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‘Crash avoidance’ systems rated for safety

The European car safety body Euro NCAP has confirmed it is currently testing a number of cars fitted with crash avoidance technology in an effort to judge the systems’ effectiveness. This news coincides with an announcement from the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which has published the first results of its own version of the scheme. Euro NCAP and IIHS are cooperating to establish a standardised test formula.

Maserati banks on Chrysler to boost global sales

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has bold plans for the automaker's Maserati luxury sports car unit: to boost annual sales almost tenfold to 50,000 units from 5,675 last year. Three new models are key to this midterm goal and all are based on systems and components from Chrysler Group. Maserati will introduce two new sedans to replace its Quattroporte flagship model using technology from Chrysler's large sedans such as the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Avenger.

Audi preps S3 Cabriolet for Geneva

Audi revealed the S3 Cabriolet on Wednesday, before its Geneva motor show debut. The go-fast version of the small A3 Cab shares the same widespread MQB architecture as the rest of the 3 range, but it gets a hotter engine, a lower stance and, of course, a rag top. It’ll arrive in Germany this summer, and possibly here sometime after the S3 sedan in early 2015.