GM improves reliability ratings among buyers in US; Honda, Toyota continue domination

Detroit-based automaker General Motors has improved its consistency ratings among buyers considerably, though Honda and Toyota continued to dominate in the newest reliability ratings of new cars, according to Consumer Reports' 2010 Annual Auto Survey.

While some GM nameplates had been among the least dependable brands in past years, they now rank above some main European competitors such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, the survey said.

The key factors aiding GM's dependability improvement are its recent introductions, such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox, Buick LaCrosse V6 (FWD), and Cadillac SRX.

Citroen C5: news and pics of 2011 facelift

Its facelift time for the Citroen C5. The Gallic family car gets a cosmetic fillip, latest safety toys and a range of engine revisions to keep it bright in the face of new competition from the new VW Passat and pepped-up Ford Mondeo.

The 153bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol nets inferior CO2 emissions, down 14g/km to 153, and economy is also improved, up to 42.2mpg from 39.8. This downsized turbo is currently the only petrol engine available in the Citroen C5 – and the Tourer estate range is diesel only.

The 3.0-litre diesel V6 with 237bhp is also revised, with carbon emissions down to 189g/km and mpg augmented to 39.2. Impressively, both economy figures are the equal for the saloon and estate.

Mercedes-Benz A Class Review

The Mercedes-Benz A Class is a city car and hatchback rolled into one. The newest Mercedes-Benz A Class is safer, greener and more attractive. It is obtainable in a three door and a five door version. It is deceptively spacious with a luxurious interior packed with safety features, innovations and equipments levels predictable from Mercedes-Benz.

The interior has been upgraded with larger stowage compartments and fresh fabrics. The rear seats can tumble forwards to extend luggage space and there are orderly storage areas around the cabin.

There are two petrol options, the A160 with a 1.5 litre 95bhp unit and the A180 with its 1.7 litre producing 116bhp. Performance is as modest as those power ratings propose with the A160 taking 12.6 seconds to reach 62mph from a standing start and the A180 able of 10.9 seconds from 0 to 62mph. The diesel options comprise the Mercedes-Benz A160 CDI 2.0 litre and the A180 CDI which has 109bhp.

1.5 million Toyota Cars Recalled Worldwide Due to Brakes

TOKYO – Japanese automaker Toyota said Thursday the recall of a million and a half cars universal because of a brake fluid leak, a few months after calling the garage ten million vehicles for a assortment of concerns techniques.

The manufacturer will remember 750,000 vehicles in the U.S., 582,000 in Japan, 60,000 Chinese, 50,000 in other Asian countries, 50,000 in Europe and 30,000 in Australia.

Aston Martin makes fast entry to the Turkish market

Aston Martin, the luxury car brand that has grown to be synonymous with James Bond, has entered the Turkish market with Borusan Otomotiv. The car, which will be sold starting from 250,000 euros, has previously received six orders.

Speaking at a press conference in Istanbul on Wednesday, Agah Uğur, the chief executive of Borusan, said Aston Martin is distinctive in its class. The car will be showcased at the Istanbul Auto Show for the first time on Oct. 29.

Bill Donnelly, the worldwide sales and marketing director of Aston Martin, said the company has produced 50,000 cars since today. Aston Martin cars cannot be victims of vandalism, he claimed. Because the element of frills is minimized, nonentity will scratch this car. Donnelly also said the upcoming James Bond movie would make a positive effect on the Turkish market.

What Was The Most Stolen Car In 2009?

The 1994 Honda Accord ranks at the pinnacle of a list of the most stolen vehicles for 2009.

The vehicle tops the list because it is one of the most general cars on the road and in parking lots, and thieves find it has easy-to-remove parts that are also simple to sell.

The similar was true for other vehicles on the list, including the 1995 Honda Civic,ranked second; and the 1989 Toyota Camry, third.

Others on the list were the 1997 Ford F-150 good pickup, fourth; 2004 Dodge Ram pickup, fifth; 2002 Dodge Caravan, sixth; 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee, seventh; 1994 Acura Integra, eight; 1999 Ford Taurus, ninth; and 2002 Ford Explorer, tenth position.

Buyers spurning Lincoln as serious luxury car

Just 12 years ago, according to Crain's, Lincoln was the peak selling luxury brand in the U.S. with sales of 187,121. Last year, it sold just 82,847 cars, putting it in seventh place, way at the back the luxury leader, Lexus, who sold 215, 975.

To add insult to wound, consumer awareness of the domestic auto business is at an all-time high thanks to the bankruptcies at Chrysler and GM and the bailout program. Prior to 2007, I would contend that possibly half of U.S. consumers did not know that Cadillac and Saab were owned by GM or that Ford owned Lincoln, much less Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin. But today, those numbers have to be much higher, which isn't probable to help the domestic carmakers, as even more consumers associate Cadillac’s with Chevys and Lincolns with Fords.

Audi TT RS racing car revealed

A new race-ready version of the Audi TT RS has been exposed that could signal the coupe’s return to Germany’s DTM touring car championship.

Developed in conjunction with Audi’s Technical and Quattro divisions, the rivalry car has been put together by Raeder Motorsport.

With its wide arches, lowered stance and big rear wing, the Raeder RS has caused speculation that Audi are considering swapping A4 for TT in the DTM and that it could also be the potential foundation for a customer motorsport package. Although Audi has yet to make any official comment on such speculation, the TT RS surely has the look of a DTM racer about it.

Though some components are shared with the larger R8 Le Mans racer, the recognizable 335bhp 2.5-litre turbocharged engine of its road going equivalent remains (meet evo's Audi TT RS long termer), while latest race-developed suspension and an aero package complete the transformation.

Mercedes-Benz India launches its seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle R Class

Luxury car maker Merceds Benz-India has launched seven seater multi-purpose vehicles R class priced at Rs 58.79 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The car comes with a 3,498cc V6 petrol engine. This is the company's eighteenth launch in India this year which includes models, variants and fresh editions.

After attaining enormous international success, Mercedes-Benz has introduced the all New R-Class in the Indian auto market. India is one of the first markets to witness the introduction of the R-Class and will be obtainable in the Long Wheel Base R350 4MATIC which has a 3498cc V6 petrol engine. The car will also come with bi-xenon headlamps, steel spring suspension in front and AIRmatic (Adaptive Intelligent Ride control) system featuring self-levelling air postponement in the rear to aid comfort and recover driving dynamics.

Paris Motor Show 2010

A genuine transition to cleaner driving is finally about to take flight, a fresh era in mobility that was confirmed by the displays at the 2010 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris. There was a notable buzz – distinctly lacking in current motor shows - surrounding the final major international motor show of 2010.

It is a pivotal time in the car business. Now that we are well into the second century of the car, manufacturers are now finalizing their response to demands for clean mobility. Ecological car design had initial teething problems - premature proposals were awkward, impractical and often had very little familial similarity to the parent brand. The effort felt forced, a box-ticking exercise to please the legislators and ease public anxiety.

Car sales slow in US, Europe

Car sales in the United States, Europe and Japan stayed stuck in low down gear in September, while emerging markets like India raced ahead.

he loss of government incentives to buy fresh cars in Europe and Japan led to steep sales drops from a year ago, but US sales bounced back from strangely low levels in September 2009, the month after the US cash for clunkers program expired.

The international auto industry's recovery from the financial crisis has been patchy and largely reliant on growth in countries such as China and India, as well as government subsidies and incentives to revitalize demand.

India's top automakers reported strong September sales, fueled by the country's robust economic enlargement, but car sales in Japan fell for the first time in 14 months in September after government incentives dried up.