Auto News 5

The new Volkswagen Golf has been awarded a maximum five-star rating by the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) crash test agency. Read more ...

Spanish unions have conducted a march through the streets of Barcelona Thursday (23 October) as a protest to plans by Nissan to axe 1,680 workers in Spain. Read more ...

Renault will lower production and inventory stocks in a bid to help its dealers weather the crisis impacting the European automotive industry. Read more ...

Nissan Motor is to initiate a large-scale community-based test of its Intelligent Transport System (ITS). The test hopes to integrate cellular communications with vehicle telematics to help prevent pedestrian-related accidents. Read more ...

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. is feeling a big bite from the imploding U.S. auto market. Read more ...

The Turkish government is considering steps to prop up the country's auto producers as the global economic crisis takes its toll on the sector. Read more ...

For the fifth consecutive month, new registrations of commercial vehicles in Europe have declined, according to figures from Brussels-based automotive association ACEA, with Western Europe driving the drop. Read more ...

Spartan Motors has reported a market-bucking third quarter with a nearly 60% year on year increase in revenue and a greater than five-fold increase in net earnings. Read more ...

Higher sales at the Indian tyre group Apollo Tyres were wiped out by a 40% rise in raw material costs in the company's second quarter, leading to a fall in net profits for the period. Read more ...

Hot 700bhp Lamborghini breaks cover... Read more ...

Fuyao Glass Industry Group has said it has been approached by several parties to acquire US auto glass assets, although China's largest automotive glass maker, has said it has no interest in buying. Read more ...

In part one of our special, we prove fast needn’t mean thirsty – as we enter UK’s best hot hatch in a fuel-sipping marathon Read more ...

Cummins India has reported a huge rise in sales for its most recent quarter, which led to a 41% rise in net profit before tax. Read more ...

Porsche said on Friday that Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech would fully back its plans to integrate VW more closely into its European holding. Read more ...

Magna Electronics has acquired the electric car systems group BluWav Systems. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read more ...

As a diversion from the doom 'n' gloom surrounding the auto industry, I have been enjoying the History Channel's new season of Ice Road Truckers in which brave people drive heavily-ladedn trucks across frozen Canadian Far North roads - in just the few weeks the winter season allows - rushing supplies to diamond mines and natural gas fields. The seasoned veterans call this the 'dash for the cash' (a year's salary can be made in under two months) and there's a parallel between that and the ongoing talks about auto industry consolidation this week. Read more ...

Brakes group WABCO Holdings has signed a letter of intent with GuangDong Fuwa Engineering Manufacturing to form a joint venture for production of air disc brakes in China. Read more ...

Caterhams snapped up. Read more ...

The Canadian Auto Workers union has said that it opposes in potential merger between General Motors and Chrysler. Read more ...

Russia is expected to see a considerable slowing of its car market in 2008, according to one senior executive. Read more ...