GM loses global sales crown to Toyota

GENERAL Motors lost the global sales crown once again to Toyota in 2012, as its sales grew just 2.9 per cent to 9.2 million vehicles, the US auto giant says.

The American automaker, which briefly regained the crown after Toyota's supplies were shattered by the 2011 Japanese quake and tsunami, nonetheless remains at No.2 worldwide.

German rival Volkswagen, which aspires to be the world's biggest automaker by 2018, on Sunday reported an 11 per cent increase in 2012 sales to 9.07 million.

Toyota has forecast its 2012 sales will jump 22 per cent to 9.7 million vehicles.

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UPS to drop bid for TNT Express

US delivery giant United Parcel Service (UPS) says it's pulling out of its multi-billion-euro bid for Dutch firm TNT Express after EU competition authorities said they would probably block the deal.

"UPS informed TNT Express that UPS sees no realistic prospect that EC (European Commission) clearance can be obtained and that UPS will not pursue the transaction on any other basis," UPS said in a statement from Hoofddorp in the Netherlands on Monday.

The decision is despite an attempt by UPS last year to overcome competition concerns by amending its 5.16 billion euros ($A6.59 billion) bid.

EU competition authorities had warned that the takeover as constructed would result in damaging concentration in the European market for express delivery.

EU competition officials met UPS and TNT Express representatives on Friday and "informed the companies that on the basis of UPS's current remedy proposal it is working towards proposing a prohibition decision."

UPS then told TNT it would not continue chasing the deal and that "formal termination of the merger protocol will occur upon receipt of the prohibition decision of the EC, which ...TNT Express deems inevitable," it said.

In June, UPS launched a bid to take over TNT Express, but the EU competition authorities announced a month later they would investigate the deal.

The EU said it was worried the proposed merger would reduce the number of competitors from four to three and lead to a highly concentrated market for domestic and international express delivery services on the European continent.

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Mercedes takes aim at youth market

GERMAN auto giant Daimler is taking aim at the youth market with the compact, stylish - and lower priced - Mercedes CLA coupe, unveiled on the eve of the Detroit auto show.

A sleek silhouette delivers world-leading aerodynamics, while frameless doors offset the sporty, muscular look of a bold grill and sweeping curves in the body.

"The CLA is a style rebel," Mercedes design chief Gordon Wagener said.

"The dynamic design idiom is manifested in breath-taking proportions, muscular, flowing contours and sculptural surfaces."

The interior offers all the high-tech gadgets and luxurious features customers expect from a Mercedes, like a multimedia console that seamlessly integrates with the iPhone.

The powerful engine, smooth suspension and four-wheel drive also promise agility, power and an efficient drive.

It will also be outfitted with the latest in collision prevention, including drowsiness detection and a radar that warns drivers of obstacles even at very slow speeds and will initiate braking if the driver is distracted.

"With the new CLA-class, we will open a completely new gateway to the Mercedes brand here in the US," Mercedes sales chief Joachim Schmidt told reporters.

"Our goal is to repeat the success story of the CLS in a new segment."

The CLA is aimed at both the youth market and the "young at heart" who value "trendy and high-class design, quality and refinement and personal expression through authentic brands," Schmidt said.

Set to hit US dealerships in April, Daimler will launch an advertising blitz - and announce the price - during the Superbowl on February 3, which is being held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

The vehicle will be sold worldwide and Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche said it will be a "great car" for China and will also do well in other parts of Asia and Europe.

He did not disclose a sales target.

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Luxury, sports cars in Detroit spotlight

LUXURY and sports cars will be in the spotlight when the Detroit auto show opens Tuesday (AEDT) amid booming sales and renewed optimism as the US economy rebounds from a deep downturn.

"The mood is going to be pretty good," said Dave Sergeant, an analyst with JD Power. "The industry is coming off a reasonably good year and this year should be even better."

US sales are expected to rise to between 15 and 16 million vehicles this year after jumping 13 percent to 14.5 million vehicles in 2012, the biggest yearly gain since 1984.

The Detroit Three carmakers are raking in huge profits again after years of painful restructuring and a renewed focus on the product side of their business.

Their Asian and European counterparts are also investing heavily in the United States as they jostle for position in the highly competitive market and look for a place to grow sales amid a slowdown in China and Brazil and the collapse of European demand.

"The product is the best consumers have seen in a long time," Jesse Toprak, an analyst with the automotive site TrueCar.com, told AFP.

GM's new Corvette was the most hotly anticipated and select journalists were given a sneak preview at a lavish preview Sunday night.

The muscular and sculpted Corvette Stingray shares a name with the iconic 1963 model but is an entirely new vehicle, sharing only two parts with the previous generation Corvette.

"The soul of our company is sitting right here in Corvette," GM North America president Mark Reuss said.

"This car is the reason I work at GM."

Daimler also offered a sneak peak at an entirely new car, the compact, stylish - and lower priced - Mercedes CLA coupe which is aimed squarely at the youth market.

"The CLA is a style rebel," Mercedes design chief Gordon Wagener said.

"The dynamic design idiom is manifested in breath-taking proportions, muscular, flowing contours and sculptural surfaces."

Both vehicles will compete with luxury sports cars from Audi, BMW and a new muscle car from specialty carmaker Shelby once the show officially starts Monday.

Pickup truck fans will also have plenty of new models to feast their eyes upon, with the new Chevy Silverado and a concept (or pre-production) truck from Ford ahead of the 2015 launch of the next version of its top-selling F-series.

Honda will be testing out a concept for a smaller sport utility vehicle, as will Ford's luxury Lincoln brand. There will be plenty of new hulks on the floor as well, especially from Chrysler's Jeep and Dodge brands.

And even the more down-market vehicles are going to be decked out with features that were once reserved for luxury brands, like collision avoidance technology and heated side mirrors.

"Those features tend to be fairly profitable because once they get into the mass market they're not that expensive to install and consumers will pay fairly well for them," said Jeremy Anwyl, vice chairman of automotive site Edmunds.com.

Drivers looking for improved fuel economy will have a wide range of options as automakers push hybrids, diesel and electric vehicles, and boost the efficiency of standard gasoline engines ahead of upcoming tough new government standards.

But with hybrids and other alternative powertrains still only making up about three percent of the US market, carmakers are going to have to work harder on their green car pitches.

There is hope that younger buyers could help push demand for green cars to the point where it would have a significant impact on fuel consumption.

"While they're not necessarily going to gravitate to and make a buying decision because of 'green,' they have a preference towards new technologies," said Joe Vitale, an auto analyst with Deloitte.

"We think this generation may be the generation that creates a tipping point to an electrified world."

More than 50 new models will be revealed on Monday and Tuesday as automakers vie for the attention of some 6,000 journalists from around the world.

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Man hospitalised after shooting

A MAN is in hospital after he was shot in the stomach and chest in Sydney's west.

Police were called to Ismay Avenue, Homebush about 11pm on Sunday following reports of a shooting.

On arrival, they found a man with gunshot wounds to his stomach and chest.

He was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

His current condition is not known.

Police are investigating and have urged anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Victorian firefighter dies in Tasmania

A 60-YEAR-OLD Victorian firefighter has been found dead near a hamlet on the Tasman Peninsula where he was conducting a backburn.

Police say the body of the man, part of a Victorian contingent assisting the Tasmania Fire Service, was found near Taranna.

He was preparing for backburning operations at Waterfall Bluff, which is about two to three kilometres from the active fire edge.

Workers were sent to the area after the man failed to make a scheduled call-in.

Police say there appears to be no suspicious circumstances at this stage.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said the dead man was from Gippsland.

A DSE statement from its secretary Greg Wilson and chief fire officer Alan Goodwin said the firefighter's family had been notified and no further personal details were available at this time.

They had offered their sincere condolences to the family and support had been offered.

DSE representatives have been sent to Tasmania to support crew members still on the ground.

Police are investigating the death and will prepare a report for the coroner.

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Steam train chugs through London's Tube

TOURISTS waiting for their train to Madame Tussauds in London have been treated to an unusual sight: a 19th century steam engine chugging down the tracks.

Officials sent the Met Locomotive 1, built in 1898, down London's Metropolitan Line to mark the 150th anniversary of the Tube network, the world's oldest.

Hundreds of train fans, costume-wearing enthusiasts and curious onlookers gathered at platforms and bridges across the city to watch as the locomotive travelled non-stop from Kensington Olympia station in the west to Moorgate station in central London.

London Mayor Boris Johnson was among the invited passengers aboard the historic black-and-red locomotive. He said the trip was "romantic", describing "thick clouds of white steam going past and then bits of soot coming through from the engine".

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Beijing choked by third day of smog

BEIJING has endured a third day of pollution at hazardous levels, as authorities warned a thick cloud of smog may not lift from the Chinese capital until the middle of the week.

While those venturing outside wore face masks, dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei went one step further, posting pictures of himself on Twitter in a gas mask.

As the dense smog shrouded large swathes of northern China, flights were cancelled and traffic delayed as visibility was reduced to 100 metres in some areas.

The dangerously poor air quality was highlighted by a steady stream of news broadcasts on state television, many of which warned residents against venturing outside.

The pollution also provoked China's huge number of microbloggers to take to the internet, with some high-profile web users calling for a re-evaluation of China's rampant modernisation.

Rapid economic growth has led to a dramatic increase in the consumption of coal and clogged city streets with cars.

"The foreign media is laughing at us. I agree with their laughter," said Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-run Global Times newspaper on Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

"This is a warning to the Government and Beijing's citizens. We have to think about what kind of modernisation we want and how to manage it."

Hu said the pollution issue would be on the front page of his newspaper on Monday.

Beijing-based Ai, 55, an outspoken critic of China's communist government, posted three pictures of himself on Twitter standing against a white background wearing a gas mask, his beard frizzing out beneath. But he did not make any verbal comment.

Beijing's municipal environment warning centre issued its second alert in two days, warning people to avoid outdoor physical activity.

The centre also urged government officials to set an example to other residents, by not using their cars.

Air quality in Beijing showed small airborne particles with a diameter small enough to deeply penetrate the lungs at a reading as high as 993 micrograms per cubic metre on Saturday evening, the warning centre said.

The World Health Organisation says the figure for such particles, known as PM2.5, should ideally be no more than 25 micrograms per cubic metre.

High levels have been linked to health problems including respiratory disease, heart disease and lung cancer.

Official PM2.5 figures have only been monitored in China's major cities since the beginning of last year.

The lack of official data makes it difficult to compare the recent smog with previous cases of pollution, said Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs.

"But it is interesting to see that residents have been warned about the dangers of pollution by official media," Ma told AFP.

"This has never happened before, and is a result of the transparency that we now have with the figures."

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Measles alert in Brisbane and Mount Isa

RESIDENTS of Brisbane and Mount Isa could have been exposed to measles when a traveller returned from abroad with the disease, Queensland health officials say.

The traveller returned home from Asia on January 2 while still infectious with measles after picking up the disease overseas.

The infected person flew into Brisbane where they spent the day before flying to Mount Isa.

The Queensland Department of Health is urging anyone who was at the Brisbane International Airport abound 1am (AEST) on January 2 or in the the Brisbane CBD the same day to seek immediate medical advice if they feel unwell.

People at the city's domestic airport about 6am on January 3 or anyone who flew to Mount Isa that morning should also be on alert for symptoms.

Measles can be spread by droplets expelled during coughing or sneezing.

Early symptoms include fever, lethargy, a moist cough and sore and red eyes, followed a few days later by a red rash.

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Boy, 13, drives father's Merc to Germany

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy has run away from his adoptive parents in Italy, driving his father's Mercedes 1000 kilometres towards his native Poland before being stopped in Germany.

The boy - a go-kart enthusiast - managed to pass motorway toll booths and cross two international borders in his two-day drive across northern Italy, Austria and half of Germany.

"He looks like a 16-year-old, but still! He managed to fuel up and pass two borders. It's just incredible," Eleonora Spadati, head of local Carabinieri police in Montebelluna in northeast Italy where the boy ran from, told AFP on Saturday.

Spadati said the boy missed Poland and wanted to see his biological sister.

Just before leaving on Thursday with just 200 euros ($A252.14) in his pocket and a passport, he had also argued with his parents after they confiscated his mobile phone as a punishment for topping up its credit without their consent.

The boy's parents quickly realised he might have tried to go to Poland and contacted local Italian police, asking for an alert along his possible route.

German traffic police picked him up just 200 kilometres from the Polish border on Friday.

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