Auto News 5

United Auto Workers union members have given their leaders authorisation to strike during contract negotiations this year with General Motors, Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler, if needed, media reports said.

Once the number one make in Australia, Holden now mostly dwells in position number nine. In August, sales dropped by 18 per cent, almost double the market average. Had Subaru sold just 17 more cars, Holden would have been pushed into tenth place. A new Trax is set to land locally in 2020 but other than this small SUV, the future product cupboard is looking fairly bare, at least in the short term.

Stung by criticism that Cadillac wasn't offering the right luxury vehicles for shifting customer preferences in China and North America, GM has thrown much money at the division and infused it with fresh thinking. Suddenly, no-one can say there are too many big cars but too few SUVs. The CT4 and CT5 sedans will soon be rolling into showrooms, an elegant next generation Escalade is now just months away from being revealed, while the 2020s will bring an electric SUV and many other novelties.

The United Auto Workers union has targeted General Motors as the first of the Detroit Big Three automakers for talks as the current four-year contract expires on 14 September.

New vehicle sales in Taiwan fell by 8% to 23,964 units in August from 26,035 units in the same month of last year, according to local reports citing registration data compiled by Taiwan's Directorate of Highways.

Domestic sales by South Korea's five largest automakers declined by 6.2% to 118,479 units in August 2019 from 126,336 units in the same month of last year, according to preliminary data released individually by the companies.

Thai battery manufacturer Siam GS Battery this week began operations at its newly built starter battery plant in Myanmar.

Volkswagen's Brazilian unit is developing its first vehicle for the international market.

Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely) is suing local electric car start-up WM Motor Technology over allegations of impairment of commercial secrets, according to local reports.

Continental is now considering a full spin-off of its powertrain business unit rather than a partial IPO (the option also still under consideration), due to market conditions.

News 3 Sep, 2019

New limited-run BMW M4 can only be specced in one of M Sport’s three official colours, in honour of the German brand’s racing heritage

News 3 Sep, 2019

The new limited edition Lamborghini Sian combines the 6.5-litre V12 engine from the Aventador with a 48-volt electric motor

Volkswagen Group said it would expand its after sales business, targeting the growing vehicle fleet and stronger customer loyalty for sustained growth despite the fall in maintenance costs for electric vehicles.

Nissan's is yanking its premium brand Infiniti from Australia late in 2020 after almost a decade, a local media report said.

News 2 Sep, 2019

Volkswagen’s all-electric ID.R has set a new world record on the Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road mountain pass in China

In all walks of life, culture can have a major influence on user-behaviour. Automotive engineers have also realised this, developing different versions for global markets. Think of the recent proliferation of long-wheel-base cars for China and how OEMs have focussed efforts on improving the rear seat passenger experience as an example. Such changes can make the difference between choosing one marque or another but what happens when different cultures interface with safety systems ADAS and the rising number of autonomous systems? Do protocols for such systems need to be standardised or should they be customised and how are they best validated? We put these questions and more to Kia Cammaerts, founder of Ansible Motion. Based in Norwich, UK, Ansible Motion provides driving simulator solutions for vehicle constructors and suppliers worldwide.