This calls for a celebration!

Audi had just recently celebrated the 20th year of being in the China auto market. The car maker had been working with First Automobile Works (FAW), a Chinese car company, since it started its venture in China.

During this meaningful celebration of 20 years of being in that market, Audi had also disclosed that they would also be using their Changchun plant in China to manufacture the Audi Q5 which they had already decided to bring and introduce to the Chinese market. Rupert Stadler is the chairman of Audi’s Board of Management and he said, “We hope to deliver up to 200,000 vehicles per year to customers in China by 2015. The new assembly hall is an important milestone toward achieving this goal.”

Starting its venture in China, Audi has already been able to sell over 570,000 units to its consumers there. And that number is sure going to rise still.

A factory that would be responsible for producing batteries for hybrid vehicles is the new project that Toyota Motor Corporation would be having with Matsushita Electric Industrial Company. In an announcement, they said that such move is actually to be able to supply what the market demands for fuel-efficient rides because of the prices of fuel have gone increasingly up.

Together, Toyota and Matsushita would be investing $193 million so as to be able to complete creating the new factory. This is according to a statement from Yasue Kato, Toyota’s spokesperson. The plant would be creating nickel-hydride batteries which would possibly be used in some of Toyota’s hybrids like the popular Prius. Matsushita though is quite happy with the partnership for its spokesperson, Akira Kadota, declared, “We will cooperate with Toyota on expanding the joint venture.”

Atsushi Kawai is Mizuho’s Investors Securities Company’s senior analyst and on this change, he shared, “The new plant is necessary for Toyota to meet the sales goal.”

In an announcement from Kia Motors, the company has disclosed that they have been able to send off the 200,000th unit of the Kia cee’d. This unit was created in the company’s assembly facility in Zilina, Slovakia and it happened last May 23rd. Coming in Dakar Yellow as the shade for its exterior, the 200,000th Kia cee’d would be delivered in Germany where a customer had ordered the unit. Now that would be one lucky person for he would be owning a historic unit.

In-Kyu Bae is the president and chief honcho for Kia Motors in Slovakia and on the 200,000th Kia cee’d, he disclosed, “We produced our 100,000th cee’d last September, 10 months after start-up, and with the addition of the cee’d wagon and pro_cee’d three-door hatch, we have reached our 200,000th cee’d after only eight months. We have also been consistently achieving record productivity levels while maintaining excellent build quality.”

Claire Lockley is ACG Travel Operations’ vice president and on the recognition as being the best travel agency, she declared, “We’re highly gratified that News readers have voted our travel agency number one for a seventh consecutive year. It shows that travelers recognize the value and expertise they receive dealing with the state’s largest travel agency. Our top rating is a reflection of the professionalism and hard work of our agents.”

Kudos to AAA Travel!

Maserati has been known for being one of the best manufacturers of sports cars in the industry. And one of the most recent updates from this company which is based in Italy had been about their eyeing the Indian auto market as a good place to enter. The company had also continued to disclose that they were looking for a distributor in the said Asian country.

Since they would be just entering the market, Maserati had mentioned that they are expecting that they would be having quite a small number of sales there. But they are positive that in the next few years, they would be able to ramp up their sales and be able to sell more of their premium models.

The United States is currently the largest market that the sports car maker has looking at the numbers for last year. For this year, they are estimating that they possibly be able to sell 8,500 to 9,000 vehicles.

Yes, the 2008 Infiniti EX has been named one of them. This list of best vehicles is created by Kelley Blue Book’s editors. According to the editors, in choosing the vehicles which would make the list, they have gone through the vehicles and checked “all tangible and intangible attributes that would enhance any long drive, such as driving enjoyment, passenger comfort, cargo space and, of course, fuel economy”.

Jack R. Nerad is kbb.com and Kelley Blue Book’s executive editorial director and he declared, “We love the Infiniti EX’s handy size, sporty handling and high-luxe interior. The 360-degree parking aid is nearly otherworldly in its ability to help you see where others can’t - especially important when parking in unfamiliar territory.” Nerad is also the site’s executive market analyst.

The 2008 Infiniti EX is all-new and it has just entered the market last December.

The reason for the recall? According to Mercedes Benz, they have found out that when the sedans get too exposed to moisture, the Signal Acquisition and Actuation Module (SAM) which can be found inside the vehicle’s engine compartment could actually act up and would go invalid. With that, the vehicle’s headlamps, wipers, and corner lamps would start to malfunction. This is according to the car maker’s papers that were filed at the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Those who would be sending their units back to Mercedes Benz would not need worry about any fees because the car maker would be doing the repair free of charge.

Aside from the fact that taking a road trip is cheaper, there are still other advantages that come with traveling on the road. Here is a list that could probably make you take your vehicle and take the highways:

• Leave when you want from where you want
• No airport parking
• No waiting in long ticket counter and security lines
• No weather delays
• Pack whatever and as much as you want
• Stop and stretch any time
• More and better meal options
• No rental car expenses
• More legroom and overall comfort
• No strangers sitting next to you
• Enjoy the ride

That may be so however teens still have to realize the consequences that come with using mobile phones when driving. The Allstate foundation as well as the National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) has recently conducted a survey among 16- and 17-year-old drivers. The results showed that four out of the five teens surveyed would drive safely if requested. However, the study reflected that among these teens, only a third of the whole lot would stop sending text messages when requested. Also 35% of the surveyed teens said that when requested, they would stop talking using their mobile phones.

33% and 35% of the lot are fairly small. How about the remaining teen drivers?

The price of fuel has surely gone up. And with the rising costs of almost everything around us, it is important that we do know how to stretch our dollar. Fuel can also be stretched, did you know that? Just in case you don’t, keep reading and learn about Shell “FuelStretch” tips.

1. Drive smoothly: Avoid heavy acceleration or braking. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gasoline mileage by 5 percent at lower speeds around town and by 33 percent at highway speeds.
2. Replace dirty or clogged air filters: Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter with a clean one can improve gasoline mileage by as much as 10 percent. A car’s air filter can protect the engine from impurities.
3. Keep your engine well-tuned and repair any problems immediately: If your car has failed an emissions test or is noticeably out of tune, repairing the problem could improve your gasoline mileage by 4 percent on average.
4. Make sure tires are not over or under-inflated: Proper air pressure cuts down on fuel used while driving. Keeping tires at the correct pressure can improve your gasoline mileage by more than 3 percent.
5. Minimize vehicle drag: Keep your trunk and back seat clear of unnecessary items that only add weight. Removing excess weight can improve your gasoline mileage.
6. Use the recommended grade of oil in your engine: Following your manufacturer’s motor oil recommendation can improve gasoline mileage by up to 2 percent. Look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to ensure it contains friction-reducing additives.
7. Choose a high-quality gasoline: Top automakers say that carbon deposits can build up on critical engine parts, which can decrease the power, performance and fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Audi, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen recommend using TOP TIER Detergent Gasolines to help keep engines clean. All Shell gasolines meet TOP TIER standards and stop gunky build-up on critical engine parts to help cars perform at their best.
8. Use cruise control on major roads and in free-flowing traffic: Maintaining a constant speed can improve gasoline mileage.
9. Avoid idling: When you idle, you get zero miles per gallon.
10. Avoid higher speeds: Gasoline mileage usually decreases when driving at speeds over 60 miles per hour.
11. Plan your outings to avoid separate trips: Combine your errands into one outing to avoid short separate trips. This helps avoid unnecessary cold starts and keeps your car’s engine running warm and more efficiently.
12. Pay with a rebate credit card: Credit cards offer a simple way to pay for things quickly, but using a rebate credit card means earning rewards with every purchase. For example, with a 5 percent rebate on Shell gasoline purchases and a 1 percent rebate on all other purchases, the Shell Platinum MasterCard(R) is one of the best rebate cards of its kind, helping consumers lower the cost of driving without sacrificing the quality of their gasoline.