(November 24, 2009) BMW's mid-size 5-Series sedan has been restyled and re-engineered in a bid to keep it ahead of key rivals such as the recently renewed Mercedes-Benz E-class and the Audi A6. The car was unveiled Tuesday.

(November 25, 2009) Toyota said today it will replace the accelerator pedals on 3.8 million vehicles involved in the company's largest recall ever.

The models involved are: • 2007 to 2010 model year Camry; • 2005 to 2010 Avalon; • 2004 to 2009 Prius; • 2005 to 2010 Tacoma; • 2007 to 2010 Tundra;  • 2007 to 2010 Lexus ES350;  • 2006 to 2010 Lexus IS250; • 2006 to 2010 Lexus IS 350.

(November 24, 2009) Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg Group AB has terminated its agreement to buy the Saab brand from General Motors Co.

"We're obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase," GM CEO Fritz Henderson said today in a statement announcing Koenigsegg's decision. "Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week."

(November 22, 2009) Honda has the most fuel efficient fleet in the United States, followed closely by Hyundai, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in releasing preliminary figures for 2009.

All vehicles sold in the 2009 model year are expected to average 21.1 miles per gallon in "real world" driving, which is one-tenth of a mile better than in the 2008 model year, the Detroit News reported.

Final 2009 figures will be released next year in October or November. The preliminary numbers are based on sales data and confidential product reports and sales estimates from the companies and usually don't vary much from the final tallies, which are based on actual sales.

(November 18, 2009) Last month the Ford Fusion earned praise from Consumer Reports magazine, which traditionally rates American cars lower than the Japanese brands, and now Motor Trend magazine announces that the 2010 Fusion has beaten out dozens of all-new vehicles to win the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

The decision is sure to give the Ford more momentum providing a serious challenge to import mainstays like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

(November 18, 2009) AutoWeek reports that for the first time in three years, none of Toyota's vehicles received “top safety pick” ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, as tougher criteria pared the number of selections from 94 last year to 27 this year.

(November 16, 2009) DETROIT — General Motors Co. posted a $1.15 billion loss during the third quarter following its exit from bankruptcy and spelled out plans to begin repaying $6.7 billion in U.S. loans.

"We have significantly more work to do, but Monday's results provide evidence of the solid foundation we're building for the new GM," CEO Fritz Henderson said in a statement.

(November 16, 2009) Chrysler is recalling 2007 and 2008 model year Jeep Wranglers manufactured between June 2006 through July 2008 equipped with automatic transmissions. About 161,000 Wranglers are affected.

Chrysler told National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that transmission fluid could boil over and cause a fire.

The possibility of this comes under extreme conditions.

(November 15, 2009) Mazda is working to reduce its vehicle weights by at least 220 pounds beginning in 2011, with a combination of lighter-weight materials, smaller vehicle footprints and new engineering processes, a top executive says.

The typical Mazda vehicle has gained 80 pounds with each successive redesign, “mostly in larger tires and wheels, and safety equipment,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president of product development and quality for Mazda North American Operations.

(November 15, 2009) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Company won a 2009 “Best of What’s New” award last week from Popular Science, making this the third straight year Ford has been honored by the world’s leading science and technology magazine. Ford’s Active Park Assist technology won in the automotive category and will be featured in the publication’s December issue.