Auto News 5

Asian Honda Motor has announced the name of a new entry level sedan based on the Brio hatchback platform, the automaker's strategic model for Asia. The Amaze will be launched in Thailand and India where the Brio is built and sold.

Audi has started Indian assembly of the Q7 luxury SUV at its Aurangabad plant, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Suzuki second fiscal quarter sales were flat year on year at JPY1,226.8bn.

Isuzu's net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 24.8% year on year to JPY42.1bn.

Grupo Antolin and NHK Spring's Thai unit are establishing a joint venture (JV) in Thailand to manufacture automotive headliners. The new company will be based in Bangkok and will be named NHK Antolin Thailand.

France's CFE-CGC union has welcomed the announcement by Renault and Caterham to jointly develop Alpine sports vehicles at the French automaker's Dieppe site, securing at least 300 jobs.

Australian union, AMWU, is urging Ford and Holden to make a long term commitment to local parts suppliers after 400 members at Autodom returned to work this week.

BMW Group's sales growth was again in double digits in October as volume rose 13.2% year on year to 157,618 vehicles and a new record high for the month.

Continuing just-auto's series of interviews with global automotive component manufacturers, Matthew Beecham talked with Dr Prasad Kadle, director, advanced engineering, Delphi Thermal Systems about trends in powertrain cooling systems.

News 9 Nov, 2012

SEAT's James Muir talks up “heightened focus on quality for all SEAT cars”

Mazda will produce a Toyota model based on one of its own cars for sale in North America at its new plant currently being built in Guanajuato, Mexico. The deal is seen as another sign of how the industry globally is keen to maximise capacity at every factory.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the 622-hp V8-powered SLS

Mazda will produce a car for Toyota at its new Mexican assembly plant starting in 2015, as the automakers seek ways to boost North American output. The Toyota vehicle will be a rebadged version of the Mazda2 targeting the U.S.

Mazda will produce a vehicle for Toyota at its new Mexican assembly plant starting in 2015, as the carmakers seek ways to boost North American output.

The UAW's VEBA healthcare trust will lay out its argument on Monday in a legal dispute over the price Fiat will pay for the first of several incremental stakes in the carmaker.

The VEBA healthcare trust will lay out its argument on Monday in a legal dispute over the price Fiat will pay for the first of several incremental stakes in the carmaker.

Peugeot has launched the 301, a stripped-down sedan aimed at boosting sales in emerging markets. The vehicle has gone on sale in Turkey and will be rolled out in Eastern Europe, Africa and South America in the coming months.

The market for large luxury SUVs has been growing steadily and new entrants from Lamborghini and Maserati are due to launch soon, but none will match the Range Rover's off-road ability and on-road dynamics.

The prospect of European car sales this year falling to their lowest level since 1995 is not reflected in the Automotive News Europe/PricewaterhouseCoopers Transaction Services Shareholder Value Indices for the third quarter of 2012.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that if Coca-Cola enters formula one as a sponsor, it would do so with one of its 'energy drink' brands.

It was reported earlier this year that Coke, arguably the most recognized brand name on earth, could be eyeing F1.

Sources had told the business journalist Christian Sylt that McLaren could ultimately win the deal, replacing the British team's flagging title backer Vodafone.

Asked about the rumours, Bernie Ecclestone told Eurosport: "The president of Coca-Cola is a very good friend of mine but the head of marketing has always said he didn't think formula one was good for them."

But the F1 chief executive admitted that "if they do come in I think they will come in with one of their energy drink brands, not Coke itself."

Sylt said Coca-Cola's leading energy drink brand is Relentless, which according to Wikipedia "has been compared to energy drinks such as Red Bull".

Bernie Ecclestone, however, warned: "You wouldn't want to take Red Bull on."

Relentless, the energy drink from Coke.