Honda is reportedly delaying the JDM launch of its Legend sedan to reassess several potential quality concerns.
The same model encountered a few quality issues following its launch in the US market as the Acura RLX, with three quick recalls to fix problems with the headlights, seat belts and suspension. The Sport Hybrid edition also faced a lengthy delay, allegedly related to a technical issue with the new all-wheel-drive technology.

The company is now pushing the Legend’s Japan launch into late February, the second such delay after an initial expectation of a fall launch, according to a statement to Bloomberg.

Spokesman Atsushi Ohara further notes that engineers are taking a closer look at the Legend’s collision-avoidance sensor system and its hybrid powertrain. It is unclear if the latter issue is related to the mystery problem that delayed the RLX, or if the radar system on the US model is also potentially deficient.

Volkswagen has issued a recall for its 2015 Jetta, citing a problem with the headlight software.
Affected cars left the factory with a control module that turns off the low-beam headlights when the high-beam headlights are activated. The behavior is typical for some lamp configurations, but is in violation of federal safety laws related to integral headlights.

The problem was first spotted by a Canadian customer who found illumination to be lower than expected when the Jetta’s high beams were activated.

“This noncompliance causes the light output from the headlights to be too low,” the recall documents note. “Reduced lighting at the front of the vehicle can affect the driver’s vision in driving conditions where illumination is beneficial, and may increase the risk of overlooking obstacles in roadway, and could result in a crash.”

VW suggests the software needs to be reprogrammed in approximately 25,000 vehicles outfitted with halogen headlights.

The US Treasury Department has sold its final stake from the automotive industry bailouts, which resulted in an overall net loss of $9.26 billion.
The government earlier this month offloaded its 11.4-percent stake in loan provider Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC. Unlike the bailouts for General Motors and Chrysler, the Ally investments proved profitable with a net gain of $2.4 billion.

The gains from Ally were not large enough to offset the $11.2 billion in losses attributed to GM. Taxpayers ultimately lost $9.26 billion on the program, though the impact was significantly lower than the government’s worst-case prediction of a $44-billion slide into the red.

“Operating results have improved, the industry added jobs, and [Troubled Asset Relief Program] investments have largely been repaid,” the government said in its latest TARP report.

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.