Auto News 5

Volvo won't develop a flagship sedan to challenge the BMW 7 series, the Mercedes S class or the Audi A8 as it doesn't fit the carmaker's green image or the demands of its customers, CEO Hakan Samuelsson said.

Volvo won't develop a sedan to challenge the BMW 7 series, Mercedes S class and Audi A8 as it doesn't fit the carmaker's green image or the demands of its customers, CEO Hakan Samuelsson said.

Volvo isn't going to develop a flagship sedan to challenge the BMW 7 series, the Mercedes S class or the Audi A8 as it doesn't fit the carmaker's green image or the demands of its customers, CEO Hakan Samuelsson said.

Volvo isn't going to develop a sedan to challenge the BMW 7 series, the Mercedes S class or the Audi A8 as it doesn't fit the carmaker's green image or the demands of its customers, CEO Hakan Samuelsson said.

Mercedes is accelerating its dealer expansion in China, streamlining sales and bringing out a number of new or revamped models in a bid to to fix past mistakes in the market that have contributed to a growing gap with premium rivals BMW and Audi.

Mercedes is accelerating its dealer expansion in China, streamlining sales and bringing out a number of new or revamped models in a bid to to fix past mistakes in the market that have contributed to a growing gap with premium rivals BMW and Audi.

The European auto industry is in for a rough ride over the next few years. What are the solutions? Which companies will emerge as winners? The 16th Automotive News Europe Congress will explore answers to those questions on June 12 in Paris.

The head of Renault's entry-level models, Arnaud Deboeuf, will share insights on how Dacia has thrived during Europe's debt crisis at the 16th Automotive News Europe Congress on June 12 in Paris.

With sales slowing and government debt a growing crisis, the European auto industry is in for a rough ride over the next few years.

Porsche has debuted a revamped version of its Panamera coupe at the Shanghai auto show where it sought to outshine Maserati's all-new Ghibli as both carmakers seek to attract customers in a luxury China market that is predicted to keep growing...

In his 25th year as editor or editorial director of Automotive News, Peter Brown says he can now state with conviction that in the automotive industry, about every three years, everything you know is wrong.

More than half of Americans have smartphones in their pockets or purses, and mobile devices have taken on a major role in the car-buying process, especially in the critical later stages.

Japanese and Korean automakers accounted for nearly half of all retail sales in 2012, bouncing back after inventory shortages caused by Japan's 2011 earthquake were resolved.

General Motors is overhauling its parts program, incentivizing dealerships to beef up their inventory for more same-day repairs and to buy more of those parts directly from the factory.

The rise of foreign automakers in North America gained huge momentum during the dark days of the recession, accelerating the decline of Detroit 3 dominance.

A year ago Toyota Motor Corp. executives in Japan questioned whether their U.S. factories could meet the exacting standards required to build Lexus vehicles. Now 50,000 units of the Lexus ES will be built in Kentucky starting in 2015.

American Honda's plant in Greensburg, Ind., built just 91 units of the Acura ILX entry-luxury sedan that debuted last summer. So does Honda have an out-and-out flop on its hands?

Dave Schoch, Ford Motor Co.'s recently appointed Asia Pacific chief, shrugs off critics who say the automaker is a latecomer to China.

Nissan North America is eager to put a season of manufacturing glitches behind it as it prepares to turn its Canton, Miss., factory into a global export base for the next-generation Nissan Murano.

Fernando Alonso has described Ferrari's 2013 car, the F138, as its ‘best of the last four years' following his comeback drive in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was tipped to take victory in yesterday's race, but a jammed open DRS flap forced him to make consecutive pit stops on laps eight and nine and saw him drop as low down the order as 19th.

Despite having no DRS for the remainder of the race, Alonso staged a remarkable fightback to finish eighth and attributed this to the F138's responsive nature.

“It [the car] is definitely our best of the last four years,” said Alonso after the race. “I am sure that without the problems me and Felipe had, we would have finished higher up, because the car responds very well.”

Alonso's Ferrari running with the inverted flap. (Photo: WRI2)

The double world champion also believes the weekend was something of a missed opportunity, given Ferrari's pace throughout free practice and qualifying.

“We definitely didn't have much luck today and that's a real shame, at the end of what had been such a positive weekend for me and Felipe up until this afternoon,” he continued. "We had been competitive in free practice and qualifying and we were both expecting to have a good race.”

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali echoed Alonso's feelings, but praised the Spaniard for driving an ‘incredible' race in difficult circumstances.

“This is definitely not the outcome we expected after showing all weekend long that we were capable of fighting for the top places,” said the Italian. “Despite his problem with the DRS, Fernando produced a blistering drive, pulling off overtaking moves and setting lap times that were absolutely incredible.”

Photo: WRi2

The team also believes that without the issue, a top-three finish and possibly a win for Alonso would not have been impossible given his speed in qualifying and the Ferrari's pace in the free practice sessions.

“A problem occurred with the DRS on Fernando's car which forced us to bring forward his first stop to try and fix the rear wing which literally turned upside down,” explained the team's technical director, Pat Fry.

“The first attempt from the mechanics was not enough to fix it and a second stop further cost valuable time. It's a real shame because even with a damaged car, his race pace was among the best and it should have been enough to see us finish second or even fight for the win.”

Following a varied start to the season, Ferrari lies third in the constructor's championship with Alonso its best-placed driver in fourth on 47 points, 30 behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel.