Headlines for Friday, April 20, 2012

Fiat 500 gains fans and sales in the U.S.

Maybe it is because of its fun ads or because its design sets it apart in the land of beefy pickups, sedans and SUVs. Whatever the reason, the Fiat 500 is generating more smiles in the United States than an ice cream truck on a hot summer day. Read More »

AutoNews Now: Acura's comeback car

Luxury brand counting on entry-level ILX to lead a revival; Honda wins in residual value; SAAR seen dipping below 14M; Lapham: Alfa's allure. Read More »

Peugeot and Citroen national subsidiaries to merge across Europe

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen plans to merge the national subsidiaries of its two main brands in European countries as part of a broader plan to reduce costs. Read More »

First Shift: Resin woes resolved?

A way to keep production humming may be afoot, Nissan to build Infiniti models in China, Alfa registers 4C name in U.S., Snyder smells a comeback. Read More »

Chrysler's tough-guy ad scores parody gold

When does a company know when an advertising campaign has slipped into the sweet spot of popular culture? When it's parodied -- over and over again. Read More »

Toyota wins tentative dismissal of some acceleration claims

Toyota won tentative dismissal of some claims by plaintiffs who said their vehicles lost value because of the automaker's recalls for sudden, unintended acceleration-related issues. U.S. District Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, Calif. Read More »

North America car and truck production - 04/23/2012

This is data compiled by the Automotive News Data Center and requires a Data Center subscription to access. Read More »

U.S. auto regulators to hold forum on electric-vehicle battery safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it will hold a forum on lithium-ion batteries in electric cars next month, almost a year after a Chevrolet Volt caught fire three weeks after a crash-test. Read More »

Nissan taps 24-year veteran Kelly as first American board member

Nissan said today that an American, Senior Vice President Greg Kelly, has been nominated for the company's board. If elected at the Japanese automaker's annual meeting in June, Kelly would be the first American board member. Read More »

Honda asks judge to overturn Civic fuel-economy ruling

American Honda is seeking to have a judge overturn a small claims court decision that awarded nearly $10,000 to a woman who sued the automaker over the fuel economy of her Honda Civic Hybrid, the Associated Press reported. Read More »

Auto resin shortage may hit Europe first, report says

Europe's auto production will probably be disrupted first if carmakers can't find alternative resins used to make fuel systems and brake lines, according to a Credit Suisse Group report. Read More »

Auto resin shortage may hit Europe first, report says

Europe's auto production will probably be disrupted first if carmakers can't find alternative resins used to make fuel systems and brake lines, according to a Credit Suisse report. Read More »

Why dealers need to address the length of closing times

In the space of about six weeks this winter, my wife and I bought two new cars. But there was one problem at both dealerships: It takes an inordinate amount of time to close a car deal. Read More »

VW Credit to expand in Illinois, hire 150 people

Volkswagen’s financing arm, VW Credit, is expanding its offices in suburban Chicago to meet what the company describes as an “upsurge in growth in recent years.” Read More »

Johnson Controls says quarterly net income rose 3%

Johnson Controls, which makes batteries and interiors for the auto industry, today reported a 3 percent gain in fiscal second-quarter earnings, helped by new launches of seating and interior programs. Read More »

Alfa Romeo sets return to U.S. with 4C sports-car brand

Alfa Romeo took another step toward its return to the U.S. after registering the brand of its 4C coupe, the unit's first model targeted for sale in the country in almost 20 years. Read More »

Resins shortfall to give DuPont a boost from automakers

U.S. chemicals producer DuPont expects additional demand from automakers seeking to work around a shortage of resin used to make braking and fuel parts, the company's CEO said. Read More »

Mexico's auto production shifts toward luxury cars with new Audi plant

Mexico's automobile industry, once focused on small cars and pickups, got a boost when Audi chose the country as the location for a new factory to build its Q5 premium SUV for the global market. Read More »

Beijing Auto hires Ferrari car designer Fioravanti

Beijing Automotive has deepened its ties with Leonardo Fioravanti, hiring the Italian designer of a string of Ferrari sports cars as a consultant. Read More »

Nissan to make Infiniti cars in China in 2014

Nissan said today it will start building vehicles under its premium Infiniti brand in China in 2014 as the automaker aims to challenge the dominance of German rivals in the world's largest car market. Read More »

Acura returns to entry luxury with ILX

After leaving the entry-luxury fray when it killed the RSX hatchback in 2006, Acura has returned with the 2013 ILX sedan. Like the RSX -- and the Integra that preceded it -- the ILX shares its bones with the Honda Civic. Read More »