Mercedes-Benz - automotive industry company news 
UK: Toyota overtakes BMW as world’s most valuable car brand
21 May 2013
Toyota has reasserted itself as the world’s most valuable car brand, replacing BMW, rated the top brand in the Millward Brown survey in 2010 and 2012. Toyota held the top spot in 2006-2009 and again in 2011.
US: Harman delivers NTG5 infotainment system for Mercedes-Benz S Class
21 May 2013
Harman says it has delivered the new NTG5 infotainment system for Mercedes-Benz S-Class vehicles.
US: Hyundai joins Department of Energy in new partnership focused on fuel cells
20 May 2013
Hyundai is uniting with the US Energy Department on a new public-private partnership called H2USA, which will focus on advancing hydrogen infrastructure to support more transportation energy options for US consumers, including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
CHINA: Anti-corruption campaign hitting premium brands – analyst
17 May 2013
Although the Chinese car market is expected to see growth of around 10% this year, prospects for premium brands have deteriorated as a result of the Chinese government's anti-corruption campaign, according to LMC Automotive.
CHINA: Dongfeng takes stake in MMC partner Fujian
16 May 2013
Dongfeng Motor has taken a shareholding in MMC's joint venture partner Fujian Motor. The deal gives China's second largest OEM new access to manufacturing capacity in the country's south east.
GERMANY: New top Merc has all-LED lighting
16 May 2013
Daimler's new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, launched on Wednesday at the Airbus delivery centre in Hamburg, is claimed to be the first vehicle without a single conventional light bulb - all lighting is LED.
COMMENT: Is Tesla really worth twice as much as Fiat SpA?
16 May 2013
We live in strange times. As Fisker, a rival with supposedly superior range-extending technology falls apart, the value of Tesla rises yet again, this time by almost two percent on Wednesday to US$9.7bn.
US: GM to sell Nissan NV200 van as a Chevrolet
14 May 2013
Echoing a similar model-sharing deal with the Renault-Nissan alliance in Europe, General Motors is to rebadge Nissan's NV200 van to sell in the US and Canada as the Chevrolet City Express.
UK: Western Europe's main dealer count declined in 2012 (but only by 3%)
14 May 2013
Research by the UK-based ICDP shows that the collapse to demand in Western Europe is leading to a decline in the number of main dealer sales networks across the region.
Q&A with Lear Corporation: Review of vehicle seating
10 May 2013
Back in the 1970s, a car seat was a functional component with few or no added value features. Nowadays, with drivers spending more time in their car on longer commutes, they expect a comfortable ride. Matthew Beecham caught up with three top executives of Lear Corp to hear how the seat has become an integral part of the car’s overall design and appeal in the showroom. Here, Ryan Burns, Lear’s Vice President of Global Seat Engineering led the discussion with contributions from Karl Henn, Director of Seating Engineering and R&D and Mandy Sarotte, Vice President of Global Trim Sales.
VIETNAM: Sales jump 34% in April
10 May 2013
New vehicle sales in Vietnam jumped by 34% to 8,001 units in April, from a depressed 5,972 units in the same month of last year, according to data released by the Vietnam Automotive Manufacturers Association.
GERMANY: Porsche announces regional management re-shuffle
10 May 2013
After leading the successful expansion of Porsche in China since 2007, Helmut Bröker is to take over as head of the region covering the Middle East, Africa, India, South-East Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Japan and Latin America from 1 July.
US: Tesla posts first ever quarterly profit
9 May 2013
US-based electric car maker Tesla Motors has posted its first ever quarterly profit in the first quarter as it also said it exceeded its target for deliveries.
GERMANY: Daimler in supply deal talks with Aston Martin
9 May 2013
Daimler is reportedly in early talks with Aston Martin over a supply arrangement to Aston Martin that is thought to involve Mercedes engines.
PRODUCT EYE: Now entering new niche - BMW's 3 GT
8 May 2013
There's lots of talk these days from auto industry executives about entering new segments or niches. From BMW - and arch-rival Audi - there's less talk and more action; we've seen a vast expansion of both luxury brands' offerings over the last three decades and, especially from BMW, there is more to come after this latest: the 3 Series GT.
GERMANY: Bosch adds “SplitView” technology for the Mercedes E Class
8 May 2013
Mercedes and Bosch have developed a 'SplitView' TFT display screen that uses different viewing angles to display two different programs on one monitor simultaneously.
CHINA: General Motors wins $1.3bn Cadillac plant approval
7 May 2013
General Motors which, through its local joint ventures, is the largest foreign automaker in China, announced it had won regulatory approval to build a new Cadillac factory to boost local sales.
US APRIL SALES: Detroit grows market share
3 May 2013
US light vehicle sales continued their upward swing in April, finishing up 8.5% year on year at 1.29m for the month. Year to date (YTD) results were 6.9% ahead of the first four months of 2012.
PRODUCT EYE: Audi A3 Sportback
29 April 2013
It seems hardly a month goes by when there isn’t one new form or another of the new Audi A3 being announced. Glenn Brooks, who attended the UK launch of the Sportback, looks at what's ahead for the local importer's best selling model.
PRODUCT EYE: BMW 114i
25 April 2013
Can a BMW be considered a sports model if it’s only got 100 horsepower? Glenn Brooks tries the base version of what was last month the UK's best selling premium brand car.
GERMANY: Daimler lowers earnings forecast as Q1 profits slump
24 April 2013
Daimler has said it now expects earnings to fall this year, following a 60% slump in first quarter profits and a 3% decline in revenue.
GERMANY: Daimler plans transmission plant in Romania
24 April 2013
Daimler said it is planning to build a factory in Romania to assemble transmissions for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
COLOMBIA: Sales fell 23% YTD in Q1 but recovery is expected
24 April 2013
The government announcement about reducing credit interest rates came as Colombian new car sales fell 23% YTD though month on month sales in March rose 2.9% to 22,888 units, the best month in 2013 so far.
SHANGHAI: Mixed messages from German premium brands
23 April 2013
Germany’s premium brands appeared confident about further growth in sales in China, but it will be slower than it has been in the past.
SHANGHAI: GM to launch 17 models in China this year
22 April 2013
General Motors will launch 17 new or updated models in China this year as it seeks to maintain dominance in the world's largest car market, the automaker's China president Bob Socia said.
SHANGHAI: Global debuts list [Final version with additional cars & updated descriptions]
22 April 2013
Details of concepts and new models which made their global debuts on Saturday 20 April at Auto Shanghai's media preview day.
DETROIT PREVIEW: First car for global debuts list
17 April 2013
Daimler is the first manufacturer to have revealed plans for a vehicle world premiere at the 2014 North American International Auto Show.
CHINA: BMW JV names new EV brand
15 April 2013
BMW's Chinese joint venture with Brilliance has unveiled a new brand in China in a bid to tap the nation's fledgling electric car market.
US: Chrysler makes raft of management appointments
15 April 2013
Chrysler has unveiled a number of management changes including Reid Bigland as president and CEO of the Ram Truck Brand, although he will continue as head of US sales, and president and CEO of Chrysler Canada.
FRANCE: Nissan to move van production to Sandouville
12 April 2013
Nissan is planning move production of the next generation Primastar commercial van from Spain to Renault's Sandouville plant in France, a move that will help alliance partner Renault keep a pledge to raise domestic output in return for union concessions.
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