Analysis: why GM is pulling Chevrolet out of Europe

The news that Chevrolet is to leave the western European car market (while staying in eastern Europe and Russia) is not a huge surprise, but it provides an interesting contrast to the success of fellow Koreans, Hyundai and Kia. “Fellow Koreans?” you might say, “but isn’t Chevrolet American?” Yes and no. The Chevrolets we were getting were all made in Korea in the factories that used to be owned by Daewoo, except for the handful of Camaros and Corvettes, which were authentically American.

BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Series introduced

BMW has released images and detail on the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Series The 7 Series ActiveHybrid, although built to serve the same purpose, utilises a different methodology to the X6 AvtiveHybrid. It is a ‘Mild’ Hybrid – built in co-operation with Mercedes – that uses a single electric motor (as opposed to the X6′s twin motors) together with the BMW 4.4 litre, twin-turb0 V8, to deliver 455 horses and 516lb/ft of torque. The V8 delivers 440bhp with the electric motor adding an extra 15bhp.The electric motor in the 7 Series ActiveHybrid is sandwiched between the 8-speed ZF ‘box and the engine.

Jaguar Land Rover U-turn: all three UK plants saved

Jaguar Land Rover today surprised us all by announcing that it wouldn't be closing any of its three UK plants. CEO of Tata Motors Carl-Peter Forster had told CAR as recently as the Paris motor show a few weeks ago that one plant would shut. Instead, today the unions and Jaguar Land Rover hailed a landmark deal to save jobs and all three plants at Castle Bromwich, Solihull and Halewood.