+++ At the same time that many automakers are pulling away from the MPV segment offering alternatives in the form of 7-seater cross-overs, AUDI has reportedly given the green light for the development of its first MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) that will arrive in 2016. The MPV is believed to be based on a longer and wider version of the Volkswagen Group's new modular MQB platform architecture, which also underpins the latest Audi A3, as well as the Seat Leon and the upcoming family of VW Golf Mk7 models. Audi sales and marketing chief Peter Schwarzenbauer noted that the company envisions the car as a sporty-looking minivan much in the likes of the Ford S-Max, offered in both 5 and 7-seat versions. Audi sources told that the company is considering to use the 'V' moniker for the MPV series, meaning it could be named the 'V3' or 'V4'. Ingolstadt's people carrier is likely to measure around 4,5 meters in length with the engine lineup to mirror that of the A3 with a choice of turbocharged diesel and gasoline units, and possibly even a hybrid powertrain. +++ When Fiat stepped in to acquire the CHRYSLER Group back in 2009 after the Detroit carmaker emerged from a government backed Chapter 11 reorganization, the Italians were supposed to be the ones doing the saving. Enter the present day and it’s the American arm of the group taking over this role as the alliance earned a profit 358 million euro in the second quarter thanks to Chrysler and not Fiat. Without the contribution of the Detroit automaker, the Fiat-Chrysler Alliance would have lost 246 million euro. The Italian automaker said on Monday that Chrysler earned 604 million euro while Fiat, hurt by declining sales in the EU, posted a loss of 246 million euro. On Monday, Chrysler reported a profit of 436 million dollar in the second quarter under the U.S. accounting standards; an 806 million dollar improvement from the 370 million dollar net loss in the same quarter last year, which had included a 551 million dollar charge related to repayment of its government loans. "Our results reflect a tireless pursuit by the people of Chrysler Group to deliver the very best quality and value across our brands", said CEO Sergio Marchionne. "Together, we are always striving to achieve more, to learn from the past and build upon our successes. Nowhere is our dedication more evident than in the all-new Dodge Dart, with levels of customization not typically found in the compact car segment", he added. +++ Remember the days before GPS ? When it was just you, the open road, and a mapbook tucked beneath the seat? We certainly do, but with the advent of GPS and smartphones, using electronic devices for guidance has become second nature. And it has turned one of the great stereotypes of the sexes sideways. According to a study conducted by the Australian Association for Motor Insurers (AAMI), men use GPS navigation more than women. The AAMI claims that 64 percent of men use nav systems while only 50 percent of women rely on them. Reuben Aitchison, AAMI Corporate Affairs Manager, pondered the old stereotype of men never asking for directions, "It was a point of honour, sometimes known as stubbornness". +++ Smaller Sonata or larger Elantra? Either way, HYUNDAI is indeed working on some sort of vehicle to slot between its 2 sedans in China. The intent, according to Reuters, is to create a vehicle that is smaller and more affordable than the current Sonata but still roomy and upscale enough for middle-class buyers looking to trade up from compact cars. Two people with direct knowledge of the new Hyundai have reportedly referred to this vehicle as "Sonata-lite". Frank Ahrens, a Hyundai spokesman, confirmed to Reuters that the automaker intends "to produce a new model sized between the Sonata and the Elantra". Hyundai has no plans to offer this model in any other markets. By adding this new model, Hyundai hopes to regain some of the market share that it's lost in China during the first half of 2012. The new 'Sonata-lite' is expected to launch sometime in 2014. +++ MERCEDES-BENZ is completing the development of an even higher performance version of its SLS AMG 'Gullwing' Coupe, which will bear the Black Series Edition moniker. Among the key highlights of the Black Series Edition model will be a massaged 6.3-liter V8 producing possibly as much as 650-horses, up from the regular car's 591 hp at 6,800rpm and 650 Nm at 4,750 rpm. The German sports car will also feature a wider body kit with lightweight carbon fibre panels, a faster transmission, a stiffened suspension and uprated brake and steering systems to improve handling. We could see Mercedes-Benz unveiling the flagship version of the SLS AMG series as early as this year, though sales would likely follow sometime in 2013. +++ Earlier this month, we told you that aside from the upcoming Macan cross-over and the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid, PORSCHE is plotting a second supercar model with a conventional powertrain and a smaller version of the Panamera sedan, internally known as the Pajun. As it turns out, these aren’t the only new models under consideration at Porsche's Stuttgart headquarters. The German firm will unveil a station wagon concept of the Panamera with a 'shooting brake' moniker at the Paris Motor Show in late September. An unidentified Porsche source told that the design study will gauge showgoers' reaction to the vehicle before committing to it, while also hinting at the styling of the facelifted as well as the next Panamera notchback models. "The concept stands somewhere between the face-lifted current-generation car and the next one", the insider told, adding that if the concept receives the green light, it will become part of the range of the next generation Panamera. The design study is also said to showcase a new plug-in hybrid powertrain. +++ The freshly launched SKODA Rapid will soon be joined by a conventional looking five-door hatchback, previewed by the Vision D concept car displayed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The Czech automaker's sales and marketing boss, Jürgen Stackmann, said that the hatchback would be shorter than the Rapid, which itself is a notchback-style sedan with a tailgate that lifts together with the rear window, featuring a "Golf–like rear end". Stackmann was quick to point out that there won't be a 3-door model because only a small percentage of European buyers choose this body style. +++ Chinese carmakers and parts manufacturers stealing designs of components or even entire vehicles from Western automakers is nothing new, but we rarely see these issues coming out in the open when they happen. And if you are wondering why, it is because foreign companies don't want to disrupt their business in the country. However, on Friday, German business daily Handelsblatt reported that VOLKSWAGEN is investigating allegations that its Chinese manufacturing partner FAW illegally copied and manufactured transmissions, engines and other components owned by VW. A Volkswagen spokesman in Germany was quoted by the Wall Street Journal saying that the company "was examining the situation carefully before coming to any conclusions". It was reported that VW managers recently uncovered FAW's plans to copy the German automaker's MQ200 transmission found in several Audi, Skoda and VW models and use it on the Besturn B50 small sedan, to be sold in Russia where it will compete against similar models from VW and Skoda. The article on Handelsblatt notes this is not the first time that VW has had an intellectual property dispute with its Chinese partner, as at the end of 2010, the Germans discovered plans from FAW to replicate and build its EA111 petrol engine used on a wide variety of models including the popular Polo and Golf. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn confronted FAW chairman Xu Jianyi about the matter with his Chinese counterpart replying that he would investigate. FAW's response came a few months later with the company blaming an engineer who had "misunderstood something". The German newspaper said that in the meantime, various engineering sources revealed that FAW had already built a factory in Changchun and had begun manufacturing the EA111 gasoline unit! VW's agreement with FAW is to build engines and other parts exclusively for their joint-venture products. "The plans were never allowed to go outside", said a VW manager who wished to remain anonymous. The problem stems from the fact that China does not allow foreign companies to operate in the country alone forcing them to share technologies and expertise with local partners through joint ventures. VW formed its partnership with FAW back in 1991. "Western companies can only ensure that their products are as difficult to copy as possible. Everything else is like a fight against a windmill", an auto analyst told the German newspaper. "Chinese companies can copy about 80 percent of a product perfectly, but then it gets difficult", he said. Nevertheless, when the AFP contacted VW about the Handelsblatt article, a company spokesman told the news agency: "We're examining the issue very closely. On the other hand, we've always worked together with FAW very successfully and very trustfully in the past". As reported by the WSJ, these latest allegations come at a time when VW has already approved a 14 billion euro investment in China through 2016, as the German carmaker plans to lift its annual production capacity in the country to 4 million vehicles by 2018. +++