Design

CARS & CONCEPTS

Audi Q7 will shed weight

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
The redesigned Audi Q7 that debuts next summer in Europe will weigh about 800 pounds less than the current model, company insiders tell German sibling publication Automobilwoche.... Read More »

 

CARS & CONCEPTS

Albaisa leads Infiniti design

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Alfonso Albaisa, the Cuban-American designer who has led Nissan's worldwide passenger car design strategy for a year, has been named global design chief for Infiniti.... Read More »

 

'14 Silverado: More brawn, quieter ride

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Chevrolet packs more power and torque, better fuel economy and a much improved interior into the first redesign of its Silverado full-sized pickup in seven years.... Read More »

 

Ford's latest high-tech twist: Granddad's old-school knobs

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Co.'s president of the Americas, won't say directly how the company plans to fix its troubled MyFord Touch control system, which has hurt Ford's ratings in quality surveys. But here's a hint: knobs.... Read More »

 

Mercedes GLA concept previews compact crossover

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 22, 2013
Mercedes-Benz will enter the growing compact crossover segment next year with the GLA, a five-door that was scheduled to debut as a concept model at the Shanghai auto show this past weekend.... Read More »

 

Poll: Deal trumps tech for shopper

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
For all the effort automakers lavish on new sheet metal and technology, 79 percent of U.S. car shoppers would rather get a good deal on an older model than wait a few months for a redesign, according to a new survey.... Read More »

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Social media aid Visteon design

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013
Visteon Corp. is using social media-style software to share part designs with potential customers and employees, a process it says will help speed new products to market.... Read More »

 

Lexus plans rival to Q3, X1

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 8, 2013
Lexus plans to show a production-ready premium compact crossover to rival the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 at next year's Geneva auto show, a company source said.... Read More »

 

BMW expands 4-series lineup

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 8, 2013
The BMW X4 concept crossover with coupe styling debuts this month at the Shanghai auto show and will be built in Spartanburg, S.C.... Read More »

 

Panamera gets a plug-in hybrid

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 8, 2013
Porsche dealers will get their first plug-in hybrid to sell by the end of this year. The plug-in hybrid is part of the restyled -- and bigger -- Panamera family of sedans.... Read More »

 

Redone CTS pushes performance, design

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013
For the 2014 CTS sedan, Cadillac is following the same playbook it used for the ATS compact: push performance and design, and go right after German rivals.... Read More »

 

Durango: New lights, electronics, gearbox

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013
The 2014 Dodge Durango gets new interior electronics and exterior lights, as well as an eight-speed transmission.... Read More »

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Sports car story was short-sighted

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 11, 2013
I just read Automotive News' March 4 assessment of the future of the sports car market. Deciding that sports cars may be a dying breed based on a few years of data seems rather myopic.... Read More »

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Get more detail on J.D. Power studies

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 25, 2013
Regarding "Lexus again tops J.D. Power dependability study; Detroit 3 narrow gap," autonews.com, Feb. 13: The average reported in quality surveys shows the gradual (but over time substantial) improvement that is confirmed by casual observation of new and used cars. However, I am skeptical of the brand-level data.... Read More »

 

Grand Cherokee's diesel delivers

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 25, 2013
Jeep will begin selling the re-engineered 2014 Grand Cherokee in the United States this spring with an optional 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine that delivers 240 hp and 420 pounds-feet of torque.... Read More »

 

Forte offers better ride, upscale touches

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 18, 2013
Kia is banking on eye-catching looks, upscale features and major leaps in ride quality to give its redesigned 2014 Forte more of an edge in the cutthroat compact segment.... Read More »

 

Nissan will expand Nismo performance offerings

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11, 2013
Nissan wants a bigger presence in the United States for vehicle sports packages and plans to expand the role of its Nismo performance brand.... Read More »

 

Chrysler brand chief wants more nameplates

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4, 2013
Chrysler brand head Saad Chehab says he would like more nameplates for the Chrysler brand, but for now he's concentrating on a redesigned Chrysler 200 sedan, due next year on a Fiat platform.... Read More »

 

Maserati: 'Nothing to envy'

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4, 2013
Maserati's redesigned Quattroporte flagship, which debuted at the Detroit auto show last month, will be a credible alternative to premium flagship sedans from German carmakers, says CEO Harald Wester.... Read More »

 

1st Qoros model to debut in Geneva

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4, 2013
Qoros Auto Co., a joint venture between Chery Automobile Co. and Israeli investment company Israel Corp., will show its first production model along with two concepts at the Geneva auto show next month.... Read More »

 

Rolls: Wraith will rock

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4, 2013
Rolls-Royce's Wraith coupe, which debuts at the Geneva auto show next month, apparently will break some styling ground for the English luxury brand.... Read More »

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A nonintrusive warning is better

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 28, 2013
Regarding "NHTSA's backup-camera rules delayed" (autonews.com, Jan. 2): The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is half right on the issue of backup-camera rules. It would be better to have a nonintrusive ultrasonic sensor as the early-warning system for the driver.... Read More »

 

Honda concept sets off small-crossover buzz

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2013
With plans for a crossover based on the Fit subcompact in mid-2014, Honda is primed to have the first entry in a segment with intriguing prospects. And if the small-crossover category takes off, Honda could dominate it for years, judging by the wait-and-see attitude adopted by other automakers.... Read More »

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Detroit should have an auto showplace

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2013
It's time for Detroit to have an automotive showplace worthy of the Motor City. What better way to do that than with a site like the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany?... Read More »

 

How Honda hustled to redo Civic

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 7, 2013
Jay Guzowski was getting more nervous by the day. As senior product planner for the redesign of the 2012 Honda Civic, Guzowski was shepherding the compact car from design freeze to market. But as he listened to others around the American Honda conference table -- with a year to go before the car's on-sale date -- he heard a disturbing refrain: The upcoming Civic was not good enough.... Read More »