Taking on responsibility for Mercedes operations in Canada, Steve Cannon believes the brand needs to offer more 4matic all-wheel-drive models north of the border, possibly offering a 4matic option across the portfolio....More
Foreign automakers can import their small cars into Korea, but without city-car certification they must compete against homegrown models that meet the requirements and entice buyers with many government incentives....More
Following the concept of Daimler’s Smart minicar, Daihatsu rejects the notion it is difficult to alter a car’s design after it is bought, and instead is enabling customers to make post-purchase changes in line with their preferences....More
BorgWarner adds thermostats to emissions-control arsenal; Daimler quits JV with maker of battery cells for Smart; Dirac technology will customize Harman Kardon audio system in Volvo V70....More
Renault’s Twin’Z and Twin’Run concepts have been displayed at several events since March 2013, but the successor to the 20-year-old Twingo will be revealed in its production-ready form at next month’s Geneva auto show....More
Mercedes will not mention its use of the Tesla powertrain in marketing its new B-Class EV. “We have an ownership stake in Tesla, but the B-Class is still a Mercedes product,” MBUSA President Steve Cannon says....More
The AlixPartners consultancy says a key element of its forecast is a “used-car time bomb” set to go off as 500,000 more vehicles come off lease this year than year-ago....More
“If there was a slam-dunk engine in this year’s competition, it was this one.” WardsAuto editor David Zoia enthuses about the 350-hp 2.3L turbo-4 in the Ford Focus RS....More
When I climb inside a new vehicle I want to be soothed not perturbed, but too often when I look up I’m staring at some craggy fastener that never should be seen....More
Auto dealers hold about 8% of the accessories market. “Why wouldn’t dealers want to compete for the other 92%?” Tom Schwartz of Reynolds and Reynolds asks....More
