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Lexus sales up but Toyota's profits tumble

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 13 August 2008 13:25 With spiralling fuel prices, luxury off-roaders may be seen as the devil on wheels in the UK’s current cash-strapped economic climate – which would explain why last month saw a sharp drop in SUV sales at BMW, Audi and Mercedes. But not at Lexus. July 2008 sales of the company’s RX400h hybrid off-roader climbed 28 percent over the same period last year, rising from 223 to 285.

Audi to build cars in Mexico

Volkswagen Group has settled on Mexico as the location for a factory for Audi. The Audi supervisory board decided in favor of Mexico over a site next to VW's factory in Chattanooga, Tenn., which opened last year to build the VW Passat. The Mexico plant will provide a boost to the VW Group’s sales prospects and manufacturing operations in North America, where its light vehicle output rose 25 percent in 2011 to a record 542,363 units.

Ford warms up new era of car-guy leaders

A minor temblor shook Dearborn, Mich., today with the announcement that Mark Fields, president of the Americas, climbed the golden corporate ladder to grab the chief operating officer ring, setting him up to succeed Alan Mulally in a couple of years. The move did not come as a shock-it only confirmed the whispers of auto industry Royal Watchers. The biggest news for those who care about cars, however, is two-fold: Jim Farley, Ford's global marketing boss, also takes the helm of Lincoln.