi sales chief Schwarzenbauer boss of Mini, Rolls
March 14, 2013 14:26 CET
BMW Group has hired Peter Schwarzenbauer, the former Audi sales chief, to head its Mini and Rolls-Royce brands and named Harald Krueger as its new head of production. Krueger succeeds Frank-Peter Arndt, who is leaving the company due to health reasons.... Read More »Henrik Fisker resigns as executive chairman of Fisker Automotive
March 13, 2013 16:41 CET
Henrik Fisker, the former BMW and Aston Martin designer who founded Fisker Automotive, has resigned as the U.S. plug-in hybrid maker's executive chairman. He cited "major disagreements" over strategy with the struggling company's executives.... Read More »Ex-Opel CEO Stracke will join Magna Steyr
March 12, 2013 17:06 CET
Former Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke will join Magna Steyr, a unit of Magna International, on April 1. Stracke will be responsible for contract manufacturing at Magna Steyr's plant in Graz, Austria, as well as the unit's head of global engineering, the company said.... Read More »2013 GENEVA AUTO SHOW
Alfa says 4C is the 'ideal' car for U.S. relaunch
March 5, 2013 12:55 CET
Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester said the 4C small sports coupe is the ideal model for Alfa's relaunch in North America.... Read More »2013 GENEVA AUTO SHOW
Ferrari unveils its fastest model to date
March 5, 2013 12:00 CET
Ferrari unveiled the LaFerrari supercar at the Geneva auto show today. The 963-hp hybrid is the fastest, most powerful and most expensive Ferrari model to date. It succeeds the Enzo.... Read More »Bernhard moved from Mercedes cars to Daimler Trucks
Feb. 21, 2013 16:21 CET
Daimler swapped the roles of Mercedes production and purchasing chief Wolfgang Bernhard and Daimler Trucks head Andreas Renschler at a supervisory board meeting on Thursday. The board also extended CEO Dieter Zetsche's contract until the end of 2016.... Read More »Fiat-Chrysler increased global sales by 12.7% in January
Feb. 21, 2013 13:33 CET
Fiat-Chrysler's global sales increased by 12.7 percent in January, boosted by strong demand for the Fiat brand in Brazil and for Chrysler vehicles in North America.... Read More »Renault 2012 earnings beat estimates as debt is eliminated
Feb. 14, 2013 08:04 CET
Renault eliminated debt at its auto manufacturing unit last year for the first time since its tie-up with Nissan. The company said 2012 earnings before interest, taxes and one-time items were 729 million euros, beating analysts' estimates.... Read More »PSA will move Peugeot brand upscale in bid to return to profit
Feb. 13, 2013 07:57 CET
PSA laid out plans to move its namesake Peugeot brand upscale to help the automaker return to profit after the company posted a record 5 billion euro ($6.73 billion) net loss for 2012.... Read More »Alfa Romeo 4C details, pictures released ahead of Geneva debut
Feb. 12, 2013 09:01 CET
Fiat released pictures and some technical details of the Alfa Romeo 4C small sports car ahead of the model's debut at next month's Geneva auto show. The rear-drive, two-seat coupe, a car Alfa enthusiasts have dreamed of for almost two decades, retains the styling of the concept car that won acclaim at the Geneva show two years ago.... Read More »EU sees no grounds to extend car coolant deadline despite safety concerns
Feb. 11, 2013 17:49 CET
The European Commission sees "no grounds" to give German automakers more time to comply with EU law requiring a less polluting coolant to be used in vehicle air-conditioning, a letter seen by Reuters said, despite safety concerns.... Read More »Fiat will build the 500 for global markets in Poland only, sources say
Feb. 11, 2013 06:01 CET
Fiat will concentrate global production of the next 500 minicar in Poland, ending output of the model for North America at Chrysler's Mexico plant by 2015. The move provides additional work for Fiat's top-performing Tychy factory.... Read More »Supplier group CLEPA achieves new milestone
Feb. 8, 2013 13:35 CET
Powertrain component producer Dana this month became the 100th member of the European suppliers association, CLEPA. Partsmakers are counting on the Brussels-based lobby group to help them cope with tough times in Europe, CEO Jean-Marc Gales said.... Read More »Fiat mulls low-cost brand, Marchionne says
Feb. 4, 2013 13:50 CET
Fiat is considering launching a low-cost sub-brand to rival Dacia, CEO Sergio Marchionne said. If approved, cars for the brand would be built outside of Europe to reduce manufacturing costs.... Read More »Daimler will buy 12% stake in Beijing Auto's car unit
Feb. 1, 2013 12:04 CET
Daimler will pay 640 million euros for a 12 percent stake in the car unit of Chinese partner Beijing Automotive and get two seats on the board, the German company said on Friday.... Read More »Marchionne confirms Fiat's 2013 outlook despite Europe 'free fall'
Jan. 30, 2013 12:56 CET
Fiat today confirmed that it expects its Fiat and Chrysler auto divisions to increase sales to a combined 4.3 million to 4.5 million vehicles this year and boost revenues to between 88 billion and 92 billion euros.... Read More »Ford posts $732 million quarterly loss in Europe, predicts worse 2013
Jan. 29, 2013 13:05 CET
Ford posted a fourth-quarter pretax loss of $732 million in Europe and expects 2013 to be even more difficult. Despite the troubles in Europe, the U.S. automaker had a fourth-quarter net income of $1.6 billion.... Read More »PSA-GM joint vehicle programs will use French carmaker's platforms
Jan. 24, 2013 12:12 CET
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 »GM steps up cost-cutting pressure at Opel
Jan. 22, 2013 12:38 CET
General Motors said it may close a German factory at its Opel subsidiary earlier than proposed adding restructuring talks with unions must be wrapped up by February, as the U.S. carmaker seeks deep cuts to save its ailing brand.... Read More »Renault aims to cut 7,500 posts in France by 2016
Jan. 15, 2013 15:34 CET
Renault aims to cut 7,500 posts in France by 2016. The cuts are needed to reach the break-even level at its automotive operations, the company said.... Read More »Honda will cut 800 UK jobs on falling European demand
Jan. 11, 2013 11:35 CET
Honda plans to cut about 800 jobs at its plant in Swindon, southwest England, due to falling demand for its vehicles across Europe. It is the first time Honda has cut jobs in the UK since it began car production there in 1992.... Read More »BMW aims for record 2013 sales despite 'headwinds'
Jan. 10, 2013 09:16 CET
BMW Group predicts 2013 will be an even better sales year than 2012, during which it sold a record 1.85 million vehicles worldwide. “We enter the new year with positive momentum and despite the prevailing headwinds in some markets, we aim to achieve another record year in sales in 2013," BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson said.... Read More »Fiat to spend 1 billion euros to make Jeeps in Italy
Dec. 20, 2012 13:49 CET
Fiat will invest more than 1 billion euros to build compact SUVs for the Fiat and Jeep brands in Italy. The move is key to Fiat's bid to boost capacity usage and end losses in Europe.... Read More »Renault will sell Volvo Trucks stake to boost investment in carmaking
Dec. 13, 2012 09:49 CET
Renault will sell its remaining 6.5 percent stake in truckmaker Volvo as it seeks to cut debt and boost investment in carmaking. The sale will raise $1.92 billion and ends Renault's 11-year run as the Swedish truckmaker's largest shareholder.... Read More »Daimler names new board member for China to boost sales
Dec. 12, 2012 09:19 CET
Daimler said that Hubertus Troska, a top executive in its Mercedes-Benz trucks unit, will take over a newly-created portfolio for China to boost the car maker's flagging business in the world's largest auto market.... Read More »Jaguar Land Rover considers $1.2 billion factory in Saudi Arabia
Dec. 11, 2012 12:17 CET
Jaguar Land Rover signed a letter of intent with Saudi Arabia's government to study the feasibility of setting up a factory to build its models locally.... Read More »BMW names new sales for key China operations
Dec. 7, 2012 10:16 CET
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 »Daimler will sell half of EADS holding to focus on autos
Dec. 6, 2012 06:01 CET
Daimler is selling half its remaining stake in the European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. (EADS) to focus on cars and trucks. The sale will raise about 1.66 billion euros ($2.17 billion).... Read More »BMW aims to sell another 1 million cars in China by the end of 2014
Nov. 23, 2012 09:38 CET
BMW Group expects to sell a combined 1 million cars in China within three years, a company spokeswoman told Automotive News Europe, confirming comments from a senior executive at the automaker's joint venture in the country.... Read More »Fiat appoints company veteran Altavilla as Europe chief
Nov. 12, 2012 10:42 CET
Fiat has appointed company veteran Alfredo Altavilla as head of the automaker's money-losing European operations.... Read More »Aston Martin owner approaches potential buyers, report says
Nov. 9, 2012 15:35 CET
Aston Martin's controlling shareholder, Investment Dar, has approached potential buyers for the maker of luxury sports cars. Mahindra is among potential suitors and Toyota hired an auditor to conduct a study on buying a stake in Aston, sources said.... Read More »Renault, Caterham JV will revive Alpine brand
Nov. 5, 2012 12:34 CET
Renault and UK sports car maker Caterham Group will form a joint venture to develop sports cars and plan to launch one model each within four years. The deal will revive Renault's Alpine sports car brand, which ceased production in the 1990s.... Read More »Ford will close two production sites in UK
Oct. 25, 2012 14:41 CET
Ford said it will close two facilities in the UK as it seeks to return its European operations to profitability amid the region's slumping market.... Read More »Ford to shut Genk factory, move production to Spain
Oct. 24, 2012 09:08 CET
Ford said it will end production at its car plant in Genk, Belgium, by the end of 2014, pending the outcome of a consultation process with employee representatives. If the plan is confirmed, production of the next Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy would move to Ford's factory in Valencia, Spain.... Read More »GM mulls merging Opel with PSA's auto division, sources say
Oct. 12, 2012 16:40 CET
General Motors and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen are exploring ways to combine their European operations. One option is for GM's Opel/Vauxhall unit to merge with PSA's automotive operations, sources said.... Read More »Bentley, Lamborghini may delay SUVs, sources say
Oct. 11, 2012 13:12 CET
Bentley's and Lamborghini's plans to launch superluxury SUVs may be put on hold to save cash for parent VW Group, company sources said, in a sign that Europe's economic crisis even is beginning to cause pain at the German auto giant.... Read More »Toyota to recall 7.4 million vehicles globally on power window glitch
Oct. 10, 2012 12:18 CET
Toyota announced the biggest single automotive recall since 1996 to fix malfunctioning power window switches, saying it will pull back 7.43 million vehicles worldwide, including 1.39 million in Europe. No injuries or accidents were reported from the faulty parts.... Read More »Qoros to display its first car at Geneva auto show
Oct. 3, 2012 08:59 CET
Qoros Auto Co., a 50-50 joint venture between Chery Automobile Co. and Israeli investment company Israel Corp., will display its first model at the Geneva auto show next March.... Read More »Better Place replaces CEO Agassi
Oct. 2, 2012 16:31 CET
Electric car technology provider Better Place said it has replaced chief executive officer Shai Agassi with the CEO of its Australia unit, five years after Agassi founded the company. Evan Thornley, CEO of Better Place Australia, will succeed Agassi, who will remain a board member, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.... Read More »Fiat-VW dispute highlights tensions as market hits 17-year low
Sept. 28, 2012 10:04 CET
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resolved a dispute that threatened to paralyze Europe's main car lobby group as the region's market sinks to a 17-year low.... Read More »VW says some automakers may go bankrupt without government help
Sept. 27, 2012 09:27 CET
Volkswagen Chief Financial Officer Hans Dieter Poetsch said some European competitors are at risk of going out of business without government financial assistance as the region's auto market sinks with no end in sight to the downfall. French automaker executives were also pessimistic about the European market.... Read More »Marchionne invites VW to dawn showdown as feud grows
Sept. 27, 2012 20:49 CET
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, irritated by comments from Volkswagen executives, invited the German carmaker to a dawn showdown at the Paris auto show as tensions rise between the two European automakers. VW accepted his invitation.... Read More »2012 PARIS AUTO SHOW
Maserati's new sedan named after a desert wind
Sept. 27, 2012 12:00 CET
Maserati has named its new sedan the Ghibli after a wind that blows from the Sahara Desert. The brand's first SUV will be called the Levante after the street where the company was once based.... Read More »Daimler lowers Mercedes profit target on Europe, China woes
Sept. 20, 2012 12:31 CET
Daimler lowered its 2012 profit target for Mercedes, saying earnings had been hit by a deteriorating auto market in Europe and China.... Read More »
