TMMAL is to boost annual production capacity by 216,000 units solely for the 2GR, resulting in an increase of total engine capacity from 506,000 to 722,000 engines a year.

In addition to the creation of 125 new jobs, approximately 80 million dollars—including funds for the construction of a new building—will be invested towards the expansion.

2GR engines are currently produced in the U.S. at two other TMC subsidiaries: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. The engines are installed on such vehicles as the “Highlander” crossover SUV, and the “Camry” and “Avalon” sedans.

TMC will continue to promote localized production based on the concept of producing vehicles where they are sold.

Source: http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/12/05/0518.html

Nissan has been carrying out similar tests of a NV200-based EV since last summer in Japan and in Europe. The NV200-based EV test vehicle is based on the e-NV200 concept model that was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (Detroit) in the U.S. in January 2012. Feedback from this real-world testing will be considered as Nissan develops production models that will be marketed in the future.

“Zero emission vehicles will play an increasingly important role in shaping the environment of our cities and towns,” said Nissan Motor Company’s Corporate Vice President Hideto Murakami, head of the Global Light Commercial Vehicle Business Unit. “Electric vehicles will help to raise the quality of our urban environment and their economical running costs should also make them very attractive to businesses.

The evaluation results we will get from the AEON Retail testing will assist us in the development of compact EV commercial vehicles. Based on input, the future production version of the e-NV200 will allow us to leverage our investment in electric vehicle technologies, contribute to expanding our EV business globally, and move toward a more sustainable society.”

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2012/_STORY/120515-01-e.html

TMMAL currently assembles 4-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines for eight of 12 Toyota North American built vehicles. TMMAL is the only Toyota plant globally to produce these three types of engines in one facility. This investment will increase engine production at the Huntsville plant to more than 700,000 annually, and will increase total Toyota engine production in the U.S. to more than 1.4 million per year. Toyota also builds engines in Kentucky and West Virginia.

“We are proud to announce our fourth expansion, only a few months after celebrating 10 years of success in Huntsville and Madison County,” said Jim Bolte, President of TMMAL. Wouldn’t be possible without continued commitment from our outstanding team members and support from our community partners.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama has been a dedicated corporate citizen in Alabama for more than ten years, and announcement is an exciting new chapter for this company and this community. Toyota’s success in Alabama is a testament to the hard-working men and women of the production and leadership teams who have dedicated themselves to producing quality products,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “This expansion is also a testament to the business climate we’ve worked hard to create in Alabama – a climate in which companies are encouraged to expand, innovate, and create new jobs. We thank Toyota for the company’s continued confidence in Alabama and Huntsville, and we look forward to a continued long-term relationship.

Announcement is the latest in a string of Toyota production increase announcements since February including Toyota plants in Indiana, West Virginia, Canada and Kentucky. Cumulative investment total is approximately $645 million and more than 1,100 jobs are being added. “This V6 line addition continues to reflect our growing optimism for an improving North American market, and we continue to study more localization in North America,” said Steve St. Angelo, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Source: http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+increase+v6+engine+production+alabama.htm

Chevrolet has a long history of using the SS (Super Sport) designation on high-performance models of some of its most enduring nameplates. The SS designation first appeared in 1957 on a Corvette prototype race car built under the guidance of Zora Arkus-Duntov with the plan to enter it in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

The first production vehicle offered with an SS option was the 1961 Impala – 453 were built with the performance upgrades which included a modified chassis and suspension, power brakes, a steering column mounted tachometer and unique wheels and tires. The latest SS model in the Chevrolet lineup is the fifth-generation Camaro, which debuted in 2010.

The Chevrolet SS will be a derivative of the award-winning global rear-wheel-drive architecture that spawns performance vehicles like Chevrolet Camaro and Holden’s upcoming VF Commodore. The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance.

“As a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast, I am thrilled that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR racecar in the SS that is closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. “The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that extends beyond the track. I am personally looking forward to driving it.”

Chevrolet was America’s best-selling performance car brand in 2011 with Camaro and Corvette accounting for one out of every three sports cars sold in the United States. The addition of the SS should strengthen Chevrolet’s position as a leading performance brand. Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Source: http://media.gmchina.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/May/0517_chevyss

Total sales of the company grew by 4% in April 2012 with sales of 174,455 units against 167,744 units registered in April 2011.

Two Wheeler

Total two wheeler sales grew by 4% in the month of April 2012 with sales of 171,551 units in comparison with 164,183 units recorded in April 2011.

The company’s scooter sales stood at 35,833 units in April 2012, a growth of 2% against 35,074 units in the same month of the previous year. Motorcycles sales accounted for 67,966 units in April 2012 against 69,573 units in April 2011.

Exports

Exports registered total sales of 22,272 units in April 2012 against 25,275 units in the same month of the previous year. The company’s two wheeler exports stood at 20,370 units in April 2012 in comparison with 22,564 units in April 2011.

Three Wheeler

The company sold 2,904 units of three wheelers in April 2012 against 3,561 units in the same month of the previous year.

Source:http://www.tvsmotor.in/news.asp?id=276&yr=2012

Acura is announcing this recall to encourage owners of all affected vehicles to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Acura. Mailed notification to customers will begin in mid-June 2012. In addition to contacting customers by mail, in mid-June, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require repair by going on-line to www.recalls.acura.com or by calling (800) 382-2238, and selecting option 4.

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=6677-en

Burke began his career with Bridgestone Americas in 1989 as Junior Engineer at the Warren County Plant. Since that time he has taken on engineering and management roles of increasing responsibility, including positions as Quality Coordinator, Section Manager, Operations Manager, Area Business Manager, Division Manager of Truck Bus Radial Technical Services, and most recently Division Manager, Operations.

“It is rare to find someone with the blend of production and technical expertise that Mitch has. His leadership will be a great addition to the Warren County team as they continue to set the global standard for manufacturing excellence,” said Barry Owens, Vice President, Bridgestone Americas Manufacturing Group.

The role of plant manager at the Warren County facility was formerly held by Bruce Johnson, who also held the concurrent position of plant manager at the company’s truck and bus tire manufacturing facility in LaVergne, Tenn. Johnson will continue as the plant manager for the LaVergne, Tenn. plant.

“Bruce has done a tremendous job leading both the Warren County and LaVergne plants to significant improvements in all key manufacturing metrics,” said Owens. “I would like to thank Bruce for his dedication and commitment over the past two years as he has served in a very demanding dual role.”

Source: http://www.bridgestoneamericas.com/news/news_index.asp?id= 2012/120509a

Overall, 79,097 vehicles were sold in April, an increase of 6.6 per cent (or 4,833 vehicles) compared to the same month in 2011. On a year to date basis, this is a 5.1 per cent increase (16,541 vehicles) on sales for the first four months in 2011.

“Yet again, SUVs dominate the Australian vehicle market, with sales increasing for all sizes of SUVs in the private, business and rental sectors,” FCAI Chief Executive Ian Chalmers said. “This month however we can also see an interesting emergence of customer preference for diesel powered SUVs.”

Private sales for diesel SUVs increased by 56.0 per cent (or 1,530 vehicles) compared to the same month in 2011, and 47.9 per cent (5,485) for the same four-month period last year. Similarly, non-private sales for diesel SUVs increased by 47.5 per cent (1,507) compared with April 2011 and 39.3 percent (5,588) for the same period in 2011. Overall, SUV sales increased by 24.4 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Meanwhile sales are down for large passenger vehicles, but medium passenger car sales continue to be strong, up 14.6 per cent (3,428) compared with the same period last year. Sales of sports cars show a healthy resurgence with an increase of 36.1 per cent (1,680) compared with the same period.

Sales of locally manufactured vehicles are up 17.1 per cent compared to the same period last year. The popular Mazda3 was pipped at the post in April by the Toyota HiLux with 3,565 sales. Toyota was the best performing brand in April selling 16,568 vehicles, followed by Mazda with 7,681 and then Holden with 7,589.

Source: http://www.fcai.com.au/news/all/all/304/emerging-buyer-preference-for-diesel-suvs

This research is not only important to the trucking industry, as it informs drivers of potentially dangerous locations, but it should also jumpstart the dialogue between industry and government to work together to improve safety at these sites, commented Steve Niswander, Vice President of Safety Policy and Regulatory Relations for Groendyke Transport. The rollover locations identified through the phase one research are provided in state-specific summary reports and through an online interactive map.

ATRI will continue this important research by investigating the identified locations further to better understand rollover causal factors. Subsequent phases of ATRI’s research will focus on rollover mitigation strategies, such as a real-time in-cab notification system and outreach to public sector officials who have the ability to address potential problems related to roadway design and signage.

Source: http://www.truckline.com/pages/article.aspx?id= 1002%2F8e1c7279-ed27-4c03-b189-ceeee26bbb12

Year-to-date sedan sales for the brand have also increased with the all-new Impreza up 157 percent over prior year and Legacy sales up 12 percent.

“Subaru sales have exceeded 100,000 in four months – a first in our company’s 44 year history,” said Thomas J. Doll, executive vice president and COO, Subaru of America, Inc. “With new vehicle introductions on the horizon, we expect 2012 to be another banner year for our brand.”

“More people than ever are shopping the Subaru brand,” said Bill Cyphers, senior vice president of sales, Subaru of America, Inc. “The all-new Impreza continues its very strong launch and we are working to match demand with supply. This positive sales momentum will certainly continue throughout the year.”

Source: http://www.subaru.com/company/news/index.html

On the ‘5 Star Assurance Programme’, Mr. Arvind Saxena, Director, Sales and Marketing, HMIL said, “Our new 5-Star Assurance Program is designed to offer 360-degree services to our customers ranging from maintenance to roadside assistance. The primary objective being to enhance customer satisfaction long after the purchase has been made.”

The 5 Star Assurance Program includes:

Total Maintenance Assurance
Motor Assurance
Warranty Assurance
Exchange Assurance
Roadside Assurance

The ‘Total Maintenance Program’ assures free maintenance for 3 years or 40,000 kilometers whichever is earlier. The program covers all service and repair including parts and materials as per the standard periodic maintenance service schedule and running repairs.

The ‘Motor Assurance Program’ will provide comprehensive motor insurance at Re. 1 and the ‘Warranty Assurance Program’ offers extended warranty for the 3rd year or up to 40,000 kilometers. Besides this, the scheme also includes free ‘24 X 7 roadside assistance’ for 2 years. The scheme also offers an Exchange/Loyalty offer of Rs. 15,000 for its customers.

Source: http://www.hyundai.com/IN/en/NewsEvents/HyundaiMotorIndia/315751.html

On certain early 2013 model year GS 350 F-Sport RWD vehicles, the ECU for the VGRS system could cause the steering wheel to become off-centered when restarting the vehicle immediately after the vehicle is parked with the steering wheel turned. Dealers will update the VGRS ECU calibration to address the condition.

Owners of the involved vehicles will receive a safety recall notification by first-class mail beginning in early June 2012.

Any authorized Lexus dealer will perform this update at no charge to the vehicle owner. The repair is expected to take approximately 30 minutes depending on the dealer’s schedule.

Source: http://www.lexus.com/about/news/index.html#/view-0/model-0/page-1/article-Lexus_Announces_Voluntary_Safety_Recall_of_Certain

Availability of high torque at relatively low engine revolutions means the Swift diesel is extremely responsive at mid-range and medium road speeds. The DDiS boasts 46 per cent more torque than the 1.4-litre petrol Swift, has a maximum speed of 166 km/h and reaches New Zealand’s open road speed limit of 100 km/h in less than 13 seconds. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard and the gear ratios and final drive gearing are unique to the Swift DDiS. In the official Combined fuel cycle test simulating both urban and open road driving the diesel Swift averages 4.2 litres/100 km (67.3 miles per gallon).

The Suzuki delivers an outstanding 3.6 litres/100 km (78.5 mpg) in the Extra Urban highway only cycle and 5.1 litres/100 km (55.4 mpg) in the Urban city and suburban street cycle. A recent independent fuel test from Auckland to Wellington produced even better economy than the Extra Urban fuel test cycle, with an average of 3.27 litres/100 km (85.5 mpg). “We originally estimated the Swift DDiS would have a driving range of around 800 kilometres, but in open road running, it has since been found the 42-litre fuel tank is good for up to 1,000 kilometres,” said Tom Peck, General Manager of Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand. The standard fit 12-spoke aluminium alloy wheels are shod with 185/55 R16 tyres and the engine complies with the latest Euro 5 emission standards.

In line with market demands, the well equipped Swift DDiS diesel is high on safety and equipment levels. It comes with ABS anti-lock and brake assist, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), foot protecting brake and clutch pedals, ISOFIX child seat anchorages and child seat tether anchorages. There are driver and front passenger airbags, side airbags (incorporated into the front seats), curtain airbags and a driver knee bag giving the Swift Diesel the highest possible 5-Star Euro NCAP safety rating. This rating considers occupant protection in frontal, side, pole and rear impacts as well as child protection, pedestrian protection and the availability of driver aids.

Source: http://www.suzuki.co.nz/News/Automotive/2012/05/15/Swift+Diesel+Goes+on+Sale+in+New+Zealand/

Sales for the month of April were led by the C-, E-, and M-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand on the car side for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – took the lead with sales of 6,424 and the 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 5,328. MBUSA’s top-selling SUV, the M-Class, rounded out the top three with sales of 3,057, up 53.6% compared to April 2011. Other strong performers were the company’s popular new CLS four-door coupe which saw a 522.1% growth and the all-new SLK roadster which increased 215.5% over April 2011. The SLS AMG supercar retailed 104 for the month, up 92.6% over the same period last year.

On a year-to-date basis, top performers again were the C-Class with 24,531 (up 20.1%) the E-Class with 19,201 and the M-Class with 14,537 (up 58.2%).

Monthly sales of the high-performance AMG models were 529, up 55.1% versus April 2011 (341) and up 60.6% year to date. Additionally, despite fluctuating gas prices, diesel sales increased to 2,300 up 142.4% over the same period last year (949) and up 85.8% for the year.

The company’s smart brand continued six consecutive months of sales increases with April sales of 764 vehicles, a 63% jump for the month (compared to the 467 vehicles sold in April 2011) and brings the year-to-date volume to 3,028, up 74.6%.

On the van side, sales of Sprinter Vans also saw strong momentum in April with sales of 1,966 – up 76.3% over last year and up 35.4% on a year-to-date basis.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,368 vehicles in April; a -10.2% decrease when compared to April 2011 (sales of 7,091 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 26,292 vehicles, a decrease of -1.3% over the comparable period (with sales of 26,629).

Source: http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/about_us/press?pressId=a8f2901668f07310VgnVCM1000007c184335____