Headlines for Tuesday, January 8, 2013

GM plans to make app development easier

To speed the introduction of new infotainment features, General Motors is offering software developers an online kit to create new programs for its vehicles. Read More »

Toyota says Kaley Cuoco of 'The Big Bang Theory' will appear in Super Bowl ad

Kaley Cuoco from the CBS show “The Big Bang Theory” will appear in Toyota's Super Bowl commercial. Toyota Motor Sales plans to generate fan participation by having people share photos of themselves on social media networks Twitter and Instagram. Read More »

Honda casts wide net in $700 million U.S. ad agency review

When American Honda Motor Co. put its media and creative accounts up for grabs in December, it ensured that it would be one the biggest pitches of 2013. What wasn't clear then, though, is just how far the automaker is willing to step out of its comfort zone in its search for marketing partners. Read More »

Chrysler expected to return to Super Bowl ad lineup

Chrysler Group, which has stood out among advertisers in the past two Super Bowls with attention-grabbing commercials that highlighted economic revival in America and Detroit, will return to the game in 2013, according to people familiar with the situation, Ad Age reported. Read More »

Chevy picks 'Find New Roads' as tag line in global push

DETROIT -- General Motors plans to roll out a new Chevrolet advertising campaign next month, replacing the "Chevy Runs Deep" slogan with "Find New Roads." It will be Chevrolet's first global campaign, rolling out in the United States in the first quarter. Read More »

NADA picks California dealer advocate Welch as new president

The new president of the National Automobile Dealers Association will be Peter Welch, 59, who as head of California's dealer group led a legal fight against Chrysler Group's factory-owned dealership in Los Angeles. Read More »

Dodge Dart R/T morphs into GT -- at a lower price

What does it take to turn an “R/T” into a “GT?” Apparently for Dodge, the answer is less money and competitors with more powerful and less expensive performance compact sedans. Read More »

AutoNews Now: Ford, GM app battle

Handing over tools to keep cars connected, Chevy's new tag line, high-tech co-pilot for Lexus, Audi's autonomous achievement.. Read More »

GM seen hanging on to U.S. share after slip to 88-year low

GM likely will maintain its position in the United States after its market share plunged to the lowest since Alfred P. Sloan’s first full year running the company. GM may end this year with 17. Read More »

First Shift: Giving a 'voice' to hybrids

NHTSA: Electric-drive cars must make sounds at low speed; Toyota quick-stop move; Eau de Nissan?; an overachieving Chevy. Read More »

These days, Chevy belongs to the world

The unveiling of "Find new roads" as Chevrolet's new tag line brings a flood of memories of great and not-so-great Chevy ads. And some Automotive News readers already are criticizing "Find new roads" for not sufficiently playing up Chevy's image as an American brand. Read More »

Opel dismisses report of possible PSA takeover

Opel says a French newspaper report that cited government officials as saying PSA should buy the GM subsidiary is "pure speculation." Read More »

Saab owner signs Chinese investment deal

Saab's Chinese-controlled owner has signed an investment deal with the Chinese city of Qingdao as part of plans to build and sell electric cars in the country. Read More »

Ford passed by GM in U.S. government vehicle purchasing

GM surpassed Ford in federal-government sales for the first time since receiving a federal bailout as Ford’s prices rose faster, according to General Services Administration data. GM directly sold 19,404 vehicles to the federal government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, a 3. Read More »

PSA-Dongfeng China JV sells 8% more cars in 2012

PSA's joint venture with Dongfeng sold 440,000 cars in China in 2012, an 8 percent increase from the previous year, China's Xinhua news service reported. The venture produces the Citroen Elysee, C2, C4 and C5, plus the Peugeot 207, 307, 308, 408 and 508 models. Read More »

Models at Brussels show told to cover up

Carmakers showing off their latest vehicles at the Brussels auto show later this month have been told to refrain from using scantily dressed women to promote their wares. Read More »

Faurecia, Bosch help make the new Peugeot 208 greener, roomier

With help from Robert Bosch and Faurecia, Peugeot has cut weight and improved engine efficiency in the new 208. The subcompact offers CO2 emissions as low as 87 grams per kilometer in variants with its 1.4-liter diesel compared with a low of 110g/km for versions with the 1. Read More »

Skoda wants new Octavia to win both compact and mid-sized car buyers

Skoda will unveil its new Octavia at the Geneva auto show in March. The car will be larger than the current model to widen the gap from the brand's new Rapid compact, which went on sale in Europe in October. Read More »

BMW's China sales surge 73% in December

BMW said group sales in China rose 73 percent in December to 30,470 vehicles. In 2012, deliveries rose 40 percent to 326,444 vehicles, the automaker added. Read More »

Renault infotainment takes a cue from Apple's App Store

Renault is betting that following Apple's iPhone and App Store business model is the best way to entice customers to buy its R-Link infotainment system. The company will introduce R-Link in the Clio, Zoe and Fluence this year. Read More »

Czech car sales drop 14.9% in December

Czech car sales fell 14.9 percent year on year in December to 12,784 units as demand in the recession-hit economy ebbed, the country's Car Importers Association said. In total, car registrations rose 0.4 percent to 174,009 units in 2012. Read More »