Audi designer to head VW's design center

Volkswagen AG has picked Stefan Sielaff, its current head of Audi design, to lead the VW design center in Potsdam, Germany. Sielaff, 49, will replace Thomas Ingenlath, who is leaving the company. The change will be effective Feb.

Jaguar: Four-wheel drive a priority. Hybrid Jaguars not.

Our long term Jaguar XJ would have been better in the snow with 4WD - but it's coming We’ve been talking about a four-wheel drive platform for Jaguars for a long time now. As far back as 2009, Jaguar privately confessed that the lack of an XF Estate was down to the lack of a 4WD platform to make the XF Estate a proper competitor in the luxury load-lugging market. And although we thought Jaguar could still make a success of the XF Estate without a 4WD option, we understood their perspective; Jaguar didn’t want to be the poor relation in the luxury estate market.

Saab seeks partner for new small car, aims to be a contract manufacturer

Saab is continuing its search for a partner to help it build a new entry-level car and the company also wants to build vehicles for other automakers at its factory in Sweden, Chairman Victor Muller said. "We are talking with other manufacturers to buy a platform or drivetrain technology for this entry-level car," Muller told Automotive News Europe. "It should come as soon as possible, in 2014 the earliest." Muller said the car would be priced at about 20,000 euros, or about $28,300 at current exchange rates.