Automotive News Europe Blogs

How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 16
blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
 
A religious experience set Dieter Zetsche on his path to becoming CEO of Mercedes-Benz. During the launch of the new S class in Hamburg last night, Zetsche said what he remembers most from a pastoral visit that Pope Paul VI made to the area where he was living as a young man was the Mercedes that his holiness was being driven in.
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     Continue reading "How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man" » May 16, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Is the S in the new Mercedes S class for Shanghai?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 15
blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
 
The new Mercedes-Benz S class makes its world premier today in Hamburg, Germany, but Shanghai might have been more appropriate. Why? China accounted for 49 percent of all S-class sales from 2010-2012.
By comparison, 15 percent of total S-class sales were in Europe during the three-year period and the United States accounted f ...
     Continue reading "Is the S in the new Mercedes S class for Shanghai?" » May 15, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Audi outsells BMW brand globally for 2nd time in 4 months

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 13
blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
 
Audi has won rounds two and four of its 12-round fight with BMW brand, but the world luxury-car champ is still ahead on the overall scorecard.
Audi outsold BMW brand by 4,474 units in January and by 2,902 vehicles in April, according to the data from the companies.
BMW brand beat Audi by 4, ...
     Continue reading "Audi outsells BMW brand globally for 2nd time in 4 months" » May 13, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Europe will end 18-month sales slump with positive April

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 10
blogs Luca Ciferri is Editor of Automotive News Europe.
 
Strong April UK car sales and a solid rebound in Germany last month will help western Europe end 18 consecutive months of year-on-year declines, analysts predict. But market watchers stopped short of saying Europe is on the verge of an extended rebound.
LMC Automotive calculates that April sales grew 2 percent to 1,016,693 un ...
     Continue reading "Europe will end 18-month sales slump with positive April" » May 10, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Will VW give new Seat boss time to succeed?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 26
blogs Guido Reinking is editor-in-chief of Automobilwoche, a sister publication of Automotive News Europe.
 
Juergen Stackmann could certainly use some luck as the new boss of Volkswagen Group's ailing Spanish unit Seat.
Generations of senior executives have struggled with VW's problem child, but none have tamed it.
Volkswagen employees who criticize rival mass-market carmakers PSA/Peugeot-Citroen ...
     Continue reading "Will VW give new Seat boss time to succeed?" » Apr 26, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Why even a weak China is good news for European automakers

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 24
blogs Luca Ciferri is Editor of Automotive News Europe.
 
The Shanghai auto show proved once again that China is the promised land for automakers, particularly Europeans bracing for a sixth straight year of declining car sales in their home region.
None of the European executives I spoke with at the show was too concerned that China's car sales are expected to grow just 5 p ...
     Continue reading "Why even a weak China is good news for European automakers" » Apr 24, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Green group spills oil; makes confusing point on CO2

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 23
blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
 
Green lobby group Transport & Environment has released a YouTube video that it hopes will put pressure on lawmakers to prevent them from weakening Europe's passenger-car CO2 target of 95 grams per kilometer by 2020. The trouble is that the video's message is difficult to understand.
The video, Continue reading "Green group spills oil; makes confusing point on CO2" » Apr 23, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Looking for a Chinese car in Shanghai

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 19
blogs Luca Ciferri is Editor of Automotive News Europe.
 
If I were an executive at a Chinese domestic automaker, I would be very worried. Why? It is difficult to find a Chinese-brand car on the streets of Shanghai, the country's largest city with more than 23 million inhabitants.
I experienced this first hand visiting the city for the auto show. During a long bus ride from the Shan ...
     Continue reading "Looking for a Chinese car in Shanghai" » Apr 19, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Chinese automakers will showcase strategies at Shanghai show

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 19
blogs Yang Jian is managing editor of Automotive News China.
 
SHANGHAI -- For most automakers, the Shanghai auto show will provide a showcase for hot cars, glitzy technology and preening models. But Chery Automobile and BYD will take the opportunity to declare they've learned their lesson from past mistakes.
Both companies grew too quickly, but China's gold-rush economic expansion conce ...
     Continue reading "Chinese automakers will showcase strategies at Shanghai show" » Apr 19, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Global brands take more control of China sales

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 12
blogs Yang Jian is managing editor of Automotive News China.
 
SHANGHAI -- When global automakers entered China, they had no idea how to sell their products here. To play it safe, they let managers from their Chinese joint venture partners oversee sales but over the years, global automakers have learned a lot about Chinese consumers.
Several years ago, they started to take control of sal ...
     Continue reading "Global brands take more control of China sales" » Apr 12, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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New China leaders may boost auto industry

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 11
blogs Yang Jian is managing editor of Automotive News China.
 
SHANGHAI -- China's government has kept a tight grip on the domestic auto industry for years. But that may be about to change: The country's new leaders seem likely to take a more open and pragmatic approach to the industry.
China started shifting from a controlled economy to a market economy in 1978. Thirty-five years later, the government maintains clos ...
     Continue reading "New China leaders may boost auto industry" » Apr 11, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Thatcher forged lasting imprint on Europe's luxury brands

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 9
blogs Richard Johnson is managing editor of Automotive News.
 
Britain's auto industry changed dramatically on Maggie Thatcher's watch. Japanese carmakers began setting up assembly plants in the UK in the 1980s, starting with Nissan in Sunderland in 1986. It was Europe's first Japan transplant and was a particular triumph for the Iron Lady.
Thatcher died on Monday at age 87.
Continue reading "Thatcher forged lasting imprint on Europe's luxury brands" » Apr 9, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Automakers rethink cockpits to help save lives

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 5
blogs Bruce Gain is an Automotive News Europe correspondent in France.
 
Automakers are rethinking the way they design car cockpits to reduce cognitive overload as more sophisticated infotainment systems risk increasing driver distraction, a problem that has been linked to an increasing number of fatal accidents.
To allow people to use their smartphones and other electronic devices in their cars w ...
     Continue reading "Automakers rethink cockpits to help save lives" » Apr 5, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Germany stumbles in global sales race

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 4
blogs Luca Ciferri is Editor of Automotive News Europe.
 
Germany knows just how powerful the BRIC nations have become. Once the world’s third-largest vehicle-sales market, Germany is at risk of falling to seventh in the global ranking this year because of the rise of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China). China has been world No. 1 since 2010, which was the same year that Brazil passed Germany and into fo ...
     Continue reading "Germany stumbles in global sales race" » Apr 4, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Infiniti aims 1-series rival at 'Pascale'

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 3
blogs
The Etherea concept (shown) previews Infiniti's new entry-premium model, which goes into production in the UK in 2015.
NICK GIBBS:  Infiniti knows who will be buying its BMW 1-series rival. "The target customer is a French lady called Pascale. She's 34 years old, living in London with an English guy who works in banking," Nissan global product planning boss Andy Palmer told Automotive News Europe.
Like other automakers, Nissan's luxury subsidiary ...
     Continue reading "Infiniti aims 1-series rival at 'Pascale' " » Apr 3, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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BMW, Audi show off rival visions

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 2
blogs Luca Ciferri is Editor of Automotive News Europe.
 
The escalating rivalry among Germany's premium automakers was fully on show at the annual financial results conferences of Audi and BMW.
Audi gave two strong messages to industry watchers and reporters at its event in Munich last month:
    • Audi is not just a single brand. It now oversees Volkswage ...
         Continue reading "BMW, Audi show off rival visions" » Apr 2, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    BMW needs to adapt its retirement policy to changing times

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 28
    blogs Luca Ciferri is Editor of Automotive News Europe.
    		 
    BMW plans to raise the mandatory retirement age for its top management to 62 from 60 but the company isn't going far enough if it wants to keep the expertise of long-serving executives.
    BMW is making the change because the company risks losing managers with crucial skills, CEO Norbert Reithofer said on the sidelines of the co ...
         Continue reading "BMW needs to adapt its retirement policy to changing times" » Mar 28, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    Good outweighs bad in Renault Zoe EV

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 18
    blogs
    The Renault Zoe starts at 13,700 euros in France after a 7,000-euro government subsidy. Customers must also pay at least 79 euros a month to rent the battery.
    BRUCE GAIN:  The good things about the Renault Zoe electric car – it's quiet, comfortable and affordable – outweigh the bad, especially for people who drive short distances everyday and have a way to charge the battery at work and home. Those positives could be enough to make it the best-selling EV in Europe by the end of this year.
    ...
         Continue reading "Good outweighs bad in Renault Zoe EV" » Mar 18, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    Design message from Geneva: Bye-bye classic sedan

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 12
    blogs
    The BMW 3-series GT has a big tailgate rather than a traditional trunk.
    :  The Geneva auto show signaled that the classic four-door, three-box sedan with a true trunk is out of fashion, particularly in Europe. Two examples of this trend come from automakers with long traditions of sedan making: BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
    The BMW 3-series GT and the Mercedes CLA, both of which debuted in Geneva, still ha ...
         Continue reading "Design message from Geneva: Bye-bye classic sedan" » Mar 12, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    LaFerrari and Golf were Geneva Web winners

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 11
    blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
    		 
    Ferrari's new supercar and Volkswagen's award-winning top seller were the big Web winners from this year's Geneva auto show, according to a study.
    The seventh-generation VW Golf was the media champion of the show because of the debut of the GTI version of the compact as well as the car's recent victory in the 2013 European Ca ...
         Continue reading "LaFerrari and Golf were Geneva Web winners" » Mar 11, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    A brand's coming-out party in Geneva

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 7
    blogs
    The Qoros 3 sedan has a long wheelbase, short overhangs and a coupe-like silhouette.
    GABE NELSON:  GENEVA -- People could argue all day about the most important debut at the Geneva auto show.
    Despite the glitz and glamour of models such as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Ferrari LaFerrari, Lamborghini Veneno and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible, the most meaningful debut may have been by an entire brand: Qoros.
    Continue reading "A brand's coming-out party in Geneva" » Mar 7, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    EcoSport shows flaw in Ford's global design policy

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 6
    blogs
    Ford admits European buyers might not like the spare wheel attached to the rear of the EcoSport.
    NICK GIBBS:  Ford is downplaying sales expectations of the EcoSport subcompact SUV in Europe because the vehicle was designed with emerging markets in mind.
    The European EcoSport unveiled at the Geneva auto show keeps the same robust format as the original car designed by Ford's design team in South America, complete with a rear-mounted s ...
         Continue reading "EcoSport shows flaw in Ford's global design policy" » Mar 6, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    Honda shows its European side

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 6
    blogs
    The Honda Civic Tourer concept has a low, wide stance, a cab-forward design and a "floating roof."
    DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC:  Honda is showing its European side with the Civic Tourer concept for a station wagon. The car was designed by a German specifically for Europe with the aim of being sleeker than BMW's wagons without sacrificing on functionality.
    "If you look at the 3-series wagon, I think we pushed the design a bit further than that. I hope t ...
         Continue reading "Honda shows its European side" » Mar 6, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    The LaFerrari is a Ferrari first

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 6
    blogs Luca Ciferri is Editor of Automotive News Europe.
    		 
    The new LaFerrari supercar is the first model entirely designed by the company's internal styling center and it looks like more in-house products will follow, but Ferrari's boss says that is not a bad sign for longtime partner Pininfarina.
    Ferrari has relied on Italy's Pininfarina to design nearly all its production cars sinc ...
         Continue reading "The LaFerrari is a Ferrari first" » Mar 6, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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    For Ghosn, just another impressive day in the media glare

    Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, March 6
    blogs
    Carlos Ghosn meeting with journalists from around the world today. Nothing establishes a CEO's bona fides like demonstrating complete command of the details of a far-flung organization.
    DAVE GUILFORD:  GENEVA -- For several years at major auto shows, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has invited media to freewheeling Q&A sessions. Ghosn continued the tradition here today in an unscripted, open-ended session with about 75 international journalists.
    No opening statement. No press release. Just plunge right in.
    Continue reading "For Ghosn, just another impressive day in the media glare" » Mar 6, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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