India turns the screw on luxury car makers

Land Rover will still be sending CKD to India despite the rise in import duty India’s economy is growing almost exponentially, as a result of which it has a big, rising middle-class with much the same aspirations as the middle-class in the West. Those aspirations include the accumulation of status symbols considered worthy of representing their success and new wealth, none more so than a good set of wheels. So it’s no surprise that the mainstream luxury car makers – Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Audi and BMW – are ready, willing and able to provide exactly what India’s middles classes are looking for.

Citroen C1 ev’ie Electric Car launched

The Citroen C1 ev'ie - the UK's first proper all electric car - launched today Based (obviously) on Citroen’s baby C1, the C1 ev’ie aims to be as car-like as possible, but offering all the economies (and most of the drawbacks!) of an electric car. The donor cars are supplied by Citroen  UK and the company claims that 50% of the value of the car is generated in the UK with the conversion to all electric drive. Designed to have a range of 60-70 miles this is a city car, pure and simple.

Mazda suspends U.S. dealer orders for Japan-built models

Mazda Motor Corp. on Friday suspended U.S. dealer orders for vehicles made in Japan, as it prepares to shutter plants again after a brief reopening.