by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 11, 2012
Honda plans to unveil the Urban SUV Concept at next month’s Detroit Auto Show, a crossover that will be based on the Japanese maker’s subcompact Fit model.The North American International Auto Show, as it’s formally known, will be awash with downsized...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 11, 2012
One of the big draws of the annual Geneva Motor Show is the assortment of odd and unusual brands we’re likely never to see anywhere else – certainly not during the rest of the auto show season. And few brands are likely to deliver more quirky surprises than Rinspeed....
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 11, 2012
Ford Motor Co. has done something of an about-face on diesel power, the maker deciding to introduce a 3.2-liter “oil-burner” for the new Transit van it will launch in the U.S. market next year. It will mark the first time Ford has offered a diesel in a van for the...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 11, 2012
As he visited the Daimler AG plant near Detroit Monday, President Barack Obama was given a firsthand look at some of the latest high-mileage diesel technology – and details on an investment by the German maker that will add more than 100 jobs to its Detroit Diesel...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 10, 2012
Ten days after announcing the recall of nearly 90,000 Escape crossovers and Fusion sedans, Ford has come up with a fix to prevent potential engine fires in those vehicles equipped with the maker’s popular 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine. Ford acknowledged it did not have a...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 10, 2012
With the official debut of the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette barely a month away, details about the much-anticipated sports car have begun leaking out despite the tight lid the Detroit maker has clamped down until the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 10, 2012
Traffic fatalities fell to their lowest level in more than six decades last year, according to a new analysis by federal regulators, continuing a decade-long decline – though there are some preliminary signs that the death rate may have turned back upward in 2012. The...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 10, 2012
The Environmental Protection Agency is stepping in to review mileage claims for two of Ford Motor Co.’s two newest hybrid models. The move was triggered by a report from Consumer Reports magazine that the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Ford C-Max Hybrid delivered...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 10, 2012
Despite resistance from unions and political leaders, General Motors will move ahead with plans to close an excess assembly plant in Germany, a move seen as critical to the maker’s long-awaited turnaround in the troubled European market. The news could impact about...
by Joseph Szczesny | Dec 10, 2012
Mega-supplier Johnson Controls has withdrawn its bid for the bankrupt battery maker A123 Systems after declining to match a higher, $256.6 million bid submitted by the Chinese company Wanxiang Group Corp. JCI originally appeared to have landed a deal to take control...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 7, 2012
The White House has given its okay to a plan that would require all future cars and trucks be equipped with event data records – most commonly referred to as “black boxes.” The majority of vehicles produced today already have such devices onboard and they have aided...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Dec 7, 2012
Troubled British sports car maker Aston Martin has found a critically needed new investor – though not the Indian manufacturer that many had anticipated winning out for a share of the brand best known for its long ties to movie spy James Bond. The Italian private...
