Mercedes promotes marketing executive to steer U.S. sales

Mercedes-Benz USA will promote marketing chief Stephen Cannon to CEO, effective Jan. 1. Cannon, 50, has been vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA since June 2007.

WINTER BREAKDOWN EXPENSE FOR USED CAR OWNERS

SOME VEHICLE components are nearly three times as likely to fail during the winter months as in the summer leading to potentially expensive repairs for the owners of older vehicles, according to Warranty Direct. The specialist insurer and warranty provider analysed 50,000 live automotive policies and found that ignition coils are 283 per cent more likely to fail between December and February than between June and August. Fuel injection pumps, thermostats and a number of electrical components are also more likely to suffer in the cold leading to an average winter repair bill of £408.60, the company has warned.

MINI confirms details of engines for new 2014 Cooper and Cooper S

MINI MINI has confirmed a slew of technical details for the next-generation MINI family, the first of which will be shown later in autumn 2013. A mix of three- and four-cylinder engines will be available in the new MINI, all sporting the latest tech to keep the brand's fun quotient up and fuel consumption and emissions down. So turbocharging is common across the range, and petrol engines employ direct fuel injection for precise metering of unleaded.