Automakers: Page 304
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mercury a Memory in Canada
There is life after Mercury, according to the Ford of Canada Ltd. experience. Ford Motor Co. pulled the plug on its premium brand in the U.S. in June, prompting speculation about the decision's impact. But there is a precedent: Canada's Mercury dealers were axed in 1999. Bobbie Gaunt, then-president of Ford's Canadian operations, said the action was a wager on Ford and Lincoln and not a bet against
By Byron Pope • Aug. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
F&I’s Tough Sale
Because Honda-brand buyers think their cars will never break down, pitching extended-service warranties to them seems like a lost cause. But don't tell Ron Reahard about the alleged futility of trying to sell service contracts during finance-and-insurance product presentations at Honda dealerships. Honda customers think God made their car, says the president of Reahard & Associates Inc., an F&I training
By Steve Finlay • Aug. 1, 2010 -
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
Welcome to the Ritz-Cadillac
As Cadillac moves forward with aggressive styling and sportier driving dynamics, it is trying to instill a Ritz-Carlton mindset at its dealerships. the General Motors Co. luxury brand's dealer-training partnership with Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is paying dividends as the program evolves. The hotel chain's lateral service concept is catching on with Cadillac dealers, says Marketing Manager Don Butler.
By Eric Mayne • Aug. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
General Motors Hopes Chevy Volt Will Give Dealers a Jolt
General Motors Co. expects to build about 10,000 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicles by the end of next year and estimates it will produce 30,000 cars in 2012. The production numbers are the first from GM since Bob Lutz told journalists at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December more than 8,000 units would be built in the Volt's first full year of production. The Volt, which can travel 40
By James M. Amend • Aug. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Pyrrhic Victory Coming for Toyota
In August 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD82 taking off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport crashed and killed more than 150 passengers and crew. Incredibly, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled the horrific crash occurred because the plane's flaps were not extended. It is hard to believe a pilot and flight crew could make such a flagrant error. Two decades later, the same model plane crashed
By Drew Winter • Aug. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Counting on Lincoln Hybrid Pricing Strategy to Generate Buzz
The MKZ Hybrid’s $35,180 price tag, including destination and delivery, undercuts its top competitor, the ’10 Lexus HS 250h hybrid at $35,525.
By Byron Pope • July 30, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Handful of Dealers Savor Arbitration Victories
In a number of dealer wins, arbitrators looked beyond Chrysler’ and General Motors’s post-bankruptcy business cases for restructuring their dealer networks.
By Lillie Guyer • July 26, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Redesigned Explorer Offers ‘Sense of Adventure,’ Ford Says
To accommodate Explorer output, the auto maker plans to add a second shift of about 1,200 new workers at Chicago.
By Byron Pope • July 26, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Porsche Avoiding Horsepower War
The Panamera’s all-new 3.6L direct-injection V-6 makes 300 hp, modest by today’s standards. With CAFE bearing down, Porsche is embracing “Intelligent Performance.”
By Tom Murphy • July 23, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota Prius Possible Barometer of Chevy Volt’s Long-Term Value
While the warranty might allay the fears of initial owners, it still is unclear how willing a second owner might be to driving the car deeper into its lifecycle.
By James M. Amend • July 22, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Farley’s Expanded Role at Ford Demands ‘Near Genius’
Farley represents a lynchpin of the “One Ford” culture espoused by CEO Alan Mulally.
By Eric Mayne and James M. Amend • July 15, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Survey Says Mercedes Dealerships Treat Customers Best
The stereotypical pushy car salesman appears headed for extinction, according to mystery-shopping results.
By Steve Finlay • July 12, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Bentley Priming Profit Pump After Bruising Recession
The British auto maker exits the economic downturn with a workforce 10% lighter, a productivity improvement of about 5% on the volume Continental line and its fixed costs reduced 25%.
By James M. Amend • July 12, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Studies Use of Soy Oil to Make Rubber Car Parts More Environmentally Friendly
The International Rubber Study Group says the global auto industry accounts for more than 50% of worldwide rubber consumption, which exceeded 24.2 million tons in 2008.
By Byron Pope • July 9, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Renault DeZir Signals Love, Design Language
While the 2-seat DeZir is not expected to reach production, it represents some ideas Renault may be exploring. The unveiling is set for Sept. 30 at the Paris auto show.
By William Diem • July 9, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Tesla Technology Testing Toyota’s iQ
Though no final decision has been made, the Japan-based auto maker is contemplating Tesla technology to power its first all-electric vehicle, scheduled for limited production in 2012.
By Eric Mayne • July 8, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fiat 500 Strategy Mimics BMW’s Mini
Some dealers are unhappy with requirements for selling the Fiat 500, but Chrysler is following a proven formula. “We thought Mini would be great – and it has been,” says one U.S. franchise holder.
By Byron Pope • July 8, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hyundai Improved Quality Demands Higher Prices
The auto maker says consumers are responding favorably to the brand’s higher-priced vehicles, with transaction prices in the U.S. rising 11% since 2008 and sales up 22.7% through May.
By Christie Schweinsberg • July 7, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota’s Sticky Pedal Woes Push Up Industry Recalls; GM Campaigns Also Rise
The auto maker’s problems led NHTSA Administrator David Strickland on Wednesday to call for an expert review of the sudden-acceleration phenomenon across the auto industry.
By James M. Amend • July 2, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM Scrambling to Meet Equinox Demand
Deliveries of GM cars slipped 9.2% in June, compared with like-2009, according to Ward’s data. But light-truck sales soared 30.9%.
By Eric Mayne and James M. Amend • July 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Wanted: Unclaimed Property
Many states are faced with unprecedented financial pressures, and they are looking for money where they can find it. It shouldn't come as a surprise that they are looking at car dealers. An area of government interest most overlooked by dealers is unclaimed property. States are auditing to find and they are looking to dealers to pay into state coffers the unclaimed property dealerships potentially
By Michael Charapp • July 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
How, Why We Saved Detroit
I traveled to the Motor City to hear what Steven Rattner had to say at a conference presentation entitled How and Why We Saved Detroit. Rattner is a former counselor to the Secretary of Treasury and a member of the government automotive task force overseeing General Motors and Chrysler Group LLC's post-bankruptcy plans. He worked closely on the rescue mission with a couple of cohorts, Ron Bloom and
By David Ruggles • July 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mystery Shop Videos Capture F&I Goofs
LOS ANGELES Some training videos show what to do. Others, often painfully and unwittingly, demonstrate what not to do. Joanna Sherry of VW Credit Inc. shows a few of the latter, shot with hidden cameras as mystery shoppers at dealerships test how artfully staffers handle the finance-and-insurance process. In some cases, it looks like a lost art. Take off your corporate hats and put on customer hats,
By Steve Finlay • July 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Unprecedented Efficiency, Refinement
Few would dispute Toyota Motor Corp. is the established industry leader in hybrid-electric vehicles, at least in terms of sales volume, yet Ford Motor Co. now is emerging as a hybrid-technology leader in both energy efficiency and customer-pleasing refinement. Ford's leadership begins with the numbers. Ward's 10 Best Engines '10 Ford Fusion Hybrid delivers an eye-opening 41/36 mpg (5.7-6.5 L /100
By Gary Witzenburg • July 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
BMW Financial Services Began Small, Grew Steadily, Gets Creative
COLUMBUS, OH The youngest captive auto lender has become one of the most aggressive in creating new products and promoting the vehicles of its parent, BMW North America LLC. BMW Financial Services NA LLC was established in the U.S. in 1993, starting slowly along the conventional models of two long-standing financial arms, General Motors Acceptance Corp. and Ford Motor Credit Co. BMWFS has grown steadily
By Mac Gordon with Steve Finlay • July 1, 2010
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