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Fisker expects to partner with automakers

Fisker Automotive's CEO, warning of the pitfalls facing independent small automakers, says the luxury plug-in hybrid manufacturer is poised to partner with other automakers next year. Tony Posawatz, Fisker's CEO and former chief engineer of the Chevrolet Volt, told Automotive News that Fisker is in talks for three potential deals in which executives at the "highest levels" of the companies involved are "talking specifics." "We are absolutely committed to making this company win longer term, and the history of smaller companies living on their own in the automotive business is not stellar," Posawatz said in an interview. "We are not going to go it alone." Posawatz said alliance deals could be completed within the next year.

Luxgen Luxgen5 sedan

Luxgen, Taiwan's only automotive manufacturer with its own design and development center, has announced the launch of the Luxgen5 sedan, which the company says has three design aesthetic elements: surfacing performance, re-curved strokes and intelligent airfoil. What this translates to is a silhouette comparable to the Opel Insignia, with an arcing A-pillar that runs through the cant rail onto the high rear deck. The DRG boasts a large grille, where the chromed ‘wing' motif runs into the LED lamp graphics. The sculpted flanks feature an array of character and detail lines that fall into the ‘re-curved strokes' category of the Luxgen design language.

A look at Volvo future products

Volvo wants to derive economies of scale from a new front-wheel-drive architecture called SPA, for Scalable Platform Architecture. The redesigned XC90 crossover due in 2014 will be the first to use the architecture. SPA was designed for a new family of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines that Volvo will begin using on existing models next fall.