Automakers: Page 306
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Upcoming Renault Roadster to Be Built Solely in Slovenia
A total of €47.5 million is being invested to adapt the plant for the Renault Wind, including €14.3 million in state aid provided by the Slovenian government.
By Peter Homola • Feb. 3, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Nissan’s Flexible Manufacturing Moves to India, Other JVs
Nissan has lowered its breakeven point to 60%-70% of capacity in Japan, or less than 1 million vehicles annually, the auto maker’s top manufacturing executive says.
By Roger Schreffler • Feb. 3, 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
Toyota Residual Values Likely to Take Temporary Hit
Toyota vehicles currently have the highest residual values, followed by Honda, according to Kelley Blue Book.
By Byron Pope • Feb. 2, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota ‘Truly Sorry;’ Production to Restart Next Week
Toyota says the pedal fixes being rolled out at dealers this week should stop instances of unintended acceleration.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Feb. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealer Complains Used-Car Price Books Go Too Low update from February 2010
The used-car price guide books get it wrong, says Doug Wolford, chairman of the Kentucky Auto Dealers Assn. They say prices are down, but in the auction lanes, prices are high. He offers up various reasons for that. Consumers are keeping their cars longer, either to save money or because of problems getting auto loans. That extended ownership creates a used-car demand, increasing market prices. Also
By Steve Finlay • Feb. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Plenty of Hurt to Go Around
Jerry Zegley is a small-volume single franchise dealer in a huge market area, Chicago. Some might say Roseland Pontiac, his three-generation family business, is another casualty of crime in cities and the harsh economic climate. That's part of the picture, he admits. But his inner city business is being closed because General Motors Co. decided to shed brands when it restructured. His business certainly
By Lillie Guyer • Feb. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota Jumped the Shark
Toyota in Damage-Control Mode (see WAW - Jan. '10, p.12) was a real eye-opener and a trip down memory lane. Did Toyota open a 1980s time capsule and let Bob Carter jump out to address the public on the record regarding unintended acceleration and media coverage? Lopsided? Toyota built its reputation on quality and used it as a marketing tool to gain market share, so any footfall is big news, let alone
Feb. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ethanol V-6 Delivers Massive Torque
Devotees of displacement, your days may be numbered. Ricardo plc recently unveiled a twin-turbo 3.2L V-6 that produces monumental torque equivalent to the Duramax diesel V-8 and outgunning the Vortec gasoline V-8 available in General Motors Co.'s heavy-duty pickups. While the Duramax runs on diesel fuel, Ricardo's Ethanol Boosted Direct Injection concept engine, soon to be installed in two GMC Sierra
By Tom Murphy • Feb. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Scion Studies Adding Small Pickup
Toyota Motor Corp's Scion youth brand is studying whether a compact pickup truck would fit the niche brand's all-car lineup, Scion General Manager Jack Hollis tells Ward's. Trucks are not off the table, Hollis says in an interview at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. Toyota has such a strong heritage of doing a very good job with youth and with trucks, when you look at (the Toyota)
By Christie Schweinsberg • Feb. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
AutoNation Still Selling, But Not Delivering, Implicated Toyotas
Mega-dealer CEO Mike Jackson says his customers never made him aware of either sticky pedals or bad floor mats. “We learned in real time.”
By James M. Amend • Jan. 28, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Nissan’s DOE Loan Less Than Expected
The DOE will front the auto maker $1.4 billion, less than the $1.6 billion Nissan initially indicated it was set to receive.
By Ward's Staff • Jan. 28, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Taiwan Battery Maker, SAIC in EV Deal
Pihsiang and SAIC still are negotiating the details, but one possibility calls for setting up an EV factory in China with Pihsiang supplying the technology and SAIC the capitalization.
By John Westbrook • Jan. 28, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
’10 Subaru Tribeca’s 3-Row-Only Seating Not Expected to Boost Sales
The slow-selling model, first introduced in ’06 to grab a piece of the emerging large-CUV segment, previously was available in a 5-seat configuration, as well.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Jan. 27, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Ford Focus Outclasses Current U.S. Model
The ’12 Focus will receive 6-speed dual-clutch PowerShift automatic transmission that reduces fuel consumption 9%.
By Byron Pope • Jan. 21, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Lexus GX Good Buggy
A fuel-efficient engine, compliant ride and comfortable interior may be too little too late for one of the last luxury midsize SUVs.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Jan. 21, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
China’s BYD Insists EV Will Debut in U.S. by Year End
BYD says it wants to be the world’s largest auto maker by 2025.
By Drew Winter and Byron Pope • Jan. 15, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM’s DCT Intro Doubtful By 2012
GM has lagged behind European OEMs that have introduced swift-shifting, dual-clutch transmissions over the past several years.
By Tom Murphy and James M. Amend • Jan. 12, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept New Home for GM’s PHEV System
GM has been trying to find a vehicle for the PHEV system first introduced at the 2007 Detroit auto show on a Saturn Vue scheduled for production in 2011 and later scrapped.
By James M. Amend • Jan. 12, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
BMW ‘Satisfied’ With 2009 Global Sales
In the U.S., BMW sold 241,727 BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles, down 20% compared with 2008, but better than the average for the U.S. premium vehicle segment.
By Drew Winter • Jan. 11, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota Unveils Compact Hybrid Concept, Moving Ahead With Prius Family Plans
The FT-CH could make its way into production as part of a new Prius family of hybrid vehicles.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Jan. 11, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM Gives Nod to Converj Extended-Range EV
Vice Chairman Bob Lutz also reveals GM is mulling more capacity for the Equinox CUV and says that, having moved through bankruptcy, the auto maker is now “a powerhouse.”
By David E. Zoia • Jan. 11, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GMC Granite Concept Stretches Brand’s Basics
Although GM officially unveils the Granite concept today, it is not the first time journalists and consumers will have glimpsed the vehicle.
By James M. Amend • Jan. 11, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Sales Chief to Step Down
Randy Ortiz, sales chief for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, will be succeeded by Hal Feder, currently CEO of the auto maker’s South African operations.
By Ward's Staff • Jan. 6, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota Motor Corp.: 1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid
Years ago, before the Toyota Prius earned respect in the market and while gasoline remained cheap, the debate was spirited among Ward's editors deciding whether the hybrid-electric vehicle even belonged on the 10 Best Engines list. The naysayers since have been silenced, vanquished by the runaway success of the Prius, which still managed nearly 130,000 U.S. sales through November in an awful market,
Jan. 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota in Damage-Control Mode
After four months of intensely critical media scrutiny for a 4.2 million-vehicle recall linked to unintended acceleration, Toyota Motor Corp. again makes bad news for a stalling issue involving Corolla and Matrix models. And one top Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. executive suggests bias has set in. Now that we've had so much reporting about the floor mats, any news on Toyota is lopsided, Bob Carter,
By Christie Schweinsberg • Jan. 1, 2010
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