Gasgoo.com (Shanghai) - Automobile sales in China totaled 19.86 million units over the first eleven months of the year. That figure represented year-on-year sales growth of 13.53 percent. The automobile market as a whole looks to have grown 15 percent by the end of 2013. That figure, which has exceeded the expectations of many analysts, will represent a new turning point for the market, which only managed very minor growth over the past two years. The figure is also more indicative of the actual demand in the market, as several stimulatory economic policies have already been phased out.

Volkswagen has recently announced a recall of 640,309 Chinese cars and minivans due to a suspected flaw in which the synthetic oil in the vehicles' DSG transmission systems may cause an electrical problem. VW has promised to replace the synthetic oil with mineral oil, while simultaneously updating the transmission system's control software. This marks the second large-scale recall announced by VW in the country and has once again aroused suspicion about the build quality of their DSG transmissions. To better understand industry viewpoints on the recent trouble with the transmission systems, Gasgoo.com (Chinese) held a weeklong survey, inviting 1,563 analysts and figures to answer questions regarding the issue.

Volvo design chief Thomas Ingenlath has been turning heads and winning awards since joining the Swedish automaker from Volkswagen Group 20 months ago. There is a good chance the hot streak will continue at the Geneva auto show.