Auto News 5

Alpine and Dacia were the first marques for a four-part series concerning Groupe Renault. Future model plans for RSM's Samsung brand made up the second feature, and now Renault's current and next generation passenger vehicles are examined. The number of models means this has been split into two parts. Below are A, B, C and D segment vehicles. The final instalment will be on crossovers/SUVs, monospaces/MPVs, pick-ups and EVs.

The S90 has only been in production for 10 months but already there is an updated version, with additional safety equipment and new powertrains.

Residual values for VW Group's diesel used cars with defeat devices are holding up in Europe, which may undermine attempts by consumer groups to get VW customers in the region compensation comparable to what the automaker is providing in the U.

Car sales in Western Europe grew by 4.5% in November as demand ticked up and the annual selling rate surpassed 14m units.

News 15 Dec, 2016

Futuristic cockpit uses HUD technology to create holographic displays, complete with haptic feedback.

Daimler and BMW aim to combine their car-sharing services Car2Go and DriveNow to better compete with U.S.-based ride-hailing service Uber, German monthly Manager Magazin reported, citing sources.

News 15 Dec, 2016

VW follows up 'MOIA' ride-sharing brand launch by taking shares in Hubject, the leading 'eRoaming' car charging platform in Europe

Toyota Motor's global sales are expected to top 10m vehicles for a fourth consecutive year in 2016, on par with Volkswagen as the two vie for the top spot, a media report said.

Dealers can now verify customers' income and employment through dealer service finance platforms they may already be using in their stores, Equifax said today.

In the future, VW Group will conduct its business in English. The change should improve the German automaker's ability to recruit international top performers. It could also mean an end to VW's insular corporate culture.

Continental CEO Elmar Degenhart says the supplier will continue to post losses with products for electric cars until at least 2019. Electro-mobility will only massively take off between 2025 and 2030, Degenhart told a German business magazine.

Toyota is hoping that its new C-HR crossover will bring an incremental sales boost of around 100,000 units a year in Europe. The ambitious target equates to an 11% segment share and reflects the company's assessment that the tech-heavy car will straddle market segments and attract new buyers from premium brands as well as mainstream ones.

News 15 Dec, 2016

The first car from California based start-up Lucid costs well into six figures and is slated for production in 2018

VW Group has taken a stake in Hubject, which is developing a standard method to map and pay at electric charging stations.

Skoda is building a new press shop at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav and installation of the press line for the main production line is currently under way with trial operation due in a week.

Toyota expects its global vehicle sales to rise 1 percent to 10.2 million next year as growth in North America, Europe and China prompts a recovery from a 1 percent slide in deliveries this year.

European new-car sales rose 5.6 percent in November with Renault, Seat, Hyundai, BMW, and Mercedes gaining volume while PSA, Opel, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover were among automakers whose sales fell.

Microsoft announced a partnership with TomTom that will provide "smart" maps for self-driving vehicles and data for motorists to guide their daily routines.

Japan and the EU are holding talks this week to try reach a broad trade agreement that would help Japanese automakers and suppliers export more products to EU markets. Japan is seeking cuts in EU tariffs on Japanese cars and auto parts.