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Ford overhauls plans for the U.S. C-Max to go with fewer seats, all hybrids

Ford has shifted gears on its plans for the C-Max wagon in the United States and will now sell only the five-seat version with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, beginning in 2012. Ford has canceled plans to sell the seven-seat version of the C-Max with a conventional gasoline engine in the States. Ford will call the car the C-Max hybrid, and C-Max Energi will be the name of the plug-in version.

Ford scores tumble, Toyota rebounds in Initial Quality survey

Buyer satisfaction with new cars and trucks from Ford Motor Co., a strength that has helped it increase sales and market share in recent years, has tumbled, and Toyota has rebounded from its abnormally poor year-ago showing, according to a study released Thursday. In a J.D. Power and Associates survey that tracks problems reported during the first 90 days of ownership, the Ford and Lincoln brands plunged below the industry average of 107 problems reported per 100 models studied.

Who’s Where: Peter Horbury appointed Senior Vice President Design at Geely Group

Peter Horbury, presently Vice President of Design at Volvo Car Corporation, is set to join a growing roster of design directors who have relocated to China – the most recent being Gert Hildebrandt who was appointed Design Director at Chery Quantum Auto Co. (a joint venture between Chery Automobile, China's largest independent car manufacturer, and Israel Corp.) earlier this year. Horbury, who will be taking up a new position as Senior Vice President of Design at Geely Group, will be based in Sanya, in the Hainan Province of China.