DETROIT — Key Safety Systems Inc. said it signed the long awaited definitive agreement to acquire Takata Corp. for $1.6 billion. The Tuesday announcement comes weeks after the final paperwork for the deal was entered into U.S. bankruptcy court and unchanged from the two companies’ memorandum of understanding signed in June. More at Autonews

Securities analysts and strategists at many of the world’s major automakers are awaiting the outcome of a meeting at which Ssangyong Motor directors discussed and cast votes on the Korean automaker’s plans to enter the U.S. market by 2020. More at Wards Automotive

UK production fell 4 percent in September, the fifth monthly drop this year as the SMMT industry body demanded clarity on Brexit negotiations. It said the prospect of leaving the EU with no deal would be the “worst” outcome for the sector.   More at Auto News

Tesla Inc. reaffirmed it is talking with the Shanghai municipal government to set up a factory in the region and expects to agree on a plan by year end. However, the automaker declined to comment on a report that a deal has been reached. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday reported that the U.S. electric […]

Mercedes-Benz has already laid out its plans for a portfolio of electric and electrified vehicles, and now parent company Daimler has announced further strategy refinements for Mercedes-Benz and its other brands. The Smart brand will become all-electric, it said, while its commercial truck operations will continue to add electrified powertrains to the mix, with an […]

Volvo Car Group’s China deliveries jumped nearly 30 percent year on year to 11,544 vehicles in September, fueled by strong sales of crossovers and sedans. The Swedish automaker said it enjoyed strong demand for the XC60 crossover, S60L “stretch” sedan and S90 sedan. However, Volvo did not release model-by-model sales data. For the first nine […]

We’ve got many more details on the 2019 Range Rover P400e plug-in hybrid SUV, which will go on sale next summer. If you’re shopping for a Chevy Bolt EV electric car or Volt plug-in hybrid, joining Costco may save you money. Elating some and angering others, the EPA will study cutting the ethanol in U.S. […]

A management scandal in its Chinese office cost MTS Systems Corp. millions of dollars and played havoc with the automotive supplier’s recent financial reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Minnesota-based company says damage was limited and no intellectual property was stolen, the incident could be a cautionary tale to other companies doing […]

A second U-turn this year by Ford Motor Co. in Mexico has raised the specter of Chinese competition for local carmaking, adding to pressure on the industry after repeated threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to saddle it with punitive tariffs. Ford announced last week that it would move some production of its Focus small […]

Chinese automaker Sokon Industry Group Co. will pay $110 million (752 million yuan) to buy the assembly plant of U.S. military vehicle maker AM General to produce electric vehicles in Indiana. Under the agreement signed last week, Sokon’s Silicon Valley-based subsidiary — SF Motors — will build EVs after retooling the factory. Sokon will invest […]