
French auto registrations rose 3 percent last month, led by Renault, Fiat and Mercedes-Benz, fueling hopes that auto demand may finally stabilize in one of the markets worst hit by Europe’s sustained slump.

French auto registrations rose 3 percent last month, led by Renault, Fiat and Mercedes-Benz, fueling hopes that auto demand may finally stabilize in one of the markets worst hit by Europe’s sustained slump.

Fiat is delaying the return of its Alfa Romeo brand to the United States until the second quarter of 2014, a Chrysler spokesman said. Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, told reporters in Detroit in January that the U.S. automaker would start selling the compact 4C sports car this year.

Fiat plans to take full control of the diesel engine manufacturer VM Motori by buying out the half of the company owned by General Motors.

Fiat Group may have to wait until 2015 for a trial over the value of some Chrysler Group shares owned by a union healthcare fund, further delaying a plan to combine the two companies.

Fiat’s unions expect an update in the coming weeks from CEO Sergio Marchionne on long-delayed investments at its flagship Mirafiori factory in Turin.