Auto News 5

Johnson Controls is to invest US$118m to build a third automotive battery plant in China in Chongqing adding to the company's existing plants in Shanghai and Changxing. Full story...

A controversial figure on the Continental supervisory board - lawyer Rolf Koerfer - is stepping down after months of pressure over his role as a top legal adviser to major shareholder Schaeffler. In a joint statement issued with the Schaeffler family, Koerfer said he would discuss with chairman Wolfgang Reitzle exactly when he would leave the board. Full story...

Saab Automobile aims to start selling cars in China, Russia, Brazil and Mexico in the first half of next year, its sales chief said in an interview. Full story...

Climate controlled seat maker Amerigon has opened a technical support office in Augsburg, Germany, to provide design services, product development, application engineering and prototype builds to support sales to European automakers. Full story...

Sales of new imported vehicles in Japan, including those made by Japanese automakers overseas, rose 34.7% in the first half of the fiscal year ending next March. Full story...

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: I had strong feelings for the Mazda 2 when I went on the first drive event up in Montreal a few months ago, and my night driving one around the mean streets of metro Detroit only helped solidify those otherwise... Full story...

General Motors is to voluntarily recall 3,996 Cadillac SRX crossovers from the 2010 model year for possible damage to the power steering line. Full story...

Car sales in Western Europe fell by 10.4% in September according to data released by JD Power Automotive Forecasting. Full story...

Mini's new Countryman crossover will start at $22,350, only $550 more than the three-door Clubman wagon. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp., aiming to restore customer trust after a recall crisis, is launching two new U.S. service plans that will come standard with Toyota and Scion brand vehicles. Full story...

India's luxury car market has already zoomed past the magic 10,000-unit mark in the first nine months of 2010 and industry insiders think the momentum will carry on into next year as well. Full story...

Volvo Cars is shaking up its manufacturing team ahead of its launch of car production in China. Lars Danielson, who currently manages Volvo's main factory in Torslanda, Sweden, has been chosen to lead the automaker's new China production operation. Full story...

Car sales in western Europe fell 10.4 percent in September, according to J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting. The UK-based market researchers now expect a 6.4 percent decline in the region's car sales this year, followed by a 1. Full story...

Back in the day, waaaaay back in the day, in my far-off native New Zealand, the likes of Land Rover, and the then relatively rare Holden, Ford Falcon and Chrysler Valiant 'utes' (Antipodean-speak for the car-derived 'utility' or pickup truck variant originally developed by Ford Australia in the 1930s) were challenged in 1969 by an upstart newcomer - the Mazda B1500. If you'd told the 12-year-old me then that, 41 years hence, the B's successor potentially could soon be the world's top-selling single model, knocking big-brother Ford's F-series off its perch, I'd have just laughed. But it sure looks possible now. Full story...

Sales of the world's best-selling vehicle for 34 years - Ford's iconic North American F-series - could be overtaken by the Australian redesigned and engineered Ranger 'ute' that will be sold in 130 countries. Full story...

France is to extend availability of its so-called 'green loans' to low-carbon manufacturers into next year. Full story...

Toyota will introduce more hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric cars to boost U.S. sales. Full story...

Toyota will introduce more hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric cars and fuel-cell vehicles to boost U.S. sales. The automaker also will offer a 25,000-mile, two-year free maintenance deal on all Toyota and Scion-brand models. Full story...

Buoyed by the threat of the 1 October GST [sales tax] increase, and coupled with strong pre-summer tourist season rental vehicle sales, plus fleet catch-ups, September new passenger car registrations were 12.6% up year on year with commercial vehicles 13.3% ahead over the same period. Full story...

Geely has dampened speculation it is the bidder behind a potential takeover of GM's Opel plant in Antwerp. Full story...