Volkswagen can benefit from the synergies will be no need to merge brands Scania, VW and MAN trucks, said the general director of the german, Martin Winterkorn. “We need to fuzionam the three brands to benefit from synergy effects. We will not make a single company from the three strong brands,” said Winterkorn, in an interview for German publication Handelsblatt.

Volkswagen signed an agreement in March to take control of the manufacturer Swedish Scania trucks and is the largest shareholder of MAN, with a participation of about 30%. This has speculations that the german producer and could increase interest in MAN and to form a huge group.

The strategy group is to use a series of marks, while you save money by using common technology and Purchasing, said the head of Volkswagen.

More details are popping out about the new Volkswagen Scirocco - the lightweight sport car - that we will get to see during the International Motor Show in Geneva.

It uses a 1.4-liter TSI engine that develops 122 hp while there is a TDI version, too, works on a seven-speed DSG transmission automatic and semi-automatic. ESP is a standard on VW Scirocco.

About the interior there are not many details other than some “body-hugging sport seats” or a panoramic roof to watch the sky. We’ll know more next month. Read more »

General Motors’ European arm has decided that it won’t jump feet-first into the micro-car segment with Smart, and more recently Toyota and Volkswagen. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, GM’s Euro-veep Carl-Peter Forster said that, “These specialized urban vehicles have a limited market.”

True enough, but it’s a market that stands to go through a growth spurt in the coming years, and GM’s decision to opt out of providing a competitive product might be a shortsighted move. Read more »