Audi Growth in China on Record Pace

The first half of 2012 has been good to Audi’s pursuit of the burgeoning Chinese market.

Through June, Audi sold 193,871 vehicles—up 37.8%--in the markets of China and Honk Kong, including the Q5, which is produced in China since the fall of 2009 for that market.

“Audi…continues to be the bestselling premium brand in China,” stated Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG: “We intend to remain on this successful path in 2012 and to continue our double-digit growth.”

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GM’S Uses Diamond-Like Coating to Reduce Friction and Increase MPG

The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze, both of which feature the 1.4 liter turbocharged Ecotec engine, utilize a unique diamond-like carbon coating (DLC) to reduce friction and increase overall efficiency, including MPG.

The coating, which is now used on piston rings, may also have future use now that GM has “cracked the code” of its formulation—use that may include rocker arm construction as early as 2014.

“Through years of lab research, we’ve acquired an understanding of how to work with DLC at the atomic level,” said Michael Lukitsch, GM senior researcher. “It holds great promise for future applications, both in advanced manufacturing processes and improved production parts that save our customers money.”

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2012 Kia Rio Receives IDEA Design Award

The 2012 subcompact Kia Rio has received multiple design awards, including the brand’s first IDEA Design Award in category of Transportation, and the Red Dot Design award.

The IDEA award is given by the Industrial Design Society of America for design that improves life and economy, while the German-based Red Dot Design award (which Kia has won 6 times since 2009) is judged on a variety of factors, including innovation and ecological compatibility.

Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing and communication, KMA explained, "Since its introduction, the Rio's striking looks inside-and-out has attracted new customers to the Kia brand with a standout combination of style, performance and modern amenities that consumers are looking for. The new Rio is the latest vehicle to emerge from Kia's design-led transformation and represents the collaborative work of our global network of design centers in Seoul, Frankfurt and Irvine, California under the direction of chief designer Peter Schreyer."

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