Auto News 5

Former Ford Motor and Mazda Europe executive James Muir will replace Erich Schmitt as head of Volkswagen's Spanish brand Seat, VW said today. Full story...

Ford has celebrated the production of its 100,000th hybrid SUV and reinforced its commitment to ramping up production of hybrid vehicles this year Full story...

When the 2010 Ford Escape hits showrooms this summer, it will offer an expanded list of safety technologies. Building upon the Escape's full five-star crash rating are Ford's new MyKey teen-safety system and an integrated spotter mirror. Full story...

The UAW has said its members are willing to make painful sacrifices as workers at Ford voted to accept changes to their contracts and other benefits. Full story...

The Canadian unit of Ford Motor Co. proposed on Monday that Ottawa provide a C$3,500 ($2,700) incentive to consumers who buy a new vehicle in 2009, as a way to counter a sharp decline in auto sales. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. is pressing the German government for an extension of the incentive for scrapping older cars. Full story...

Ford Motor Co. is pressing the German government for an extension of the incentive for scrapping older cars. Full story...

Only two 'all-new' trucks are available to Canadian shoppers this year: the Dodge Ram and the Ford F150. The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) recently met to test, compare and evaluate the two as part of an annual 'Test-Fest' conducted with the newest vehicle models. Once the votes were counted, it was the Dodge Ram that took home the gold- leaving Ford's new F-150 behind in second place. We'll focus on the runner up today- but with a look at the winner for comparisons sake. Full story...

Visteon Corp., the former Ford auto-parts unit that's battling bankruptcy rumors as losses mount, paid a performance bonus last week to 2,700 salaried workers worldwide. Full story...

No, your eyes are not playing tricks. That is a Lincoln grille on the front of a new Ford F-150 pickup. Full story...

UAW members at Ford Motor Co. have ratified contract concessions and changes to retiree health care funding. Nearly 60 percent of the votes favored the measure. The UAW announced the approval this afternoon. Full story...

A new vehicle emissions test company has been established by powertrain engineering consultancy Integral Powertrain and specialist Tickford Powertrain Test. Full story...

Bold new C-MAX gets seven seats.

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A head-turning burgundy 1932 Ford B400 took home top honors at Detroit's Autorama on Sunday, winning the coveted Ridler award over seven other finalists. Full story...

A head-turning burgundy 1932 Ford B400 took home top honors at Detroit's Autorama on Sunday, winning the coveted Ridler award over seven other finalists. Full story...

The 79th Geneva Motor Show has opened its doors to the media preview days. Concept car highlights include the Nissan Qazana, Infiniti Essence, Ford Iosis Max, Dacia Duster, Frazer-Nash Namir by Giugiaro,  BMW 5 Series GT, Rolls-Royce 200EX and Aston Martin Lagonda. Production debuts include the new Volkswagen Polo, Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe, Peugeot 3008 and Toyota Verso.

We will have ongoing reports of the most significant debuts in our show Highlights, with in-depth Design Reviews and an extensive Photo Gallery of our own images coming soon. Until then, be sure to check out our Photo Galleries section for all the press images of the new cars on show...

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Ford is targeting growth in China ahead of the 10% overall market expansion expected this year due largely to the launch of the redesigned Fiesta there. Full story...

Ford's doing some cool stuff when it comes to integrating modern electronics into their vehicles. Their Sync system allows drivers to voice-command their cell phones, blackberries, MP3 players and the like-- and it can even read incoming text messages. Full story...

There hasn't been much good news for the UK midlands motor industry of late - but UK-based electric car specialist Zytek has received a boost with the contract to build and fit the electric drivetrain for the second-generation Smart Fortwo ED at its facility in Fradley, Staffordshire. Full story...

Ford has started producing Ford Mondeo cars at its Russian plant near St Petersburg. Full story...