…it sold 4,900 of its Model S electric sedans in the first quarter, up from the 4,500 it had forecast. The company said worldwide orders now are running at a 22,000-per-year pace. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) does not report monthly U.S. sales figures as other automakers do.
2014 Toyota Corolla details leaked (Autoblog)
Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:TM) will launch the 2014 Corolla later this year, and thanks to the ever-leaky internet, a couple of key details about the new sedan have been revealed. We got our first glimpse at the next-generation Corolla’s design at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, where Toyota unveiled the Furia concept. Yes, it looks all sporty and aggressive, but fear not, appliance shoppers, C/D says that the production car should have a couple of Furia bits mixed in with a huge helping of Camry-inspired styling. The 2014 Corolla will reportedly continue to use a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, though the mill has been massaged a bit, adding Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:TM)’s Valvematic continuously variable valve timing.
General Motors Financial Bonds Rise After $2.5 Billion Offering (Businessweek)
Bonds of General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s lending unit rose after the company issued more debt than it had previously forecast with a $2.5 billion offering. General Motors Financial’s $750 million of 4.25 percent notes due May 2023, which the unit issued at par, traded at 103 cents on the dollar to yield 3.89 percent at 8:54 a.m. in New York, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Ford Focus ECOnetic (AutoExpress)
Buying an eco-friendly car used to mean compromise. But while this new Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Focus ECOnetic certainly makes big claims about its efficiency – 83.1mpg and 88g/km of CO2 – it looks like any other model in the range. Only when you scratch the surface do you find subtle changes that make a big difference. The engine features a new injection system and turbo, while the transmission uses special low-friction oil. Other tweaks include underbody shields, an active grille shutter and ultra-low-resistance tyres, plus the usual fuel-saving measures such as stop-start, a shift indicator light and an eco mode.
Honda sets 3,200-unit Civic Hybrid sales target for 2013 (Business Times – Malaysia)
Honda Motor Co Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:HMC) Malaysia Sdn Bhd has raised Honda Civic Hybrid sales target to 3,200 units this year after selling 1,200 units last year. This works out to 270 units monthly, the company said in a statement on the new and improved version of the popular model. “With our broadest range of hybrid vehicles, Honda retained the No. 1 position in the hybrid car segment last year,” said Honda Motor Co Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:HMC) Malaysia managing director and chief executive officer Yoichiro Ueno. As of April, more than 16,300 Honda Hybrid units are on Malaysian roads and out of these, 2,460 units are Civic Hybrid.
Toyota FJ Cruiser Recalled Due to Headlight Issue (autoevolution)
Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:TM) is recalling the FJ Cruiser for the second time this year. The new campaign sees the vehicle being called back due to a headlight intensity issue. The affected vehicles were built between January 25m 2006 and February 23, 2013 and are fitted with a Toyota Auxiliary Driving Lamp Kits. The extra lights use 55 Watt bulbs and when these are used together with the high beam…
