Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…

Berlin Senate To Vote On Making City Car-Free In February

Berlin will soon vote on whether to make the city car-free, which, if it goes through, would make it the largest car-free area of any city in the world. A petition that garnered over 50,000 signatures is now being considered by the city’s governing body, with a decision expected by February. 

China’s New 2022 Ford Mondeo Is What America’s Fusion Could Have Been

Sedans are more or less dead in the water for Ford in their western markets, but for China, the popular Mondeo nameplate has been given a stay of execution. The new Mondeo incorporates the Blue Oval’s latest design language for China called “Progressive Energy in Strength,” and would most likely have translated into a Fusion for the U.S. — had crossovers not found such favor with the public.

2022 Kia Niro Hybrid Detailed, Has The Same Power Output But More Features

Details of the new Kia Niro have been revealed after debuting last year. The three available engine configurations include a hybrid-electric (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and pure-electric powertrains. However, only the output figures of the HEV self-charging hybrid were released. The HEV gets an updated engine with a combined output of 139 hp (104 kW / 141 PS). Other features include a 10.25-inch screen, the Kia DriveWise suite of ADAS, advanced voice recognition, power tailgate, digital key, and built-in front and rear cameras.

QOTD: What Are The Worst Automotive Product Placements?

We’ve come used to product placements in TV and movies. Some of them make sense, like when Ferrari loaned a Testarossa to the makers of Miami Vice to replace the unbadged Corvette they had been using. But sometimes, they’re just downright cringey and forced. What are some of the worst examples you can think of?

Morgan Celebrates 60th Anniversary Of Le Mans Class Win With Special Edition Plus Four

Morgan celebrates the anniversary of the brand’s victory in the 1962 2.0 liter class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by releasing a limited edition Plus Four LM62. The name doesn’t just denote the winning year; it’s also the number of cars that’ll be produced, with just 62 units on offer. The special edition features include an LM62 graphics pack, unique badging, silver-painted wire wheels, a domed rear panel, and a Le Mans-style fuel filler cap. Other highlights include body-colored A-pillars, auxiliary lights, and an active sports exhaust system with black tailpipes.

VW Teases New, High Performance Golf Model Arriving In February

Volkswagen has teased an impending NFT, only their take on the now commonly-used acronym is “Notably Fast Transporter.” But with the Golf GTD and GTE already available in Europe, and the GTI and R available in the U.S., too, it makes us eager to find out what awaits. Whatever it is, we won’t have to wait long, as it’ll be revealed next month.

2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale Prototypes Show Off Production Lights In Latest Spy Shots

The Tonale has been a long time coming, but it seems like the production car is getting closer to production as our spies caught it in the snow sporting what looks like the final production light units. We managed to snap further details including the shape of the intakes on the front bumper and a “floating” effect for the scudetto grille.

What Else Is Making The News 

Alonso Recovers From Jaw Surgery

Alonso has confirmed why he was only managing a team in the Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans last weekend. The Alpine F1 driver is recovering from surgery. The operation removed two plates in his jaw, which had been placed after a bicycle crash in Switzerland last year.

Card Companies Fined For Breaking Competition Law

Mastercard, allpay, Advanced Payment Solutions (APS), Prepaid Financial Services (PFS), and Sulion have all been fined by the Payment Systems Regulator for breaking competition law. The firms had agreed not to compete or poach each other’s customers. According to a report from The Independent. Mastercard was penalized the greatest, with a £31.5 million ($42 million) fine.