Auto News 5

General Motors, following US treasury autos task force directions, is close to a deal with the United Auto Workers that would cut its hourly labor costs by more than US$1bn a year, the Wall Street Journal has said, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Full story...

Spain will introduce its incentive scheme to boost cars sales on Monday, under a week after announcing it, giving regional governments, and carmakers who are expected to contribute, little time to prepare. Full story...

Volvo Cars boss Stephen Odell, turned down for loan guarantees by the Swedish government, has now asked the Flemish government to support the company's loan application to the European Investment Bank. Full story...

The Russian government's subsidies for interest rates on car loans were used in only 2.9% of new car sales in April. Full story...

It is too early to determine if the potential buyers of struggling Saab Automobile have met all the criteria for becoming a new owner, Sweden's enterprise minister Maud Olofsson has said. Full story...

General Motors is likely to follow Chrysler and make a quick sale of its best assets to a new operating company if it files for bankruptcy on 1 June, the automaker has said in a regulatory filing. Full story...

It's party time at Ford, and the Fiesta is getting all glammed up! In a sensational world first scoop, Auto Express magazine can reveal the wild new look of the blue oval's best-selling supermini. And one thing is clear: it's going to be the manufacturer's most striking small model since the launch of the Ka.

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French tire manufacturer Michelin has no short-term plans for a capital increase and will continue to focus on cash and stock management amid the industry crisis, executives said on Friday. Full story...

Both Volkswagen and PSA Peugeot Citroen will soon start selling cars built at their new plants in the Kaluga region of Russia, the companies told an investment forum in the city. Full story...

A man lost EUR23,000 (GBP20,594) to the wind when an envelope containing the money he had stored in the passenger seat pocket of his convertible blew away during a test drive in northern Germany. Full story...

Seating and electronic/electrical equipment supplier Lear Corporation has booked a first quarter 2009 pretax loss of $257.1m, including restructuring costs and other special items of $121.2m on net sales of $2.2bn, down 44% year on year. Full story...

Here is the car Ford said it would never make...

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A new package of hi-tech kit is being offered on a limited number of Ford Fiestas. More than £800 worth of lifestyle gear is available in only 2,500 Freedom models (image).


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The Fiesta was Ford's first 'supermini' hatchback and also its most compact car ever. However, it wasn't Ford's first hatchback (that was the Capri), nor its first front-drive car (Taunus 12M).

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No one builds hot hatches like Ford... From the original Fiesta XR2 of 1981 to the brand new ST, the company has put a nation of young drivers behind the wheel of their first performance car. The firm's sporting superminis are legendary for their compact dimensions, gutsy four-cylinder engines and back-to-basics driving thrills, and anyone wanting to get a better feel for the character of the next evolution of Ford's fastest Fiesta could do worse than look to the past.

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Prices for Ford's hot Fiesta models have been announced. The 99bhp 1.6-litre Zetec S is available for £11,595, while the 1.6-litre TDCi diesel is £12,495. Both come with deeper bumpers, a mesh grille and sports seats.



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Faster Fiesta prices, online commuting tips, bargain G-Wiz....and more.

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The hot hatch heritage of Renault is already impressive, but another chapter is about to open with the launch of a new ultra-hot Clio. Following in the tyre tracks of performance models such as the 5 GT Turbo and the Clio 182, an even quicker model is being developed. It will be the car's swansong and will go on sale later in the year, before an all-new Clio is launched.

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We knew Renault's new Clio would be a supermini - but we weren't expecting it to be this small. An exclusive picture in this week's magazine reveals exactly how the newcomer will look when it goes on sale at the end of this year - but the image is of a 1/43 scale model!

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Auto Express has doubled-up! Exclusive pictures of the new Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa in this week's mag reveal how two of the UK's most popular superminis will look when they hit showrooms over the coming months.

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