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Study finds customer satisfaction up slightly

U.S. customer satisfaction with vehicles industrywide has increased slightly, fueled by gains among Asian and European automakers, according to an annual report released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index on Tuesday. Overall satisfaction with the auto industry climbed 1.2 percent from 2010 to 83.

Ford Galaxy MPV spied stateside

Autoweek reader and frequent spy-shot contributor Spencer Abbott sends these photos of what appears to be a Ford Galaxy MPV -- or minivan, as we typically call the vehicles stateside -- testing in metropolitan Detroit. The Galaxy received a facelift in 2010, and that appears to be what we're seeing in these photos. Your guess is as good as ours as to why the vehicle was out and about near Ford's Dearborn, Mich., headquarters.

Toyota previews FT-Bh concept [w/video]

Toyota has released the first images along with a video for its new FT-Bh concept car, set to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show. The FT-Bh – Future Toyota B-segment hybrid – previews a production-destined car designed to maximize fuel efficiency and built using economically-viable construction methods and technologies. The five principal factors that the Toyota's designers have focused on are reducing the car's weight (just 800kg), increasing its aerodynamic performance as well as its powertrain efficiency via thermal energy management and electricity saving qualities.