2012 Chevy Cruze Driver Door Handle on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes-Benz scores double wins at German Design Council awards

Mercedes-Benz took home two design trophies from the 2014 German Design Council awards, winning Special Mentions for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class and the Ener-G-Force concept vehicle. The German Design Council traces its history back decades, and every year dozens of experts evaluate more than a thousand entries, with just a fraction of them being automotive designs. This year 30 well-known design experts judged approximately 1900 submissions, assessing a variety of design elements in picking their top choices, and this year a duo of Mercedes-Benz vehicles won the praise of design gurus.

Currency chills U.S.-made Audi

Audi has put on ice the option of manufacturing in the United States because of the euro's recent slide against the dollar. The decision against U.S. production means Audi, unlike sister division Volkswagen, isn't ready to design a car primarily for the United States.

Nissan beefs up the Rogue in an effort to attract male customers

Nissan will introduce an accessorized version of its Rogue compact crossover in hopes of attracting more male buyers. The Krom Rogue, on sale Dec. 9, will sticker for about $23,000 in its two-wheel-drive version and about $25,000 as a four-wheel-drive.