Mazda Makes Money for First Time in 5 Years, But N.A. Operations Still in the Red


This week, Mazda announced that it turned an annual net profit for the first time in five years. The Japanese carmaker reported pocketing a total of $364.3 (€279.6) million at the end of the 2012 fiscal year, on March 31, whereas on the same day of 2011, they had recorded a loss of $1.14 (€0.87) billion. Despite the fact that it was not mentioned, it is quite possible that the CX-5 crossover, which is hugely-popular world-wide, is the model which caused the turnaround. Read more »

Help the Police Find a BMW Driver who Almost Killed Beverly Hills Bicyclist


One of the greatest risks for all those who use roads to travel - be it by car, motorcycle, bicycle or even by foot - is road rage. Take for instance this incident from Beverly Hills, California, which could have claimed the life of a bicyclist.

According to the Beverly Hills Police Department, the bicyclist and the BMW driver had previously got into a fight, with the motorist being punched in the face by the bike rider.

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Hyundai Apologizes for Mocking Suicide in Hyundai ix35 Commercial [w/Video]


Following Ford’s apologies related to its India advertising prints featuring tied-up women, it is now Hyundai’s turn to apologize for the work of an overseas advertising company.

The banned commercial, created by the agency Innocean Europe for Hyundai UK, shows a middle-aged man attempting to commit suicide in a closed garage by leaving the engine running, with a hose connecting the exhaust pipe to the cabin. His attempt fails, though, as the Hyundai ix35 he’s in runs is a fuel-cell version that emits just...water vapors.

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If Maserati Ghibli V6 Diesel Succeeds, Fiat Might Add V8 Diesel to the Range


A few years ago, one could still buy a V8 diesel-powered vehicle from pretty much, any of the German manufacturers (BMW used a boosted up V6 six-cylinder which did the same job - think 535d). Now, aside from the Porsche Cayenne S diesel, which has a long waiting list, there are no V8 diesels on the market to really speak of – they have all-but been wiped out and replaced with more V6s. Read more »

Ford and Schaeffler Demonstrate Their RWD, All-Electric eWheelDrive Fiesta


Not too long ago, we’ve posted a story about how German company Schaeffler converted a conventionally-powered Ford Fiesta into an all-electric, rear-wheel-drive model, powered by two independent electric motors placed inside each of the rear wheels. Ford has now released more details and photos, plus a video showing how the electric Fiesta works. Read more »

Consumer Reports Takes Quick Look at VW’s Jetta Hybrid


Up until recently, if you wanted an efficient Volkswagen, there was no better alternative than a diesel-powered model. Their diesels were and still are very competent, but now US car buyers can get a different kind of green V-dub, the Jetta Hybrid. Revealed in early 2012, at the Detroit auto show, the car has been on the market for a while now, and Consumer Reports recently got their hands on one to try it out. Read more »

U.S. Drivers Warm Up to Diesels - Registrations Rise 24.3 Percent between 2010 and 2012


Once a fuel reserved only to heavy-duty trucks, diesel has begun to gain ground also among U.S. automobile drivers in recent years. Clean diesel registrations increased by 24.3 percent in the U.S. from 2010 through 2012 following similar trends of double-digit diesel car sale increases throughout the country, according to data compiled by R.L. Polk and Company. Read more »
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