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Spectator killed in seventh stage of Dakar Rally

Not surprisingly, tragedy has struck at the Dakar Rally this year. A vehicle hit a spectator in the seventh stage of the rally on Saturday, along the stretch between Uyuni, Bolivia, and Salta, Argentina. Running in 52nd place, the Mitsubishi Lancer driven by French contestant Lionel Baud hit a 63-year-old spectator. Emergency medical personnel responded to the accident, only to declare the man dead on the scene. This was the second time a competing vehicle collided with spectators in this year's event. During the Prologue stage a week ago, Guo Meiling drove her Mini into a crowd of spectators, injuring eleven – including a father and son who were hospitalized in critical condition. This is the first time, however, that a death occurred as part of the rally since 2013, when a support vehicle collided with two taxis in Peru and killed two. Though still in progress, this year's rally has been dominated thus far by the Peugeot team. All but the opening Prologue stage have been won by the French team, with Sebastien Loeb winning three out of six full stages run so far. His teammate Stephane Peterhansel has won another two, while Carlos Sainz won the tragic seventh stage on Saturday. Following Sunday's rest day, there remain another six stages before the rally concludes in Rosario on January 16.

Mitsubishi shows off its boxy new XFC Concept

Mitsubishi’s lineup has dwindled in the United States, but its presence is strongest in Asia, where it offers several vehicles not destined for our shores. Its latest concept vehicle previews a vision for a small utility vehicle with beefy styling and a futuristic interior. The XFC Concept is a compact SUV that Mitsubishi calls the “best-suited buddy for an exciting life.” ItÂ’s debuting at the Vietnam Motor Show later this month and is initially destined for life in Southeast Asia, though the company says it wants to expand that presence globally. The conceptÂ’s styling is a departure for the brand, whose other recent releases havenÂ’t been the easiest vehicles on the eyes (cough, cough, Outlander). Boxy lines and unique lighting are standout visual elements on the XFC, and the rear fender flares give it a muscular stance. Concepts rarely make it to production unchanged, so Mitsubishi is likely to alter the XFCÂ’s fantastic interior before release. The cabin appears to offer a mix of materials and large windows. Mitsubishi says it has class-leading interior space and notes that it focused on making the vehicle as comfortable as possible over rough roads. Flooding is an issue in the XFCÂ’s home region, so Mitsubishi gave it good ground clearance and four drive modes. Drivers can choose between normal, wet, gravel, and mud modes, and Mitsubishi says it developed the new wet mode specifically with Southeast Asian countries in mind. Mitsubishi will launch the XFC in 2023 and says an electric variant is coming down the road. Though itÂ’s still in the concept stage, the automaker plans for the SUV to become a core model for the brand on the global stage, alongside vehicles like its popular Xpander MPV.

Nissan, Renault reveal how they'll reshape alliance to cut costs, regain profit

TOKYO — The auto alliance of Nissan and Renault said Wednesday it will be sharing more vehicle parts, technology and models to save costs as the industry struggles to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Alliance Operating Board Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said the group, which also includes smaller Japanese automaker Mitsubishi, will have each company focusing on geographic regions. “There is no plan for a merger of our companies,” the chairman said. “Our model today is a very distinctive model ... we donÂ’t need a merger to be efficient.” He stressed the alliance needs to adjust to the “unprecedented economic crisis,” to pursue efficiency and competitiveness, not sheer sales volumes. “Now is the time to rebuild,” Senard said, making clear he believed the alliance remained strong. All automakers are suffering from the pandemic, and scaling back or suspending production, but Nissan was reeling before the crisis struck from a scandal involving its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn. Yokohama-based Nissan is due to report its annual results on Thursday and has forecast it will slip into its first yearly loss in 11 years. Under the latest so-called leader-follower initiative, Nissan will focus on China, North America and Japan; Renault on Europe, Russia and South America and North Africa, and Mitsubishi on Southeast Asia and Oceania, for the benefit of the entire alliance. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida said the alliance planned to pursue fiscal strength together. “The synergy is huge,” he said. The number of vehicles sharing the same platform will double by 2024, saving 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion), according to Senard. The shared technology will also include electric cars and autonomous driving, platforms and car bodies, the executives said. Nissan is a leader in electric cars with its Leaf, but such technology will be available to the other alliance members, they said. The companies gave few details of how the revamp would deliver in the short term, as the car industry grapples with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and pressure to develop less polluting vehicles. They said in a joint statement that they aimed to produce nearly half of their vehicles under the new leader-follower approach by 2025 and hoped to cut investment per model in the scheme by up to 40%. The range of vehicles they produce is expected to fall by 20% by 2025 though the firms did not say how many jobs would go as they shift production.