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CARMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE
* Germany - BMW X6: Luxury at a steep cost. Pricey vehicle's power and comfort counterweighed by complicated shifter
Munich,Germany -The Detroit News (USA), OPINION by Doug Guthrie -November 22, 2012: ... The big luxury machine BMW calls a sport activity vehicle was powerful, quiet and comfortable through hours of interstate highway driving. The seats were wondrously adjustable and supportive. The sound system was beautiful. There was plenty of room for luggage, backpacks and hiking boots... And the nearly 5,000-pound vehicle was surprisingly nimble on twisty roads. Wide tires on 20-inch alloy wheels worked in harmony with the electronically adaptive suspension, all the while coming very close to its advertised fuel economy of 16 mpg city and 23 highway... But the electronic automatic transmission gear shifter is overly complicated and so different from what most drivers expect that it almost assures error from anyone who hasn't spent considerable time in the vehicle... I couldn't get it right even after almost 20 hours behind the wheel...
* Europe - Banks downgrade Fiat shares
Zurich,Swiss -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -November 20, 2012: -- Two banks downgraded shares in Chrysler Group LLC's parent company, Fiat SpA, on Tuesday amid growing concern about the impact of the European economic crisis on the automaker's bottom line... UBS AG cut Fiat's share rating to "neutral" from buy. Deutsche Bank downgraded Fiat to "sell" from "hold" ... Shares in the Italian automaker tumbled Tuesday, falling 5 percent to close at 3.31 euros... Fiat has been particularly hard hit by the decline in European automobile sales and has warned investors that it does not expect to return to profitability in the region for at least three more years...
* USA - GM in discussions with 2 firms to sell French plant
Dearborn,MICH,USA -The Detroit News -November 24, 2012: -- General Motors Co. is in talks to sell its vehicle-transmission factory in Strasbourg, France, to ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Punch International NV... ZF and Punch are bidding jointly to acquire the plant, a GM spokesman said Friday. "We continue to be in discussions, but this is not a done deal" ... ZF and Punch are in "advanced negotiations regarding the production of 8-speed automatic transmissions for ZF in Strasbourg" if the GM plant can be acquired, a Punch spokesman said in an e-mail...
* Japan - Nissan cuts Leaf cost, adds range
Tokyo,Japan -Associated Press/The Detroit News, by Yuri Kageyama -November 22, 2012: -- The upgraded Nissan Motor Co. Leaf electric car can travel farther without recharging, comes in a cheaper model and tells drivers how much battery life is left... Electric cars emit no pollution, but they need to be recharged. Owners have charging equipment installed at home. But the scarcity of recharging stations on the roads has limited electric vehicle use to short commutes and kept zero-emission cars confined to a market niche... The new model can travel 142 miles on a single charge, up from 124 miles as long as you don't use air conditioning, because of improvements such as streamlining the battery system and the vehicle's lighter weight, according to Nissan... It sells for less than 2.5 million yen ($31,000) in Japan when stripped of options and adding government green subsidies — more affordable than the cheapest previous model at just below 3 million yen ($37,000)...
* Sweden - Saab set for early revival?
Labels: carmakers news worldwide
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