Auto News 5

Mazda's CEO Takashi Yamanouchi said the automaker is considering introducing plug-in hybrid and electric cars after it releases a gasoline-electric hybrid model. Full story...

Honda South Africa is bringing back a long-established nameplate - Ballade. Full story...

Data released by the SMMT shows that UK car sales in November fell by 11.5% year-on-year, a fifth successive month of decline. Full story...

First official pictures reveal revised 300C's sleeker look

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Unions at Nissan Spain's factory in Barcelona are demanding the company negotiate new wage cuts and productivity improvements at the site to help it win the European assembly of the Japanese automaker's next pickup truck. Full story...

Honda's US unit has killed off the boxy Element saying 2011 will be its last model year. First introduced in concept form as the Model X at the 2001 Detroit show, the Element was launched in 2002 as a 2003 model and became a favourite of small businesses, outdoor enthusiasts and pet owners. It never quite hit the spot with youthful surfers, as Honda has intended, and was more likely to be seen in the hands of a 40- or 50-something heading home from the big box store. Full story...

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November car registrations fell 11.5 percent in the UK from the year before, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. Full story...

Renault launched an advertisement for its quirky Twizy two-seat electric car that it says will reach millions of Apple iPhone and iPod touch users. The automaker said the Twizy ad is Europe's first "iAd" using Apple's new mobile advertising network. Full story...

Mazda is looking to build a new overseas factory to supply emerging markets and expects it to boost global sales to about 2 million units, from 1.2 million today. Full story...

Europe's carmakers face a tough 2011 despite an improving economy, says Dieter Zetsche, president of the ACEA auto industry lobby group. Full story...

Former Magna co-CEO Siegfried Wolf will join the supervisory board of rival supplier Continental. Wolf resigned from Magna on Nov. 15 to become chairman of Russian Machines OJSC, part of Russia's GAZ Group, leaving Don Walker as Magna's sole CEO. Full story...

As Sergio Marchionne brings Fiat back to the United States, he may add another Italian speciality: the natural gas engine. Marchionne says natural gas engines offer a better way to cut emissions because they're cheaper than competing technologies. Full story...

Electric cars are quiet, get great mileage and don't pollute the air. But if you ask officials in Yokohama, Japan's second-largest city, an electric car has yet another attribute: It can feed the electricity network. Full story...

Hyundai Motor Co. plans to unveil a global branding strategy under the concept "modern premium" in a bid to nudge its image upmarket and command higher prices more in line with the carmaker's recent strides in quality and technology. Full story...

Former Magna co-CEO Siegfried Wolf will join the supervisory board of rival supplier Continental. Wolf resigned from Magna on Nov. 15 to become chairman of Russian Machines OJSC, part of Russia's GAZ Group, leaving Don Walker as Magna's sole CEO. Full story...

As Sergio Marchionne brings back Fiat SpA to the U.S. after nearly three decades, he may add another Italian speciality: the natural gas engine. Full story...

Henrik Fisker knows what you're thinking. You're thinking that nobody starts a car company in America and succeeds. Not John DeLorean and his gull-winged sports car. Not Preston Tucker with his clever road-tracking headlights. Full story...

All Ford-Lincoln dealerships should have a dedicated staff to sell and service Lincolns, says C.J. O'Donnell, Lincoln's group marketing manager. Full story...

Chrysler Group is trying a dramatic approach to jump-start sales and fill 29 open points in this import-dominated state: It's buying pricey real estate in metro markets, renovating stores, and recruiting operators who otherwise might be reluctant to... Full story...