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News watch March 2010: today's auto industry news

Tuesday 30 March 2010• Mercedes has dismissed claims that its Maybach brand is for sale, after reports in the Chinese media claimed Chinese car company BYD was considering a bid for the upmarket offshoot. BYD has also denied the claims (Reuters)• Toyota president Akio Toyoda has promised his company will listen more carefully to customers and react faster in a bid to regain credibility after the Japanese car manufacturer was forced to recall millions of vehilces over safety fears (BBC)• The Obama administration is expected to unveil its finalised fuel economy and tailpipe emissions through to 2016 this week, to coincide with the opening of the 2010 New York auto show (Detroit News)  Monday 29 March 2010• Toyota has agreed to licence the hybrid technology in the Prius to Mazda, which will combine the electric system with its next-gen Sky engines. It’s part of Mazda’s plans to increase the average fuel economy of its vehicles by 30% by 2015 (compared to 2008 levels) and it hopes to have its first hybrid vehicle on sale in Japan by 2013 (Mazda)• Ford and Chinese car company Geely have signed a stock purchase agreement that will allow the latter to acquire 100% of Volvo (along with related assets including intellectual property rights).

Enjoy the Show: Download Detroit 2009 tour now

It's not too late to visit the Detroit auto show, which runs through Sunday, Jan. 25. If you're going in person, don't forget to download the AutoWeek editors' audio tour of the show for your mobile device.

Kia Picanto

Kia is set to unveil its next generation Picanto city car at the Geneva motor show in March in the next step of its continual range overhaul. As these first images show, the diminutive A-segment hatchback has been totally redesigned to give it what Kia describes as a 'bolder, more mature and more self-confident look'. While the outgoing model's high H-point (and corresponding proportions) remain, its DRG has been brought further in-line with the rest of the Kia range, with Venga-referencing headlamp graphics, a 'tiger-nose' grille and a surprisingly dominant trio of faux air intakes.