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New Smart ForTwo and ForFour set for 2014 unveil

Mercedes-Benz's struggling Smart city car division is seeking to add a new dimension to the urban driving experience with its third-generation ForTwo, currently undergoing the final phase of a three-year test and development program ahead of a planned unveiling mid next year. Set for North American launch in 2015, the ultra-compact two-seat hatchback represents a fresh chapter in operations for Smart, which has recently gained greater independence from parent company Mercedes-Benz as its boss, Annette Winkler, attempts to stem years of financial losses after almost a decade of rebuilding following its short-lived joint venture with Mitsubishi. The new ForTwo, known internally as project C453, has been developed in a joint engineering program with the upcoming second-generation ForFour and its sister car, the third-generation Renault Twingo.

Automakers switch to new engine oil for more efficiency, better protection

Automakers are going to great lengths to get more miles per gallon from their vehicles and everything is being looked at--even the engine oil. Every 2011 General Motors car rolls off the assembly line with the engine filled with a new generation of oil. Other automakers, such as Ford Motor Co.

Whitacre named General Motors' permanent CEO

Ed Whitacre, General Motors Co.'s chairman, will become the automaker's permanent CEO, it was announced on Monday. In a brief press conference, Whitacre, 68, said GM plans to pay back government loans to the U.S. and Canada by June.