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Kia goes (dark) green

By Jesse Crosse Motor Industry 23 September 2008 11:00 Kia has unveiled a portfolio of new environmental technologies, including a 1.4-litre Ceed with stop-start (due in the UK in 2009), a Ceed hybrid and the latest version of its fuel cell-powered Sportage. The Korean manufacturer is investing heavily in research and development and will increase its spend on R&D from £2.2 billion this year to £2.6 billion by 2010, combined with a 40 percent increase in manpower at its research centres around the globe. The money is being spent on developing downsized, turbocharged engines, efficiency improvements to conventional engines such as friction reduction and the separation of accessories like water pumps from the engine.

Mini cancels the Rocketman

Mini is suspending work on the Rocketman, the United Kingdom's Car magazine reports. The company has a load of new products debuting, but the mini Mini won't be one of them. This isn't too much of a surprise.

Ford F-150 to deliver 20 percent fuel-economy gain with V6 engines

Ford Motor Co. today promised a 20 percent improvement in mileage in its 2011 F-150 pickups with a lineup of four new engines. A 3.7-liter V-6 will be standard; a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 with turbocharging and direct injection will be optional.