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Renault chairman dismisses reports Nissan wants to split from alliance

PARIS — Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said on Thursday there was a "real desire" within the top ranks of both companies for its alliance with Nissan to succeed, dismissing suggestions the partnership was on the rocks. Turmoil within the Franco-Japanese alliance, long dogged by internal rivalries, deepened following the November 2018 arrest in Tokyo of its architect and long-time boss Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial crimes, which he denies. Attempts to restore calm were dealt a fresh blow by Ghosn's dramatic flight from Japanese justice and a series of no-holds-barred allegations he has made from his refuge in Lebanon, including that he was the victim of a plot to oust him and that the alliance is now a "masquerade". Nissan has vigorously rejected Ghosn's stance, while both the Japanese firm and Renault have tried to rubbish suggestions their two decades old partnership is falling apart. "We have a board overseeing the alliance which is made up of people who are all extremely in favor of the alliance," Renault Chairman Senard told a briefing with reporters. "There is a common desire to associate our strategic plans and a real desire to make this alliance a success," he added, dismissing a report that Nissan was examining scenarios for a possible future outside of the alliance as "fake news." The 66-year-old declined to comment on anything related to Ghosn, adding: "I only think about the future." Renault shares were down 2% by 1123 GMT, underperfoming the broader auto sector which was down on news that Washington has threatened to impose tariffs on European car imports due to Europe's stance on Iran. Renault's French rival and Peugeot maker PSA Group also gave a flavor of some industry headwinds, reporting a 10% fall in its global sales last year as Chinese demand tanked. Renault is due to publish its 2019 global sales on Friday. JOINT PROJECTS Analysts see Renault-Nissan's cost-saving alliance as vital to both companies as the car industry battles a slowdown and huge investments in cleaner vehicles and automated driving, particularly as rivals PSA and Fiat Chrysler are merging to help meet these challenges. Renault held ultimately unsuccessful talks to combine with Fiat Chrysler last year, which Ghosn described at a Beirut news conference as a huge missed opportunity. Senard, who chairs the alliance's operating board, said on Thursday that once the partnership has been rebooted, other firms might potentially want to join.

The most efficient gas or hybrid cars of 2024: Not the greenest, but still very green

Not a single electric vehicle appears on the “greener choices” list assembled by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) in its annual compilation of the most environmentally friendly cars in the United States. But for potential car buyers seeking an efficient, fairly affordable gasoline or hybrid vehicle this year, the list of 12 cars, trucks and SUVs can help with decision making. Topping this yearÂ’s list was the gas/hybrid Honda Accord, priced at $33,990 with an estimated annual fuel cost of $982. Rank Make & Model Powertrain Vehicle Class Green Score MSRP Estimated Annual Fuel Cost* 1 Honda Accord Gas Hybrid Large Car 62 $33,990 $982 2 Kia Niro FE Gas Hybrid Compact SUV 61 $28,315 $885 3 Mitsubishi Mirage Gas Compact Car 59 $17,955 $1,189 4 Lexus ES 300h Gas Hybrid Midsize Car 59 $44,590 $1,073 5 Lexus NX 350h Gas Hybrid Midsize SUV 57 $43,465 $1,207 6 Ford Maverick Gas Hybrid Compact Pickup 55 $24,900 $1,297 7 Toyota Sienna Gas Hybrid Minivan 55 $39,080 $1,304 8 Mini Cooper Convertible Gas Subcompact Car 54 $35,700 $1,412 9 Toyota Highlander Gas Hybrid Large SUV 54 $40,720 $1,348 10 Kia Soul Gas Small Wagon 53 $21,565 $1,467 11 BMW Z4 sDrive30i Gas Two-Seater 50 $53,600 $1,626 12 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 Gas Hybrid Large Van 49 $43,000 $1,596 13 Volvo V90CC B6 Gas Hybrid Midsize Wagon 45 $59,800 $1,843 14 Ford Ranger Gas Standard Pickup 43 $32,670 $1,968 *ACEEE analysis using EIA data of the annual cost of driving 15,000 miles In making its evaluations, the ACEEE examines each 2024 model based on its cost to human health from air pollution associated with vehicle manufacturing and disposal, the production and distribution of fuel or electricity, and vehicle tailpipe emissions. The group also takes into account air pollution associated with EV battery manufacturing. The organization also ranks what it calls the “greenest” cars — it selected the Toyota Prius Prime SE plug-in hybrid is the greenest model of 2024. As well as the “Meanest.Â’Â’ or least efficient vehicle. At the top of that list this year was Mercedes-Benz AMG G63. The group says that the greener choices are those that are available nationwide “with among the lowest environmental impacts in each vehicle class but that didnÂ’t make the Greenest List.

Mitsubishi rolls out new Pajero Sport in Thailand

Mitsubishi is launching the new Pajero Sport you see here, based on the latest Triton/L200 pickup introduced late last year. The new Pajero Sport (known as the Challenger in certain markets) replaces a model that's been on the market for seven years now. The midsize sport-utility vehicle is being introduced first in Thailand, but will be sold in about 90 countries around the world. Those will include Australia, Russia, and markets in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia – regions in which Mitsubishi has sold some 400,000 units of the previous Pajero Sport. Behind the imposing new Dynamic Shield front end sits a 2.4-liter turbo diesel driving all four wheels through a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The combination is said to be a good 17 percent more economical than the previous model's. Full specs have yet to be revealed, but it's expected to produce around 180 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. The new Pajero Sport also packs all the latest safety technologies, including automatic braking, blind spot monitor, and ultrasonic misacceleration systems. Rock-crawlers will also appreciate the off-road mode, hill descent control, and increased wading depth, all of which add up to make the Pajero Sport a very different kind of high-riding Mitsubishi than the new Outlander recently introduced on our side of the Pacific. Here in North America, truck-based SUVs are steadily losing ground to car-based crossovers. But overseas – particularly in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia – they're not only surviving, but thriving. In addition to this Pajero Sport, Ford recently introduced its new Ranger-based Everest, and Toyota the new Fortuner based on the HiLux. World Debut of the All-new Pajero Sport Mid-size SUV in Thailand Popular SUV's first full redesign in seven years to reach some 90 countries Tokyo, August 1, 2015 – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) today announces the world premiere of first full-redesign of the Pajero Sport mid-size SUV in seven years in Thailand, where it is produced at Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co. Ltd.'s*1 Laem Chabang Plant. Sales start in Thailand from this fall, and MMC plans to introduce the all-new Pajero Sport sequentially in Australia, the ASEAN nations, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Russia and, as with its predecessor, to sell the new model in some 90 countries.