Auto News 5

Ford full year retail sales in Thailand for 2012 rose 88% year on year to 54,865 units, a yearly record.

News 14 Jan, 2013

Full details of the facelifted Mercedes E63 AMG, following its debut at the Detroit Motor Show

Steve Catlin, formerly General Motors' Vauxhall national retail sales manager in the UK, has been promoted to retail sales director, reporting directly to chairman and managing director, Duncan Aldred.

General Motors Middle East (GMME) recorded its second best December sales in 2012 - up 3% year on year to 14,413 vehicles as the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands booked record month and full year volume.

Toyota will "significantly" increase the availability of SiriusXM satellite radio across its US vehicle range during 2013.

The US National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has named Peter Welch its new president from 1 February.

Automakers increasing digital offerings, linking in-dash systems to smartphones and services like traffic monitors are responding to demand, according to a US report which said a recent study by IBM showed buyers would increasingly select new cars based on the gadgetry they contain. Separately, an online survey of about 2,100 people conducted for Johnson Controls (JCI) by Harris Interactive suggested consumers want to use phones and existing apps to safely connect in their vehicles.

Prolonged economic recession, increasing input costs and high interest have affected truck maker Tata Motors, according to OnCars, which said Tata reportedly is offering a discount of up to INR500,000 (US$9,056.89) on some of its heavy trucks to clear stock and avoid inventory backlog.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I normally would not select a bright yellow sports car as my commuter machine, but this

A decrease in export market demand for Colombian products and commodities combined with domestic speculation about car tax reform and the free trade agreement (FTA) with the US - with its consequent fall in car prices - made 2012 one of the most difficult in recent memory for the local auto industry.

Renault plans to increase local production in Turkey to take advantage of a market expected to grow slightly in 2013.

The French government has officially sought approval from the European Union for its 7 billion euro ($9.2 billion) state loan guarantee for PSA's financing arm, a French newspaper reported today.

PSA vehicle deliveries dropped 16.5 percent to 2.97 million last year as the struggling automaker lost ground in the European market and withdrew from Iran.

Russia's auto industry is in danger of sliding into the same overcapacity problem as the rest of Europe, analysts say.

The European market for compact station wagons is becoming more competitive after Honda said it will join Toyota in adding a wagon variant to its Civic lineup.

Automakers for months have been announcing plans to add local manufacturing in Russia. The list of companies planning to increase output includes VW, Nissan and Ford. But when Russian sales unexpectedly fell flat in November it caused concern.

Next week's Detroit auto show will demonstrate that automakers are finding ways to provide sharp looks and speed, even as cars are shrinking to save fuel.

A growing number of global auto executives say they are planning to increase investments in factories and distribution networks as their fears of widespread overcapacity wanes.

Ram has fired the latest salvo in the ongoing pickup war between the domestic automakers, releasing what the brand claims is now best-in-class towing capacity for its 2013 heavy-duty pickups.