Lada is not an automotive brand most people are familiar with. But if you are a Russophile, particularly one for when the country was part of the former Soviet Union, then you are quite familiar with the Lada name. That moniker is now controlled by French automaker Renault who finds … Read more
In a brilliant display of car culture, the Renault Alaskan aimed to expand Renault’s current world-leading presence regarding light commercial vehicles. Renault wanted to introduce a pick-up truck that could sell worldwide and even partnered with Mercedes-Benz to badge engineer the Mercedes-Benz X-Class. Their plan failed quite spectacularly, the Alaskan … Read more
Dacia has ambitious plans for 2025, wanting to extend their cost-efficiency principle in the European market with as many as three new models. One such model is the concept vehicle currently known as the Dacia Bigster. Their goal is simple: to finally introduce a medium-sized people-mover into their current roster. … Read more
Europeans have a certain knack for designing either the most refined cars or the most obnoxious automobiles the world has ever seen. There’s quite a bit of history in proving this. Think of the Citroën DS for refined and the Lancia Delta S4 for craziness. But what’s in the past … Read more
Many European cars are, for the most part, unheard of in the United States, or barely known due to popular culture. And there are many reasons why that is the case. On the one hand, their cars simply do not fit the North American market and their sales would be … Read more
As an early supplier of small vehicles to the Chrysler Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors has sold cars on its own stateside for nearly four decades. At one time, the company was a notable player in the market and even had a manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois, for building its vehicles – … Read more
A blockbuster merger of automotive manufacturers may produce the world’s largest automaker, especially if two outside automakers are also brought in. Fiat Chrysler, itself the result of a 2014 merger between European and North American manufacturers may soon tie in with Renault, the French automaker. Renault is currently reviewing an … Read more
Will Nissan help Mitsubishi bring a new face to the US market? If you were one of those people concerned that the latest Mitsubishi scandal would do this automaker in, take heart: the company has been saved by a competitor and current collaborator, Nissan Motors. On Thursday, the two Japanese … Read more
French automaker Renault may have the solution to FCA’s product needs. If you want to buy a French-built model in the US, you probably know that Renault, Peugeot and Citroen have no presence in the market. Instead, you’ll only be able to consider the Toyota Yaris, the lone model currently … Read more
You can’t buy a new Renault in the United States, but Nissan, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz and Smart brand models are available. Nissan (Nissan and Infiniti) and Daimler (Mercedes-Benz and Smart) each have a strong presence in North America on their own. Nevertheless, the two competitors are moving forward with an alliance … Read more
Autonomous driving is one of the buzzwords that piques the interest of futurists. Just the thought of driving from Point A to Point B while taking a nap has some people clamoring for the technology. Certainly the safety aspect is important too, thus insurers, regulators and manufacturers are also advocating … Read more
Mitsubishi may have found a way to avoid exiting the US marketplace after all. The Japanese automaker barely sells 60,000 vehicles per year in the US, just a bit player in a market that will yield about 15.6 million units sold in 2013. Renault-Nissan Alliance Earlier this week, the Renault-Nissan … Read more
Tough market and competition keeps some automakers away. The U.S. auto industry is the second-largest in the world, having been bypassed by China in 2009. China’s ascendancy came as the U.S. market tanked, but its recovery is in progress and promises to be a good one. Car manufacturers the world … Read more