Audi A8 2005 4.2l Sedan 4 Door on 2040-cars

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Toyota, Honda, Nissan and more collaborating to increase fuel efficiency

Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Daihatsu have announced an alliance that will see a push to improve fuel economy from both gas-powered and diesel-powered engines by as much as 30 percent before the end of the decade.
The newly assembled Research Association of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines put the roughly $20-million project together, with the Japanese government committing to half the cost while the eight manufacturers will chip in the rest.
According to Automotive News, the automakers will team up and share basic research on internal-combustion engines in a bid to cut costs. Eventually, the results of the research will find its way into a production vehicle, although it's unclear just when we'll see the fruits of this partnership on the road.

Suzuki iV-4 Concept is a personalized 'ute for everyone but US

It's with some sadness that we present to you the Suzuki iV-4 Concept - there's absolutely no way we'll ever see a production Suzuki based off this conceptual design in the States, despite the fact that the brand has quite a small-SUV heritage on our shores. Of course, we won't be seeing any new Suzuki passenger cars or trucks in the US at all...
For the rest of the world, Suzuki's push with this concept is personalization. According to the automaker, the name is broken down as such: "i" stands for "individuality," "V" for "vehicle," and "4" for "4 wheel-drive." A tad convoluted, perhaps, but we'll roll with it.
As far as its styling, the iV4 doesn't break any new ground for Suzuki, recalling its past and current production models with details that include a clamshell hood and a five-slot grille. Suzuki promises a production variant of this concept, and the "individuality" part will be accomplished through a selection of exterior components, colors and textures, though we're not clear what exactly that means or how it will differ from the accepted practice of ordering a unique car through a dealership.

205k Suzuki models being investigated for airbag sensor issue

The Detroit News is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation on the 2006-11 Suzuki Grand Vitara and 2007-11 Suzuki SX4 due to issues with the airbag and seatbelt for the front passenger seat. So far, NHTSA has received 128 complaints on these vehicles for airbag warning lights, airbag off lights and seatbelt lights, on a vehicle set that totals around 205,000 units, but there is no indication as to how many, if any, injuries have reported.
Via technical service bulletins, Suzuki has already acknowledged two airbag-related issues with front passenger seats on both vehicles, including a programming error for the passenger seat load indicator on 2009 models and an open-circuit problem for the sensor mat that determines if an adult or child is sitting in the front seat. Since this latter issue would not shut off or lessen the impact of the passenger airbag, Suzuki has already extended the warranty for the seat cushion bottom to 10 years or 120,000 miles. After ceasing new-car sales in the US and Canada, potential recall repairs (which still may or may not happen) would be handled by remaining dealers as laid out in the recent court-approved bankruptcy plan.