Auto News 5

Mazda today reported a major increase in operating profit in the latest quarter on the back of rising sales in Europe and Japan and aggressive cost cutting.

News 5 Nov, 2015

Merc's answer to the BMW M4 Convertible is seen on the road for the first time in spy shots, ahead of a launch expected in late-2016

Magna International said operational glitches at three of its plants in North America would weigh on its earnings in the current quarter and spill over to the first half of next year.

Volvo's Polestar performance brand expects to double sales next year and quickly earn double-digit margins. It aims to do this by separating itself from rivals such as BMW M by emphasizing one of the Swedish brand's core values: safety.

VW Group's emissions scandal began to hit vehicle sales in October, consultancy LMC Automotive said, with the automaker losing ground in Western Europe, where overall market growth slowed to 2.7 percent.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed UK new car registrations dropped for the first time in more than three and a half years as market growth levelled off in October 2015. 177,664 new cars were registered in the month, a dip of 1.1% on last year's figure and following a record 43 consecutive months of growth. Year to date data showed the new car market is up 6.4% to 2,274,550 cars -  the best YTS result on record.

UK new-car registrations dropped for the first time in more than three and a half years as market growth leveled off and demand for diesel vehicles fell, industry data showed.

Honda Motor has dropped the embattled manufacturer Takata as its airbag supplier, concluding that the company, its longtime partner, had "misrepresented and manipulated test data". The news came as the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Takata had agreed to accept penalties of at least US$70m for failures involving exploding airbags that have killed at least eight people and injured at least 98.

Volkswagen is recalling vehicles in the United States fitted with its EA288 1.8TFSI and 2.0TFSI engines because the rear camshaft lobe is prone to unexpectedly shear off from the shaft. The failure causes reduced engine power and loss of vacuum pump power, cutting vacuum supply to the brake booster and eventually resulting in increased braking effort.

Hyundai Motor this week officially launched a new global premium brand, Genesis, as it targets growing demand for luxury cars. The company is following in the footsteps of leading global automakers such as Toyota with its Lexus brand. It will launch luxury versions of existing models, including the G90, G80 and G70.

Chinese state-owned automaker Chang'an Automobile Group said it would spend around CNY30bn (US$4.74bn) on R&D over the next five years to strengthen new product development.

Analysts are openly questioning the survival chances of Takata as more automakers consider no longer using its airbag inflators, which are at the center of a recall crisis.

Michelin says it will finance relocation for those staff being made redundant and who wish to move within the company, following its decision to close its truck tyre Ballymena plant in Northern Ireland by 2018. 

Electric Power Steering (EPS) has become the technology of choice for fuel-efficient vehicles as vehicle manufacturers strive to reduce their CO2 emissions, according to just-auto's research unit, QUBE.

Renault's independent directors defended their support for CEO Carlos Ghosn in his standoff with the French government over the future of the carmaker and its alliance with Nissan.

News 5 Nov, 2015

Leeds University has won a £4.2 million grant to develop robot drones that will tackle road maintenance tasks in the future

News 5 Nov, 2015

UK car registrations fell for the first time in 43 consecutive months in October 2015 with a 1.1% drop to 177,664 total sales

Toyota's operating profit surged 26 percent surge in the latest quarter, as cost cutting and foreign exchange rate gains offset declining global sales.

Fuji Heavy, the maker of Subaru vehicles, reported a 41 percent surge in operating profit in the latest quarter, helped by higher sales in North America and advantageous exchange rates.

New Toyota Europe CEO Johan van Zyl has the big task of reviving the automaker's slumping sales in Germany, the region's biggest market. He shared his plans on tackling this and other issues with Automotive News Europe.