Renault-Nissan parts warehouse in India nearly destroyed by fire

May 10, 2013 06:01 CET
A major warehouse supplying parts to a Renault-Nissan plant in India was almost destroyed by fire early on Thursday, but the incident is unlikely to affect alliance operations in the country, Nissan said today.... Read More »

 

Nissan Q4 profit jumps 46%

May 10, 2013 10:54 CET
Nissan today reported a 46.1 percent rise in its quarterly net profit to 110 billion yen ($1.11 billion).... Read More »

 

Infiniti names veteran powertrain engineer as head product planner

May 10, 2013 06:01 CET
Infiniti has named powertrain specialist Toshihiro Hirai as global head of product planning as it tries to strengthen the marque's identity.... Read More »

 

In boon for Japan's automakers, yen tumbles over milestone

10:21 pm U.S. ET | May 9, 2013
Toyota's half-decade of fighting the yen is over, at least for now. The weakening yen breached 100 against the dollar in U.S. trading on Thursday, paving the way for Japanese automakers to emerge from an unprecedented stretch where the currency's appreciation roiled their ability to sell cars overseas at a profit.... Read More »

 

Renault-Nissan parts warehouse in India nearly destroyed by fire

3:48 pm U.S. ET | May 9, 2013
A major warehouse supplying parts to a Nissan-Renault alliance plant in India was almost destroyed by fire early today, a Nissan spokeswoman said, possibly affecting production at the plant that makes 400,000 vehicles a year.... Read More »

 

Infiniti names veteran powertrain engineer as head product planner

2:27 pm U.S. ET | May 9, 2013
Infiniti has named powertrain specialist Toshihiro Hirai as global head of product planning as it tries to strengthen the marque's identity.... Read More »

 

Volkswagen recalls 91,000 cars in Japan on transmission problems

May 9, 2013 12:02 CET
Volkswagen said today that it is recalling around 91,000 cars in Japan, citing potential transmission problems that have already led to the recall of 384,181 vehicles in China.... Read More »

 

Mazda names production chief Kogai next CEO

May 9, 2013 06:01 CET
Mazda has appointed Masamichi Kogai its next CEO. The production and purchasing specialist replaces Takashi Yamanouchi, who led the carmaker to its first annual profit in five years. The promotion takes effect pending approval at the Japanese company's June 25 annual shareholders' meeting, Mazda said in a statement.... Read More »

 

China passenger-vehicle sales rise 13% in April

May 9, 2013 08:49 CET
China's passenger-vehicle sales rose 13 percent in April on rising demand for new models in the world's biggest vehicle market.... Read More »

 

BMW under inspection in India after report of tax probe

May 9, 2013 06:01 CET
BMW has said it is cooperating with Indian authorities after a newspaper reported the automaker is being investigated for possibly owing $120 million in taxes.... Read More »

 

Mazda names production chief Kogai next CEO

10:57 pm U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
Mazda has appointed Masamichi Kogai its next CEO. The production and purchasing specialist replaces Takashi Yamanouchi, who led the carmaker to its first annual profit in five years. The promotion takes effect pending approval at the Japanese company's June 25 annual shareholders' meeting, Mazda said in a May 9 statement.... Read More »

 

GM wins approval to build $1.3 billion Cadillac plant in China

9:00 am U.S. ET | May 7, 2013
General Motors, the largest foreign automaker in China, said it won regulatory approval to build a Cadillac factory to boost sales of luxury vehicles in the world’s biggest automobile market.... Read More »

 

GM to discuss labor woes with S. Korea president, union rep says

May 7, 2013 14:29 CET
GM will discuss labor woes in South Korea with the country's president, the automaker's CEO was quoted as saying by its Korean union, a move that could complicate already troubled relations with its work force in the country. GM makes most of the Chevrolet vehicles it sells in Europe in Korea.... Read More »

 

Audi April sales up 7% on China, U.S.

May 7, 2013 13:42 CET
Audi sales rose 7 percent in April to 133,500 vehicles on strong demand in China and the United States, pushing four-month sales to 503,000. It is the first time that Audi has topped a half million deliveries in just four months, the automaker said Tuesday.... Read More »

 

Toyota to post around $13 billion annual operating profit, report says

9:45 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Toyota is expected to post operating profit of more than $13 billion for the year ended March, significantly more than what has been forecasted, the Nikkei business daily reported today.... Read More »

 

GM to invest about $16 billion in U.S. market by 2016

10:04 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
GM is planning to invest about $16 billion on U.S. factories and facilities through 2016, more than it will spend in China, the company said.... Read More »

 

GM China April sales rise 15% as Toyota struggles

6:19 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
General Motors reported sales growth in China accelerated last month while Toyota's sales continued to lag. GM sales climbed 15 percent to 261,870 units in April, according to figures released today by the carmaker. Toyota reported sales fell 6.5 percent to 76,400 units, the ninth drop in 10 months.... Read More »

 

Mercedes brand sales rise 12% in April on Asia, Europe

May 6, 2013 13:17 CET
Daimler said vehicle sales of its Mercedes brand rose 11.7 percent last month, powered by double-digit gains in Asia and Europe.... Read More »

 

AKIO TAKES THE WHEEL

Toyota's car-buff president makes Lexus his pet project

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
By Akio Toyoda's own admission, his beloved Lexus luxury brand has a big problem. Unlike its German rivals, Lexus has no heritage, no narrative. Now the Toyota Motor Corp. president is investing himself personally in the brand by taking direct control of all things Lexus.... Read More »

 

Dreary HQ city is a handicap in global glitz plan

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Lexus Group was rechristened Lexus International in June 2012 in an effort to lend an air of worldwide reach and urbane globalism. Despite efforts to internationalize the brand, there is still one big hurdle: The limited allure of the company's bland industrial hometown of Toyota City.... Read More »

 

In China, car deliveries are reasons to celebrate

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
HONGQING, China -- When Xiu He Ping and his family took delivery of their shiny blue Ford Focus last month at An Fu Ford in Hongqing, China, they walked into a special courtyard where a half-dozen new cars sat, each with a shiny, red bow draped across its hood. Suddenly, cannons shot shimmering confetti into the air. Dealership employees gathered to applaud.... Read More »

 

First-time car buyers are driving China market growth

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
The thrill of new-car ownership may be largely gone in the United States, where young consumers can be enamored of smartphones and iPads. But new-car excitement is very much alive and well here in China, the world's largest car market.... Read More »

 

U.S. output of the Prius is on hold

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Once considered a sure bet for U.S. production, the Toyota Prius is now on indefinite hold for assembly here, said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota's North American region.... Read More »

 

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Mercedes' China dealers get a trip to the woodshed

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Struggling to keep pace with BMW and Audi in China, Mercedes-Benz has taken dealers in that country to task. In a strongly worded letter, Daimler China sales chief Nicholas Speeks accused them of laziness and threatened consequences.... Read More »

 

Ford sees Thai operations as export hub for southeast Asia

6:34 pm U.S. ET | May 5, 2013
Ford's factories in Thailand are capable of producing eight times more vehicles than it sells. With help from a Thai government program, the automaker plans to make sure the excess capacity doesn't become a liability like at its plants in Europe.... Read More »