Car News

In a late night press conference in Tokyo, Hiroto Saikawa, CEO of Nissan, told reporters, including those from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, he "would like to complete my responsibilities as quickly as possible and pass the baton on to the next leader". Saikawa stated he will concentrate on overhauling the company's governance structures. Its three independent directors and outside experts are currently looking into the issue and plan to deliver a report by the end of March.

A new coupe-styled Audi crossover, likely to be badged Q4 or Q3 Sportback, has been snapped testing in the snow. In keeping with the theme laid out by the Q8, the Q4 (or Q3 Sportback, if Audi and Alfa Romeo can't settle their name-based differences) will be a sportier-looking, sloping-roofed version of the Q3 SUV.

Toyota has added the 2014-2016 Rukus and Yaris Sedan to the ever-expanding Takata recall. As with all other Takata-related recalls, the inflators in affected vehicles can degrade due to a combination of heat and humidity. If a vehicle with an affected inflator is included in an accident, the inflator's metal housing can rupture, sending metal fragments shooting into the cabin.

Ford will axe more than 200 jobs locally as part of a global restructure of the company’s engineering divisions, however Australia will retain a key role in the recently-signed joint development of the next generation Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok utes. Approximately 90 contractors, 75 hourly workers and 40 salaried workers will lose their jobs but Ford Australia will retain about 1700 design and engineering staff, the largest workforce of its type in the country.

The cheapest child restraints are sometimes the safest, according to a new study from the NRMA. Conducted alongside Kidsafe NSW, the NRMA test put nine restraints through their paces in safety and ease of use. None of the seats tested scored a perfect five stars, while four snagged a four-star rating. Although all nine complied with Australian Standards, the NRMA and Kidsafe called out the "vast difference in the quality of protection they offer" in the real world.