Hyundai has confirmed plans to build two new factories in China.
The expansion is being managed via a 50-50 joint venture between Hyundai and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Each new plant will have an annual capacity of 300,000 units, bringing the joint venture’s overall capacity up to 1.65 million units by 2018.

The plant in Cangzhou, Hebei province, is slated to open by the second half of 2016, with 221,000 square meters of floor space and an initial output of around 200,000 units per year.

The following factory, located in Chongqing, will not begin construction until the third quarter of 2015. It will provide an additional 274,000 square meters of floor space, including vehicle and engine production facilities.

“The new plants are expected to further reinforce the company’s presence as a leading automaker in the Chinese market,” the company said in a statement.

The Korean automaker is working on new small and midsize models specifically designed for Chinese buyers in the world’s largest automotive market. Some of the new offerings are expected to roll out of the Chongqing facility by 2017.

Ford has filed for a new trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that indicates the company is planning a high-performance version of its EcoBoost engine line.
Unearthed by Motrolix, the trademark filing states that Ford is attempting to secure the ‘EcoBeast’ name for use on “automobiles and automobile engines.” The application was filed on December 22.

No other details were revealed by the filing, but the EcoBeast name is believed to be a performance offshoot of Ford’s turbocharged line of EcoBoost engines. Ford now offers its EcoBoost technology in a wide range of vehicles, from the compact Fiesta all the way up to the full-size Expedition SUV.

Given its aggressive name, the EcoBeast moniker will likely be reserved for only the most hardcore of Ford’s performance vehicles. That leaves several possibilities for a landing spot, including the next-generation F-150 Raptor, a range-topping Mustang, or even Ford’s rumored GT successor.

Ford will have some performance news to share with us at the 2015 Detroit auto show, so we could have a definitive answer within a matter of just days.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has issued a recall for older Ram pickups outfitted with manual transmissions.
The company has discovered a defect related to the clutch ignition-interlock switches, which may have been assembled with an incorrect spring wire. The alternate wire is said to be vulnerable to failure, preventing the vehicle from starting or, conversely, allowing unintended movement if the pickup is started when in gear.

The issue is being handled as a safety recall, as the single known accident involving a broken spring wire resulted in a fatality.

The campaign includes 2006-2007 Dodge Dakota, Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500 and Mitsubishi Raider pickups, including more than 54,000 units sold in North America.

McLaren has confirmed plans to unveil its new Sports Series coupe early next year at the New York International Auto Show.
The company’s entry-level model is expected to produce more than 500 horsepower, potentially around 550 ponies to maintain a gap below the midrange 650S that is powered by the same 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The output specs should be good for a 0-60 mph sprint in under four seconds and a top speed north of 180 mph.

“Like our other models, this one will have a higher power-to-weight ratio and better performance figures than any rival,” McLaren chief Mike Flewitt said in a statement to Autocar.

The British automaker is said to be developing a track-focused GT3 model, though both the racer and the basic street variant will lack the coupled suspension and active aerodynamics of the 650S.

The first Sports Series models are expected to be arriving in showrooms by the end of 2015, with production eventually ramping up to 2,500 units annually.

Jaguar’s all-new XE sedan will be the brand’s first-ever vehicle built in China, a top executive for the British automaker has revealed.
Although no official decision has been made public, Jaguar Land Rover global fleet director Ken Forbes told Automotive News Europe that the XE will be Jaguar’s first China-built product. Forbes declined to reveal when the XE will start production in the world’s largest auto market.

Jaguar’s new XE sedan, which will compete against the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, will go on sale in Europe in May followed by a United States rollout later in the year. The XE’s Chinese production won’t likely begin until at least 2016, when Jaguar will expand the capacity at its new plant in Changshu to 130,000 units. Opened in October, the Changshu plant currently makes the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque and will soon begin production of the Discovery Sport.

Jaguar will also open the doors to a new engine plant in China in 2015, meaning the XE will be the first Jaguar-badged vehicle to be fully assembled outside of the UK.

Jaguar hasn’t announced if it will build a long-wheelbase version of the XE for the Chinese market.

Analyst predict the new XE as well as an upcoming crossover model will lift Jaguars global sales to 200,000 units by 2017. By 2020, JLR forecasts that combined sales of Jaguar and Land Rover will top 850,000 units worldwide.

Photos by Drew Johnson.

Lincoln has kicked off its second round of advertising segments featuring actor Matthew McConaughey.
The latest spots focus on the company’s MKZ sedan, again using McConaughey’s introspective monologues to convey the brand message.

“If I can be authentic, and the spots are authentic, then we are sending the same message,” the actor said in a statement. “And I think we’re doing that in this series of Lincoln ads.”

The previous ads, which focused on the MKC, inspired parodies from Conan O’Brien, Ellen DeGeneres and “Saturday Night Live.” The spoofs received over 10 million views on YouTube.

“The overwhelming response to the MKC campaign sparked truly great awareness for Lincoln,” said Lincoln group marketing manager Andrew Frick.

Cadillac chief Johan de Nysschen suggests his former employer, Infiniti, may not bring the Q50 Eau Rouge concept to production now that he isn’t around to see the project through.
“I heard a rumor that Noboru Tateishi is going to cop-out and shelve the Eau Rouge project now that I’m not there to pressure him,” de Nysschen wrote in a Facebook post, as quoted by Jalopnik.

Tateishi is Infiniti’s corporate vice president in charge of vehicle test technology, one of the executives that allegedly maintains veto power of projects such a the Q50 Eau Rouge.

“Tell any Cadillac or Audi engineer ‘build me a 560hp sports sedan’ and you have to reign [sic] them in,” de Nysschen added in his post. “At Infiniti, it seems easier to push water uphill. More enthusiasm for ‘driver’s aids’, apparently, than ‘driver’s cars’, in some quarters, it would seem.”

Infiniti has not yet publicly confirmed production plans for the Q50 Eau Rouge, however the model has been repeatedly highlighted in various marketing campaigns that appear to corroborate rumors that it will be developed.

Mazda has revealed a newly redesigned Carol supercompact, the seventh generation of the popular kei car.

The first thing one notices about the small city car is that it eschews the Kodo design language of recent Mazda releases. That’s because it’s designed and built by Suzuki, and is actually a rebadged eighth-generation Alto. Though the Carol has been in Mazda’s lineup since 1962, Mazda and Suzuki have been sharing platforms in their home market since 1989, much like Subaru and Daihatsu and Nissan and Mitsubishi.

The Carol utilizes a twin-cam three-cylinder with variable valve timing and 660cc displacement as per kei car restrictions. Power is limited to 64hp and transmitted via either a 5-speed manual or CVT. The total weight is just 1,345 pounds.

Despite its bargain basement price, starting at just $7,038 for the 5-speed, front-wheel-drive version, the five-door hatchback is crammed with modern safety features, including traction control, dynamic stability control, radar braking support and false start suppression.

Styling-wise, the Carol takes a modern approach, with a distinctive nose that belies its entry-level status. An offset grille sharply angled C-pillar offer cues that set it apart from other cars in the segment, while wheels are pushed towards all four corners to maximize packaging.

The Carol goes on sale, along with its Suzuki counterpart, January 30 across Japan.

A low-resolution spy shot taken in China has given us the best look yet at the next-gen BMW X1.
Although the BMW X1 may seem like a relatively new product to buyers in the United States, the current generation of the compact utility vehicle has actually been on sale for a few years in other world markets such as Europe.

As such, BMW is putting the final touches on a brand new X1. For efficiency and packaging reasons, the crossover will make the switch from rear-wheel-drive to a new front-wheel-drive architecture called UKL that currently underpins the 2-Series Active Tourer and the third-gen MINI Hardtop.

The spy shot confirms the X1 will gain the new BMW corporate face, with streamlined headlights that flow into the Blue Roundel’s kidney grille. Updating surface detailing will also be part of the package, as will a slightly elongated front overhang that hints at the X1′s FWD underpinnings.

Marginally smaller all around than the outgoing model, the next X1 will reportedly be joined by a long-wheelbase variant that will offer seating for up to seven passengers and a noticeably bigger trunk. Additionally, BMW is expected to introduce a two-door model called X2 that will boast a sporty silhouette inspired by the X6 and a four-seater configuration.

Trade journal Automotive News Europe finds the entry-level X1 will be powered by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that is currently found under the hood of the aforementioned MINI and the Active Tourer. More expensive models will feature a 2.0-liter four-cylinder mill, and a 190-horsepower gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain will likely be added to the lineup later in the production run.

It is too early to tell whether BMW will offer the next X1 with a turbodiesel engine in the United States. Similarly, BMW is keeping mum about a rumored range-topping M-tuned variant of the crossover.

The new BMW X1 is expected to launch across Europe next summer, meaning it will likely debut at the Geneva Motor Show next March. However, it’s possible the soft-roader might not arrive on our shores until a later date.

Suzuki has published a full set of details about a new kei car called Alto.
Enterint its eighth generation, the JDM-spec Alto features a simple design that pays a discreet homage to the first-gen model that was introduced in Japan in 1979. It features a small four-slat radiator grille, sharp headlights and a tall beltline that curves up near the C-pillar. The back end is fitted with tiny rectangular tail lamps integrated into the bumper and a gray hatch.

The interior is standard kei car fare, meaning designers have put every available square inch of space to good use. It features a three-spoke steering wheel, a back-to-the-basics instrument cluster with a single analog gauge and a console-mounted shifter. Seats with integrated headrests come standard, and buyers looking to spruce up the cockpit can choose from options such as different trim colors and materials.

The Alto is powered by a 660cc three-cylinder engine that spins the front wheels via either a standard five-speed manual gearbox or an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). Power figures were not published, but regulations that apply to kei cars dictate the three-banger can’t make more than 64 horsepower.

Similarly, Suzuki has not released fuel economy figures but it boldly claims the Alto is one of the most efficient kei car in Japan thanks in part to a 1,345-pound curb weight.

The Suzuki Alto is scheduled to go on sale across its home country of Japan on January 30th. It will spawn a hot-rodded model called Alto RS Turbo that will be introduced at next month’s Tokyo Auto Salon, and it shares its platform with the new Mazda Carol that will also go on sale next month.