June sales get a pick-me-up from pickups

If there's a bright spot in June's tepid light-vehicle sales, it came from an unlikely segment. After slumping for several years as the economy tanked and gas prices spiked, pickup demand is rising faster than the overall sales gains of most automakers--serving as a pillar once again during the industry's fledgling recovery. And most of the buyers returning to showrooms are pickup enthusiasts, automakers say.

Fiat Chrysler recalls 500L, Grand Cherokee and Durango

Fiat Chrysler Automotive (That's going to get annoying) announced a voluntary recall of the 2014 Fiat 500L for a problem with the six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The company also recalled the 2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango for a problem with the braking system. With the Fiat, the transmission can be slow to shift out of park or to engage other gears.

Red-hot VW Golf R400 is headed for production

If you thought the Volkswagen Golf R400 concept displayed at the Beijing auto show seemed suspiciously like a real product -- you know, one you'll someday be able to buy rather than something trotted out to tease the world's enthusiasts -- you were on to something. VW says a production version of the car is in the works. We should clarify: We didn't get confirmation of that, exactly.