Washington /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The intense debate undey about the future of the American auto industry has generated a lot of discussion about the public's attitudes.

“Right now, the American people are justifiably very concerned about the state of our economy and an overriding fear for their futures,” said pollster Peter D. Hart. “Polls I conducted in mid-November showed deep concerns about the harmful impacts of the collapse of the U.S. auto industry,” said Hart.

• 90% fear the harm it would do to America's manufacturing sector
• 84% of Americans say it would harm the U.S. economy
• 70% fear the harm it would do to America's standing in the world
• 68% worry about the lack of consumer choice for America's car buyers.

more …

© GM Co.

Shanghai, China — General Motors Co. and SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd. (SAIC Motor) are expanding their partnership to develop a new small-displacement gasoline engine family and an advanced transmission.

The agreement, signed today in Shanghai by GM Vice Chairman of Global Product Operations Tom Stephens and SAIC President Chen Hong, represents a significant milestone that expands GM and SAIC's relationship into powertrain development. It's another key step in providing propulsion solutions to build the world's best vehicles.

“The co-development of these new engines and transmissions builds on a strong history of innovation and collaboration between GM and SAIC Motor,” Stephens said. more …

© Ford Motor Co.

Dearborn, MI — Ford Explorer — the vehicle that defined a segment — has been completely reinvented, raising customers' expectations of sport utility vehicle (SUV) fuel efficiency, safety, technology, capability and quality.

“The all-new Explorer will deliver today's SUV buyers the attributes they really want and value, and a few they might not even have dreamed of,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “We're proud to introduce the new Explorer to customers and fans around the world today and pleased to begin a whole new era that blends strong SUV fuel economy and performance.” more …

© Audi AG

Ingolstadt, Germany — Emotion-packed design, sporty character and innovative technology: Audi is targeting a new market segment with the A7 Sportback. The large five-door model with the dynamically accentuated rear end brings together the best of three worlds: the sporty elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon.

The A7 Sportback is pure high-tech. Its body is very lightweight thanks to numerous aluminum components. The elegant interior shows a craftsman's level of workmanship. The four V6 engines combine refined power with groundbreaking efficiency. more …

© Automobiles Peugeot

With the 508, the Marque reaffirms its presence and its ambitions in one of its traditional strong markets, the large touring car segment. Each model in the “40X” and “50X” series has left an indelible mark in its time.

The 508 is a modern, next generation vehicle, perfectly attuned to the aspirations of customers who have moved with the times: being dynamic, responsible, and increasingly demanding.

Quality, purity and efficiency are the watchwords that guided its creation and have filtered through the entire project, offering a multi-faceted appeal to its owners. more …

Xu Bin, President of China South Industries Group Corporation, Changan's main shareholder, and Philippe Varin, Chairman of the PSA Peugeot Citroën Managing Board, have signed a contract to create an equally owned joint venture. The contract was signed on July 9 in Paris at a ceremony attended by Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Bernard Accoyer, President of the National Assembly of France and Gao Hucheng, Vice Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China

Pooling the expertise of two industry leaders, one Chinese and the other European, the joint venture will produce and market light commercial vehicles and passenger car line-ups in China. The partners will initially focus on introducing the Citroën DS line in China and launching a dedicated new brand for the venture. more …