Automotive
Honda To Resume Construction Of 2nd Plant In India
April 2, 2013 8:30 am | News | CommentsThe Indian subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday it will resume construction of its second auto plant in India, suspended since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. Honda Cars India Ltd. aims to complete the plant in the western Indian state of Rajasthan next year, and to boost its annual vehicle production capacity in India to 240,000 vehicles.
Nissan, Honda Car Sales Continue To Fall In China
April 2, 2013 8:24 am | News | CommentsNissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. reported Tuesday continued falls in their March car sales in China, with sales of Nissan cars dropping 16.6 percent year on year and Honda cars 6.6 percent. Toyota Motor Corp. earlier reported an 11.7 percent drop in March car sales in China.
GM's New V-8 Pickup Trucks To Get 23 Highway MPG
April 1, 2013 1:41 pm | News | CommentsGeneral Motors says its new Chevy Silverado full-size pickup truck will get 23 miles per gallon on the highway with 5.3-liter V-8 engines. The company says that's a little better than all of its V-8-equipped competitors. GM also says the Silverado will have a starting price of $23,590 excluding shipping.
Camry Battles Spruced-Up Rivals In Midsize Market
April 1, 2013 1:36 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsFor nearly two decades, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord have ruled the mid-sized car market. Nobody accused them of being stylish or fast. But the cars rarely broke down, and they held their value better than competitors. But now the dominance is starting to slip.
Tesla Shares Up 19 Pct. As Company Sees 1Q Profit
April 1, 2013 11:03 am | News | CommentsThe Palo Alto, Calif., company said Sunday night that first-quarter sales have exceeded 4,750 Model S sedans, above prior guidance of 4,500. Previously the company said it would be slightly profitable in the first quarter, excluding noncash option and warrant expenses.
Carbon Motors Pulls Equipment From Indiana Plant
April 1, 2013 9:24 am | News | CommentsCarbon Motors arrived in Connersville in 2009 amid great fanfare, pledging to build its high-tech police cars at the idled auto parts plant. The plant'sclosing had left the county with the state's highest unemployment rate, and Carbon Motors was seen as a way to help turn things around.
Feds Probe Hyundai Sonatas For Suspension Rust
April 1, 2013 9:07 am | News | CommentsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received six complaints of suspension failures with three happening at highway speeds, and is probing 393,000 cars from the 2006 through 2008 model years. The agency says Investigators will figure out if the problem is bad enough to cause a recall.
Auto Workers Union Membership Up Slightly
March 29, 2013 7:52 am | News | CommentsThe United Auto Workers union says its membership rose slightly last year as the U.S. manufacturing sector continued its recovery. The UAW said Thursday it had 382,513 members in 2012. That was an increase of nearly 1,800 workers — or less than 1 percent — from the previous year.
EPA Taking Aim At Auto Emissions, Sulfur In Gas
March 29, 2013 7:43 am | by Dina Cappiello, Associated Press | News | CommentsAn oil industry study says the proposed rule being unveiled Friday by the administration could increase gasoline prices by 6 cents to 9 cents a gallon. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates an increase of less than a penny and an additional $130 to the cost of a vehicle in 2025.
Subaru Unveils Its First Hybrid
March 28, 2013 12:22 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe company's first gas-electric hybrid gets somewhat better gas mileage than the conventional Crosstrek and has stop-start technology that shuts down the engine at red lights to save fuel. It has all-wheel-drive capability and the same 8.7-inch ground clearance so it can go on trails.
VW's U.S. Chief Expects Sales To Keep Growing
March 28, 2013 7:55 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsVolkswagen Group of America expects U.S. sales to keep growing for the next five years, although its chief executive is tempering expectations a little. The group has seen blistering growth in the U.S. since 2007, when it set lofty goals for sales of the Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley brands.
Spirit Of Carroll Shelby Lives On In 2013 Mustang
March 27, 2013 1:25 pm | by Ann M. Job, For The Associated Press | News | CommentsNearly a year after race car driver and car designer Carroll Shelby died, his spirit lives on in a 2013 Ford Mustang with the most powerful series production V-8 in the world and unmistakable Shelby Mustang styling. With a top speed of 200 miles per hour, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Coupe is breathtaking, even daring, to drive.
Cadillac To Challenge BMW With CTS
March 27, 2013 10:54 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsCadillac wants the CTS to accelerate and handle better than a BMW. So it's losing a little weight. The 2014 version of the CTS midsize luxury sedan is aimed squarely at the BMW 5-Series. It weighs 200 pounds less than the BMW 528i and 250 pounds less than the current CTS.
BMW Unveils New Diesel 3-Series Sedan
March 27, 2013 10:48 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe 3-Series is the top-selling luxury car in the U.S. BMW sold almost 99,000 3-Series sedans, coupes, and wagons last year, up more than 6 percent from 2011. Luxury automakers overall sold more than 1 million cars in the U.S. last year, an increase of almost 12 percent over 2011.
Toyota To Replace Aging Highlander SUV
March 27, 2013 10:43 am | News | CommentsThe automaker is unveiling a new version of the SUV on Wednesday at the New York auto show. It's less boxy-looking on the outside and has richer materials on the inside. The Highlander can now fit an eighth passenger, it handles better and the ride gets quieter, the company says.
Jeep Takes Radical New Turn With Cherokee
March 27, 2013 8:43 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsThe new Cherokee ditches Jeep's traditional boxy look for a more aerodynamic style. It replaces the brand's signature round headlights with sharply angled slits. The interior is plush and full of luxury options like automatic parallel parking. Even Jeep's seven-slat grille didn't go untouched.
Lawmakers Mull $100M In Bonds For Nissan
March 27, 2013 8:31 am | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | CommentsMississippi lawmakers are considering giving a development agency the capacity to use $100 million in bonds toward the construction of buildings for suppliers of Nissan Motor Co.'s Canton plant. Two Senate committees voted Tuesday in favor of Senate Bill 2920.
Honda Odyssey: The Minivan With Its Own Vacuum
March 27, 2013 8:00 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsHonda says it's the first to offer this family-friendly tool, which it developed with heavy-duty vacuum maker Shop-Vac. Honda's system includes nozzle accessories and a hose that can reach every corner of the vehicle. It doesn't need an outlet for recharging, and can work continuously when the motor is running.
Mazda Recalling Atenza Passenger Cars
March 26, 2013 8:24 am | News | CommentsMazda Motor Corp. reported to the transport ministry Tuesday it is recalling 8,902 of its latest model Atenza passenger cars due to an electric system fault that may cause fire. Subject to the recall are Atenzas manufactured between last October and this month.
GM In Next Phase Of Hoped-For Buick Revival
March 26, 2013 7:43 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | CommentsGeneral Motors Co. is making an attempt to shake up Buick's image as a car for older buyers with freshened up versions of its Regal midsize sports sedan and the LaCrosse large luxury car. GM unveils the pair Tuesday ahead of the New York auto show.
NC, Ore. Daimler Trucks Plants To Lose Fewer Jobs
March 25, 2013 9:21 am | News | CommentsDaimler Trucks North America says it won't have to lay off 1,300 factory workers in North Carolina and Oregon as it warned in January and instead will cut about 600 jobs. Portland, Ore.-based Daimler Trucks says its Portland factory that builds Western Star trucks has cut its workforce by about 230 employees.
Ford India Apologizes Over Berlusconi Bondage Ad
March 25, 2013 8:46 am | by Kay Johnson, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Indian unit of Ford Motor Co. has apologized for advertisements decried as demeaning to women, including one depicting Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with a trio of bound women in the trunk of a car. The ads were never used commercially but appeared over the weekend on a website showcasing creative advertising.
What's Next For Unions?
March 25, 2013 7:46 am | by Sharon Cohen, AP National Writer | News | CommentsOn Thursday, Michigan's right-to-work law takes effect, a stunning shift in this symbolic capital of organized labor. The historic change is just the latest sign of turmoil in the union movement that has seen its nationwide membership shrink to its lowest levels since at least the 1930s.
Acura Recalling TSX Sedans For Corrosion
March 21, 2013 9:14 pm | News | CommentsAcura says that in places where road salt is heavily used, salt and water can saturate the carpet under the dashboard that covers the vehicle's electrical control unit. Salty water can corrode the metal case that houses the electrical unit. If that corrosion damages the wiring in the unit, the vehicle may stall.
Opel Employees Reject Redevelopment Plan
March 21, 2013 8:59 pm | News | CommentsEmployees at GM's Opel plant in Bochum have rejected a redevelopment plan, which means production there could end by late 2014. German news agency dpa said 76.1 percent of the Bochum plant rejected a redevelopment plan, which implied that after the year 2016 there would have been only 1,200 jobs left. About 3,200 persons now work at the unit in Bochum.
