Fiat-Chrysler's Revised Product Plan Drops Chrysler and Dodge Models, Adds Alfas and Fiats

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed on Wednesday, January 30, a revised version of the company's product plan for its seven of its mainstream brands in North America, including Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Dodge, SRT, Fiat and Alfa Romeo.

Under the new schedule, the four small cars previously planned for Chrysler and Dodge, two for each brand, which would have been assembled by Fiat and be launched this year, are now dead.

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McLaren P1 Shows Up Alongside MP4-12C Spider in 2013 Formula 1 Car Launch [w/Video]

We can safely say that McLaren is showing off its upcoming P1 hypercar quite a lot lately – not that we’re complaining, of course. Barely a week after releasing a new video and a set of images of an “XP” (for “experimental”) test car with a black and white camouflage that did nothing to hide its lines, the company chose its 2013 Formula 1 contender’s launch to flaunt the P1 again. Read more »

Hyundai in Shock as Toyota Camry Wins 2013 "Korea Car of the Year" Award

Until recently, South Korea had a taxing policy that made importing cars nigh impossible. It was a means to protect its homegrown automakers, of course, i.e. Hyundai and Kia, from foreign competition. Now, though, it has opened its doors to foreigners, which is fair, as the Koreans face no such restrictions in regions such as North America, Europe or Asia.

Toyota, for one, only entered the South Korean market in 2010. In 2011, it managed to shift 5,020 vehicles. Last year, it more than doubled that number, to 10,795 and, despite the strong competition from German rivals, increased its market share from 4.78 to 8.25 percent.

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Audi Quattro Boss Confirms RS6 Avant Plus with Around 600-Horses!

If there's one thing German carmakers love more than premium pricing and over-complicated features, it is power. It wasn't always like this, but in past two decades, Germany's auto brands are constantly pushing the limits.

The Audi RS6 Avant is a prime example of this love; it's a roomy and practical, mid-size station wagon model with all the comfort features you could wish for and then some more, which is motivated by a 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged V8 generating 552hp (560PS) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque.

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New 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible Rumored to Debut at the Geneva Salon

About a fortnight ago, the internet was abuzz with a set of pictures of the convertible 2014 Corvette Stingray, with the word being that they could be renders of a future die-cast model from Maisto or leaked images from GM's design studio.

If a report from Autoweek is to be believed, then we may have the chance to verify their authenticity much sooner than we originally thought.

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Daimler, Ford, Renault and Nissan Sign Deal For Joint Development of Fuel Cell System

Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler AG and the Renault-Nissan Alliance announced on Monday that they signed a three-way agreement concerning the joint development of a common fuel cell electric vehicle system.

The deal, which was signed in Yokohama, Japan, by Tomas Weber (Daimler), Raj Nair (Ford) and Mitshuhiko Yamashita (Nissan), aims to accelerate the development time of fuel cell technology, maximize design commonality and reduce costs through economies of scale.

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NHTSA Says it Uses Various Forms of Social Media to Discover Defects in Vehicles

Usually agencies such as the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) find out about vehicle issues when the manufacturer or owners who have experienced trouble report to them.

Now, an agency spokeswoman acknowledged that Twitter, Facebook, other social media websites, and even fan sites, online forums and bulletin boards are searched by the NHTSA regularly in order to discover information about possible issues that may warrant an investigation.

A large-scale study published last year by the Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business about online forums showed that they are a new source of information and surveillance for defects in vehicles.

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Jeep CEO Rules Out Italian-Built Small SUV Being a Rebadged Fiat, Still Undecided on Names

Platform sharing is a very common, and very cost-effective, practice these days. Company executives, however, fret when someone names their vehicle a “rebadge”, “re-skin” or something akin to that no matter how many parts it may actually share with a sister brand’s model.

Jeep President and CEO Mike Manley is one of those execs, despite the fact that the Fiat-Chrysler tie-up is mostly about sharing platforms, parts and expertise and minimizing costs and they practice it even at the group's luxury cars.

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Ford Offering Huge Discounts on All-Electric Focus Due to Slow Sales

In 2012, the base price for Ford’s Focus Electric was US$39,995. Now, Ford’s website features a list price of US$37,995 for “cash-only” sales and a hefty US$10,750 discount on “Red Carpet leases” for delivery by April 1.

Moreover, the monthly payment for a 36-month lease with 10,500 miles per year has dropped from US$350 to US$285 and US$930 up front, and if the car is purchased through Ford Motor Credit, it offers a 1.9 percent financing rate.

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Celebrities to Race New Mazda6 on the Sidelines of the 2013 F1 Australian GP

As part of a large-scale promotion for the launch of the new Mazda6 in Australia, the Japanese carmaker is organizing the star-packed Mazda6 Celebrity Challenge, which will take place during the 2013 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in the middle of March.

Mazda said it plans to have 20 "big name celebrities" behind the wheels of an equal number of cars, each of which will come in different body and racing livery colors.

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