Audi's new Mexico SUV plant aimed at unseating BMWMay 3, 2013 06:01 CET  Audi executives plan to break ground on a $1.3 billion factory in Mexico with a capacity of some 150,000 cars a year. The plant will be instrumental in Audi's push to topple BMW as the world's No. 1-selling premium automaker.... Read More »
Audi and Cadillac target young Chinese buyersMay 3, 2013 06:01 CET Audi is fueling its growth in China with a range of less pricey compact crossovers and sedans -- such as the A3 sedan introduced this month in Shanghai -- to expand its appeal to retail customers.... Read More »
Audi sticks with medium-term margin outlookApril 30, 2013 14:04 CET  Audi will stick with its outlook for a medium-term operating margin of 8-10 percent after it reported an easing of the first-quarter margin to 11.1 percent from 11.4 percent the year before.... Read More »
VW brand bears brunt of Europe slump as Q1 profit halvesApril 29, 2013 11:49 CET  First-quarter profit at Volkswagen Group's core brand almost halved as automakers in Europe battle the region's protracted slump in demand with deeper discounts.... Read More »
West is best for growth in China sales, output 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013  Automakers, urged on by China's national and local governments, are eager to expand in the markets of central and western China. Future growth will be in the hinterland, auto executives interviewed during this month's Shanghai auto show agreed.... Read More »
SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW Audi and Caddy target young Chinese buyers 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013 More retail owners of luxury cars in China drive their own vehicles, so automakers give more attention to driving performance, cockpit design and front-seat amenities.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Why even a weak China is good news for European automakers 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 24, 2013  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.... Read More »
Mercedes, BMW, Audi chase young, female, frugal customers in IndiaApril 23, 2013 12:11 CET  In an effort to raise stuttering sales in India that far lag emerging Asian rival China, Mercedes, Audi and BMW are targeting young and female buyers outside the ultra-rich classes with small locally made cars.... Read More »
2013 SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW BMW, Daimler, JLR expect higher China sales to offset weak EuropeApril 20, 2013 08:36 CET European luxury brands count on continued growth in China to offset slumping demand in their home markets. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said Europe faces long stagnation but an expanding Chinese market will boost premium automakers.... Read More »
VW, BMW, Daimler plan $25 billion hedge by building more autos abroadApril 16, 2013 08:34 CET  Volkswagen and its German peers are planning to spend more than $25 billion by 2017 to expand production outside their home region and insulate themselves from currency convulsions.... Read More »
Plans for a Mercedes subcompact are a risk for DaimlerApril 15, 2013 20:19 CET Daimler could follow its German competitors into the market for premium subcompact cars but it will have to keep its costs down and volumes up to make money off any future Mercedes.... Read More »
SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW PREVIEW A bevy of crossovers and SUVs will take center stage at China's auto extravaganza 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 15, 2013  Automakers will test China's huge appetite for crossovers and SUVs with introductions this week at the Shanghai auto show. Acura, BMW, Citroen, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen plan world debuts for compact crossovers, while Jeep -- which arguably started the SUV craze -- will roll out its new Cherokee.... Read More »
Mercedes counts on CLA to regain luxury crownApril 13, 2013 06:01 CET  Daimler's effort to reclaim the crown of world's largest luxury carmaker is looking a lot like the 1980s with the Mercedes CLA compact that harkens back to the 190 'Baby Benz' sedan. The new model is designed to broaden the brand's appeal, especially in the United States and China.... Read More »
SALES BMW widens luxury-car lead over Audi as Mercedes gains momentumApril 9, 2013 13:15 CET  BMW widened its luxury-auto sales lead over Audi last month on demand for the 3-series sedan and X1 SUV, while the Mercedes brand gained momentum with new small cars.... Read More »
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE CONGRESS How to prosper during tough timesApril 8, 2013 06:01 CET With sales slowing and government debt a growing crisis, the European auto industry is in for a rough ride over the next few years. What are the solutions? Which companies will emerge as winners? The 16th Automotive News Europe Congress will explore answers to those questions on June 12 in Paris.... Read More »
VW patriarch Piech's wife up for election to Audi boardApril 8, 2013 18:18 CET  Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech's wife looks set to join the supervisory board of Audi in a move by the controlling Piech-Porsche family to solidify its sway over Europe's biggest carmaker.... Read More »
SALES Audi sets March and first-quarter sales recordsApril 8, 2013 11:16 CET  Audi said today it increased global vehicle sales 3 percent in March to a record 147,700 because of strong demand for its SUVs. The Volkswagen Group subsidiary finished the first-quarter will an all-time high of 369,500 sales, up 6.8 percent on the year-ago period.... Read More »
Kia eyes BMW, Audi; aims to add technologyApril 5, 2013 06:01 CET  Not only is Kia benchmarking BMW and Audi; it is crawling out of the shadow of its bigger corporate sibling, Hyundai. Its new goal: model its own brand identity after Volkswagen's as it seeks to be mass-market yet one notch above the pack in terms of quality and flair.... Read More »
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE Audi CEO Stadler counts on SUVs to topple BMW as luxury leaderApril 3, 2013 06:01 CET  Audi already knows how it feels to be global No. 1 in premium-car sales. The brand led in that category in January before falling back to second place behind BMW in February. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler plans on get back to the top and stay there by 2020 or sooner.... Read More »
SALES BMW's March advance trims Mercedes lead in U.S. luxury raceApril 3, 2013 06:01 CET  BMW reported a 13 percent U.S. sales increase in March, cutting into the luxury-auto lead of Mercedes as both brands set records for the month.... Read More »
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE Race for luxury lead heats upApril 2, 2013 06:01 CET  Audi and Mercedes are both vying to be the world's No. 1 luxury brand as the race heats up to topple BMW from the top position. The three premium giants not only want to lead with the most sales, but also in profitability and with the desirability of their products.... Read More »
BMW's March advance trims Mercedes lead in U.S. luxury race 3:03 pm U.S. ET | April 2, 2013  BMW AG reported a 13 percent U.S. sales increase in March, cutting into the luxury-auto lead of Mercedes-Benz as both brands set records for the month.... Read More »
MIKE COLIAS Cadillac tries to overcome walk-on status 10:01 am U.S. ET | April 2, 2013  When I was in college, I walked onto the football team. It didn't take long for me to grasp a cold reality: To get the coaches' attention, I had to be better than the scholarship players. That's where Cadillac is today in its quest to play on the same field with the German luxury brands.... Read More »
German automakers face trade probe in KoreaApril 2, 2013 12:18 CET Four German automakers have been raided by South Korea's Fair Trade Commission on suspicion of price fixing and collusion, the importers' association says. The authorities hit BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volkswagen just a month after the combined market share for non-Korean automakers topped 10 percent for the first time, following recent free-trade pacts.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI BMW, Audi show off rival visions 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 2, 2013  The escalating rivalry among Germany's premium automakers was fully on show at the annual financial results conferences of Audi and BMW.... Read More »
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