The announcement marks a potential new focus for Nokia, after the company recently sold its cellphone division to Microsoft. The Finnish company is not completely new to the automotive industry, creating mapping technology and partnering with Audi early this year to explore infotainment systems and tablet integration.

The new fund appears to have a wider scope, hinting at investments in advanced technologies, such as driverless cars, that are being developed by Google and Volvo, among others.

“We believe that connected cars equipped with precise location awareness and sensor data can become powerful devices capable of helping drivers make sense of the world around them,” said Nokia’s Here head Michael Halbherr. “We believe that connected cars equipped with precise location awareness and sensor data can become powerful devices capable of helping drivers make sense of the world around them.”

Nokia’s mapping technology, bolstered by the $8.1 billion Navteq acquisition several years ago, are already used by most automakers for in-car navigation systems. In the mobile arena, the company had been working on advanced features such as augmented reality.

“Vehicles are becoming a new platform for technology adoption very similar to phones or tablets,” said NGP partner Paul Asel.

The fund has yet to announce any specific investments.

Many viewed Ford’s decision to offer the F-150 with a twin-turbocharged as a bit of a gamble, but the roll of the dice has certainly paid off. Today the 3.5L EcoBoost represents 45 percent of F-150 sales and is the most popular engine choice for the full-size pickup.

In comparison, no other half-ton truck maker has cracked a 20 percent take rate for a six-cylinder engine since the EcoBoost launched in the F-150 38 months ago.

“Today’s customer doesn’t hold to the old notion that a truck must be powered by a V8 engine,” said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager. “Just five years ago, you would have had a hard time making a case for V6 truck engines. Not today. Now, it’s all about fuel effectiveness. Customers are looking for the best combination of city and highway mileage, horsepower, torque, towing capacity, payload and value, asking the key question, ‘What is the most productive, efficient package for the work I need to do?’.”

When compared to a conventional V8, Ford estimates that F-150 EcoBoost customers have collectively saved 56.8 million gallons of gasoline on an annual basis.

Buyers of the 2015 F-150 will have even more economical V6 choices – in addition to the carryover 3.5L EcoBoost, the F-150 will also offer a new 2.7L EcoBoost V6 and a naturally-aspirated 3.5L V6.

The problem is said to be related to a programming error in the engine control module, causing the gauge to show an inaccurate reading by as much as a quarter of a tank.

“An inaccurate fuel gauge may result in the vehicle unexpectedly running out of fuel and stalling, increasing the risk of a crash,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice notes.

The glitch is believed to be limited to approximately 51,640 vehicles built for the 2014 model year.

Owners will be asked to bring their SUVs in to service centers so technicians can reprogram the engine control module.

The most important changes will be found under the sheet metal, where the SUV will shed up to 440 pounds thanks to the extensive use of weight-saving materials like aluminum. Engineers will improve the SUV’s high-speed stability by adding at least four inches of width to the body and fitting an entirely new front suspension setup.

In Europe, Mercedes will offer the G with engines borrowed from the next-gen E-Class including a new 3.0-liter straight-six engine rated at over 360 horsepower and a 3.0-liter diesel-burning inline-six that will churn out at least 300 ponies. Both mills will spin all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission, a unit that is expected to considerably raise the G’s gas mileage.

A potent AMG-tuned version will continue to round out the lineup, but whether the current G55′s V8 engine will remain is not known.

Tentatively dubbed Verisa, the hatchback will be considerably more upscale than the next-gen Mazda2 in order to appeal to a young, image-conscious target audience. The two cars will ride on the same platform but they will not share any sheet metal, indicating the Verisa will be more than merely a badge-engineered 2.

Interestingly, the same report claims Mazda will go after the performance-focused MINI Cooper S with a hot-rodded version of the next Verisa powered by an evolution of the automaker’s 2.2-liter SkyActiv-D four-cylinder engine. Also used in the Mazda6, the mill will be tuned to send at least 150 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque to the front wheels.

More tame versions of the Verisa will be offered with several gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder engines shared with the 2. Whether Mazda’s upmarket hatch will be built alongside the 2 and the next Toyota Yaris in Mazda’s Salamanca, Mexico, plant is not known.

If the rumor proves true, the MINI-fighting Mazda Verisa will greet the public for the first time at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and go on sale in early 2016. It will be sold in Asia and in Europe, but whether it will be distributed in the United States is up in the air.