Auto News 5

Despite a currency exchange hit and falling auto sales that dropped third quarter revenue 11.5% to JPY 2,240.7bn, Honda boosted fiscal third quarter operating income to JPY176.9bn after reducing costs across the board. Full story...

Korea-based automotive components firm Mando has applied to have its shares listed on the Seoul main bourse. Full story...

Polish firm Marotti have announced production has begun of their three-wheeled supercar

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Latest figures from French auto manufacturers show a sharp rise in January registrations, although forecasts for the second half of 2010 look less easy to predict. Full story...

A brief guide to the problem with Toyota accelerator pedals on certain models that have resulted in an unprecedented global recall. Full story...

Hyundai Motor sales in South Korea last month rose about 50% to 269,841 from 179,385 a year before. Exports were 59,774 versus 35,396. Full story...

Ever mindful that year on year comparisons are now firmly with the post-credit crunch era, US light vehicle sales, adjusted for selling days, were up a healthy 15.1% to 695,707 units last month. In Detroit, Ford added to the we-didn't-need-a-bailout glow by trouncing its rivals with a 35.6% gain to 114,626. GM topped the domestic maker unit count at 146,343, up 23.6%, and Chrysler was off 0.9% to 56,479. Full story...

International Automotive Components Group (IAC) has announced that it has acquired flooring & acoustics supplier Stankiewicz International Corporation, a US subsidiary of Gimotive GmbH. Full story...

Honda Motor is contacting owners of its second-generation City cars across the ASEAN region as part of the global recall of some 650,000 Fit/Jazz and City models due to faulty window switches. Full story...

The redesigned Kia Sportage will make its world debut at the Geneva motor show on 2 March. Full story...

New soft-roader from Korean firm set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show

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As one of the most-watched TV programs of the year, the Super Bowl is the ideal environment to prominently draw attention to Honda's all-new Accord Crosstour. Airing during the fourth quarter, the 30-second spot features an animated squirrel with an insatiable appetite for "squirreling away" all things cargo, set to the tune of "Funky Stuff" by Kool & The Gang. Full story...

For sports fans who want to get the most out of their Super Bowl XLIV viewing experience...it's Bridgestone or nothing. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) will unveil two new Bridgestone brand tire commercials during the game, which will be broadcast on CBS Feb. 7 from Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Fla. The Bridgestone brand will also serve as the title sponsor of the Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show featuring the legendary rock band, THE WHO. Full story...

After years existing largely as a "nichey" carmaker with a tight circle of enthusiast owners, Subaru has decided to launch an assault on the mainstream sedan market. No longer content to exist as the 'All Wheel Drive' brand that some folks think is Australian, the recently-updated Legacy is heading up Subaru's mission. Full story...

Williams has played down speculation it may follow Force India's lead by giving its new test driver some track time during Friday practice sessions in 2010. Full story...

The all-new Kia Sportage makes its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on 2 March, 2010. Full story...

Richard Branson's Virgin Racing has launched its first Formula 1 car, the Cosworth-powered VR-01. Virgin is the first of the new four F1 teams to unveil its car. Full story...

In the beginning there was swapping paint in NASCAR. Now you've got swapping points. Full story...

Sam Michael has played down rumours that some teams are running low fuel this week to artificially promote the competitiveness of their 2010 cars. Full story...

Partnering with top-ranked national and international universities, the Ford "Atoms to Engines" team challenged skeptics to develop the world's first virtual materials modeling prediction tool that allows the team to simulate the microstructures of a material before the first prototype is built. Full story...