Auto News 5

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) is actively seeking 27 assembly line workers for its Trollhattan plant in Sweden ahead of a targeted Saab restart later this autumn.

Maruti Suzuki has decided to increase the use of local components in its vehicles as the decline of the rupee raises the cost of imported parts.

Toyota is ramping up engine production at its US factory as it continues to expand local output to protect its earnings structure from foreign exchange fluctuations.

Ford believes it is at last gaining ground in South Korea after recording its highgest monthly sales figure in May since the brand was established in the country in 1995.

Kia's first sporty hatchback, the pro_cee'd GT, goes on sale next week but already the company's UK operation is clamouring for similar performance and styling upgrades to be applied to other models in the range.

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn earned $10 million in salary and bonuses for his role as Nissan's top executive for the fiscal year ended March 31.

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn earned $10 million in salary and bonuses for his role as Nissan's top executive for the fiscal year ended March 31.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 is your classic terrific all around grand touring car.

News 25 Jun, 2013

Renault has announced the all-electric Twizy Cargo - a tiny, one-seater urban commercial vehicle

General Motors this week will name current US sales chief, Alan Batey, to head Chevrolet worldwide as part of a plan to make the mainstream brand more successful around the world, a person 'familiar with the matter' has said.

News 24 Feb, 2014

New Honda Jazz release date won't be until 2015 in the UK, but it gets a fresh design and better efficiency

The European Union agreed on a compromise deal to enforce stricter rules on CO2 emissions for all new EU automobiles from 2020.

News 25 Jun, 2013

Zero emission cars should get greater Government grants than hybrids

The future for this industry is bound up in the emergence of mega-cities, the continuing growth of vehicle demand in rapidly motorising emerging markets and the integration of personal mobility with smart connectivity.

General Motors named U.S. sales chief Alan Batey as senior vice president of Chevrolet worldwide, a newly created post charged with growing GM's largest brand into a global powerhouse.

A newcomer with a Frisbee has broken into our list of leaders by showing off a few stunts in a roadster. Mazda's "Fun in the Sun" video enters the charts at No. 5, supporting the automaker's U.K. social media campaign.

Fiat has released pictures of the seven-seat 500L Living minivan, the latest variant to the 500 range and one of only two product launches from the brand this year.

From GMM

Mercedes was not found 'guilty' of breaking the rules, Niki Lauda insists.

The German team has been banned from the forthcoming young drivers test at Silverstone, and was officially reprimanded for running its 2013 car and race drivers in a secret test with Pirelli at Barcelona last month.

"There was no rule violation," triple world champion Lauda, the Brackley based team's chairman and a co-owner, told Austrian broadcaster ORF.

"We got a warning -- not even a yellow card which could lead to a red card. We were excluded from the young driver test, which is a judgement that we can live with absolutely."

Niki Lauda said the international tribunal made its verdict with the 'sport' - as opposed to the political intrigue that has filled the headlines in the past days - in mind.

"All the intrigue and the stories were not fair, because everything was done correctly in the sense of how we came to do this test," he insisted.

Photo: WRi2

Niki Lauda therefore slammed those who were heavily critical of Mercedes' behaviour, like Red Bull who reportedly wanted a $100 million fine and hefty points deductions.

"Red Bull went with this story very aggressively," he said, "interpreting everything that could be interpreted into it.

"The paddock is a snake pit but the FIA tribunal is a court, which clearly decided that it was not a rule violation, but a different interpretation of various regulations."

However, Lauda said the outcome of the tire-dominated situation in F1 this year is that Pirelli is now unable to adjust its tires.

"They wanted to bring new tires to Montreal, and then they should have been in Silverstone, now they are not. So if it gets really hot at Silverstone, which can sometimes happen, the problem with the many pitstops will likely continue," he insisted.

"So I don't understand this rule," said Lauda, referring to the need for unanimity in the paddock before changes to the tires can be made immediately.

"If Pirelli says we want to have a different tire because it's better for us (Pirelli), for the cars, for everyone, then someone is always going to say no.

"So this rule is a disaster," he charged.

French car manufacturer, Citroen confirmed Tuesday June 25 its intention to contest the FIA World Touring Car Championship from 2014 with its star driver, Sebastien Loeb driving one of the cars.

After first mentioning that it was considering taking part in the FIA WTCC at the opening of last year's Paris Motor Show, Citroën confirmed today it will be joining the fray in 2014.

Winner of five Cross Country Rally World Cups and eight World Rally Championship Manufacturers' titles, Citroën will be entering an international road racing series for the first time.

Photo: Citroën Racing

Citroën Racing's entry into the world of track racing will coincide with the introduction of a new generation of cars, which are more spectacular than the current crop.

“Competing in a category for the first time, starting from scratch, gives our division a superb challenge,” confirmed Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal.

“Having said that, we will be able to re-use a large part of our existing expertise, starting with the DS3 WRC's 1.6-litre direct injection turbo engine. Work has already begun in our Versailles technical center and is set to be stepped up in the coming weeks, with the first tests of our car and the start of our development programme to prepare for the 2014 season. Obviously, we're still committed to rallying and we'll continue to work hard to try and get the best possible result in 2013. Our partnership with Abu Dhabi is set to be reinforced, enabling us to continue to be involved in WRC with a new system and with new objectives,” Matton added.

Citroën Racing will be taking part in the entire 2014 FIA WTCC season. Nine-time FIA World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb will be behind the wheel of one car. The name of his teammate has yet to be announced by Citroen.

From GMM

Amid growing rumours Michelin could return to the grid, Paul Hembery on Tuesday announced that Pirelli is in fact set to remain F1's official supplier.

While at the same time expressing frustration with the situation in F1, and in the days after the 'test-gate' scandal and a FIA reprimand, Pirelli's three-year contract is coming to an end.

That has triggered rumours Michelin - apparently supported by FIA president Jean Todt - could find its way back into the paddock.

But Pirelli's motor sport director Hembery said on Tuesday: "We have signed agreements with the vast majority of the teams.

"Within two weeks we should complete all the contracts. So we're staying in formula one," he told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Even so, Pirelli's controversial 2013 campaign continues. The latest charge has come from Lotus, who have accused the Italian supplier of making overly conservative compound choices for the next races.

"Let's not forget," Hembery responded, "that the cars are faster than what we expected early in the season. And our compounds are more aggressive than in 2012."

Photo: Pirelli

He denied the move is bowing to pressure from Red Bull and Mercedes, who have complained often bitterly about the heavily-degrading 2013 tires.

"No," said Hembery when asked if the more conservative choices are to help those teams.

"Those cars are still aggressive with the tires. It is true that Lotus is better in the heat, and we are expecting typical Silverstone weather with clouds, cold and a bit of rain.

"Our goal is to have no more than 2 or 3 pitstops, so we're going in that direction."

Nevertheless, with teams like Lotus having refused to allow Pirelli to tweak its compounds mid-season, Hembery acknowledged that a confusing four stops per driver is a possibility at Silverstone.

"Last year we saw two stops, so with softer compounds there is sure to be three, maybe four," he said.

He did admit that the planned tweaked tires, fitted with kevlar rather than a steel belt, have been shelved.

"Unless there are surprises (they won't be seen again)," said the Briton.

"Instead we're using a new glue that binds the tread, which should have solved the problem of delamination.

"We're also going to try a prototype hard compound at Silverstone that has a longer lifespan," added Hembery.