Genesis could launch sales in Europe within two years when it adds SUVs and a wider range of powertrains.

If Fiat Chrysler merges with PSA, the struggling Alfa Romeo brand could be revived under "car guy" Carlos Tavares who races in his spare time and resurrected the Alpine performance brand when he was the No. 2 at Renault.

Porsche, Smart and Mazda were among the winners in the Italy where a surge in registrations in the last three days of November boosted sales.

Automakers are seeking to reduce dealer stocks of cars with high CO2 emissions ahead of tougher pollution limits next year.

Aggressive expansion plans have been scaled back and the brand will focus on updates to its current models, the Giulia and Stelvio, while looking forward to two new SUVs.

Mazda said its fuel-saving Skyactiv-X compression-ignition gasoline engine is popular with customers buying the Mazda3 and the CX-30 models.

BMW has given the 3-series wagon a sportier look, improved its handling and will add a plug-in version to help maintain its sales in key European wagon markets.

Toyota says the RAV4 plug-in hybrid has low CO2 emissions but high performance thanks to a power boost from its electric motors.

Ferrari will aim the Roma at deep-pocketed customers who usually chose luxury SUVs for their main car.

Alfa Romeo's future product plans have been scaled back to help make the brand profitable, Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley said.

Porsche, VW and Audi had big gains in an Italian market up nearly 7 percent, while Fiat, Opel, Nissan and Mercedes saw sales fall.

Fiat, Europe's leading seller of minicars with the Panda and 500, is set to join VW, Ford, Opel and other automakers rethinking their entry lineups as tougher emissions rules increase development costs.

PSA's r&d resources and cutting-edge lightweight platforms could revitalize Fiat’s tired product range but the task would be "huge, the politics messy and lots would probably go wrong on the way," Bernstein analyst Max Warburton said.

BMW is expanding its 2-series range with a four-door, front-wheel-drive sedan aimed at younger, design-focused buyers.

VW Group's Spanish brand, Seat, restarted production on Monday after the automaker was forced to halt output last week amid violent street protests in Barcelona following the jailing of Catalan separatist leaders.