Luca CiferriLUCA CIFERRI Italy's sales decline takes us back to 1979 12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 10, 2013  Italy car sales last year fell 20 percent to 1.4 million units, the country's worst result in 33 years. Back then, domestic automakers had a dominating 61.7 percent share of the market, in 2012 they controlled just 29.7 percent.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Getting to know Dacia 12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 2, 2013  Until last year, I had not driven a modern Dacia model nor felt any compelling reason to do so. However, the huge sales success of the Duster SUV encouraged me to try one of the models made by Renault's low-cost subsidiary.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The end is near for the French flagship sedan 6:00 am U.S. ET | Dec. 12, 2012  France will no longer have a domestically produced flagship when output of the Citroen C6 ends later this month. The C6's demise marks the end of an era in France that reached its pinnacle in the 1950s. That was when the first Citroen DS sedan arrived.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The end is near for the French flagship sedan 6:00 am U.S. ET | Dec. 12, 2012  France will no longer have a domestically produced flagship when output of the Citroen C6 ends later this month. The C6's demise marks the end of an era in France that reached its pinnacle in the 1950s. That was when the first Citroen DS sedan arrived.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Suddenly, everything looks like a BMW X1 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 10, 2012  At last month's Los Angeles Auto Show it seemed that BMW X1s were everywhere. A cute blue vehicle I passed looked just like an X1 compact crossover. Actually, it was a Mazda CX-5. On the Toyota stand, there was a concept for the new RAV4. I thought I was seeing things again Luca Ciferri is editor-in-chief for Automotive News Europe.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Expect another number surprise from BMW 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 6, 2012  BMW is expanding the numbering system it uses to identify its models. The 4 series will launch next year, but we can expect another new number.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Expect another number surprise from BMW 12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 6, 2012  BMW is expanding the numbering system it uses to identify its models. The 4 series will launch next year but we can expect another new number.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI In LA, SUVs take inspiration from BMW 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 29, 2012  At this year's Los Angeles auto show, it seems that BMW X1s are everywhere. A cute blue vehicle I passed looked just like an X1 SUV. Actually, it was a Mazda CX-5 that resembled an X1 from the side, but had a nose and tail different than the X1.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI In LA, SUVs take inspiration from BMW 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 29, 2012  At this year's Los Angeles auto show, it seems that BMW X1s are everywhere. A cute blue vehicle I passed looked just like an X1 SUV. Actually, it was a Mazda CX-5 that resembled an X1 from the side, but had a nose and tail different than the X1.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The not so prophetic story of the Fiat 500L 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 28, 2012  The Fiat 500L small minivan, which has its North American debut today at the Los Angeles auto show, is built in Serbia in a factory that once produced Yugo cars. Unusually for a car-manufacturing nation, only 1 percent of the production will be sold at home. The rest will go to other parts of Europe and to global markets including the United States.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The not so prophetic story of the Fiat 500L 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 28, 2012  The Fiat 500L small minivan, which has its North American debut today at the Los Angeles auto show, is built in Serbia in a factory that once produced Yugo cars. Unusually for a car-manufacturing nation, only 1 percent of the production will be sold at home. The rest will go to other parts of Europe and to global markets including the United States.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Time is running out for Alfa 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 19, 2012  Alfa Romeo has been a never-ending headache for Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. Fiat's sports car subsidiary remains a Rubik's Cube that the workaholic CEO can't seem to solve Luca Ciferri is the editor-in-chief of Automotive News Europe.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Why this is Alfa Romeo's last chance 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 13, 2012  Alfa Romeo has been a never-ending headache for Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. After seven years and two relaunches, Fiat's sports car subsidiary remains a Rubik's Cube that the workaholic CEO just can't seem to solve.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Alfa Romeo's last chance 12:01 am U.S. ET | Nov. 13, 2012  Alfa Romeo has been a never-ending headache for Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. After seven years and two relaunches, Fiat's sports car subsidiary remains a Rubik's Cube that the workaholic CEO just can't seem to solve.... Read More »
Panamera wagon ranks among 10 most significant designs from Paris auto show 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 24, 2012  The gloomy European market outlook and a worsening price war were the dominant topics of discussion at last month's Paris auto show, but the Mondial de l'Automobile also delivered a number of significant new products.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI A merged Opel-PSA could be a catalyst for reform of Europe's auto industry 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 15, 2012  General Motors and PSA are mulling a joint venture of Opel/Vauxhall and PSA's core auto manufacturing arm, according to media reports. If the plan goes ahead, it could be a catalyst for wide-reaching structural reform in Europe's ailing auto industry.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI A merged Opel-PSA could be a catalyst for reform of Europe's auto industry 12:01 am U.S. ET | Oct. 15, 2012  GM and PSA are mulling a joint venture of Opel/Vauxhall and PSA's core auto manufacturing arm, according to media reports. If the plan goes ahead, it could be a catalyst for wide-reaching structural reform in Europe's ailing auto industry.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI How VW made the Golf sexier 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 5, 2012  VW used some clever tricks to make the seventh-generation Golf longer, wider and sexier than its predecessor. VW did this by lowering the car's roofline and its floorpan just over an inch (28 millimeters) without affecting the Golf's vertical headroom.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI How VW made the Golf sexier 12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 5, 2012  VW used some clever tricks to make the seventh-generation Golf longer, wider and sexier than its predecessor. VW did this by lowering the car's roofline and its floorpan 28mm without affecting the Golf's vertical headroom.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Why retired Ford exec Lewis Booth could be Europe's 'car czar' 12:01 am U.S. ET | July 13, 2012  Europe needs a "car czar" to solve its problems and Lewis Booth is the right man for the job.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI New title for Lewis Booth: Europe 'car czar' 12:01 am U.S. ET | July 12, 2012  Europe needs a "car czar" to solve its problems and Lewis Booth is the right man for the job.... Read More »
Fiat announces pricing but no sales targets for 500L minivanJuly 6, 2012 12:05 CET  Fiat says prices for the 500L minivan will start at 15,550 euros in Europe, but declined to give any sales targets for the new model.... Read More »
Marchionne sees weak Europe sales for another 2 to 3 yearsJuly 4, 2012 11:18 CET  Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne predicts the European market will remain weak for another two to three years.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The other Sergio Pininfarina 12:01 am U.S. ET | July 3, 2012  Sergio Pininfarina, who has died at the age of 85, was a visionary who created some of the most beautiful automotive designs ever seen. But there was another side to Sergio. He was a politician who fought tirelessly for his dream of a strong united Europe, long before the EU was created.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The other Sergio Pininfarina 12:01 am U.S. ET | July 3, 2012  Sergio Pininfarina, who has died at the age of 85, was a visionary who created some of the most beautiful automotive designs ever seen. But there was another side to Sergio. He was a politician who fought tirelessly for his dream of a strong united Europe, long before the EU was created.... Read More »
|
