Auto News 5

It has to be the frankest statement we at just-auto have seen from a company in a long time: "The introduction of new company software in January has turned Liqui Moly into a permanent building site."

There is so much change going on in the European market just now it can be hard to keep up. Imagine that the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series were outsold by the Audi A1 in June, and that the little hatchback was only 31 units behind the A6.

For decades, Daimler was slow to see how it could link the G-Class to other four by fours and SUVs. That time seems long ago even if the M-Class didn't become the GLE until relatively recently. Now the range of models starting with G is broader than even Audi's Q-models. And is being expanded still.

Is there a future for the Mondeo? At the moment, Ford of Europe isn't saying either way as speculation suggests there are plans to replace this model, the S-Max and Galaxy with a new global crossover. Considering the age of the design, sales are holding up well, with 20,800 delivered during the first half of 2019.

Does endlessly extending vehicle lines mean ever-expanding sales? Not if you're Audi, or now, Mercedes-Benz too. The brand is hardly embattled but recently things haven't been going as well as they might, with several profit warnings and slightly disappointing global deliveries for H1 having been announced in recent times. Can the next wave of passenger cars remedy some of the company's current ills?

Has the decline in demand for large luxury saloons plateaued? If it's the USA we're talking about, then the answer is no, with the S-Class (6,155, -27%) and LS (2,697, -38%) still falling. Yet business is good in China, with retail sales of the Audi A8 numbering 6,288 in H1 (compared to just 1,330 in the US) and the BMW 7 Series seemingly holding up well on 9,653 units. The arrival of an updated '7 couldn't come at a better time.

News 17 Jul, 2019

The Mercedes has revamped its GLC 43 performance SUV range, with fresh styling and more power

Mitsubishi Motors North America said it had completed construction of Lewisville Autoplex Mitsubishi, the brand's first ground-up build US dealership to use the new global dealer visual identity.

Next year, HBPO will start its series production of front-end modules (FEM) in Saarland: from September 2020 onwards, the planned location of HBPO Saarland in Kleinblittersdorf will be supplying Daimler, 25 km away.

As noted in our recent analyst forecast of future Proton and Lotus models, the English company has now launched its electric hypercar, called Evija ('ev-eye-a'), co-developed by Lotus and Williams Advanced Engineering.

Lithium-ion battery cell producer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and Toyota have announced a 'comprehensive partnership' for electrified vehicle drive batteries.

News 17 Jul, 2019

Police and transport officials announce two-year Road Safety Action Plan amid spike in drink-drive deaths,

Vibracoustic has opened its new Material Development Centre in Weinheim, Germany, with 25 material staff supporting new prototype compounds and conducting testing in the 2,200 square metre facility.

Volkswagen keeps coming up with ways to make certain sports models even more desirable and of course, even more profitable. For those who wish their Polo GTI to stand out just that little bit more, there is the option of choosing the GTI+, a high-end model grade which costs from GBP23,160.

Renault and Jiangling Motors Corporation Group (JMCG) are establishing a joint venture to promote the development of the EV industry in China, following a first agreement in December last year.

Japan's Toray Industries announced plans to build a new facility in Hungary for the production of separator film for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

Hyundai Motor said it plans to begin trials of an autonomous taxi fleet in Russia later this year, according to local reports in South Korea.

News 16 Jul, 2019

More practical alternative to the Audi RS3 saloon arrives with brand-new turbocharged power

News 16 Jul, 2019

The Korean manufacturer has released a special edition Tivoli for UK customers, priced from £17,745