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Oct 3, 2013

CARMAKERS NEWS * USA: September sales

* Michigan - Automakers see sales drop in September

(Photo by GARY CAMERON / Reuters - A row of Jeeps are seen in Gaithersburg, Md.) Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit Bureau, by Michael Strong -Oct. 1, 2013: -- Automakers enjoyed a 27-month run of improved year-over-year sales results, but it all came to an end in September. Some makers managed to buck the trend, but most posted small or modest drops compared with the year-ago period. 
* General Motors reported an 11 percent drop year-over-year. Retail sales were down 6 percent versus a year ago and fleet sales were down 27 percent. But adjusting for the quirky September calendar, GM officials put a more positive spin on the numbers, suggesting demand would have been up 2 percent. 
* Ford, in fact, had its best September since 2006 in the U.S., outpacing the industry and marking the maker’s 11th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases...
* Ford and Chrysler stayed ahead of the downward trend with increases of 6 percent and 1 percent respectively. The two makers were able to ride the continuing surge in demand for pickup truck sales buoyed by a modest revival in the U.S. housing market... Even with a lower SAAR (Seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales) in September, analysts believe automakers remain on pace to post the industry's largest annual sales total since 2007...


* Michigan - Chrysler Is going public, Fiat merger could be just around the bend

(Photo by Kjetil Ree - New York Stock Exchange) 
Auburn Hills,MICH,USA -The Car Connection, by Richard Read -Sep 24, 2013: -- The 2014 Jeep Cherokee may be nowhere in sight, but Chrysler's plan to become a publicly traded company is on full view. Yesterday, the automaker filed the paperwork for its initial public offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission... As we reported last week, this isn't exactly how Fiat had hoped to complete its merger with Chrysler. The Italian company already owns 58.5 percent of Chrysler, and it had wanted to purchase the outstanding 41.5 percent that's currently held by VEBA, a healthcare trust associated with the United Autoworkers Union... Unfortunately, the price Fiat offered VEBA for those shares was too low -- lower than VEBA could get on the open market anyway. And so, in an effort to keep the merger moving forward, Chrysler has filed for an IPO...


* Michigan - GM, Peugeot to jointly build minivan


(Photo: GM- Peugeot minivan) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -October 1, 2013: -- General Motors Co. said Tuesday that the Detroit automaker and PSA Peugeot Citroën will jointly build a minivan for both companies at GM’s plant in Zaragoza, Spain... The automakers, as part of their 2012 alliance, said the minivan would be based on Peugeot’s platform. GM said Opel’s engineering team will head engineering for the minivan project and Peugeot will supply the powertrains. The vehicles are expected to hit the market by late 2016, the companies said... The details are the first for three products the companies are jointly co-developing...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:34 AM  0 comments

Sep 24, 2013

CARMAKERS NEWS * USA

* Michigan - Chrysler delays launch of Cherokee; workers cite transmission issues

(Photo from Chrysler: 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited) 
Auburn Hill,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -September 23, 2013: -- Chrysler Group LLC has put the brakes on production of its 2014 Jeep Cherokee, idling hundreds of workers at its Toledo Assembly Complex and assigning others to perform lengthy test drives of the all-new crossover... It is just the latest in a series of snags for a product that CEO Sergio Marchionne says Chrysler cannot afford to get wrong... The Cherokee was originally supposed to be in showrooms by July, but its launch has been delayed — first by problems with fit and finish, then by issues with its new nine-speed transmission... The company downplayed the latest delay and said the Cherokee will begin shipping by the end of the month...


* California - DeLorean is back from the past

(Photo by Paul Bersebach / MCT - A row of DeLoreans sits outside the DeLorean Motor Company in Huntington Beach, California, The cars were made from 1981-83 and were known for their stainless steel body and gull-wing doors) 
Huntington Beach,CAL,USA -The Detroit News/The Orange County Register, by Susan Carpenter -September 22, 2013: ... Recently relocated to Huntington Beach, Calif., the DeLorean Motor Co. had been making a business out of simply restoring the beloved, if short-lived, DMC-12 sports car... The current DeLorean Motor Co. has nothing to do with the original DeLorean Motor Co.,  founded by General Motors executive John DeLorean in 1975, the original went bankrupt in 1982 when it ran into cash-flow problems after building about 9,000 cars. Its modern incarnation was established by British auto mechanic Stephen Wynne, who serviced DeLoreans from his San Fernando Valley, Calif., garage when the original company was building cars, and, in 1995, started a different DeLorean Motor Co. after buying the original company’s remaining parts... According to Wynne’s son, current DeLorean Motor Co. general manager Cameron Wynne, there are still enough original DeLorean parts to fill 40,000 square feet of warehouse space in Houston. Original gullwing doors alone number 1,000 in inventory, he said... Today, that same car in good condition is worth about the same amount. Of the 9,000 DMC-12s that were built, 6,500 are estimated to still exist... Soon, DeLorean will begin producing a different sort of “Back to the Future” car — an all-electric DMC-12 that can travel 100 miles per charge and accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds. In 2011, the company built its first DMC EV. It is currently “revamping the battery system,” Wynne said. “Once battery technology jumps up, we can introduce the next EV” ...

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Sep 21, 2013

CARMAKERS NEWS * Canada & USA

* Michigan - GM shipping 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe to dealerships

(Photo: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray GM)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -September 18, 2013: -- General Motors Co. said Wednesday that it has started shipping its seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe to dealers across the country... The Detroit-based automaker said about 1,000 new Corvettes have been built at its Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky and should be delivered to dealers within the next few weeks... The 2014 Corvette Stingray coupe begins at $51,995 and a convertible, starting at $56,995, will begin production by year’s end, GM said...


* Ontario - Ford to invest $700M to add models at Ontario factory

(Photo by Aaron Harris / Bloomberg - Ford Motor Co. of Canada's Oakville, Ontario, plant will manufacture several global vehicle models after retrofitting)
Oakville,ONT,CAN -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -September 19, 2013: -- Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it will spend nearly $700 million to upgrade its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant to build new models... Canadian governments will chip in approximately $135 million, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper... The Dearborn automaker, which manufactures midsize crossovers, including the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX in the plant near Toronto, will retrofit the plant to produce vehicles on multiple platforms — similar to plants in Flat Rock and Wayne — by the end of 2014...

- AUTOS RECALLS -

* DC - Honda recalls 374K minivans, SUVs for airbag defect


(Photo: A Honda Odyssey minivan concept)
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -September 19, 2013: -- Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it will recall 374,000 Honda minivans and SUVs to address reports of inadvertent airbag deployments — the third major recall over the suspect part across the auto industry... The Japanese automaker said the airbag system will be repaired in 318,000 2003-04 Honda Odyssey minivans and 56,000 2003 Acura MDX SUVs to address potential malfunctions of the Supplemental Restraint System airbag system. To prevent electrical interference, an electrical noise filter will be installed adjacent to the SRS control unit...

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Sep 7, 2013

* USA - CARMAKERS NEWS: Toyota is delegating more responsibility and autonomy to regional managers

* Michigan - Toyota to invest $28M, add 60 jobs at Ann Arbor tech center 

(Photo: Toyota Technical Center in Ann Harbor)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -September 5, 2013: -- Toyota Motor Corp. announced Thursday that it will invest more than $28 million and add 60 jobs at its technical center near Ann Arbor to expand powertrain research and development... The announcement was made by Bob Carter, vice president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., during a speech before the Automotive Press Association at the Detroit Athletic Club. Carter said the investment is another sign of his company’s commitment to the United States and Michigan... In the past 20 months, Toyota has invested about $2 billion in its North American manufacturing facilities, adding more than 4,000 new jobs... 

* Michigan - Opinion: Resurgent Toyota heeding recall lessons

(Photo The Toyota Technical Center employs about 1,100 at its York Township and Ann Arbor Township campuses. Here, the 155,000-square-foot York Township facility is pictured)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Daniel Howes -September 6, 2013: -- Toyota Motor Corp., waylaid three years ago by a recall scandal whose aftershocks hurt sales, is pushing hard to repair its reputation... Under pressure from CEO Akio Toyoda and its critics, the Japanese automaker is delegating more responsibility and autonomy to regional managers, including promoting a former General Motors Corp. executive to its governing board of directors... Gone are the days when prices for vehicles to be sold in the United States and Canada are set at headquarters in Nagoya, Bob Carter, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.’s senior vice president of automotive operations, said Thursday. Regional managers have been making those calls since January... Toyoda’s appearance, coming roughly eight months after he assumed the top job, exposed the disconnect between headquarters in Japan and its regions... For the first time, it has a North American CEO responsible for regional manufacturing, sales, marketing and an engineering center in Ann Arbor, home to four American chief engineers. Half of the company’s eight global regions are run by non-Japanese executives, two of whom are Americans... Toyota will never be an American company. But it is a global company that employs thousands of Americans across the country, including 1,300 in Michigan. And it’s beginning to recognize, in the wake of a punishing scandal, how much they can contribute in the rich market they call home... Imagine that...

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Sep 3, 2013

* USA - CARMAKERS NEWS: Ford add 8,000 jobs

* Michigan - Ford hires three-quarters of 12K workers it promised union

(Photo, by Charles V. Tines / The Detroit News - Line workers launch production of the 2014 Ford Fusion at Ford's Flat Rock plant Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013) 
Flat Rock,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -August 29, 2013: -- Ford Motor Co. has hired about three-quarters of the 12,000 hourly workers that it promised the United Auto Workers in 2011 — and one high-ranking union official said Thursday that Ford could eventually add another 8,000 hourly jobs... UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles said during an event at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant — which celebrated the U.S. production launch of Ford’s Fusion midsize sedan and the addition of 1,400 new hourly jobs — that the Dearborn automaker could add another 8,000 jobs once Ford completes its original job promise by 2015...
* Michigan - GM set to sell record 5M Chevrolets this year

(Photo: GM's Colorado pickup) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -Bloomberg News/The Detroit News, by Deena Kamel Yousef -1 Sept 2013: -- General Motors Co. expects 2013 sales of Chevrolet vehicles to reach 5 million for the first time in GM’s 100-year history, spurred in part by growth in the Middle East, said the global head of Chevrolet, Alan Batey... Chevrolet sales worldwide in 2012 were just under this year’s outlook, at 4.95 million, GM said. About 65 percent of Chevrolet’s sales have come from outside North America as it focuses on emerging markets, Batey said. Top markets for growth are the U.S., China, Russia, Mexico and Brazil, he said...


* Ohio - GM to lay off 135 employees at its Defiance casting plant

(Photo: GM's Defiance Plant) 
Toledo,OH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -August 30, 2013: -- General Motors Co. said Friday it will lay off 135 hourly employees beginning at the end of September at its Defiance Casting Operations plant in Ohio, southwest of Toledo... The Detroit-based automaker, in a statement, said the layoffs are necessary because of less demand for iron-casted engine components. GM said many of its newer engines have more aluminum content... Layoffs will occur in phases through the end of the year, GM said... The plant opened in 1948 and produces cylinder blocks, cylinder heads and crankshafts. It employs about 1,309 employees...

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Aug 17, 2013

* USA - CARMAKERS NEWS: The future Cadillac

* Michigan - GM concept hints at Cadillac's future. Features of Elmiraj may be used in new 'top of range' model

(Photo from GM: Cadillac reveals the Elmiraj Concept Thursday, August 15, 2013 in Carmel, California) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -August 15, 2013: -- General Motors Co.’s, Cadillac brand, Thursday showed off a new Cadillac grand coupe concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Carmel, Calif., cues of which could come in a new “top of the range” car Cadillac is developing... Cadillac says the rear-wheel drive Elmiraj is its next evolution after the luxury brand showed its touring Ciel Concept, a four-door, four seat convertible, at Pebble Beach two years ago... The blue Cadillac Elmiraj is equipped with a a 4.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine that puts out an estimated 500 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of torque. The coupe has a long front profile and long wheelbase, and features Cadillac’s signature vertical headlamp and tail lamp... Inside, the vehicle features high-performance seats, including rear bucket seats and uses hand-picked Brazilian rosewood and titanium trim that is back lit...


* Michigan - Lincoln gets boost with Black Label premium line

(Photo from Ford - The Center Stage theme for Lincoln Black Label is inspired by fashion and theater. The exterior color is Black Tie, which is exclusive to Lincoln Black Label) 
Dearborn,MICH,USA -The Detroit News. by Karl Henkel -August 15, 2013: -- Lincoln Motor Co. previewed Thursday the next step in its reinvention, showing off Black Label, a line of ultra-premium options that aim to boost the prestige of owning a Lincoln and profit margins for the Ford Motor Co. luxury brand... The premium options, which include Alcantara-brand suede, Venetian leather and ziricote tropical hardwood, will soon be available on all Lincoln models. They will be combined with “elevated customer services,” Lincoln announced in Pebble Beach, Calif... Lincoln previewed Black Label on the new MKZ sedan and the MKC compact concept crossover. It is not immediately known when Lincoln Black Label will be available as an option for consumers nor how much extra it will cost. But Black Label is similar to special uplevel models from other luxury brands, which cost more and also come with performance enhancements that are not included in Black Label packages...

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Aug 14, 2013

* USA - Jaguar F-type at $ 104,000

* USA - Jaguar's $104,000 F-Type Roars, supercharges over Mountain Pass

(Photo from Jaguar USA - Every F-TYPE engine features fuel-saving Intelligent Start/Stop technology and an advanced 8-speed transmission)
Whitley,Coventry,UK -Bloomberg News/The Detroit News, by JASON HARPER -August 10, 2013: -- Jaguar’s last real sports car, the E- Type, was released in 1961... The follow-up, the two-door, two-seat F-Type, has just gone on sale, a delay bordering on intransigence... The new F-Type roadster isn’t sex on wheels, but it is a rip-roaring sports car. The company knows it, too, setting up a test drive for auto journalists on a nasty racetrack with devastating altitude drops and brutish bends. Now that’s confidence. On my, say, 15th lap, I’d memorized the blind crests and hard braking points and learned to trust that the car was going to get me through them. Pushing the $92,000 F-Type hard, brake pads burning acrid smoke, I’d come to believe. This rear-wheeled wild thing winds up to 100 miles per hour in a finger-snap. Flick your eyes to the digital speedometer and there’s a three-digit number flashing back at you — climbing (105), climbing (110), climbing (115!). On the racetrack, speed is only limited by good sense... 


* Michigan - Chrysler celebrates milestone with 5 millionth Jeep Grand Cherokee

(Photo by Clarence Tabb, Jr./The Detroit News - Employees as they cheer the arrival of the 5 millionth vehicle driven by Scott Garberding, Senior VP Manufacturing and World Glass Manufacturing Chrysler Group LLC) 
Auburn Hill,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by BRYCE G. HOFFMAN -August 13, 2013: -- Detroit— Workers at Chrysler Group LLC’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant cheered as the 5-millionth Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled off the line Tuesday, marking a major milestone for a factory that was once marked for closure... The Grand Cherokee, the first product reintroduced after Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy in 2009, has won more awards than any other sport utility vehicle in history and has helped drive the Auburn Hills automaker’s rocketlike rebound in the U.S. market...


* Michigan - Cadillac to debut 2015 Escalade in October

(Photo: 2015 Cadillac Escalade future) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -August 13, 2013: -- General Motors Co. said Tuesday its Cadillac brand will reveal the all-new 2015 Cadillac Escalade at a media event in October in New York City... The luxury brand will take the wraps off the newly designed Escalade on Oct. 7, according to an invitation sent to media... Cadillac is not providing much detail about its new Escalade, though the invitation showed part of what appears to be its new headlight or taillight. And the vehicle is expected to have a new interior that differs from GM’s other large SUVs...

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Aug 6, 2013

CARMAKERS NEWS * USA & Canada

* Canada - Government said to seek bankers for sale of GM stake 

Ottawa,ONT,CAN -Bloomberg News, by Theophilos Argitis -August 1, 2013: -- Canada’s government has begun a search for investment banks to sell its stake in General Motors Co., a person familiar with the matter said... The government hasn’t decided on the timing of any sale, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. Sky News reported Wednesday that Canada has asked investment banks to make pitches in coming days for the share-sale mandate... Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, said in December Canada doesn’t intend to be a long-term shareholder in Detroit-based GM. The federal and Ontario governments together hold 140 million common shares, or a 10 percent stake, worth about $5.1 billion at the current stock price, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Canada is the third-largest shareholder, behind the U.S. Treasury and the GM-UAW Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association... In June, the U.S. Treasury said it agreed to sell 30 million shares of its GM stock at $34.41 per share. GM rose 0.90 percent to $36.19 at 9:40 a.m. in New York and has gained 26 percent this year... 


* DC - UAW trust fund to sell off warrants to buy GM stock 

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 5, 2013: -- The United Auto Workers retiree health care trust fund on Tuesday plans to auction off up to 45.4 million warrants to purchase General Motors Co. stock. It received those warrants as part of the Detroit automaker’s 2009 bankruptcy restructuring... The UAW trust could reap up to $340 million in the sale if all of the warrants are acquired at the maximum price. It’s the latest move by the trust to exit its investment in GM... The warrants allow the trust to acquire shares of GM stock at $42.31 at any time on or before Dec. 31, 2015. GM stock closed at $36.75 on Monday, so the warrants are currently “in the red.” When the stock price rises above the warrant price, it can be exercised at a profit...


* DC - UAW trust to receive $171 million from sale of GM warrants

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 7, 2013: -- The United Auto Workers health care trust is expected to receive $171 million from the sale of warrants in General Motors it received as part of the automaker's 2009 restructuring, GM said Wednesday... The price is near the low end of what the trust said it was willing to sell the warrants. The trust is selling 45.4 million warrants that allow the buyer to acquire shares of GM stock at $42.31 at any time on or before Dec. 31, 2015. GM stock closed at $35.96 on Tuesday... Some large Wall Street investors may want to acquire the warrants in order to be able to acquire GM shares down the road without having to lay out significant funds now. GM’s stock has jumped by 27 percent this year — trading as high as $37.71, the highest price since January 2011...


* Michigan - GM cuts plug-in Volt's price by $5,000


(Photo from GM: 2013 Chevrolet Volt) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 6, 2013: -- General Motors Co. is slashing the price of its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt by $5,000, making it the latest automaker to lower prices of electric vehicles in the face of lagging consumer demand... The Detroit-based automaker said it will cut the base price 12.5 percent, from $39,995 to $34,995. The price cut comes just weeks after the automaker announced a $5,000 give-back on the 2012 Volt and $4,000 on the 2013 model... The first Volt, a 2010 model, cost $41,000... Volt sales in July were 3.3 percent lower than July 2012, totaling 1,788. For the first seven months of the year, they are up 9.2 percent from the same period in 2012, to 11,643. Sales jumped in June after GM introduced the new incentives...

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Jul 14, 2013

AUTOS' RECALLS * USA

* Michigan - Chrysler recalls 442,481 vehicles to fix active head restraints

(Image: 2013 Dodge Avenger)
Auburn Hills,MICH,USA -The Car Connection, by Suzanne Kane -Jul 11, 2013: -- Chrysler is recalling certain 2011 through 2013 model year vehicles to fix a problem with active head restraints. Affected models include the Chrysler Sebring, 200 and Dodge Avenger mid-size cars, and Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty SUVs... A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected by the recall in the U.S. at 442,481... The NHTSA bulletin says that “electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision” ... Should there be a rear impact crash necessitating the deployment of active head restraints, their non-deployment increases the risk of injury to occupants of the vehicle...


* Michigan - 2013 Lincoln MKS, Ford Taurus, Explorer recalled for defective child safety locks

(Image: 2013 Lincoln MKS) Dearborn,MICH,USA -The Car Connection, by Suzanne Kane -Jul 11, 2013: -- Ford is recalling certain 2013 model year Lincoln MKS sedans, Ford Taurus sedans and Ford Explorer crossovers to fix a problem with child safety locks... A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected by the recall at 12,569. Affected vehicles were built from November 29, 2012 through December 12, 2012... According to the NHTSA bulletin, with sufficient door openings and closings in affected vehicles, the child safety locks may change from an activated to a deactivated position without any prior notice... The potential consequence of the child safety lock being deactivated is that the door could be opened from the inside by a child. This increases the risk of personal injury to an unrestrained child in the vehicle...

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Jun 18, 2013

Cars production will hit around 16.1 million units this year in * USA

* Michigan - For the first time in a decade, auto production yops 16 million vehicles

(Photo: 2013 Cadillac ATS sedan begins production at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Car Connection, by Richard Read -Jun 17, 2013: -- Before 2008, the international economic meltdown, auto companies weren't known for being efficient. Sibling brands overlapped, cannibalizing sales. Production was fragmented, with little thought given to manufacturing vehicles for multiple markets with the greatest of ease... The Great Recession changed all that... In the auto industry, that meant shuttering many brands and streamlining production... According to AutoNews, vehicle production in North America will hit around 16.1 million units this year, up from 15.4 million in 2012. The last time we crossed the 16 million mark was in 2002, when we reached 16.4... CEOs are keen to keep this tidy momentum going. Most appear hesitant to build new production facilities, opting instead to maximize production at existing sites by adding shifts and boosting efficiency. According to an analyst at IHS Automotive, that strategy should be fine at least until the end of the decade, when the industry could be flirting with production of 18 million vehicles per year in North America...

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Jun 4, 2013

The 2014 Corvette's: 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) under four seconds * USA

* Michigan - 2014 Corvette stings a little harder with 460 horsepower


(Picture: The 2014 Corvette Stingray, at NAIAS)
Detroit,MICH,USA -Gizmag, by By C.C. Weiss -May 31, 2013: -- The new Corvette uses an all-new aluminum-block LT1 engine, which Chevy originally expected to put out 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque, along with its 450 hp. Both numbers see a spike now that they've gotten official. When equipped with the standard exhaust system, the Stingray pulls 455 hp and 460 lb-ft (624 Nm) of torque out of the 6.2-liter V8. Buyers that opt to add the available performance exhaust will enjoy a modest boost to 460 hp at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb-ft at 4,600 rpm... Chevy reiterates the 2014 Corvette's estimated 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) time of under four seconds... The 2014 Corvette will go on sale in the third quarter of this year...
* Michigan - Chrysler bets on 200 redesign to revive car lineup

(Picture from Chrysler/MCT - The 2013 Chrysler 200) 
Auburn Hills,MICH,USA -Bloomberg News/The Detroit News, by Mark Clothier -June 2, 2013: ... Chrysler has mounted a Lazarus-like comeback on the strength of its Jeeps and Ram pickups. Its car line, long a weakness, has played a smaller role, as Chief Executive Officer, Sergio Marchionne, face-lifted a few sedans with modest styling tweaks and terminated slow sellers such as the Caliber. That changes early next year with a redesign of the Chrysler 200 family car, a project that may be the company’s most expensive...


* Michigan - GM freshens up 2014 Chevrolet Malibu in effort to push sales

(Picture from GM: GM revealed a refreshed 2014 Chevrolet Malibu on Friday) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -1 June 2013: -- 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, the carmaker Friday revealed a refreshed 2014 model that it hopes will resonate with buyers and boost sales. The new Malibu features interior comfort changes and a new front end inspired by the 2014 Chevy Impala... The Detroit automaker had lofty aspirations for its 2013 Malibu, which included an exterior redesign and new powertrain offerings. But the car has not been the seller GM was counting on in the hot midsize segment...


* New York - Auto Makers post growth in May US sales

New York,NY,USA -RTT News/NASDAQ -June 03, 2013: -- Detroit's leading auto makers on Monday reported growth in US vehicle sales for May, aided by robust demand for pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles. While General Motors Co. posted growth of over 3 percent, Ford Motor Co. grew an impressive 14 percent, and Chrysler Group LLC was up 11 percent... 

* New York - Demand for Pickup Trucks, SUVs push U.S. auto sales higher

New York,NY,USA -Dow Jones/NASDAQ -June 03, 2013: -- Strong demand for pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles boosted U.S. sales in May for major auto makers, but the auto industry rebound that has helped buoy the U.S. economy since early last year is showing signs of leveling off... Auto makers on Monday reported a mixed bag of results for their May U.S. new-car sales. Some had big gains, including Ford Motor Co., Chrysler Group LLC and Nissan Motor Co... Others, however, showed tepid growth, including General Motors Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.... Overall, consumers and businesses bought vehicles at an annualized rate of 15.3 million vehicles, according to researcher Autodata Corp., the fourth month this year that sales have exceeded a pace of 15 million vehicles. However, May's sales pace was only slightly above the average for the first five months of 2013... The results come as customers' enthusiasm for sport-utility vehicles gain momentum, and pickup trucks demand improve amid a recovery in the US housing market...

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May 15, 2013

CARMAKERS NEWS * USA

* Michigan - GM to offer smaller Chevy cargo van based on Nissan NV200 to be marketed as the Chevrolet City Express

Detroit,MICH,USA -Fleet Owner -May 14, 2013: -- A new cargo van is set to join the U.S. and Canada Chevrolet lineup—the Chevy City Express—that will be based on the Nissan NV200 already sold here, General Motors Co. and Nissan announced today... Described by GM as “a small cargo vehicle,” the Chevrolet City Express is slated to go on sale in the fall of 2014. The OEM said pricing of the City Express will be released at a later date... Nissan currently sells a version of the vehicle as the NV200 in numerous markets globally, including the U.S. and Canada...


* Michigan - Chrysler begins work on new engine line at Trenton factory

(Photo: New assembly to build popular Tigershark engine) 
Auburn Hills,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -May 9, 2013: -- Chrysler Group LLC has begun work on a new engine assembly line at its motor factory in Trenton — a move that could add more than 200 new jobs at the plant, according to sources familiar with the situation... They said the new line will build Chrysler's popular four-cylinder Tigershark engine, which is currently produced at the company's Dundee Engine Plant. Dundee would continue to produce the Tigershark. The new line would give Chrysler the added volume it needs to meet demand for the motor, which is used in the recently launched Dodge Dart and will be used in other vehicles...
* Michigan - GM opens $150M plant in Indonesia 

(Photo: A Chevrolet Spin from GM's Indonesia plant) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -May 9, 2013: -- General Motors Co. this week opened a $150 million manufacturing plant in Bekasi, Indonesia... The plant will build the Chevrolet Spin, a subcompact multi-purpose vehicle, and is capable of producing 40,000 vehicles a year, the Detroit automaker said. The plant employs 700 people... GM said 80 percent of the seven-seat Spin vehicles made in Indonesia will remain in that market, with the rest exported to Thailand and the Philippines...


* Michigan - Ford consolidating Fiesta production in Thailand,   moving work from Mexico, India in '16 to free up N. American production capacity

(Picture: Ford plans to shift more production of the Fiesta to Rayong, Thailand, where it has two assembly plants producing the Fiesta and Focus)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -May 16, 2013: -- Ford Motor Co. plans to free up much-needed production capacity in North America by shifting manufacturing of its Fiesta subcompact car to Thailand in 2016, according to sources familiar with the company's plans... The automaker plans to move Fiesta manufacturing from its Cuautitlán Assembly Plant in Mexico — as well as its Chennai Assembly Plant in India — to a centralized facility in Thailand, according to the sources. A Ford plant in Rayong, Thailand, is currently a manufacturing site for the Fiesta...

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