VW Routan minivan to be dropped from lineup

Volkswagen will end sales of the Routan minivan, a rebadged Chrysler-built minivan that VW has sold since 2008, the company's top U.S. executive said Wednesday. The Routan will be phased out this year, with most units destined for "internal purposes" such as VW's corporate fleet, said Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America.

Used cars set for soft landing

THE USED CAR MARKET is set to see a gentle slow down towards the end of the year, avoiding the price crash feared by some in the industry. Experts at CAP Automotive say there are no shocks on the horizon as used car prices are not reducing as quickly as previously expected. This is due to high demand for quality used cars and limited supply.

Alan Mulally spells out the future

Ford CEO Alan Mulally is famously on-message, handing out business-card-size versions of his business plan to all and sundry, including his “One Ford” mantra. “One Ford” covers a lot of ground, but it's shorthand for Ford becoming a single entity where the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. It's close kin to the concept of building global product platforms that spread costs for product development and parts over the greatest possible volume.