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Suspects in Ghosn's Japanese escape stand trial in Turkey

ISTANBUL - Seven suspects went on trial in Turkey on Friday over their alleged involvement in former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape from Japan to Lebanon via Istanbul at the end of last year. Ghosn, once a titan of the global auto industry, had been arrested in Japan in late 2018 and charged with underreporting his salary and using company funds for personal purposes, charges he denies. The ousted chairman of the alliance of Renault, Nissan Motor Co and Mitsubishi Motors Corp had been awaiting his trial under house arrest in Japan when he made a dramatic escape in December to Beirut, his childhood home. An executive from Turkish private jet operator MNG Jet and four pilots were detained in early January soon after Ghosn's escape and charged with migrant smuggling, a sentence carrying a maximum sentence of eight years in jail. They appeared in white protective overalls, masks and gloves as a measure against the coronavirus, as the court in Istanbul began hearing their defence. Two flight attendants, charged with failing to report a crime - a charge carrying a sentence of up to one year - were also there. The first defendant to speak was a pilot on the Osaka-Istanbul flight, Noyan Pasin, who denied the charge. Prosecutors, in their indictment, had said MNG Jet operations manager Okan Kosemen - who is one of the seven on trial - knew before the Osaka flight that Ghosn would be on board and would transfer to Beirut. Kosemen, who also pleaded not guilty, said in court on Friday he was only told via phone about Ghosn's presence mid-flight from Osaka and cooperated under duress. The prosecution said Kosemen used WhatsApp to communicate with pilots before, during and after the Osaka-Istanbul flight, using terms like "luggage" and "consignment" to refer to Ghosn. The five other suspects also deny the charges, according to the indictment. SAGA SHAKES AUTO WORLD According to the indictment, Kosemen told prosecutors a price of $175,000 was agreed for the flight with a Lebanese broker and paid into MNG Jet's bank account. At the time of the incident, MNG Jet said Kosemen acted without the knowledge of the company and it had filed a criminal complaint for the illegal use of its aircraft. Japan has formally asked the United States to extradite two Americans - a former Green Beret and his son - who also stand accused of helping Ghosn flee Japan. They were arrested in Massachusetts in May.

Nissan Sway displays the future of the compact hatch [w/videos]

Nissan is giving a glimpse at its future compact hatchback design with the Sway Concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The little, egg-shaped hatchback cribs styling elements from earlier show cars from the brand and mixes them together into an attractive five-door. Though, the company makes no mention of the model's powertrain. The Sway's most eye-arresting feature is its arching hood that leads to a deep, V-shaped grille similar to the Lannia Concept. The design element is flanked on both sides by boomerang-shaped LED headlights, and there's a splash of color from the orange accents under the air intakes. To draw the eye from front to rear, a crease flows over the fenders and then sweeps all the way back to the taillights. Nissan's floating roof motif also makes an appearance here, although it's not quite as obvious as on larger vehicles. As is common on show cars, the Sway has suicide doors with no B-pillar to let attendees in Switzerland have a good look inside. The interior appears to be an airy place to take a drive with a panoramic glass roof, and a windshield that rises up over the front occupants' heads. The driver gets a simple instrument cluster that's dominated by just two gauges, but there's a tablet at the center of the dashboard to provide extra info. According to Nissan, the whole point of the Sway's design is to take compact hatchback styling in a bolder direction. The first video below shows off even more angles, and the second has some of the brand's designers going in depth about the car's shape. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nissan rethinks the compact hatchback: Introducing the Sway Concept Bold design theme showcases new design language Edgy exterior matched by elegantly simple interior Created to bring fresh, high-end thinking to compact hatchback segment GENEVA – Innovative design and product planning gave birth to the Qashqai and Juke, two of the biggest automotive success stories in recent years. Now the company has applied the same radical thinking to one of the most important sectors of the market: the compact hatchback. Unveiled at the Geneva Show, the Sway is a glimpse at how a future generation of compact Nissan models might look if the company's striking new design language was applied to a European hatchback.

Major automakers post mixed US June sales figures

General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV posted declines in US new vehicle sales for June on Monday, while major Japanese automakers reported stronger figures. Once again, demand for pickup trucks and crossovers offset a decline in sedan sales. Automakers' shares rose as overall industry sales still came in above Wall Street expectations. The US auto industry is bracing for a downturn after hitting a record 17.55 million new vehicles sold in 2016. Analysts had predicted that overall, US vehicle sales would fall in June for the fourth consecutive month. As the market has shown signs of cooling, automakers have hiked discounts and loosened lending terms. Car shopping website Edmunds said on Monday the average length of a car loan reached an all-time high of 69.3 months in June. "It's financially risky, leaving borrowers exposed to being upside down on their vehicles for a large chunk of their loans," said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of industry analysis. GM said its sales fell about 5 percent versus June 2016, but that the industry would see stronger sales in the second half of 2017 versus the first half. "Under the current economic conditions, we anticipate US retail vehicle sales will remain strong for the foreseeable future." GM shares were up 2.4 percent in morning trading, while Ford rose 3.3 percent and FCA shares jumped 6 percent. "US total sales are moderating due to an industry-wide pullback in daily rental sales, but key US economic fundamentals clearly remain positive," said GM chief economist Mustafa Mohatarem. "Under the current economic conditions, we anticipate US retail vehicle sales will remain strong for the foreseeable future." Ford said its sales for June were hit by lower fleet sales to rental agencies, businesses, and government entities, which fell 13.9 percent, while sales to consumers were flat. But it sold a record 406,464 SUVs in the first half of the year, with Explorer sales increasing 23 percent in June. And sales of the F-150 had their strongest June since 2001. On a media call, Ford executives said an initial read of automakers' sales figures indicated a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of around 17 million new vehicles for the month, which would be better than 16.6 million units analysts had predicted. FCA said June sales decreased 7 percent versus the same month a year earlier.