Nissan puts high-performance spin on Juke

Nissan's cool subcompact crossover, the Juke, gets a new addition to its lineup for 2013: the track-inspired Nismo model, which gives this already fun little vehicle some key performance upgrades and unique styling cues.

Chrysler works to rectify launch delays, meet growing demand

Chrysler says glitches with the software that runs its cars and trucks caused the recent production delays that undercut the company’s profits, and the automaker says it is taking steps to improve quality and ensure that its vehicles arrive problem-free.

Foreign automakers say summer car-selling season will 'be bloody'

Several large foreign automakers said they expect U.S. auto sales in 2013 will top 15.1 million vehicles, but one warned the summer buying season may be 'bloody' as brands fight for sales and hit the gas on incentives.

Despite hybrids, batteries, fuel cells, conventional engines win long-term

'Calm down, dear' became a catch-phrase in Britain linked with a TV ad, and maybe the world's automotive manufacturers could take the notion on board as they flail around seeking a new technology to replace internal combustion engines.

Nissan to sell first joint minicar to expand in Japan market

Nissan Motor Co. will start selling its first minicar jointly developed with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Japan next month amid increasing demand for smaller, cheaper vehicles.

Tesla, Chrysler spar over loan repayment

Washington — Electric vehicle start-up Tesla Motors Inc. sparked a war of words with Chrysler Group LLC on Wednesday after Tesla said it was the "only American car company to have fully repaid the government."

Longtime auto industry lobbyist will retire

Washington — One of the longest serving auto industry lobbyists said late Tuesday he will retire early next year.

Ex-Saab executives arrested on accounting charges

Stockholm — A Swedish prosecutor says three former executives of automaker Saab Automobile AB have been arrested on accounting fraud charges.

Car condos proposed for former General Motors site in Pontiac

A Birmingham entrepreneur wants to turn more than 80 acres of vacant land once owned by General Motors Co. in Pontiac into a destination for car enthusiasts that would include more than 300 “car condominiums” to house their valuable, classic and exotic cars.

European car sales rise slightly in April

In April, for the first time in 18 months, monthly new auto registrations in Europe increased.

S-Class Mercedes unwrapped

Daimler AG has unveiled the newest version of its S-Class model from luxury brand Mercedes-Benz, a car that will play a key role in the company’s effort to restore its earnings performance.

Aussie travels the world searching for Tucker cars

On an extended drive-about from Australia, Brendan Edgerton parked his $150 right-hand drive 1989 Holden Commodore at the entrance to the Henry Ford Museum. He had come to see Tucker automobile #16, one of the world’s 47 existing Tuckers built by automotive dreamer Preston Tucker in 1948.

Auto review: Acura RLX too much like a Honda to justify price

Strip away the $61,345 price tag and ignore all of its competitors, and the 2014 Acura RLX isn’t a bad car.

Tesla plans to raise up to $1.08B while repaying U.S.

Tesla Motors Inc., the electric-car maker run by Elon Musk, increased the size of its equity and debt offerings by 30 percent to as much as $1.08 billion to repay its U.S. loan and build up cash reserves.

Peugeot settles with CGT Union on terms of factory shutdown

PSA Peugeot Citroen, Europe's second- largest automaker, reached a deal with a striking union on closing a car factory in France, removing one of the last ...

Feds aim to foil traffic hacking

Washington — The top U.S. auto safety regulator said the agency would take action to ensure self-driving cars electronically connected to traffic networks and ...

Outlander, Forester pass crash tests

Washington — Two of 13 small SUVs passed new tougher frontal crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Patented powertrain key to EV carmaker’s success

Elon Musk was fresh off the sale of PayPal and starting another business, commercial rocket service Space Exploration Technologies Corp., when he met kindred ...

White House not backing plan to tighten drunken-driving limits

Washington — The Obama administration isn't backing the National Transportation Safety Board's call to drop the legal limit for drunken driving from 0.08 ...

Briefs: New No. 2 NHTSA official has history with automakers

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a new No. 2 official who has often sparred with automakers.

Report: EV charging stations may grow tenfold by end of decade

The number of electric-vehicle charging stations is expected to grow substantially by the end of the decade, according to a new report compiled by IMS Research.

Hyundai’s Blue Link-equipped vehicles to come standard with care service

Hyundai Motor America said Thursday that all new Blue Link-equipped vehicles will come standard with three years of free Assurance Connected Care service.

NHTSA’s new No. 2 has history of tangling with automakers

Washington - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a new No. 2 official who has often sparred with automakers.

Honda to convert Ohio plant to build supercar Acura NSX

American Honda Motor Co. Inc. said Tuesday it will spend $70 million to renovate a Honda logistics facility in Marysville, Ohio, into a production plant to ...

Feds urge states to lower drunken-driving limit

Washington — A National Transportation Safety Board recommendation to lower the legal limit on drunken driving would save hundreds of lives annually, the NTSB ...

Ally, ResCap strike deal to complete restructuring

Washington — Ally Financial Inc. reached a deal Tuesday that should allow its troubled mortgage unit Residential Capital LLC to complete its bankruptcy ...

Harris survey: 6 in 10 predict demise of terrestrial radio within 5 years

Nearly 60 percent of Americans predict the death of terrestrial radio will happen within five years, according to results from a Harris Interactive survey ...

Big 3 dominate vehicle quality survey, take or tie for 12 top spots

For the first time in more than a decade, the biggest U.S. automakers had a majority of category winners in a survey of vehicle quality, taking or tying in 12 ...

‘Landmark’ Toyota settlement may cover 22 million owners

Washington — A federal judge will decide next month whether to grant final approval to a class-action settlement covering as many as 22 million current and ...