BAIC seeks to acquire Fisker assets, report says

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp., a state-owned Chinese automaker, is interested in acquiring assets of troubled U.S. plug-in hybrid vehicle maker Fisker Automotive Inc., according to Chinese media. A team of delegates from BAIC visited Fisker in Anaheim, Calif., last week, reported Shanghai Securities News.

Nissan revives Datsun brand with Go hatchback

Nissan unveiled the Go five-door hatchback, the first model under the revived Datsun brand. The Go will go on sale in India early next year, followed by Russia, South Africa and Indonesia.

Ford’s Tony Brown to retire in purchasing shuffle

Ford purchasing chief Tony Brown is retiring and will be replaced by engineering chief Hau Thai-Tang. Birgit Behrendt, executive director of global programs and purchasing for the Americas, will become head of global programs and purchasing. Behrendt is a former Ford of Europe purchasing boss

VW plans to bring Phaeton back to U.S. as Passat fades

VW plans to bring Phaeton back to U.S. as Passat fades
Volkswagen plans to bring back the Phaeton luxury sedan to the United States as the carmaker looks to reignite flagging growth in one of the few markets it has been unable to crack. The Phaeton, the brand’s most expensive model, could be shown at the Detroit auto show in January.

Renault-Nissan will launch low-cost platform in 2015

Renault-Nissan plan to launch low-cost cars on a jointly developed platform in 2015 aimed at emerging markets such as India

VW names new global marketing boss

Volkswagen named its UK chief, Simon Thomas, as head of global marketing for group and core VW brand. Thomas is a former head of sales and marketing at Nissan Europe.

Skoda aims Rapid Spaceback at young buyers

Skoda aims to win younger buyers to the brand with the Rapid Spaceback, a new compact car that will compete against vehicles such as the VW Golf and Ford Focus.

BMW’s Reithofer sees western Europe car market staying tough well into 2014

BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer says he does not see a pick up in the western European car market before the second half of 2014

Bosch shortens hours of 1,800 workers in Germany on weak demand

Robert Bosch has cut the working hours of about 1,800 employees in Germany in response to weak demand for industrial and building technology

Renault takes to YouTube to promote the Captur

Renault has won lots of attention but also negative reactions from a YouTube video promoting its new Captur SUV.

Fiat’s Italian suppliers grab Chrysler lifeline

Fiat’s takeover of Chrysler is providing a potential lifeline for its struggling Italian suppliers by opening up new opportunities in the U.S. market as car production at home tumbles.

Honda to build Acura models in Guangzhou

Honda Motor Co. says it plans to start producing its Acura luxury cars at its joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. in the south China city of Guangzhou in 2016. The two companies signed a tentative agreement Wednesday in Guangzhou to localize Acura’s production.

F-1 racing boss Ecclestone charged in German bribe case

German authorities have charged F-1 racing boss Bernie Ecclestone with bribing a German banker to smooth the sale of a stake in the motor racing business to private equity firm CVC.

Kia boosts Slovakia output 6% in first half

Kia’s car plant in Slovakia ran at full capacity for the first time in its seven-year history in the first half of the year, boosting production by 6 percent year-on-year.

Faurecia opens technical center, new headquarters in China

Faurecia has opened a technical center in suburban Shanghai that will also function as the supplier’s new China headquarters

PSA’s consumer savings bank beats launch targets

PSA Banque, the consumer savings bank created in March by PSA, said it might begin operating in Germany after receiving 780 million euros in French deposits, exceeding its 400 million euro annual goal.

Schaeffler agrees refinancing deal worth 3.8 billion euros

Schaeffler, majority owner of Continental, says a new refinancing deal worth 3.8 billion euros ($5.1 billion) offers significantly improved conditions over a 2009 credit financing that it replaces

Is this the end of the sticker price?

The death of the headline sticker price for new cars may be hastened by the popularity of smartphones and the growth of pay-per-use car-sharing operations

Toyota expands ‘Let’s Go Places’ ad theme with Corolla prelaunch

Toyota Division is expanding its “Let’s Go Places” advertising theme with experiential marketing events at family-friendly music, art and food festivals across America this summer. The nationwide tour includes events and festivals that involve creativity, healthy living and philanthropic causes.

Rolls-Royce prepares for the Wraith by taking on staff

Rolls-Royce will create 100 new jobs as it prepares launch the Wraith coupe. The Wraith is currently in pre-production and customer deliveries will begin in the last quarter

Kia boosts Slovakia output 6% in first half

Kia’s car plant in Slovakia ran at full capacity for the first time in its seven-year history in the first half of the year, boosting production by 6 percent year-on-year.

China slashes tariff on Nissan cars from U.S.

China’s Ministry of Commerce has reduced anti-dumping tariffs on Nissan vehicles imported from the United States, the state-owned Xinhua news agency reported. Citing a statement by the ministry, Xinhua said tariffs on Nissan vehicles were reduced to 3.6 percent, down from 21.5 percent. In 2011, China slapped anti-dumping tariffs and countervailing duties ranging from 2 percent to 21.5 percent on sedans and SUVs with engines of 2.5 liters or larger imported from the United States.

Changan sales rise 19%, top 1 million in first half

Changan Automobile Co. and its joint ventures sold 1.1 million vehicles in China in the first six months, up 19 percent year-on-year. Sales of the Chongqing-based automaker’s own brand jumped 81 percent to 192,000 units, said Changan. Most of the rest of Changan Auto’s sales were generated by joint ventures with Ford Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp. and Suzuki Motor Corp. The Chinese automaker also has formed a joint venture with PSA Peugeot Citroen to sell the Citroen DS model line.