Auto News 5

Toyota's Lexus claimed its fourth consecutive title as most-dependable automotive brand after three years of ownership while corporate sibling Scion jumped to ninth place from 22nd a year earlier, J.D. Power and Associates said today.

Mercedes-Benz has struggled for 18 years to make profits from smart. Platform sharing with Renault may be the brand's last chance, writes Ray Hutton.

Strong sales across all divisions and the integration of its purchase last year of DCH Auto Group pushed Lithia Motors to increase net income 50 percent during the fourth quarter compared with the year-ago period.

British sports car manufacturer McLaren Automotive plans to introduce the 675LT at next week's Geneva auto show. The sleek coupe can top 120 mph in a faster amount of time than many normal cars can get to 60 mph.

As well as officially launching the Vulcan, a mid-engined track-only supercar, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer will lay out the firm's future strategy at next week's Geneva motor show.

News 25 Feb, 2015

McLaren shows its faster and harder 675LT before its unveiling at Geneva, set to take the fight to the Ferrari 458 Speciale

Audi will invest EUR24 billion between now and 2020 to expand its production capacity and enlarge its model range from today's total of 50 models to 60. The company sold a record 1.74m cars around the world in 2014 and has high hopes of increasing that again in 2015.

Opinion 25 Feb, 2015

Amidst rumours of Apple producing its own car, Steve Fowler lists ten reasons why the tech giant should be taken seriously

News 25 Feb, 2015

VW wants to more than triple its output of versatile MQB-based cars before the end of the decade

The Toyota i-Road micro-mobility vehicle is to enter a new car-sharing programme in central Tokyo in April. The electric three-wheeled vehicle is already being trialled as part of a co-ordinated public transport scheme (the i-Road providing 'last mile mobility') in Grenoble, France and has also been trialled in Toyota City.

Valeo has posted 2014 sales up 9% to EUR12.7bn (US$14.4bn), while net income rose 28% to 4.4% of sales.

Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn sees Andreas Renschler and Herbert Diess, who are joining VW from rivals Daimler and BMW, among his potential successors, according to a German magazine.

Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc. cut its revenue forecast for 2015, hurt by weak demand from Europe.

Federal-Mogul has posted a fourth quarter net loss of US$185m, but which includes the impact of non-cash impairment charges of US$140m and restructuring charges of US$24m.

Magna has posted fourth quarter net income up 11% to US$509m, with sales of US$9.4bn, up 2%.

News 25 Feb, 2015

Audi's latest coupe is marked down to four stars in Euro NCAP crash test rating due to lack of safety tech

Toyota rebuffed the largest wage increase proposal from its union since 1998, saying the raise would lift costs by about $168 million.

VW's new lighter, roomier Touran minivan will offer the biggest luggage compartment in its class, along with new active and passive safety features and seamless connectivity to Apple and Android smartphones, the automaker said.

VW's new lighter, roomier Touran minivan will offer the biggest luggage compartment in its class, along with new active and passive safety features and seamless connectivity to Apple and Android smartphones, the automaker said.