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2013 NEW YORK AUTO SHOW Mitsubishi says new Mirage will get 40 mpg combined 2:06 pm U.S. ET | March 28, 2013  Mitsubishi Motors North America says its new Mirage minicar will get 40 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Mitsubishi estimates that the Mirage, which is roughly the size of a Chevrolet Spark, will get 37 mpg city/44 mpg highway when equipped with a continuously variable transmission.... Read More »
DAVE GUILFORD Why the next wave of Italians is important 12:56 pm U.S. ET | March 27, 2013  The next wave of Italians has arrived, as the wall at the Fiat stand here proclaims: The 500, 500c, 500e and 500L. You might argue there's only one Italian in U.S. Fiat stores -- the 500 -- and that until dealers get some more product, Fiat is extending the brand any which way it can. But there's another side to the proliferation of 500s.... Read More »
NEW PRODUCT Mitsubishi replaces Colt with smaller Space StarMarch 26, 2013 12:48 CET  Mitsubishi seeks to gain sales in the minicar segment in Europe with the launch of the Space Star, which replaces the Colt subcompact. The Space Star's retail price of 9,690 euros will help it gain share against rivals such as the Nissan Micra and the Fiat Panda, a Mitsubishi spokesman said.... Read More »
PRODUCTION Fiat, Serbia said to agree deal to build cheaper 500L for domestic marketMarch 26, 2013 11:15 CET  Fiat and Serbia have agreed on a subsidy deal to produce a cheaper version of the 500L minicar for domestic sales, a local newspaper reported. Under the agreement, Fiat's Serbian unit would produce the model for 10,900 euros ($14,200), which is around 3,000 euros less than its regular sticker price.... Read More »
PRODUCTION Volkswagen's Slovak factory doubles output on Up minicar launchMarch 21, 2013 13:34 CET  Volkswagen doubled output of its Slovak factory to a record level last year as the introduction of the Up minicar offset slowing demand for cars across Europe.... Read More »
2013 GENEVA AUTO SHOW Opel previews potential Fiat 500c rival with Adam Rocks conceptFeb. 18, 2013 13:12 CET  Opel's Adam Rocks concept may preview a potential rival to the Fiat 500c convertible. Adam Rocks is based on Opel's Adam minicar, which went into production in January.... Read More »
PSA-Toyota Czech car production falls 20% in 2012Jan. 29, 2013 10:27 CET TPCA, the Czech car assembly plant jointly owned by Toyota and PSA said production fell by a fifth to 215,000 vehicles in 2012 due to weak European demand. The plant, which employs 3,000 workers, makes the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 minicars.... Read More »
Renault to join fast-growing niche with CapturJan. 12, 2013 06:01 CET  Renault soon will join the fast-growing subcompact crossover segment with the Captur, which will debut at the Geneva auto show in March. Small crossover sales in Europe are forecast to more than double to 400,000 by 2015.... Read More »
Fiat bets on Italian elegance to challenge Nissan's LeafNov. 28, 2012 06:34 CET  Fiat Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne is no champion of electric vehicles. So even if he must produce one to appease California regulators, he won't mess with an Italian icon.... Read More »
Opel kills EV version of the Adam minicarNov. 8, 2012 06:01 CET  Opel has stopped development of a planned electric version of its new Adam minicar, citing high costs.... Read More »
HANS GREIMEL Will Toyota's new Insect generate buzz or be full of bugs? 10:27 am U.S. ET | Sept. 28, 2012  Toyota wants to generate some buzz with its latest concept vehicle, a micro electric car called the Smart Insect. The one-seat, gull-winged ride is supposed to embody all that is next-generation about on-board information technology.... Read More »
DAVE GUILFORD GM's Opel gets serious about minicars while the rain falls 2:46 pm U.S. ET | Sept. 26, 2012  Apparently the folks at Opel are accustomed to working through difficulties and distractions. Opel showed its Adam minicar on the eve of the Paris auto show, assembling journalists in the covered outdoor dining area of a restaurant next to the Centre Pompidou, with cars in the adjoining square. The presentation was punctuated by heavy rain.... Read More »
DAVE GUILFORD GM's Opel gets serious about minicars while the rain falls 2:46 pm U.S. ET | Sept. 26, 2012  Apparently the folks at Opel are accustomed to working through difficulties and distractions. Opel showed its Adam minicar on the eve of the Paris auto show, assembling journalists in the covered outdoor dining area of a restaurant next to the Centre Pompidou, with cars in the adjoining square. The presentation was punctuated by heavy rain.... Read More »
Toyota drops plans for widespread sales of EV minicar 7:34 am U.S. ET | Sept. 24, 2012  Toyota has scrapped plans for widespread sales of a new all-electric minicar, saying it had misread the market and the ability of still-emerging battery technology to meet consumer demands. Toyota said today it expected to have 21 hybrid gas-electric models like the Prius in its line-up by 2015. Of that total, 14 of the new hybrids will be all-new, the automaker said.... Read More »
VW Slovak output rockets in first half, close to 2011 volumeSept. 4, 2012 12:11 CET  Volkswagen said production in Slovakia soared in the first half of the year, almost outstripping output for the whole of 2011 following rising demand for its Up minicar model and strong output of SUVs.... Read More »
Fiat will continue to receive EU loan for Serbia plantAug. 31, 2012 15:01 CET  The European Investment Bank will continue disbursing a 500 million euro ($625 million) loan to Fiat for a new plant in Serbia, that builds the 500L minicar, even though the government there has slowed down investment pledged for the factory.... Read More »
Fiat agrees to rescheduled payments from Serbia for 500L plantAug. 30, 2012 12:36 CET  Serbia and Fiat have rescheduled payments by the cash-strapped Balkan country to the Italian carmaker for their joint car-plant venture, which produces the 500L mincar in the central city of Kragujevac.... Read More »
Chairman Tata seeks to revive flagging Nano sales following fire problemsAug. 22, 2012 06:01 CET  Ratan Tata, the chairman of Indian carmaker Tata Motors, says he intends to have another go at promoting the budget Nano minicar, after sales plunged following fires with at least three cars.... Read More »
Smart plans ForTwo successor in 2014Aug. 10, 2012 06:01 CET  Smart's sales have been rising since Mercedes-Benz took over the brand more than a year ago, but not fast enough. So the minicar brand will continue to tinker with new trims, wraps and accessories until its new vehicles begin to arrive in 2014.... Read More »
BMW gets brand into Olympic stadium with Mini Minis 3:20 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 9, 2012  BMW, one of the official sponsors of the London 2012 Olympics, has gotten its brand into the Olympic stadium -- which is supposed to be free of all commercial activity -- via a fleet of cute Mini Minis.... Read More »
Volkswagen profit growth slows on European market's slumpJuly 26, 2012 10:19 CET  Volkswagen Group reported slowing earnings growth as the impact of the sovereign debt crisis weighed on demand in its home region.... Read More »
VW's Slovak factory to halt output for 2 weeksJuly 26, 2012 06:01 CET  The Slovak unit of Volkswagen Group will halt production for two weeks starting July 30, spokesman Vladimir Machalik said. The unit will use the companywide vacation period for maintenance of production lines, he said.... Read More »
Fiat extends summer break at Panda plant by two weeksJuly 18, 2012 12:15 CET  Fiat will extend the summer break at its Pomigliano plant near Naples, which makes the Panda minicar, by two weeks to adjust output to rapidly falling demand in Europe.... 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 »
Hyundai to boost Czech plant output 20% on demand for new compactJune 15, 2012 06:01 CET  Hyundai will boost output 20 percent to 300,000 units this year at its plant in Nosovice, Czech Republic, to meet strong demand for its new i30 model line. The South Korean automaker started production of the i30 compact wagon today. When combined with a production doubling to 200,000 units at its plant in Izmit, Turkey, Hyundai will have capacity to make a half million cars in Europe by the end of 2013.... Read More »
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