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IIHS names safest cars for 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the safest cars for 2013, including 13 midsize sedans that qualify for a new “top safety pick+” designation. The designation is given to vehicles that earn “good” ratings for occupant protection in at least four of five tests, with no less than “acceptable” in the fifth test. A new test -- the small overlap test -- was added to assess how the vehicles perform during a front-corner collision with another vehicle or object, such as a utility pole.

GM to keep GMC, Pontiac, exec says

A senior General Motors executive today denied reports that President Barack Obama's automotive task force has pressured the automaker to dump GMC and Pontiac. Company sales chief Mark LaNeve also denied rumors that GM plans to terminate the franchise agreements of poorly performing dealers before June 1 to accelerate its dealership consolidation campaign. "The strategy we laid out for you [in February] is still the strategy," LaNeve, GM's vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing, said today in an interview with Automotive News.

Honda Ridgeline may be near the end of the line

Honda is likely to kill the poor-selling Ridgeline unibody pickup after the 2011 model year. "There will be a model-year 2011 Honda Ridgeline but we haven't announced anything beyond that," Honda spokeswoman Christina Ra said. The Ridgeline was introduced in 2005, sharing some chassis components with the Acura MDX SUV.