VW warns of headwinds; will redouble efforts to meet targets

Magna International's fourth-quarter sales rose 4.6 percent to $10.1 billion on the strength of contract assembly of Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes and Toyota models at its Magna Steyr European plant.

Daimler will cease production of its Mercedes SLC next year, citing a challenging market for compact two-seat roadsters as tastes shift towards sporty crossovers.

Nissan's credit rating was lowered for the first time in a decade by Standard & Poor's on concerns the next two years will be marked by slowing sales and a preoccupation with cleaning up after the scandal involving Carlos Ghosn.

Tesla's Model 3 lost a coveted recommendation from Consumer Reports. Porsche and Audi were among the top five in the magazine's ranking while Land Rover, Jaguar and Fiat were the lowest-ranked brands.

Ford has been investigating concerns raised by employees that incorrect calculations were used to translate test results into the fuel economy and emissions data submitted to regulators.

Valeo said 2018 profit fell in a "challenging year" marked by a slowdown in China and WLTP emissions-test bottlenecks in Europe.

Automakers are mulling the possibility of owning a stake in Europe’s first lithium mine to secure an environmentally friendly supply of a key battery material for their electric vehicles.

EV battery cell manufacturer Northvolt, founded by two former Tesla engineers, aims to outcompete Asian rivals by using affordable renewable power in Sweden.

Volvo has raised 2 billion Swedish crowns ($215 million) in a bond issue just five months after the automaker terminated plans for a stock market flotation, blaming trade tensions and a downturn in the sector.

Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's cut its outlook on Renault to "negative," citing broader challenges within the automotive sector that could hit its profits.