TRAM Product Planning

Research Association of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines. It pools the resources of Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Daihatsu Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru-brand vehicles.

The objective is to share costs in an increasingly competitive, investment-heavy field to meet more stringent fuel economy guidelines, organizers

The strategy is patterned after a similar approach taken by competitors in Europe, organizers said. There, rivals cooperate with academia and the government on basic technologies, giving European carmakers a head start in cutting costs.

While Japanese automakers have developed advanced electric and hybrid drivetrains, the creation of AICE acknowledges that internal combustion engines will remain the workhorse of global fleets for a long time, especially in cost-sensitive emerging markets.

Organizers outlined a 10-year time frame for achieving world-leading advancements in combustion engine efficiency.

Engineers target thermal efficiency rates for both approaching 50 percent. That compares with today’s best rates of around 39 percent for gasoline engines and 42 percent for diesel engines. Higher thermal efficiency means more energy from internal combustion is captured for higher engine output. Organizers said such a breakthrough could boost the fuel efficiency of gasoline and diesel engines 30 percent by 2020.

Diesel engine development will focus on eliminating particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions, partly through better particulate filters and exhaust gas recirculation systems. Gasoline engine research will focus on achieving more complete combustion cycles and better ignition while reducing knock.

Keiji Ohtsu, managing officer of Honda R&D Co., Honda’s product development arm, will be AICE president.

Sales of driver assistance systems could exceed 1 billion euros as early as 2016, as cars become more sophisticated and offer new business opportunities, Bosch said.

This year the company will add 9,000 university graduates from around the world to its workforce of 281,000 staff.

By 2020 Bosch plans to double its sales in Asia, North and South America

Bosch said last year its automotive business continued to grow, particularly gasoline and diesel direct-injection systems, as well as display instruments and infotainment systems.

CNG is about one-third the cost

Ford got out of the mid-size segment in 2011, saying customers prefer larger pickups. GM, embracing one of the few areas where it won't fight head-to-head with Ford, is taking a risk.

Having fewer parts would simplify a vehicle's manufacturing process

That means potentially lower development costs.

Having fewer parts also translates to reduced vehicle weight, which appeals to automakers straining to meet fuel economy targets

"There's no question that X-by-wire technology will bring all sorts of benefits to the industry," he says. "But automakers will really have to work hard at making sure their customers are willing to come along with them."

Vezel is the car’s Japan-market name. The U.S. name will be announced later, Honda said today.

In the United States, Juke sales have climbed 4 percent this year and Mazda CX-5 demand has surged 95 percent. Sales of the new Subaru XV Crosstrek have totaled 48,216, while Buick Encore sales are 29,195.

Honda plans to source all U.S. Vezels from its new plant in Mexico

A spokesman said Honda wants to establish the gasoline version in the market before deciding on whether to add a hybrid option to the lineup

Honda is also banking on the vehicle to fuel a big surge in U.S. sales. Honda built the new plant in Mexico with capacity of 200,000 units just to make the crossover and the Fit hatchback. More than half of the plant’s capacity will be devoted to the crossover, says Ito.

But one problem continues to hold the franchise back -- a U.S. inventory chain with a few holes in it,

"Rather than trying to assess market needs from here at our headquarters or relying on our retailers to guess, we're designing a new approach to make sure we can deliver the right car at the right place at the right time." The process will give Nissan's sales regions more voice in production planning and make it easier for dealers to find cars in the factory order banks.

demand for Toyota trucks is about 30,000 units over present volumes. He added: "None of us has the stomach to add another 100K."

At the Detroit auto show in January, VW announced plans to make a mid-sized SUV for North America as part of a $7 billion investment in the region. Osterloh lamented that a year after the CrossBlue SUV concept was unveiled, it's still unclear where the model will be built