Automakers: Page 294
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Clock Ticking for Lincoln Dealers as Compliance Standards Loom
U.S. Lincoln-brand dealers face an Oct. 1 deadline to comply with new operating guidelines designed to make Ford's luxury marque more competitive in the luxury-vehicle market. The guidelines are intended to upgrade the customer experience, the auto maker says. Ford's plan to begin measuring compliance April 1 is among the pillars that support an aggressive strategy to breathe new energy into the storied
By Eric Mayne • March 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
BMW Plant Expansion Eco-Friendly
BMW'S Spartanburg, S.C. plant has produced more than 1.6 million vehicles since it opened 16 years ago, and a $750 million expansion boosts capacity from 160,000 units to 240,000 and reinforces the German auto maker's commitment to eco-friendly manufacturing. Assembly of the all-new second-generation X3 cross/utility vehicle began Sept. 1, as production of the slow-selling first-generation X3 ended
By Tom Murphy • March 1, 2011 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Kia Corporation
TrendlineArtificial Intelligence
Automakers and dealers alike are increasingly seeing the use case for AI within their operations. Explore some use cases in this trendline.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Australian RWD Large Cars Being Driven to Extinction
The once hugely successful formula, as embodied by the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, is a victim of falling sales, increasing globalization and tough new U.S. fuel-economy standards.
By Peter Robinson • March 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Geneva Auto Show to Lure Media With ‘VIPs’
Ford will offer 2-time world champion figure-skater Stéphane Lambiel. BMW has invited actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and Subaru will battle back with wrestler Jörg Abderhalden.
By William Diem • Feb. 28, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Fiesta Invading C-Segment
The Fiesta’s hatchback is “the core of what is popular now” in the car’s sales mix, says Ford’s Jim Farley.
By Eric Mayne • Feb. 28, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Court Fines Hyundai’s Chung
A suit filed by a civic group and minority shareholders alleges Chung and former Vice Chairman Kim Dong-jin deprived Hyundai Motor of potential profits by showing favoritism to affiliates within the group.
By Vince Courtenay • Feb. 25, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai’s Showroom-Within-A-Showroom Plan Progressing
Half of the U.S. Hyundai stores opting for the scheme have completed their modifications.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Feb. 24, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Shanghai GM Names New President
Ye Yongming, 47, most recently served as vice president and general manager of the service and trading department of SAIC.
By Vince Courtenay • Feb. 23, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Nissan Leaf EV Slowly Making Way to U.S. Customers
The car’s reservation process, which requires interested buyers to make a $99 deposit to secure their place in line, may have created unrealistic expectations, Nissan’s top U.S. sales executive tells Ward’s.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Feb. 23, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Versatility, Refinement Hallmarks of Chrysler Pentastar
The all-new V-6 will power 10 Chrysler vehicles by the end of this year and 13 by 2013.
By Gary Witzenburg • Feb. 22, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Cerberus Instinct Letter-Perfect
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.Like me, I’m sure you've wondered why Chrysler broke with convention by retaining “LX” as the codename for its new-generation fullsize car p...
Feb. 18, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Surpasses Chevy in Dealership Count
The Ford-Chevy rivalry has dominated the American landscape since the early 20th century.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Bentley Expects to Ride Luxury Upturn With New Continental GT
The high-luxury market is bouncing back alongside a stabilized real-estate industry and rejuvenated stock market in the U.S., a North American executive says.
By James M. Amend • Feb. 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
’11 Hyundai Elantra Among New Breed of Upscale Compacts
Like the Genesis and Sonata, expect the Elantra to push Hyundai farther up the consideration ladder of consumers and carve deeper into the share of traditional segment leaders.
By James M. Amend • Feb. 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
iPads Give Mercedes Dealers Freedom of Movement
“This is about dealer mobility instead of a deskbound system,” Mercedes-Benz Financial’s Anreas Hinrichs says of iPads at dealerships.
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai Debuts Refreshed Genesis; Veloster to Rallycross
The 5.0L direct-injected V-8, with a higher 11.5:1 compression ratio, is exclusive to the R-Spec version of the ’12 Genesis.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Feb. 9, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Launches Social Media Campaign for Explorer
The auto maker will select consumers with the best ideas to live out their dream adventures in the all-new SUV.
By Jim Mateja • Feb. 9, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai Walking Supply-Side Tightrope With Dealers
“We’re very self-conscious right now about expanding too quickly,” says HMA CEO John Krafcik. “(But) we don’t want to get complacent.”
By Eric Mayne • Feb. 7, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Clock Ticking for Lincoln Dealers
Ford wants a trimmer Lincoln distribution network made up of elite dealers. “Without those two elements, everything’s lost,” says Ken Czubay, vice president-sales and marketing.
By Eric Mayne • Feb. 7, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
OnStar Secret GM Sales Weapon
The vehicle-telematics service counts 31,000 users of its recently released smartphone application. That number is growing by 10,000 every month, the auto maker says.
By Eric Mayne • Feb. 6, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai’s Top U.S. Designer Heading Back to GM
The departing Phillip Zak started his career at General Motors in 1988 and spent 20 years at the Detroit auto maker.
By Drew Winter • Feb. 5, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mitsubishi to Assemble Outlander Sport in U.S.
The compact CUV will take the place of the three midsize models built at Mitsubishi’s Illinois plant.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Feb. 4, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GMT900 Retains Platform Crown
General Motors Co.'s GMT900 again was the top-producing light-vehicle platform in North America for 2010, a year where major gains were seen from a recessionary 2009. GM's fullsize truck and SUV platform, which underpins 10 models including the Chevrolet Silverado, accounted for 974,017 vehicles in 2010, up from 673,307 in 2009, according to Ward's data. From 2009 to 2010, the GMT900 more than doubled
By Christie Schweinsberg • Feb. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Volvo’s 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6: For Real
Safety and Scandinavian design have been hallmarks of the Volvo brand for decades. Now, powertrain excellence can be added to that list. The auto maker's 3.0L Turbocharged I-6 in the all-new S60 sedan truly is deserving, with its meaty mid-range power band, minimal turbo lag, expressive exhaust note and outstanding NVH characteristics. The all-aluminum I-6, internally known as the B6304T, features
Feb. 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
BMW’s 3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6: Ridiculously Efficient
The temptation may have been great for BMW AG to rest on its laurels and feel confident its inline 6-cyl. engines had secured their place in the pantheon of powertrain excellence over the past 40 years. After all, the Bavarians have amassed more Ward's 10 Best Engines honors than any auto maker on the planet 25, and counting, since the competition began in 1995. And 20 of the awards were for I-6 gasoline
Feb. 1, 2011
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