Auto News 5

German prosecutors are considering whether to open a new criminal investigation into Volkswagen Group after the automaker said it found faulty CO2 emissions readings in gasoline-powered vehicles, widening a scandal that so far had centered on diesel...

Fiat Chrysler has twice increased output at its plant in Melfi, Italy, in the last year to keep up with demand for the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X. The automaker invested 1 billion euros in Melfi to build the sibling subcompact SUVs.

Tesla's revenue for the third quarter ended 30 September 2015 was up 6.6% to US$852.55m. The operational loss widened to $183.7m. Loss before income taxes widened to $228.1m from $70.98m. Net loss increased to $229.85m compared to $74.7m in Q3 2014.

Honda Motor operating profit for the first half (1 April 2015 through 30 September 2015) rose 7.9% to JPY404.1bn (US$3.33bn) due to strong automobile sales in North America and Asia, additional volume from the new HR-V SUV plus cost reductions.

Gentherm has announced plans to expand production capacity in the fast growing North American market by opening a new manufacturing facility in Mexico close to the city of Celaya in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico in the central part of the country.

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.