Inside the Industry

Ford's has highest October market share and sales volume in Europe since 1997

(November 12, 2009) COLOGNE — Ford achieved its highest October market share and car sales volume since 1997 with total sales of 121,000 new vehicles and a market share of 8.8 per cent in its 19 main European markets.

GM to add 40,000-vehicle capacity for Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain

(November 11, 2009) OSHAWA, Ontario — Because of strong sales of the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, CAMI Automotive is investing $90 million Canadian for a substantial project that includes the re-tooling of the facility’s West Body Shop resulting in increased capacity and the recall of approximately 150 employees.

The added capacity from this investment will result in the production an additional 40,000 vehicles annually for the Canadian and U.S. markets.

Volvo releases first pictures of the new S60 to go into production in summer 2010

(November 11, 2009) Volvo has released the first official pictures of the redesigned S60 sedan.

The much-anticipated car will go into production next summer. It will be shown for the first time at the Geneva motor show in March.

The production S60 looks a lot like the concept that was revealed at the Detroit auto show in January. Volvo says the redesigned S60 will compete against luxury sedans such as the Infiniti G35.

The S60 will compete against cars such as the Infiniti G35 and the BMW 3-Series.

Jeep Grand Cherokee fuel tank problem may be investigated

(November 11, 2009) Automotive News reports that the Jeep Grand Cherokee from the 1993 to 2004 model years may be investigated by federal safety regulators after a complaint that its fuel tank is an exposed fire hazard that may have contributed to hundreds of deaths.

General Motors surpasses 1.5 million Chinese sales for 2009

(November 11, 2009) SHANGHAI — General Motors Company announced that the automaker and its joint ventures in China today surpassed 1.5 million units in sales for 2009. With a strong October, the GM China family continued its string of record monthly sales that began at the start of the year.

Mulally says minicar Ka, global Ford Ranger won't come to the U.S.

(November 9, 2009) Automotive News reports that the Ford Ka minicar and the global Ford Ranger will not be sold in the United States as previously indicated. Ford CEO Alan Mulally says Ka is too small for U.S. tastes.

Mulally previously had said both vehicles were under consideration for sale here. But the Ka, a minicar developed with Fiat, has been deemed too small for American tastes. The Ka is smaller than the subcompact Ford Fiesta, which will go on sale in the United States early next year.

Ghosn optimistic about rebound in global car market

(November 9, 2009) The global car market has bottomed and is on track for 60 million units sales next year, aided by the United States, Carlos Ghosn, who heads Japan's Nissan Motor Co. and France's Renault SA, said on Sunday.

Ghosn said his global forecast for auto sales for this year was above his earlier expectation of 55 million unit sales. "It looks like we are here hitting a plateau," he said at a World Economic Forum event in New Delhi. Global vehicle sales totaled roughly 70 million vehicles in each of the past two years.

Nissan expands Sentra brake recall to include some 2009 models

(November 9, 2009) Nissan is recalling more than 10,000 2009 model year Nissan Sentra vehicles because of a defective master cylinder from Robert Bosch. Sentras manufactured from February 23, 2008 through April 18, 2008 are affected.

This latest recall expands a previous one last year covering more than 169,000 Sentra cars from the 2007 and 2008 model years.

New Rolls-Royce Ghost unveiled at showroom in Doha, Qatar

(November 8, 2009) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has opened a new showroom at Qatar’s most exclusive address, the Pearl Island in Doha. The luxury automotive manufacturer celebrated the occasion on the outstanding, man- made island, located offshore the Arabian Peninsula, with a prestigious event that attracted prominent members of the Qatari business community.

The event was marked by the unveiling of the new Ghost, the latest addition to the Rolls-Royce model range which was making its debut in Qatar.

Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition to go on sale in January

(November 6, 2009) HERNDON, Va., PRNewswire — Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced the Jetta TDI Cup "Street" Edition will be available in dealer showrooms January 2010. The concept debuted in Las Vegas during the 2008 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show. Following the SEMA show the concept was displayed at TDI Cup races throughout the country, where it was well received by enthusiasts and consumers alike.