February 2015

Honda to showcase diverse range at London motorcycle show

(February 10, 2015) LONDON — Honda is gearing up for the first major bike show of 2015 and visitors to the MCN London Motorcycle Show will be able to get hands-on with its hugely varied range of bikes and scooters. Catering for all tastes and riding needs, the Honda line-up will include the innovative NC750X.  Perfect for the London commute, it mixes aggressive styling and a high riding position with outstanding fuel economy. 

Buick reaches 6 million cumulative sales in China

(February 10, 2015) SHANGHAI — Buick recently reached the 6 million sales milestone in China since its introduction by Shanghai GM more than 16 years ago. In the process, Buick affirmed its position as one of the fastest-growing passenger car brands in its largest market.

Hyundai to highlight future design and technology in Chicago

(February 9, 2015) CHICAGO — Hyundai will share its latest design and technology advancements, along with the all-new HCD-15 Santa Cruz Concept, Tucson Fuel Cell and SEMA vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show.

Making its Chicago debut, Hyundai’s innovative Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept (pictured below) reflects a completely new interpretation of truck utility for a new generation of car buyers. Also, for the first time ever, the zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell will be driven in Chicago by media attending the Concept & Technology Garage event.

New Ford Focus launches with next-generation stability control

(February 9, 2015) DEARBORN, Mich. — What’s better than a car that helps prevent spinouts once they occur? The answer at Ford Motor Company is a car that can predict a spin before it even begins.

The new 2015 Ford Focus features stability control technology that actively determines when a car meets the conditions that may lead to a spin and intervenes early to help prevent the driver from losing control.

Nissan reports operating profit nearly doubles in last three months of 2014

(February 9, 2015) Nissan reported today that its operating profit nearly doubled in the automaker's latest quarter, fueled by a favorable exchange rate and robust sales in North America, its top market. Operating profit climbed to 155.97 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in the October-December fiscal third quarter, from 78.74 billion yen ($656.2 million) a year earlier.

Net income rose 21 percent to 101.81 billion yen ($848.9 million), the company said today in a statement.

Jaguar, Land Rover announces partnership with new James Bond movie

(February 9, 2015) Jaguar Land Rover has announced its line-up of vehicles set to feature in Spectre, the 24th James Bond movie.  These will include the Jaguar C-X75, Range Rover Sport SVR and Defender Big Foot, which have been provided by Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations.

The Jaguar C-X75 will feature in a spectacular car chase sequence through Rome alongside the Aston Martin DB10. The C-X75 vehicles used in filming have been built in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering facility in Oxfordshire, England.

Ford says 'hello' to real torque vectoring

By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(February 9, 2015) It was while touring GKN’s European facilities in 2005 that I first came face-to-face with torque vectoring. During a tour of the production area, one of the executives started bragging to me about the technology’s capabilities, saying that I should find the time to make my way to GKN’s cold weather test facility where I could drive a Mustang fitted with the system.

Fiat announces kick-off of 2015 Abarth Track Experience

(February 8, 2015) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The 2015 Abarth Track Experience begins this month, giving Fiat 500 Abarth owners the opportunity to develop their driving skills in a one-day performance adventure.

Participants will pilot cars from a fleet of Abarths provided and put their skills to the test through four driving modules: autocross, head-to-head challenge, driving dynamics and performance drive.  They will end their day by riding shotgun as professional drivers push the track-tuned Abarth vehicles to the limit.

Off-road return for Mopar at ‘King of The Hammers’

(February 8, 2015) JOHNSON VALLEY, Calif. — For a second consecutive year, Mopar, Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s (FCA) service, parts and customer-care brand, supplied six GEN III 5.7 liter HEMI crate engines to power the unique Spec class 4x4 vehicles to allow off-road enthusiasts to compete in the “Every Man Challenge” race category at the 2015 NItto “King of The Hammers” in the southern California desert.

Chevrolet Equinox has best January ever

(February 7, 2015) DETROIT — Customers snapped up nearly 20,000 Chevrolet Equinox compact SUVs in January — a 34-percent increase over year-ago sales that made it the model’s best January ever and Chevrolet’s second-best selling vehicle, behind the Silverado full-size pickup.