Marchionne says Fiat could look for new China partner for Jeep

Fiat could look for a new China partner to help it manufacture Chrysler’s Jeep brand in the world’s largest car market in 2014, said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.

Fiat CEO says company ‘has everything we need’ to relaunch Alfa Romeo

Fiat “has everything we need” to relaunch its historic performance sports brand Alfa Romeo, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

BMW, VW and Volvo most open to supplier innovation, survey shows

BMW, VW and Volvo have been recognized as the top-ranking automakers based on their openness to supplier innovation in the 2013 European Supplier Choice Survey.

GM subsidiary fails to benefit from rising sales of value brands

Chevrolet — General Motors’ best-selling brand globally — is falling further behind rivals in Europe as the region’s buyers turn their backs on the marque’s aging product lineup. Steep declines of Chevy’s best-selling models in Europe pushed down the brand’s sales in the region by 33 percent to 45,706 in a total market down 7 percent, according to industry body ACEA. Chevy’s market share was 1.1 percent, down from 1.5 percent during the same period last year

Mercedes China sales up 7% in May as turnaround gains steam

Mercedes-Benz said China sales rose 7 percent year-on-year to 17,684 units, as the German automaker continued its recovery from last winter’s sales slump. For the first five months, Mercedes sales are still down 3.8 percent to 79,365 units.

Sales of the Fiat-Gucci special edition Fiat 500 fall flat

Fiat so far has failed to establish its tiny 500 as a chic city car in China despite a direct link to Italian luxury-goods maker Gucci. The 500 by Gucci special edition, which Fiat calls “a fashion statement you can drive,” has had a negligible effect on sales for the minicar nameplate in China. The automaker sold fewer than 600 units of the entire 500 range in China last year, according to IHS Automotive.

China’s slowing economy is good news for global brands

China’s recent economic indicators suggest that the country’s economy is losing steam. The economy grew 7.7 percent in the first quarter, down from last year’s 7.8 percent pace, and official statistics may be masking a more serious slowdown. Still, foreign automakers in China should view the slight slowdown as an opportunity for better long-term growth.

Nissan Europe names Diernaz first EV boss

Nissan Europe has named Jean-Pierre Diernaz as its first director of electric vehicles for the region, where sales of the automaker’s Leaf EV have not met expectations.

Russian car sales forecast to fall 5% in 2013

Russian car sales suffered a double-digit percentage drop in May, prompting the Association of European Businesses (AEB) to slash its forecast for the full year

BMW says May brand sales up 8%, beating Audi, Mercedes

BMW said global sales of its core BMW brand rose 8 percent in May, outpacing delivery gains of rivals Audi and Mercedes brand, which rose 6 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

Polish car production falls 7% in May

Car production in Poland — where Fiat, GM and VW Group have plants — fell 7 percent in May, industry monitor SAMAR said. The group added that weak European demand and a run of public holidays had reversed a rise in the previous month.

Michelin cuts 700 jobs in French factory overhaul

French tire maker Michelin announced 700 domestic job cuts on Monday, becoming the latest auto industry manufacturer to slash staffing in response to the European downturn.

BMW, VW and Volvo most open to supplier innovation, survey shows

BMW, VW and Volvo have been recognized as the top-ranking automakers based on their openness to supplier innovation in the 2013 European Supplier Choice Survey.

GM to make Opel Corsa in Belarus for Russia, other markets

GM’s Opel says it will begin kit production of its Corsa subcompact in Belarus for Russia and neighboring markets.

Dealers can offer free SiriusXM trial to service customers

SiriusXM Radio is launching a program this summer that allows dealers to offer a complimentary two-month SiriusXM subscription to qualifying service customers

Apollo’s second offer to buy Cooper creates new global tyre giant

Apollo’s second offer to buy Cooper creates new global tyre giant
Apollo Tyres’ $2.5 billion offer to buy Cooper Tire & Rubber, announced this week, wasn’t the first time the Indian company tried to acquire the American tyre producer

Green car sales growth faces challenges despite enticements

Dealers and analysts don’t envision a huge leap in sales of hybrids and EVs any time soon despite still-high gasoline prices, a raft of price cuts and cheap lease deals on EVs. Other enticements include a steady stream of new green-car entries and hefty federal and state incentives.

GM denies it will build Chevrolet Cruze at Poland plant

General Motors will start building the Chevrolet Cruze at its Opel plant in Poland, a report said, drawing a denial from GM

Investors pick VW and BMW as crisis winners in Europe

Investors have picked Volkswagen Group and BMW as the winners in a European automotive market that will continue to decline, Morgan Stanley analyst Stuart Pearson said

As Renault slumps in Europe, Nissan’s importance is increasing

More than two decades after Renault rescued Nissan from near-bankruptcy, the Japanese company is now helping its French partner as the euro-zone crisis weighs heavily

Audi sees sedan becoming best-selling A3 variant

Audi says it expects half of future A3 customers will opt for its new sedan variant after the model goes on sale in the third quarter

Porsche unveils its Le Mans prototype

Porsche has unveiled its first challenger for outright honors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for 16 years. The Porsche LMP1 gasoline hybrid prototype has been tested at the carmaker’s Weissach test track in Germany ahead of its entry in the famous race next year.

BMW sued by U.S. over criminal background checks in hiring

BMW’s manufacturing arm was sued by the U.S. government over the allegedly discriminatory use of criminal background checks in hiring at a South Carolina facility.

U.S. EV maker Coda wins approval to sell assets to Fortress

U.S electric car maker Coda Automotive has won bankruptcy court approval to sell its assets for $25 million to a group of lenders led by Fortress Investment Group.

VW brand sales rise 5.5% in May as China demand offsets Europe drop

Volkswagen Group said that global sales of its core VW brand rose 5.5 percent in May to 503,100 vehicles, lifted by gains in China, which helped offset weak Europe sales and a slowdown in markets including the United States

GM mulls moving Opel Mokka production to Spain from Korea, report says

General Motors is considering moving part of the current production of the Opel Mokka to Spain from Korea, a German newspaper reported, citing sources within the U.S. carmaker. Opel said earlier this year that it plans to build the next-generation Mokka in Europe and not in Korea.

Nissan’s Hardcastle turns customers’ tech demands into affordable options

Jerry Hardcastle is Nissan’s first global chief marketability engineer, a job created for him in which he turns customer and market demands from around the world into technical solutions that improve the end users’ driving experience and boost the value of Nissan’s product lineup.

Rolls-Royce is counting on the Wraith to lift Russia sales

Rolls-Royce is counting on its sporty Wraith model to boost sales in Russia, even as lawmakers debate raising a high-end car tax. The ultra-luxury carmaker sells around 100 cars a year in Russia.

Renault’s China plant approved by environmental agency

China’s environmental protection ministry has approved Renault’s application to build an assembly plant together with partner Dongfeng Motor Corp., the ministry confirmed last week.

Ford CFO’s sustainability call shows profit part of green push

Ford CFO Bob Shanks’ call today concerning the automaker’s sustainability efforts shows that going green is falling into the laps of those who control purse strings

Peugeot will double output of 2008 small SUV

Peugeot will double production of the 2008 small SUV in France to meet high demand, brand head Maxime Picat said. The model is expected to topple the Nissan Juke from its perch.