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News 31 Jan, 2013

The new SsangYong Rodius has been teased ahead of its Geneva debut

One of the most unusual press conferences at the recent Detroit Auto Show saw a broad coalition of the UAW labour body, civil rights activists, politicians, Baptist Ministers and the Hollywood actor, Danny Glover, gather to protest against what they claim is Nissan's reluctance to allow its Canton, Mississippi workers to unionise.

Videos 31 Jan, 2013

Watch this dog imitate the new VW Golf as part of a Dutch advertising campaign

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: I was looking forward to driving the

Daimler Trucks plans to increase sales this year despite the market downturn in Europe.

Volkswagen plans further temporary halts in Passat production in Germany because of weak demand in Europe.

General Motors will spend $200m at its global powertrain engineering headquarters to build a new 138,000 sq ft test wing, expected to be completed during the second half of 2014.

Honda Motor said it all but tripled operating profit for the fiscal third quarter ended 31 December, 2012 to JPY131.9bn yen. The 198% year on year rise was due to recovery from the impact of the Thai floods in 2011 and an increase in car sale, mainly in North America.

Daimler will sign a deal in Germany on Friday to take a 10 percent to 20 percent stake in Beijing Automotive Group's car unit, China's National Business Daily newspaper said on Thursday.

Honda cut its full-year profit forecast as lower sales in China and Europe overshadowed the benefits from the weaker yen. Net income will likely be 370 billion yen ($4.

Marussia F1 will unveil its MR02 on Tuesday morning, in Jerez' pitlane.

On the morning of the opening test day, Marussia will launch its first car entirely designed under a new technical structure, featuring Pat Symonds, using wind tunnel technology.

With Timo Glock's departure, the young Max Chilton is the only driver officially signed by Marussia for 2013.

The Brazilian Luiz Razia is reportedly strongly linked to the second seat, even his management say no decision has been made.

Photo: Marussia F1 Team

Thanks to Lincoln, this year's Super Bowl will feature the first-ever commercial written entirely through social media with consumers participating on Twitter.

Late-night TV host Jimmy Fallon, who's producing the commercial, asked his followers to tweet responses to his questions about road trips full of unexpected events -- all in 140 characters or less, obviously.

The best contributions were chosen from more than 6,000 tweets to write a script for the 30-second spot that will air during the third quarter. A longer 90-second version will be available on SteertheScript.com.

Ford's luxury division recently launched the all-new 2013 Lincoln MKZ and will add three more vehicles in the next four years.

Watch:

From press release

Scuderia Ferrari has reached a sponsorship agreement with Weichai Power, one of China's leading manufacturer of heavy powertrain system and machinery vehicles.

The agreement will last four years and will expire at the end of the 2016 sporting season.

Weichai Power, part of the Weichai Group, is the first Scuderia sponsor to come from China, where Ferrari has had a presence for over twenty years and which has become one of the main markets for Prancing Horse road cars.

From GMM

Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn has hinted that new reserve driver Robin Frijns will get a Friday practice outing this season.

Earlier this week, 21-year-old reigning Formula Renault 3.5 champion and Dutchman Frijns complained that he will "not have much to do" in 2013.

He had told Dutch magazine Formule1 that he is not required by his new Swiss employer for the forthcoming winter test period, and it "looks unlikely I will be used during the Friday practice sessions".

"And Sauber has no simulator so I can't gain experience in that way," added Frijns.

Robin Frijns aboard the Sauber C31 in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

Monisha Kaltenborn reacted to Frijn's comments by excusing his implied criticism.

"Robin is still young," she told the Swiss newspaper Blick, "so we should not place his every word on golden scales. He said what he said, but he is also irritated because he has not yet found a place in GP2 for this season."

"The development (programmes) for the young drivers is a real problem," Kaltenborn continued. "The best thing for each team would be to give every reserve driver at least one go on a Friday (practice session)."

A total of 20,598 Pontiac Vibe hatchbacks from 2003-2004 are being recalled due to a defect in the supplemental restraint system that could result in an inadvertent deployment of the front airbag(s) and/or seatbelt pretensioner(s).

If this occurs in a non-impact situation, the driver could be startled and possibly lose control of the car.

GM dealers will install an in-line jumper wiring harness to correct the issue.

Source: Transports Canada

DETROIT, Mi - Like a delicate blade of green grass pushing up through the dreary, grey January landscape, there was a spark of hopeful optimism during this year's Detroit Auto Show.

Since the economic meltdown of 2009, the NAIAS had gone from the "place to be" on the spectrum of auto shows to one with a dreary sense of impending doom filled with hostile media.

While the city itself is trying desperately to reinvent itself, promoting a vibrant artistic and musical culture, and with the refurbishment of areas like Brush Park with its glorious, post-Depression era mansions -- its commitment to urban renewal -- Detroit is once more feeling like the Motor City.

The vibe on the show floor was positively energetic. The fever pitch surrounding the Corvette C7 reveal reached near-frenzy, and didn't let up for the duration of the show. It was difficult to find an opportunity to photograph the car, so swarmed was it by clamouring media and Corvette admirers.

Photo: Nathan Leach-Proffer/Auto123.TV

Ford's press event was held in the Joe Louis stadium, and it was nearly filled to capacity. Of the 5,212 media reported to be at the show, probably 90% were at the unveiling of the Transit Connect Lineup and the introduction of their new Atlas pickup truck.

The coveted Car of the Year, and Truck of the Year trophies were awarded to the Cadillac ATS and Dodge Ram respectively -- both North American manufacturers.

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) has long been the pinnacle of the auto show circuit, and a barometer of how the industry itself is faring.

"It's clear that the industry is back and that the global manufacturers have saved their best for Detroit," said NAIAS Chairman, Jim Seavitt. "You walk on the show floor and immediately sense a renewed feeling of confidence in the auto industry."

It was an infectious feeling that quickly spread to all in attendance. Gone were the scowls of snarling media jostling for a seat at the press events. Instead, there were smiles and greetings, an atmosphere of congeniality and genuine excitement over some of the unveilings. Of the 59 vehicles introduced, nine were making their North American debut.

After several years on life support, it does appear that the auto industry is recovering and showing signs of vital health. Executives spoke of their rising sales numbers after the disastrous recession, and many were boasting of all-time record sales.

The buzz and clamour over the new Corvette, and exotic brands like Maserati and Bentley, as well as the lingering "oohs and ahs" over the newly revised NSX proves that the public is ready to embrace the luxury vehicles that took such a hit during the economic meltdown.

Welcome back Motor City, we've missed you.

The Formula 3 british championship will only feature four rounds of three races each this season.

The british championship is having hard times, following the economical crisis, but also the concurrency of the GP3 Series, and also the new European F3 championship launched this season by the FIA to replace the Euroseries championship.

After having announced a ten-rounds calendars few weeks ago, the british F3 championship organizers released a new calendar with four rounds only: Silverstone (25-26 May), Spa (25-27 July), Brands Hatch (10-11 August) and Nurburgring (21-22 September).

The F3 italian championship, which was run from 1964, has been already cancelled this season, the italian federation aiming to focus on the new Formula Abarth.

Photo: British Formula 3

Besides all the theatrical presentations at this year's Montreal International Auto Show (acrobats in skin-tight body suits, CEOs hiding in trunks and PR reps being “arrested” by the local law), something else was glaringly in-your-face as I marched the press-day circuit: Small have taken over.

This might not be news to some -- especially those who know anything about the European automotive scene -- however, in North America this is something of a big deal (ha ha). Small is the new big, and something we've been leaning towards for the better part of a decade now. And I am ecstatic that we are finally embracing these miniature vehicles because they are, in a word; fantastic.

As I moved from booth to booth at the Montreal International Auto Show, it seemed everyone had a “little” to show off, to prove they were in the game. Scion iQs were lifted to the rafters at the Toyota booth, on display for all to see; while a disco-ball smart fortwo overlooked the entire Mercedes-Benz display (SLS AMG, what?); even Chevy came out to play, displaying their Spark on a pedestal all on its own for the world to admire.

From the new Fiat 500 Abarth drop-top and 500L (yes, that would be L for a “long” wheelbase), to the Mitsuhishi “Mirage,” Kia Trax and the brand new MINI Paceman JCW (unveiled by the body-suit-wearing acrobats): the littles are coming.

And with good reason.

Photo: Colin Styker

Code green is on everyone's mind. What do I mean by that? Well, we all want to save the planet and keep money in our pockets. We want small, fuel efficient vehicles, but we also want to have fun behind the wheel. Enter the small-car phenomenon.

Really, since the smart fortwo hit our shores, we've slowly been making the transition. Remember the first time you saw one of those? How silly it looked? How dangerous? How cute? Now, it's a common occurence on our streets, even in the winter. Small cars make sense (not for everyone, true), and we're slowly waking up to the idea. From less money spent at the pumps to smaller costs overall, the miniature-vehicle movement is upon us.

Personally, I'm all over this trend. I'm a huge fan of small, nimble vehicles that pack personality and punch behind the wheel. Power-to-weight ratio is a fabulous game to play with smaller vehicles, and they are generally a blast to drive. Take, for example, the smart fortwo passion I drove a few short weeks ago; so much fun. Parking smaller vehicles is a breeze, as is driving on narrow city streets.

While I think this is a great trend for North Americans to adopt, I do foresee a slight issue: we live too large for the small-car lifestyle. Before we can fully embrace the world of two-seater microminis, we need to first downsize our way of life. Then, and only then, will we truly be a part of the itty-bitty, small-car committee.

From GMM

A notable absentee at the launch of McLaren's 2013 car on Thursday was technical director Paddy Lowe.

Ross Brawn confirmed recently that Lowe, initially in talks with Williams, had discussed a possible future move to Mercedes.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh told reporters at Woking, where the wraps were taken off the evolutionary MP4-28, that 50-year-old Briton Lowe is staying put for 2013.

"The future is less certain," he admitted.

As for why Lowe is sitting out the launch, Whitmarsh said the technical director made the decision himself, to save the team the "embarrassment" of facing up to the recent controversy on the eve of McLaren's fiftieth anniversary.

Paddy Lowe "doesn't want to be a distraction. At his own election he felt it was inappropriate to be here," Martin Whitmarsh said.

"He'll be part of the team for the rest of this year," he added.

Paddy Lowe. (Photo: McLaren)

McLaren has followed Ferrari's lead by switching to a novel 'pull-rod' layout for the MP4-28's front suspension.

Racing it in 2013 will be Jenson Button and new arrival Sergio Perez.

"The MP4-28 isn't merely a refinement of last year's seven-race winning car," McLaren said in a statement, "it's a deep and sweeping redesign of an already successful chassis in several key areas."

Surviving winter is often about preparing for the unexpected. That's why all drivers should carry an emergency kit in their car. You can assemble yours for less than $100, and without giving up too much -- if any -- space in your trunk.

Here are the must-haves...

Poor lighting

• A torch light can prove very useful on many occasions. Just make sure that the batteries haven't run empty because of the cold.

Engine issues

• Fill a small bottle with engine oil, and another with coolant. Make sure to use the same type of fluid (mineral or synthetic) that's currently found in your vehicle. It won't cost you a lot, but the payoff could be big. If you feel like your engine is overheating, checking the coolant level and adding some more is an easy thing to do. As for the engine oil, check the level every three gas fill-ups; if it's too low, that small bottle will come in handy!
  
• Jumper cables are great to boost a battery, especially on the coldest days.
  
• Should you wind up stuck in snow, mud or even a ditch, you'll be glad to have a tow rope. The only thing missing will be a kind spirit with a dependable truck to pull you out of there!
  
• Finally, an all-purpose socket wrench will tighten just about anything that comes loose.

Tire issues

• A tire pressure gauge is a must. Walk around your car and assess your tires before stepping inside. If one or several tires look under-inflated, check the pressure.
  
• It's common for tires to lose a few PSIs of pressure during the winter months. A small air compressor will help you add some. If there's a crack or leak, a compressor will allow you to inflate your tires enough to get to the nearest repair shop.

Body damage

• In case of emergency, your only resort here are tie-wraps and good ol' duct tape. If a body panel is damaged to the point of touching the ground or a tire, tie-wraps will help you secure the loose section until you find a repair shop. These items take little space in your winter survival kit, and they can prevent a world of nightmares!

Other important tools

• Warm blanket
• All-purpose gloves
• Tuque
• Candle

Ideally, a telescopic or folding shovel and a pair of traction aids should also find their way into your arsenal. However, they will cost you an extra $65 or so, bringing the final tally to about $160.

Safety
Road flares that maximize visibility and safety when you're stranded on the side of the road are a good idea for an emergency kit. A first aid kit can be extremely useful as well, especially after a crash.

Storing your emergency kit
Whether your own a brand new vehicle or an old jalopy, you'd be wise to keep all of these accessories in a dedicated storage tray or a 30L-40L hard bag. For added convenience, keep that tray or bag under the rear cargo floor, if possible.

Ready-made emergency kits
Want to save time and energy? Consider a ready-made emergency kit at your local hardware store. Some of these kits are quite comprehensive, but more often than not, they still lack certain items. Run down the list, and add what you believe is missing in order to be fully prepared should the unexpected happen.

An emergency kit in your trunk can go a long way toward ensuring safe, confident driving this winter. Also, remember to perform regular maintenance on your vehicle following the manufacturer's recommendations.

Grab a snack and a bottle of water, and you're all set to go.

Drive safely!