Cologne, Germany  - Ford has improved the fuel economy and carbon dioxide emission figures of seven models using new technology including a "sleep mode" for the power steering.

The Ford C-Max 1.6-litre model fitted with a TDCi diesel engine has reduced fuel consumption to 4.5 litres per 100 km for both the 90 hp and 109 hp version with a C02 emission figure of 119 g/km.

The Crossover Ford Kuga 2.0-litre TDCi model with an output of 100 kW/136 hp is listed with a consumption of 6.1 litres and an emission figure of 159 g/km.

Turin, Italy  - Fiat is set to revive another old name, the Topolino or "Little Mouse," which it is planning to launch as a new mini car in 2010, Germany's auto-motor-sport magazine reports.

The Topolino, built between 1936-1955, is considered the predecessor to the Fiat 500 - another name which the Italian company has revived with the new retro-look Fiat
500.

Wolfsburg, Germany  - Volkswagen's luxury flagship, the Phaeton, will be fitted with a new infotainment generation and more fuel-efficient engines for the 2009 model year, the car maker has announced.

The RCD 810 and RNS 810 infotainment systems were redesigned for the Phaeton with high-resolution 8-inch touchscreen.

Beijing  - Audi is building a long-wheelbase version of the upper, mid-sized A4 model which is 60 mm longer than the standard version with more space for rear-seat passengers and is targeting the Chinese market.

Manufactured at the Audi factory in Changchun, China, the new Audi A4L will be launched only on the Chinese market and is to be delivered to dealerships from January 2009.

The chassis of the A4L was tailored to Chinese road conditions with special suspension comfort.

Stuttgart, Germany  - It is a common scene wherever today's pioneering electric vehicles whirr through inner city streets - startled pedestrians leap aside and cyclists start to wobble.

For electric cars are not only clean, but virtually silent too and there's the rub. The noise of a conventional car engine warns people that a vehicle is approaching. Pure electric cars and diesel electrics are powered by electric motor at low speeds or in traffic, making it harder to hear them coming.

Silent running makes for a calmer panorama in the city but critics see pedestrian safety at risk. Several manufacturers have come up with innovative, technical solutions to the problem.

Budapest - So far 201 Suzuki workers have opted to take voluntary redundancy, the Hungarian wing of the Japanese carmaker announced on Tuesday.

Suzuki last week offered two months' full pay and this year's annual bonus in full to any workers at its plant in northern Hungary who opted to take voluntarily redundancy by December 18.

The car maker announced on December 8 that 1,200 jobs, or over a fifth of the workforce, would be axed in the face of a drastic drop in orders.