Tasty meals on wheels (3)

Ivan Hodac, secretary-general of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, says nobody makes money today in Europe, and the European market shows no signs of a quick recovery this year.

"The only companies that are still doing well are companies in the export market, such as Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler."

Mary Barra, GM's senior vice-president of global product development, told Bloomberg that "we believe we're well positioned in the important growth markets", such as Brazil, India, Russia and China.

Ford may not yet be able to compete with GM China, but it is growing fast. Last year it sold 626,616 vehicles in China, 21 percent higher than in 2011. Last month, the delivery hit a record high of 70,510 units, up 43 percent year-on-year.

John Lawler, CEO of Ford Motor China, says consumers' reaction has firmed up Ford's plan to introduce 15 new models to China and to double production capacity by 2015.

Volkswagen's sister brand Audi AG successfully defended its leading position in the Chinese premium car segment. Last year, the brand sold 405,838 vehicles in China, nearly 30 percent more than the previous year.

The Chinese market is the superstar for Audi AG. Since the 1980s, when it was chosen as the government car brand, Audi has managed to maintain a high-end, elegant image.

Although its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz are catching up in sales volume, it will not be easy to steal Audi's crown. The brand also expanded its dealerships from 230 to 290, in 130 Chinese cities.