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In the fourth quarter of 2009, Lear made a profit of $1.23bn, compared with a loss of $688.2m in the same period in 2008.

Sage Automotive Interiors, spun off several months ago from Milliken, has as its goal to provide the interiors of vehicles that customers want.

Renault has confirmed that a new LCV will be produced at its Sandouville (Seine-Maritime) plant from 2012 in order to maintain employment at the plant at its current level.

500 new jobs will be created at VW's supplier park that will be built alongside its new assembly plant in Chattanooga, USA.

Toyota is set to file a recall over brake problems with its 2010 Prius hybrid in both the USA and Japan, affect more than 270,000 vehicles, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Maruti Suzuki India has said it expects to double its exports to about 160,000 units in the 2009/10 fiscal year (which ends on 31 March 2010).

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is doing everything in his power to try to prevent the closure of Fiat's Termini Imerese factory in Sicily.

Wolfgang Bernhard, up to now head of the van division, has been proposed as an additional member of the Daimler board.

Nissan Motor, which produces cars and LCVs in China through a 50:50 joint venture with Dongfeng Motor, has said the venture expects to sell 1m cars, trucks and buses in 2010, two years ahead of schedule.

Citroen plans to launch the C-Escape in 2012. The compact SUV, based on the Mitsubishi ASX, is 4.3m long.