Hyundai rules out separate premium brand

Hyundai Motor Co. has ruled out spinning off the Genesis or Equus nameplates to create an independent premium brand along the lines of Lexus or Infiniti, partly because of the enormous cost involved and possible image damage to sibling nameplates. "There are no plans for Hyundai to make a separate brand," Vice Chairman Shin Jong-Woon said in an interview Friday at the carmaker's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea.

Autoweek Design Forum returns for 2012

Last year, Pixar gurus gave attendees an early preview of their hit summer blockbuster, Cars 2, five months before it premiered in theaters. Two years ago, Chrysler's Ralph Gilles brought down the house with an insightful, hilarious keynote on the state of styling. This year, well buckle up: The 2012 Autoweek Design Forum returns on Jan.

Toyota to end Camry imports from Japan

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to halt exports of the Japan-made Camry sedan to North America following the launch of the redesigned version this fall. The phase out of imported Camrys, which currently account for just a sliver of U.S.