GM axes deal with Peugeot Citroen: how it helps Vauxhall

Wolfgang Rattay, Newscom, RTR Strange as it sounds, the sale of GM’s 7% share it only just bought in Peugeot is good news for Vauxhall buyers. The reason is that it is the last stage of GM’s plan to improve the plight of Opel and Vauxhall by getting rid of all the distractions and focusing on improving the cars and the marketing. The Peugeot move has to be seen in the context of GM pulling Chevrolet out of Europe only a few weeks ago.

Lexus CT 200h: a true hot hybrid hatch?

Lexus has thrust its new CT 200h hybrid hatchback straight into competition with the BMW 1-series and Audi A3 with the bold claim that it will be the dynamic benchmark for the sector.Can a brand better known for producing immaculately built luxury barges really build a sporting hatch? We're about to find out... It only takes a cursory glance at the latest press material from Lexus to discover how it's pitching the CT, containing as it does more references to the word 'sporty' than you can shake a gearstick at.

Kia styling chief Schreyer is fluent in Koreapean

The way Peter Schreyer sees it, there is one key difference between European and Korean automakers: Europeans design from the heart, Koreans from the head. "In a European company, everybody is a car driver, a car enthusiast," says the Germany-born design chief of Kia Motors Corp. "Everybody from the CEO to the little designer to people on the production line, they want to build cars they want to drive themselves." Koreans can be more market-oriented: "They look at the big picture, which markets to explore or conquer.