June 2011

Ford's European sales up 13 percent in May

(June 16, 2011) COLOGNE, Germany — Ford increased sales across its total 51 European markets in May by 13 per cent to 143,800 units, up by 16,600 units from May 2010.

The increase was fueled by strong sales of the all-new Ford Focus and C-MAX, the recently refreshened S-MAX and Galaxy and popular vehicles including the Kuga. 

Mercedes Gull Wing Group recreates famous San Francisco photo

(June 16, 2011) MONTVALE, N.J. (PRNewswire) — The Gull Wing Group has reached  its golden anniversary and marked the 50-year milestone with Mercedes-Benz by recreating one of the group's most famous photos taken in 1961 at Fort Point Park under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Volkswagen gets seventh top safety pick

(June 16, 2011) HERNDON, Va (PRNewswire) — The Volkswagen CC 2.0-liter TSI has earned the coveted Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick rating for 2011, the highest possible from the non-profit safety research organization.

Volvo discontinues compact S40 and V50 in U.S.

(June 16, 2011) The Volvo S40 sedan and V50 wagon — compact cars that MotorwayAmerica editors have found intriguing over the years declaring in 2005 that the Volvo S40 "combines fun, safety and 'Volvoness' in one sharp package" — are being discontinued, according to Volvo.

Honda tells dealers to honor discount offers even if vehicles unavailable

(June 16, 2011) — Honda has told its U.S. auto dealers to honor discount offers, even if customers have to wait for delivery because a model is out of stock, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Honda and its Japanese rival, Toyota, have seen production drop significantly since the earthquake and tsunami, leaving some dealers with insufficient inventory.

Chrysler invests $114 million to support Pentastar engine production

(June 15, 2011) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (PRNewswire) — Chrysler today announced that it would invest $114 million in new equipment at its Trenton Engine Complex to support increased production of the Pentastar engine. The investment is estimated to create 268 new jobs.

Chevrolet squeezes more mileage out of 2012 Cruze

(June 15, 2011) DETROIT — For 2012, Chevrolet Cruze models with the 1.4-liter turbo and six-speed automatic transmission will get two mpg better fuel economy. The Cruze Eco with an automatic transmission will deliver as much as 39 mpg on the highway compared with 37 mpg for the current model, Chevrolet said Wednesday.

Renault-Nissan to open research office in Silicon Valley

(June 15, 2011) MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — The Renault-Nissan Alliance will open a research office later this month in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Directly across from the Google campus and minutes from leading hardware and software companies, the offices in Mountain View will allow one of the world’s largest automotive groups to capitalize on the region’s world-class engineering talent and stay ahead of trends that are reshaping the way people interact with their cars.

Two Volvo legends celebrate milestones

(June 15, 2011) ROCKLEIGH, N.J.  — Two automotive celebrities are commemorating milestones in 2011. Recently, Irv Gordon, a retired science teacher from East Patchogue, N.Y., passed 2.9 million miles in his 1966 Volvo P1800. Volvo's legendary P1800 model also is marking its 50th anniversary.

Nissan to stop building Altima hybrid

(June 15, 2011) Did you know that Nissan makes a hybrid version of its popular Altima mid-sized sedan?

It does, but you don't have to apologize if that fact has escaped you because Nissan has been selling the Altima Hybrid in only a handful of states since 2007 and only about 35,000 units have been sold in nearly five years.