The unemployment in the 17-nation euro zone stands at 12.1 percent. A majority of the Europeans view cars as a lifestyle option and not as a necessity. The new-car sales were down 7.1 percent from the first four months of 2012. Last year the annual sales fell to just over 12 million, the fewest since 1995. Shares of PSA Peugeot Citroen rose 10.2 percent in Paris, while Renault closed 3.6 percent higher. In Frankfurt, Volkswagen gained 3.7 percent, and Daimler rose 3.9 percent.

The latest data revealed that Germany’s auto market grew 3.8 percent in April and Spain’s increased by 10.8 percent. The market in Britain grew by 14.8 percent. France and Italy’s auto market declined by 5.3 percent and 10.8 percent respectively. The four-month trend unveils that only Britain’s auto sales increased by 8.9 percent. New car sales were down by 8.5 percent in Germany in that month.

via NewYorkTimes

Geniuses will be explaining the features like BMW’s fuel saving technologies efficient Dynamics as well as ConnectDrive, which happens to be a system that will permit the driver in connecting the internet to access real-time traffic information. Other than that they will also provide information on all models like BMW 1 Series to flagship 7 Series as well as X6 models. The Geniuses will be adopting a one-on-one approach and will be focusing on giving answers instead of trying to make a sale. This will specifically mean that Genius will be helping a customer to pick the feature which will be catering their needs and wishes.

Currently Genuises are available at around 30 dealerships and it plans to extend services to 100 more dealerships by the end of this year. Until now Apple was the most prized brands in the world and numerous companies have been looking at the brand in order to gain knowledge regarding everything be it designs or consumer relations. As a consequence, BMW took an initiative to institue their Geniuses at U.K. dealerships.

via Auto express

“With the redesigned Forester, Subaru’s engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded,” Joe Nolan, vice president for vehicle research at IIHS, said in a statement. “This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection for people in these kinds of serious frontal crashes.” In the next small overlap crash test, five small crossovers were rated poor, which includes Jeep Patriot, Ford Escape, Buick Encore, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

This small overlap test replicates whatever happens when a vehicle runs into a pole or any other narrow thin object at the right or left edge. As per IIHS testers, Subaru set out to pass the test. The Forester happened to be the only one among the thirteen small crossover SUVs which earned a rating of good in the test as per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport also got an “acceptable” score. The SUV market and small crossover happens to be one of auto industry’s fastest-growing segments, this is because the U.S look for function, enhanced fuel economy and utility.

via Automotive news

According to the lawsuit, more than a 100 drivers have complained about the V6 EcoBoost rattling and losing power to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  No recalls were issued on the vehicles by the automaker. So far NHTSA has not opened an investigation which is often the first step in a recall process. Ford acknowledged the problem I messages to dealers but so far has not informed the owners. Ford declined to comment, saying it hasn’t seen the lawsuit. The company wouldn’t reveal the number of vehicles sold with the V6 EcoBoost engine. The lawsuit was filed late last week in U.S. District Court in Columbus. A similar lawsuit involving different drivers was filed last month in U.S. District Court in Louisiana.

Since late 2009, Ford has been selling vehicles powered with the V6 EcoBoost. It is available as an option on the Ford Flex, Taurus SHO, Lincoln MKT and Lincoln MKS sedans from the 2010-2013 model years; the F-150 pickup from the 2011-2013 model years; and the Ford Explorer Sport from the 2013 model year. The three- and four-cylinder EcoBoost engines are not cited in the lawsuit. All three engines use turbocharging and direct injection to give them the power of a larger engine with the fuel economy of a smaller one.

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The exterior for the SXT special edition includes a black crosshair grille, dark tinted projector headlamps, projector fog lamps, LED racetrack tail lamps, and integrated dual exhaust. The interior of this special edition model features Uconnect voice command with bluetooth, leather-wrapped steering wheel, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, front-passenger seat in-seat storage, remote start (with automatic transmission), USB port, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet, trip computer, vehicle information center, tire pressure monitoring display, active grille shutters and underbody aerodynamic treatment. All these options can be added to the 2013 Dart with this SXT special edition priced at just $595.

The Dodge Dart Limited Special Edition comes fitted with an 8.4-inch Uconnect touch screen, back-up camera, 7-inch full-color TFT (Thin Film Transistor) LED display, premium door trim panel with soft-touch upper surfaces, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio control and speed control, accent stitching on the instrument panel, power 10-way driver’s seat, front passenger in-seat storage, illuminated front cupholders, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet in console, speed sensitive power locks, power front windows with one-touch up/down, ambient LED interior lighting, automatic headlamps, active grille shutters, underbody aerodynamic treatment, tire pressure monitoring display and Limited badges. The Limited Special Edition package is available for $1,810. Along with the SXT Special Edition, Dodge Dart customers can also order the new SXT “Rallye Appearance Group” which consists of a black front fascia, Rallye badge and 17-inch Hyper Black aluminum wheels. The price for this option is $395.

via AutoGuide

The wheelbase is similar to the previous generation though the 2014 S-Class is both longer and wider when compared to its predecessor. Only long-wheelbase versions will be available in the U.S market. A new system called ‘Magic Body Control’ is introduced on the S-Class, which uses a camera to scan the road surface ahead. The information is then used to adjust the damping of the suspension on the fly, providing the smoothest suspension possible for every individual road situation. Also helping the ride is improved frame rigidity. Collision prevention assist, attention assist, surround view camera, active park assist, active lane keep assist, Pre-safe airbags and seatbelts and night view assist are among the safety technologies in the S-Class.

The S-Class features seats with a new massage function that uses 14 separately actuated air cushions in conjunction with heat and has six different massage programs built in. The 2014 S-Class also comprises an active perfuming system, which uses a perfume atomization system to keep the interior of the car smelling good. Every surface is heated in the S-Class, including a heated steering wheel, heated front and rear armrests, heated & active ventilated rear seats, and rear heated seats. Two new 12.3-inch screens have been fitted that display new visualizations and animations along with new ‘navitainment’ function such as the ‘driveshow,’ which gives passengers a view of the map and estimated time of arrival, much like the displays in an airplane.

via AutoGuide

The first phase of Porsche’s hybridization efforts is shown off in the new plug-in Panamera. Here the number of engines revs per kilometer traveled is reduced with the help of conventional stop/start, coasting, coasting with the engine off, and running as a plug in hybrid. The next phase is due in 2016-2017 where Porsche’s car will interact more intelligently with their surroundings. For example, consider information from very detailed road maps. These will include data such as accurately-measured inclines (eg 5.9 percent) and even the radius of approaching corners (eg 157m). The cars will also automatically select the ‘correct’ driving mode for the circumstances (from Electric, Hybrid, Charging-while-driving and Sports mode), thus maximizing fuel efficiency and performance.

Porsche engineers outlined their plans for the next-generation plug-in transmission, which will probably debut under the next-generation Panamera, due in late 2016. The new hybrid module will be both water and air-cooled. It will be more powerful than the 94bhp hybrid electric motor in the new Panamera, and will be backed up by a more energy-dense battery pack and other improvements including a lighter wiring loom, which will include aluminium instead of copper wires. Porsche is also working on an induction charging system that can be installed in domestic garages. Induction charging allows the battery to be refreshed simply by being in the proximity of the charger, eliminating charging cables.

via AutoCar

The car maker later also received a complaint regarding loss of steering control in yet another car. Subaru is now notifying the dealers regarding the recall and is expecting to start notifying the owners within 30 days, as per the document filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on May 13. There have been no cases of injuries or crashes related to the issue. As per the company, the dealers will be replacing the steering columns in the concerned vehicles.

If the owners feel unsafe driving the vehicle before the repair takes place then Subaru offers to arrange the cars to be brought to the dealership, said Michael McHale, Subaru spokesman. Earlier Subaru had recalled other versions of Outback and Legacy over a problem in which brakes would corrode. Subaru recalled happened in March too were in around 50,000 of new CrossTrek XV wagons due to a defect in which cars could start by themselves.

via CNN Money

Since its launch, Nissan Leaf’s sales have risen steadily and have grown tremendously when compared to the previous year. The rising sales can be attributed to the huge price cut that accompanied the 2013 model year. But those numbers weren’t always gaining as rapidly as this year. Nissan originally planned to sell 10,000 of its pure electric cars annually, but fell short of that goal. “We’ve also learned how infrastructure plays a role in a consumer’s decision to go all-electric,”  Brendan Jones Nissan director of EV infrastructure strategy and deployment said. “We already knew that areas with a higher concentration of EVs would require more charging stations, but trends show that the reverse is also true—a more robust charging infrastructure generates greater interest in EVs and stimulates more EV driving among EV owners.”

Since announcing plans earlier this year to triple the number of quick chargers from 200 to 600, Nissan and its charging partners already have installed about 50 additional units where interest in LEAF and EVs is highest. The Leaf is now assembled in Tennessee and  the pricing starts at $28,800, and in some areas, customers can get the Leaf for as low as $18,800 thanks to federal and state tax credits. Currently, the 2013 Nissan Leaf can be leased for $199 a month with $1,999 down for 36 months.

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A total of 192,067 Chrysler vehicles are under investigation. These include 2006 Chrysler 300C, Dodge Charger and Magnum cars equipped with 5.7-L or 6.1-L 8-cylinder HEMI engines. The U.S safety regulator, NHTSA received 54 complaints of vehicles stalling while driving after refueling at a gas station. Out of those 54 complaints, 48 of them reported multiple problems. According to NHTSA, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend. More than 50 percent of the complaints were received within the past eight months.

As for Mazda, the 2009 Mazda6 is under investigation. It is being investigated since the doors on the sedan fail to or not properly latch when closed. A total of 39,000 vehicles are being investigated. NHTSA said in one instance, a passenger door inadvertently opened while the vehicle was in motion. Some reports said some or all three door latch mounting screws were missing.

via DetroitNews