Auto News 5

Ford is investing $600 million to renovate its Louisville, Ky., assembly plant to build the next-generation Escape for North America. Some 1,800 jobs will be added when the plant reopens in late 2011, Ford announced today. Full story...

Chevrolet will drop Aveo and adopt a new name - Sonic - when its remodeled, entry-level subcompact debuts next year. Chevrolet and GM officials have been considering a name change for the subcompact sedan since October. Full story...

Car sales in India rose 21% in November to 161,497 cars from 133,703 a year earlier, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said. Full story...

Two new potent Mustangs that channel the past but pack serious modern muscle will soon be available for enthusiasts. Full story...

Ford of Europe plans to unveil a concept of a small minivan that will replace the European Fusion at the Geneva auto show in March, a Ford source told Automotive News Europe. Full story...

A night in a Bentley is never a bad night, or at least it hasnand#8217;t been yet. The Series 51 Continental GT Speed was no exception. This version of the Continental is the British automakerand#8217;s way to order your Bentley however you want. Full story...

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: Man, almost $30,000 in options alone on this car? That, and including a gas-guzzler tax is amazing! Full story...

Teaser video gives us first glimpse of undisguised BMW 1-Series M Coupé

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First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Practically a no-brainer.

The compact sedan segment is such a practical bunch of cars. According to Hyundai, about half of buyers choosing one of these cars are downsizing -- and their number one reason is fuel economy.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Elantra - First Drive - Automobile Magazine

First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Elantra | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us

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Toyota Motor said its Thai unit will increase annual Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle (IMV) production capacity at its Ban Pho Plant from 140,000 units to 220,000 units in August 2011 while the Argentine factory will increase capacity from 70,000 units to 90,000 units in November 2011, taking global capacity to about 900,000 units. Full story...

Mitsubishi plans to invest 16 billion baht ($532 million) in a new Thailand plant where it will begin production of a global compact model in March 2012. Full story...

Johnson Controls is looking to buy more companies that specialize in components used in premium-seat making. The company wants to strengthen its supply chain and generate business for luxury cars from automakers such as Mercedes and BMW. Full story...

Skoda said it will post record sales this year, fueled by sales growth in Russia, China and India as well as further expansion in eastern Europe. Sales in the first 11 months rose 12.3 percent to 702,400 vehicles, the company said. Full story...

Shares of Volkswagen, PSA and Continental dropped after an automobile industry association said Chinese incentives for buying cars will likely expire at the end of the month. Full story…

PSA will offer its Citroen C-Zero to business customers through a car-sharing service. PSA expects fleet customers will represent a large part of its EV business in Europe. Full story...

There is a practical limit to braking performance, set by the ability of the tyre contact patches to transmit the forces involved without sliding. However, advances in tyre design, soon to be complemented by the ability of electronically controlled braking systems to distribute effort according to wheel load, mean that limit is now potentially very high, at least on dry road surfaces. This is throwing the onus very much back on the braking system developers. In this interview, Matthew Beecham talked with Vince Austin, director, global braking systems for TRW, about foundation braking systems. Full story...

Tata Motors will offer a four-year manufacturer's warranty on its Nano cars following concerns over the car's safety after several caught fire. Sales of the Nano, launched by Tata as the world's cheapest car, dropped to 509 in November. Full story...

Temporary workers at Hyundai Motor Co. today agreed to end a one-month sit-in that disrupted production of subcompact cars such as the Verna and the new Accent. Since Nov. Full story...

Ford will unveil a concept for a small minivan that will replace the Fusion at the 2011 Geneva auto show. Likely called the B-Max, the model will challenge the Opel Meriva, Europe's top-selling small minivan. Full story...

Toyota Motor Corp. will have to face lawsuits claiming deaths and personal injuries caused by unintended acceleration of its vehicles if a tentative ruling by a federal judge in California becomes final. Full story...