Safety over styling for women

Safety is the most important feature for women when buying a car. A JD Power study in the United States reveals four out of five women choose safety over styling. The feature women like most, says the automotive research group, are in-vehicle communications systems that automatically summon emergency services as soon as an airbag is deployed.

Too hasty by far

Motorists in Britain spend three times as long buying a new suit or dress than they do a car. A survey shows that they spend an average of 23 minutes checking out a car before buying it, but 66 minutes before deciding to buy clothing. One in five used-car owners didn't test drive their car before buying it, whereas the same people tried on an average of five items of clothing before making their decision. One in five motorists also admit they should spend more time choosing a car.

Rover fans bewildered

A group of MG and Rover enthusiasts from France turned up at the British carmaker's plant at Longridge to show their support for its 6000 workers, whose jobs are on the line. But the visitors were bewildered, said MG Rover website manager Steve Childs. "They were greeted by two police cars sitting outside the [factory] gates," he said. "Nothing wrong or unusual about that, aside from the fact that the cars were French. A Renault and a Peugeot - on duty outside the gates of Britain's last remaining volume car producer.

"Here in Britain's industrial heartland, the British police seem to drive everything but a British car. Five years ago the police fleets were awash with Rovers. Now they're awash with cars that weren't even built in this country. My local police station carpark looks more like an outpost of the French police than one in the West Midlands."

Lexus most satisfying

Lexus has topped the JD Power customer satisfaction study in Britain for the fifth year in a row. The Japanese luxury brand scored 848 points out of a possible 1000, well above the industry average of 786 points. Lexus also won the quality and reliability category, with a score of 923 points. Runner-up was Volkswagen-owned Skoda, one point behind Lexus. Skoda also finished fourth for quality and reliability.

Building on its success

Kia Motors will spend about $100 million on its new European headquarters in Frankfurt. The 11-storey building is on land where the bi-annual Frankfurt motor show is held. It will open in October next year and comes as the Korean carmaker continues its dramatic growth throughout Europe. Kia sold 26,000 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, a 72 per cent increase over the same period last year.

GM data worries

Thousands of holders of General Motors loyalty cards in the US could be at risk of identity theft after a GM dealer failed to protect their data. The company that issues the card is telling 185,500 customers that their details may have been compromised. Around 6 million Americans hold GM cards, which offer discounts on GM cars or trucks. Meantime, GM is putting its logo on most of its US products because research showed consumers did not associate brands like Hummer, Cadillac and Chevrolet with GM.

Suzuki plant hits 9m mark

Suzuki's Iwata plant in Japan has just produced its 9 millionth vehicle, a 660cc-powered commercial van called the Every. The plant has been producing Suzuki vehicles since August 1967. Milestones include the 7 millionth vehicle in May 1997 and the 8 millionth in February 2002. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) was first founded in 1909. Last year it sold 1.9 million vehicles worldwide - more than Japanese rivals Mazda, Mitsubishi and Subaru.

We are the world

A judge in Saudi Arabia has upheld a law banning women from driving, after an accident in the city of Taif involving a woman driver, reports Reuters. The judge said he couldn't see any reason why women should drive. In 1990, about 50 women defied the law and drove through Riyadh. Those caught lost their jobs.