Mercedes Benz 220b Grill on 2040-parts.com

White House pushes automakers toward 54.5-mpg target by 2025

The White House is pushing automakers to agree by Wednesday to a corporate average fuel economy target of 54.5 mpg by 2025--a figure 1.7 mpg less than the 56.2 mpg standard it floated earlier this month. The easing of the White House plan stems from a concession to makers of light trucks and SUVs, and particularly larger vehicles in that segment, such as Ford's F-150, sources said. The latest White House proposal, the most definitive of any it has put forth, calls for a 5 percent annual mileage increase for cars from 2017-2025, said industry and congressional officials who asked not to be named because their discussions with the White House are confidential.

Who's Where: Wulin Gaowa appointed design director of GM China Advanced Design

Wulin Gaowa has been appointed to fill a newly-created role as GM China Advanced Design's first Design Director. She will start her new role with immediate effect. Gaowa, who was most recently the Advanced Design Director of Exterior Design and Interior at the Beijing Automotive Technology Center, will be based at GM China's Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai, due to open later this month.

Lexus NX compact SUV production starts – first UK deliveries October 2014

The first Lexus NX rolls off the production line We’re not entirely sure the new Lexus NX – revealed in production guise at the Beijing Motor Show in April - will be one of the most driver-focused compact SUVs, but it is a car that should see Lexus sales rise considerably. And the NX is now starting to roll off the production line at Lexus’s Miyata plant in Japan, and Lexus say they already have 6,500 orders for the NX in Japan, and a more modest 350 in the UK. The big seller in the UK – in the absence of a diesel NX – will be the NX 300h with its hybrid setup of a 2.5 litre petrol engine, electric motor and CVT gearbox, but despite promises of good economy (55.4mpg) the real world economy is likely to be significantly less, although its high headline economy will help BIK rates for business buyers.