January 2011

Toyota officials say Prius will become its top seller

(January 4, 2011) LOS ANGELES — Toyota predicts its Prius hybrid and related models bearing the same name to become its top-selling U.S. vehicle line by the end of the decade, Bloomberg News reports.

“We will end the decade with Prius being the No. 1 nameplate in the industry,” Bob Carter, Toyota's group vice president for U.S. sales, said in a call with analysts on Monday.

Turbo edition of Cadillac SRX discontinued

(January 4, 2010) Automotive News reports that General Motors has stopped making the Cadillac SRX turbo crossover because of low sales.

The turbo version have made up 5 to 10 percent of SRX model sales since its debut in December 2009, Cadillac spokeswoman Robyn Henderson said on Monday. In 2010, GM has sold 45,229 SRX units through November.

Fiat may acquire more than 50% of Chrysler Group prior to IPO

(January 3, 2011) MILAN — Tommaso Ebhardt reporting for Bloomberg says Fiat SpA, the Italian carmaker that owns 20 percent of Chrysler Group LLC, may boost the holding to more than 50 percent before the U.S. automaker’s initial public offering, according to the two companies’ CEO.

“I think it is possible. I don’t know whether it is likely, but it is possible that we’ll go over the 50 percent mark if Chrysler decides to go to the markets in 2011,” Sergio Marchionne, 58, told reporters at the Milan stock exchange. “It will be advantageous if that happens.”

Hyundai expects to boost vehicle sales by 10 percent in 2011

(January 3, 2011) Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors aim to boost vehicle sales by 10 percent in 2011 after robust December sales, as the industry shows a gradual recovery, led by China and the United States.

Hyundai, the world's No.5 auto maker along with Kia, is expected to outperform its peers and gain more market share, driven by new models and its strength in compact cars, according to Reuters.

GM Daewoo sales grow

(January 3, 2011) SEOUL, South Korea — GM Daewoo Auto & Technology announced today that in December it sold 14,313 vehicles in Korea and exported 56,835 vehicles, for total monthly sales of 71,148 vehicles.

Buoyed by its best monthly sales of the year in December, GM Daewoo’s domestic sales in December jumped 14.0 percent to 14,313 vehicles from 12,553 vehicles in November 2010.

Postage stamp to mark 100th running of Indy 500

(January 3, 2011) The Indianapolis 500 will mark its centennial year on Memorial Day and among a slew of commemorative events in the pipeline for that landmark anniversary is the creation of a U.S. Postal Service stamp honoring the first 500 in 1911, set to go on sale in May.

Ford SYNC now in 3 million vehicles

(January 3, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is ringing in the new year with a noteworthy milestone, by installing the industry-leading Ford SYNC in-car connectivity system on its 3 millionth vehicle in North America.

New spotlight function added to Mercedes' Active Night View Assist Plus

(January 2, 2011) The ability to detect pedestrians on the road and highlight them on the display in the instrument cluster to warn the driver has been a feature of the Active Night View Assist Plus since 2009. Now Mercedes-Benz is presenting the latest development stage of the system as a world premiere in the form of a spotlight function.

Suzuki launches Ring of Fire racing game app

(January 2, 2011) BREA, Calif. — American Suzuki Motor has launched the Kizashi Ring of Fire racing game app, bringing its popular online game to life on both the iPad and iPhone as a free download from the App Store.

India vehicle market expected to hit 3 million in 2011

(January 2, 2011) The light-vehicle market in India is poised for continued strong growth during 2011, and is driven by rising income levels, overall economic growth, the launch of multiple new models, and the continued availability of affordable credit, according to Darius Lam, senior market analyst at J.D. Power Asia Pacific.