China says it will suspend additional tariffs targeting US cars for three months starting January 1 in a sign of easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Earlier this year, China imposed extra tariffs of 25 per cent on US cars, as retaliation for the US slapping tariffs on a variety of Chinese goods, including semiconductor chips and machinery parts.

"Suspension of tariffs is a concrete measure to implement the consensus of the two heads of state," the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Friday, referring to discussion between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.

The ministry expressed hopes that trade talks will continue "in the direction of eliminating all tariff increases."

This year, the US imposed tariffs on 250 billion dollars' worth of Chinese goods as punishment for what it says are China’s unfair trade practices, such as intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers.

China retaliated with duties on 110 billion dollars' worth of US imports including soybeans, aircraft and cars.

Trump and Xi met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina earlier this month and agreed on a 90-day "ceasefire" to give the teams time to negotiate a more permanent settlement.

As part of the truce, Trump pledged that on January 1 he would leave the recently increased tariffs on 200 billion worth of Chinese products at 10 per cent and not raise the rate to 25 per cent, as he had threatened.

China’s economy is being battered by the ongoing trade war. On Friday, the government reported weak industrial output and retail sales growth in November.

The industrial and retail sales data indicate China's economic growth in the last quarter of the year could fall below the 6.5 per cent registered in the third quarter.

The prolonged trade war with the US is also eroding Chinese consumers' optimism, according to experts. Car sales fell 10 per cent in November, while the sale of communication appliances dropped 5.9 per cent, according to the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ).

"China's economy is weakening and worries many investors," Germany's Commerzbank said in a report. "However, a full-blown crisis is unlikely."

The government has taken countermeasures by lowering taxes and boosting the credit supply, while postponing steps to tackle debt.

Hopes that motorists might switch to electric cars in large numbers may be just a pipedream, according to the results of a new mobility survey by German component maker Continental.

More than 80 per cent of those asked in Germany and China said they would buy a new car with the same drivetrain as the one they already have, namely petrol, petrol-electric hybrid or diesel.

In the United States more than 90 per cent of respondents answered the same question with "yes" or "probably".

In Japan there was more willingness to change, with around a quarter of those quizzed saying they could imagine switching to a pure-electric after owning a combustion-driven car.

"When it comes to choosing a powertrain, today's drivers tend to be conservative and rely on proven technology," said Conti's engine department CEO Andreas Wolf.

Range anxiety was one of the main reasons for the unwillingness of car drivers to embrace electric mobility, said Wolf. Few electric cars can travel more than 400 kilometres without recharging.

A total of 1,000 people in Germany, the US, Japan and China took part in the survey carried out by the Infas Institute on behalf of Conti.

The scandal over manipulated emission results for diesel engines has left its mark in Germany where 30 per cent of those asked own a self-igniter but only half that number said they would buy one again.

The study also highlighted ongoing scepticism towards automated driving. Two thirds of those canvassed welcomed devices which would take over driving in monotonous or stressful situations - such as in traffic jams or where roadworks were in place.

Chinese drivers were far and away the most enthusiastic about future robotic driving, with Germans, Americans and Japanese drivers lagging behind.

A majority in Germany - where data protection laws are stringent - were opposed to connected cars exchanging more data between vehicles, the internet and the environment. Again the Chinese found this more desirable.

Only a third of the Germans asked said they would willingly use robot taxis whereas more Americans, Chinese and Japanese could imagine taking a ride in a driverless taxi.

Children and young adults are more likely to die as a result of a traffic accident than from any other cause, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

This high risk for the ages between 5 and 29 signals "a need for a shift in the current child and adolescent health agenda which, to date, has largely neglected road safety," the Geneva-based UN health agency said on Friday.

Only 33 countries have laws on child restraint systems for cars that are in line with the WHO's best-practice criteria, including limits on age, weight or height.

Overall, 1.35 million people of all ages die every year in road accidents, according to the WHO's latest global road safety report.

Although the annual total has slightly increased since the year 2000, the rate of road deaths as a share of the population has fallen slightly.

According to the WHO, this is a result of the increasing number of countries that implement speed rules and alcohol limits, as well as laws on helmets, seat belts and child seats.

However, progress has been uneven.

While the number of traffic deaths has fallen in nearly 50 wealthy and middle-income countries since 2013, there is not a single low-income country where the situation has improved.

In Africa, the fatality rate from road accidents is 26.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants per year, far higher than Europe's rate of 9.3.

Motor company Hyundai's plans for a low-wage factory in the South Korean city of Gwangju was met with employee protests on Thursday.

Around 80,000 workers from Hyundai Motor and sister company Kia went on strike for four hours as a warning, according to the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU).

They wanted to protest the "Gwangju Jobs Model Project," KMWU's automotive industry director, Ha Young Chul, said.

Hyundai and the city government of Gwanju are in negotiations for the construction of a factory where employees would be paid an annual salary of roughly 35 million won (31,160 dollars). The average annual salary for Hyundai employees nationwide stands at 92 million won.

The planned factory would produce mini SUVs. The world's fifth largest automotive group wants a 19-per-cent share in the joint venture for the project, initiated by the city.

But negotiations came to a halt this week due to wage disputes with the union.

Hyundai said it would make a "final decision" whether to involve itself if it deems the project "feasible."

The seven finalists for the Car of the Year 2019 have been revealed, with more affordable models by Kia and Ford selected alongside releases by luxury brands Mercedes and Jaguar.  

After a first round of voting by a jury of 60 Car of the Year members was completed on Monday, the Kia Ceed, Ford Focus, Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes A-Class were named among the finalists. 

Renault-owned sports car manufacturer Alpine has also made its way onto the list with its A110 model, alongside fellow French models the Peugeot 508 and Citreon C5 Aircross.

The final vote to determine the single winner will be cast on March 2019, when each juror will be asked to divide 25 points among at least five nominees, before stating their voting criteria.

SUVs have come out on top for the past two years, which saw Volvo's XC40 luxury crossover win in 2018, and the Peugeot 3008 in 2017, which may help the chances of the entries from Jaguar and Citroen. 

Among the most important aspects for the judges - who are a group of journalists and car experts from across Europe - is the technical innovation and value for money displayed by each entry. 

According to its website, the award also values “design, comfort, safety, economy, handling, performance, functionality, environmental requirements, driver satisfaction, and price.”

This year's winner will be revealed after a final vote on the eve of the Geneva Motorshow on March 4, 2019.

General Motors is looking to scale down production in the United States, in a move that would affect thousands of factory and white-collar jobs at the carmaker.

"Actions are being taken to reduce salaried and salaried contract staff by 15 per cent, which includes 25 per cent fewer executives to streamline decision-making," GM said in a statement on Monday.

GM said the decision was taken to ensure cash flow and adapt to "changing market conditions and customer preferences." This will include shutting plants at up to seven locations.

The closures will affect five sites in the US and Canada as well as two outside of North America.

The move flies in the face of promises by President Donald Trump to increase manufacturing jobs. There are growing concerns his tariffs on steel and other goods will lead to rising costs.

Trump's chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, is due to meet the chief executive of GM, Mary Barra, broadcaster CNBC reported.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said "we have a lot of pressure on them" and that he has already spoken to Barra himself.

"This country has done a lot for General Motors," Trump said. "They better put something else in."

The carmaker expects to move fewer vehicles next year. In particular, it expects a drop in sales of sedans, as it moves to focus on hybrid and electric cars as well as trucks.

Robot taxis that take to the road without drivers are set to appear on the streets of two major British cities, it was announced on Thursday.

The trial schemes will see robot taxis without drivers on the streets of London and also a driverless bus service between Edinburgh and across the Forth Bridge to Fife on a 22.5-kilometer route.

Business Secretary Greg Clark announced the schemes as part of the British government's industrial strategy, saying that self-driving cars will revolutionise the way goods and people move.

"Autonomous vehicles and their technology will not only revolutionise how we travel, it will open up and improve transport services for those who struggle to access both private and public transport," Clark said.

Clark promised funding of 25 million pounds (about 32 million U.S. dollars) through the Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Intelligent Mobility Fund.

The driverless schemes are set to start in 2021.

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz will recall 141 imported automobiles in China over incorrect software parameters on multi-functional cameras, according to China's market regulator.

Starting November 23, Mercedes-Benz began recalling imported AMG S65L and AMG S63L 4MATIC+ automobiles manufactured between June 1, 2017 and February 5, 2018, according to the State Administration of Market Regulation.

The defective software could lead to substandard assist systems. When an automobile is running at a speed of no less than 105 kilometers per hour, the collision proof system could become weakened, causing an increased risk to safety.

The company will subsequently update the multi-functional camera software of the affected automobiles.