February 2011

2012 Kia Rio to offer exciting new styling

(February 11, 2011) Sales of the sub-compact Kia Rio slumped nearly 30 percent to 24,000 units in the U.S. in 2010, but that slide should come to an end when the next-generation Rio reaches dealer showrooms late in 2011 or early in 2012.

MotorWeek names Chevy Volt 'Best of the Year'

(February 11, 2011) CHICAGO — Delivering a practical electric car for the masses, the Chevrolet Volt eclipsed the competition to capture MotorWeek’s “Best of the Year” 2011 Drivers’ Choice Award. The honor was announced at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show by MotorWeek, television’s longest running automotive series.

BMW continues electric car testing with ActiveE

(February 11, 2011) The 2011 Geneva Motor Show will see the world introduction of the BMW ActiveE.  Based on the current BMW 1 Series Coupé, the BMW ActiveE is the second electric test vehicle to be created by the BMW Group.

The company says the ActiveE is the next step following a global test program including 600 electric versions of the BMW Mini Cooper.

Outlander sets five winter records for TV commericals

(February 11, 2011) The Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport recently broke five Guinness world records within a 24-hour period and Mitsubishi is using the accomplishment as the premise for its new marketing campaign, a multi-tiered initiative aimed at showcasing the company's technological innovations.

Ferrari sales up 5.4 percent over 2009

(February 10, 2011) MARANELLO, Italy — 2010 was an extremely positive year for Ferrari, with a number of figures exceeding those achieved in 2008 — Ferrari’s best year ever — according to Ferrari officials.

Ferrari sold 6,573 cars, a 5.4 per cent increase over 2009, and Ferrari’s highest sales figure ever.

BMW concept shows new design language

(February 10, 2011) BMW's Vision ConnectedDrive, a radical concept the automaker will show at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1, will showcase a flamboyant new design language and advanced technologies set to make their production debut in BMW's future range-topping hybrid sports car due in 2013.

Explorer gets teeter-totter test at Chicago Auto Show

(February 10, 2011) — The Ford Explorer ride experience at the Chicago Auto Show takes the simple concept of a playground teeter-totter and transforms it into an exciting and compelling demonstration of Explorer’s exclusive Terrain Management System.

The footprint of the teeter-totter ride experience at the Chicago Auto Show is approximately 5,000 square feet.

Aveo production begins in South Korea

(February 10, 2011) SEOUL — GM Korea this week celebrated the production of the first all-new Chevrolet Aveo at its Bupyeong #1 plant in Incheon. Sales of the new vehicle will start next month and there will be a global roll-out in the following months.

Bentley giving visitors a look inside design studios

(February 10, 2011) CREWE, England — Bentley's design team is offering a rare opportunity to take a glimpse inside the usually secret and closed world of their studios and follow the development of a Bentley from the first sketch right through to the moment it sweeps through the factory gates.

GM's China sales up 22 percent in January

(FEBRUARY 10, 2011) SHANGHAI — General Motors had a record month in China in January, as its two largest manufacturing joint ventures and major vehicle brands all reached new monthly highs for unit sales.

GM and its joint ventures sold 268,071 vehicles in the domestic market in January.