Honda's credit rating outlook lowered by Moody's

Prius C backlog puts U.S. allocation at risk

Soaring demand for the new Toyota Prius C in Japan may create a U.S. allocation dilemma. The pint-sized hybrid is scheduled to arrive in U.S. showrooms next month. Toyota Motor Corp. said last week that it had received 120,000 orders in Japan for the car, which went on sale Dec. 26. That is well above the domestic sales target of 12,000 a month.... Read More »

Daimler engine deal signals hopes for Infiniti

The U.S. engine-sharing deal announced last month between Nissan Motor Co. and Daimler AG indicates high Nissan hopes for a future Infiniti car. Nissan's share of the engines from the venture signals that Infiniti expects to sell as many as 125,000 compact hatchbacks a year -- a volume greater than Infiniti's entire 2011 U.S. sales.... Read More »

Suzuki Q3 operating profits drop 2.8%, keeps profit forecast

Suzuki posted a 2.8 percent fall in quarterly operating profit as weaker Indian sales hurt and it kept its annual profit forecast unchanged despite an anticipated revenue hit from Thailand's floods and a stronger yen.... Read More »

Mitsubishi to end production in western Europe

Mitsubishi says it will end production at its only western European plant, in the Netherlands, at the end of this year, a move that was expected as its sales in Europe have dropped to a third of their peak. The facility makes the Colt subcompact and the Outlander SUV, but accounted for less than 5 percent of Mitsubishi's global output of 1.1 million vehicles in the year to last March.... Read More »

Japan gets tough on collusion

For Japanese auto parts suppliers, these are deeply disturbing times. A business culture that has long overlooked collusion is under attack. Japan's Denso Corp., which supplies major automakers worldwide and is a member of the Toyota Group, and Yazaki Corp. last week joined Furukawa Electric Co. in pleading guilty in North America to bid-rigging.... Read More »