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Jaguar ousts Lexus from atop J.D. Power 2013 Sales Satisfaction Index

Jaguar has taken the top spot among luxury brands in the 2013 Sales Satisfaction Index, an annual survey conducted by J.D. Power that measures customer satisfaction with the experience of purchasing a new vehicle. The English brand, not even among the top three luxury automakers on the list last year, vaulted ahead of Lexus, which placed third this year after leading the list in 2011 and 2012. Porsche, meanwhile, moved into second place.
The rankings are based on a point score out of 1,000, with Jaguar earning 740 points, Porsche right behind with 739 and Lexus with 737. Volvo, meanwhile, made the biggest improvement among luxury brands with a 30-point jump to 708, bring it up from 11th place to 9th this year.
J.D. Power has a separate ranking for mass-market brands, and this year Mini again tops the list with a score of 718, far outpacing second-place Buick with a score of 694 and making it the fourth time Mini has lead this list. After Buick, the next two ranked brands are both American and both from General Motors, with Chevrolet and GMC sharing third place with a score of 686.

Chinese-made electric Mini threatened with highest EV tariff from EU

BERLIN — The new all-electric Mini Cooper made in China is set to be hit by the highest EV tariff of 38.1% under the EU's provisional plans, a Reuters source familiar with the matter said on Friday, a potential terminal blow for the car's sales prospects. Mass production of the roughly 35,000-euro ($37,345) vehicle, produced by a joint venture of BMW and China's Great Wall Motor Co Ltd, began late last year - shortly after the EU launched its probe. With production still in early days, the joint venture was unable to fulfil the European Commission's survey to the level of detail required to be classed as a company cooperating with the investigation, the source said, declining to be named because discussions are private. Companies seen as cooperating with the EU were subject to lower tariffs of 17.4%-21%, according to a European Commission document seen by Reuters. That includes BMW Brilliance Automotive, another BMW joint venture that has produced the electric iX3 for export to Europe from China since 2021. BMW declined to comment. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said earlier this week the tariffs were the "wrong way to go", echoing concerns from other German carmakers fearful of a trade war which could end in counter-tariffs on cars exported from Germany to China. The European Commission said that joint ventures producing cars in China would be subject to duties, without specifying whether more recently formed ventures might benefit from the lower 21% rate for companies that cooperated with the investigation. A 38.1% price hike on the Mini, which was to be exported from China to Europe, could dent sales at a time when the carmaker is counting on every projected all-electric sale to help meet tightening carbon emissions targets. The deadline for imposing provisional measures is July 4, after which the investigation will continue to late October. That leaves time for Beijing and Brussels to make a deal to soften the blow. Companies can also submit comments and request hearings after the provisional duties are applied.   Green Government/Legal Rumormill BMW MINI China

Spy shots show Mini Cooper facelift

Mini is planning some slight visual changes to the Mini Cooper lineup, and our spy photographer caught the convertible and Cooper S out in the wild wearing minimal camouflage. As the changes will be subtle, there's not a lot that needs covering up, as we can see from the light bits of swirly camo worn by these two testers. Up front, it looks like might make some light touchups to the lighting and the front edge of the hood, which are covered by decals. In back, the rear lighting, top of the bumper, and the horizontal piece that is home to the rear Mini badge are disguised, but any changes there will also be very slight. It's what we don't see in the photos that will get the most important updates. Mechanically, it's possible that a revised turbocharging system and cooling system could help with emissions and provide a small boost to output. From styling standpoint, we can expect a couple of new paint colors and wheel designs, as well as some new interior options and mood lighting. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mini Cooper Spy Shots View 18 Photos News Source: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos MINI Convertible Hatchback facelift