The Toyota Camry has been the best selling car in America for 8 straight years. The benchmark for the family sedan is the Camry. This year, there is a new challenger. The 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

How does the 2011 Toyota Camry stack up against a completely redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata? The new Hyundai has beautiful and sleek styling that many would confuse with a BMW or Mercedes. The Sonata is the same size as Camry and offers many of the same features. Continue reading 2010 Camry Versus 2011 Sonata

TURIN – All Lancia and Chrysler brand cars sold in continental Europe will wear the Lancia badge, while the Chrysler badge will be used on all Lancias and Chryslers sold in the UK and Ireland.

Lancia withdrew from those right-hand-drive markets in 1991 due to poor sales results.

Fiat S.p.A., which took a 20 percent stake in Chrysler Group in June 2009, chose to predominately use the Lancia brand because consumer clinics done in Europe showed Lancias could command a higher price than Chryslers.

“The Lancia brand will be most impacted by the Chrysler alliance as the two ranges will be fully integrated into a new full-liner brand,” Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

Lancia’s lineup, which features the Ypsilon subcompact, Musa small minivan and Delta compact hatchback, will grow to include six rebadged Chryslers. (See box, bottom) Continue reading Lancia chosen over Chrysler as badge of choice for Europe

MUNICH – Audi AG for the first time passed Mercedes-Benz brand in global quarterly new-car sales. The Volkswagen AG premium brand outsold Mercedes brand 264,100 to 248,500 in the first three months. For Audi, the quarterly sales result was a new company record and 25.9 percent above the same period last year.

The company’s stated goal is to become the “most successful luxury automaker in the world by 2015,” at which point it aims to sell 1.5 million cars a year.

Audi finished 2009 in third place behind No. 1 BMW and second-ranked Mercedes in global premium-brand new-car sales. BMW reports its global car sales later this month.

Depending on those results, there could be a new leader. At the very least Audi will hold the No. 2 spot.

Mercedes might have trouble regaining second place as the year progresses. Continue reading Audi passes Mercedes for first time in quarterly global sales