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News watch March 2012: today's auto industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Friday 30 March 2012• Fiat is suffering from its decision to suspend new product innovation during the recession, argues ANE. It is losing ground on account of delays to its Punto range, which won't be replaced until 2014, and the ageing Bravo, which was launched in 2007 and has no successor in sight (Automotive News Europe)• Mercedes plans to build the new four-door coupe spun off the A- and B-class architecture at its new Hungarian factory (Automotive News Europe)• Opel denies rumours it may sell the Eisenach factory in east Germany where it builds the Corsa supermini (Automotive News Europe)• Mercedes is cutting the time it takes to build a car from 43 hours in 2008 to nearer 30 hours by 2015, according to production boss Wolfgang Bernhard.

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid – now with Volvo’s R-Design spec. Price from £51,675

The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid now get the R-Design option The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is already selling at such a rate that Volvo can’t keep up with demand, and now they’re making it even more difficult for themselves by launching an R-Design version. Volvo’s R-Design models add a range of tweaks to the regular range that add more visual purpose, but do so subtly and without too much fanfare. The R-Design version of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is no different, with R-Design bumpers and grill, rear diffuser and 18″ Ixion alloys on the exterior and sports seats, sports pedals, sports floor mats and charcoal headlining on the interior giving the car a more focused appeal.

Where is Nissan and Infiniti design headed? Just look at the lamps

For a glimpse at future styling trends from Nissan Motor Co., look to the headlamps on the Nissan Leaf electric car and the sculpted rear of the Infiniti M. Front and rear lamps raised from the body surface and pronounced spoilers are two tricks Nissan will use more often to improve the aerodynamics and handling of vehicles--in addition to giving them a futuristic flair, global design chief Shiro Nakamura says. The goal: Win young drivers and bring sales of models such as the Nissan Altima in line with Japanese rivals "The important thing is the front end and the rear end," Nakamura said during an April 12 interview at the company's main design studio south of Tokyo.