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Beijing Hyundai recalls SUVs over faulty gearbox

Beijing Hyundai will recall 98,684 locally-manufactured SUVs on the Chinese mainland to upgrade the transmission control unit free of charge.

The recall, set to begin on Oct 24, affects Hyundai's all-new Tucson made between Sept 5, 2015 and May 31, 2016, according to the Sept 30 announcement from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The faulty program controling the dual clutch transmission may be a safety hazard due to possible failure in acceleration when the fuel paddle was frequently pressed, according to the statement.

Geely expands production at its Baoji base with investment

Geely is ready to expand its engine production capacity by adding an investment of 4.5 billion yuan ($674.8 million) to its Baoji plant in Shaanxi province.

The Baoji base will help boost the Chinese carmaker's monthly vehicle delivery volume to 20,000 units by the end of this year, and its first batch of vehicles, 1,000 units of the Geely Boyue SUV, was handed over to customers on Sept 29.

The company said the orders for Geely Boyue totaled about 110,000 units by the end of September, after the monthly sales volume exceeded 10,000 units in August.

The general manager of the automaker's sales company expected the annual volume to hit 200,000 units by the end of this year.

Head of Dongfeng Renault takes Asia-Pacific office

Francois Provost, president of Dongfeng Renault Automotive Co, was appointed Chairman of the Asia-Pacific region, effective in 2017. He will remain senior vice-president of Renault China Operations and the president of Dongfeng Renault Automotive Co.

Provost will improve Renault's growth in the Asia-Pacific region, with priority given to China, said the news release.

Replacing Gilles Normand, who was assigned to another position in the Renault Group, Provost's latest promotion demonstrated the French brand's focus on the Chinese market, according to the company.

He took the office of the Sino-French joint venture in April this year, replacing Jacques Daniel.

Fiat Chrysler suit over reporting defects narrowed

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV must face a narrowed suit from investors who challenged the carmaker's statements about compliance with safety rules and its handling of product defects and recalls.

A US judge allowed some of the claims to go forward, including allegations that the carmaker falsely said it was complying with safety rules.

Three Fiat Chrysler investors, who seek to represent a class of shareholders, claimed last year the company falsely said it was "substantially in compliance" with relevant regulations affecting its products throughout the world.

Honda irks Takata stakeholders by going slow on deal

As air-bag maker Takata Corp courts buyers to resolve the auto industry's biggest recall ever, stakeholders are getting frustrated with the speed of decision-making by top customer and shareholder Honda Motor Co.

Honda has not played a leading role in talks the world's automakers are having with Takata over its future, according to officials at four other carmakers. An executive at one of Takata's lenders said Honda has been less active than its peers in deliberating whether sub-suppliers to Takata would be able to survive a potential bankruptcy.

VW US sales fall a year after diesel cheating revealed

Volkswagen brand sales in the US fell 7.8 percent in September, the 11th straight month of decline in sales. The brand's deliveries dropped to 24,112 light vehicles, Volkswagen said on Oct 2.

The average of three analyst estimates was for an 8 percent decline. VW said its Tiguan SUV had its best month ever with a 0.5 percent increase to 2,988. Golf and Beetle sales fell 13 percent, and Passat deliveries dropped 12 percent, while Jetta sales rose 6.8 percent.

Volkswagen agreed to pay an industry-record $16.5 billion in civil litigation fines in the US.

Motoring-Agencies

(China Daily 10/10/2016 page18)