Automakers: Page
-
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Gubbey Named Head of Opel LCV, International Operations
Chris Gubbey, who began overseeing commercial vehicles and international operations May 1, will be responsible for the Opel/Vauxhall LCV activities in Europe, as well as sales of all Opel vehicles outside of Europe.
By Peter Homola • May 4, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lexus HS Underperforming Sales Target; Toyota Sees 24.4% Uptick in April
Lexus’ U.S. chief is upbeat about HS volume and says the car bolsters the luxury brand’s sedan lineup.
By Christie Schweinsberg • May 3, 2010 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota Motor North America
TrendlineTop 5 stories from WardsAuto
Automakers are evaluating their long-term strategies, revisiting their product mix, and approach to both retail and manufacturing approach along the way.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Brand Expression: Mazdaspeed3
The Mazdaspeed3 occupies an awkward even unenviable place in Mazda Motor Corp.'s North American product lineup. The 5-door sporty car shares most of its underpinnings with the entry-level, front-wheel-drive Mazda3 subcompact, which is all new for the '10 model year. But the Mazdaspeed3 must deliver something more for enthusiast buyers who like a taut ride, plenty of thrust and edgy styling. The 263-hp
By Byron Pope • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chevy Is Fabric of America To Ed Bozarth
LAS VEGAS, NV Ed Bozarth is a megadealer with five Chevrolet stores who is making money on less volume in markets such as Las Vegas, Topeka, Grand Junction, CO, and Aurora, CO, a suburb of Denver. The five Bozarth stores sold 8,561 new and used units last year, keeping the group on the Ward's Megadealer 100 with $204.9 million in total revenues. Although its new- and used-vehicle sales were flat in
By Mac Gordon • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Gordon Stewart’s Dealership Group Small, But Noteworthy
HARPER WOODS, MI A small but noteworthy member of the Ward's Megadealer 100 is the Stewart Management Group. The group is based in this northeast Detroit suburb, but sells a lot of cars in three southern states where all but one of its outlets are located. It consists of four Chevrolet stores and a Toyota dealership. The group totaled sales of 8,254 new and used-vehicle units in 2009, owing largely
By Mac Gordon • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Fiat-Chrysler’s Marchionne: It Takes a Team
One man can't do it all, insists Sergio Marchionne, a non-believer in business personality cults but firmly in place as CEO of Fiat Automobiles SpA and now head of Chrysler Group LLC, observing its first anniversary after bankruptcy. At the National Automobile Dealers Assn./IHS Global Insight conference in conjunction with the New York International Auto Show, Marchionne is introduced as an auto executive
By Steve Finlay • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Hybrid Car: Lexus HS 250H
A car with a powertrain arguably should come with an eco-friendly interior as well. The Lexus HS 250h fits the bill. It features what Lexus calls a proactive adoption of plant-based, carbon-neutral ecological plastics in about 30% of the interior trim and luggage area. That includes cowl-side accents, door scuff plates and a package tray behind the rear seats. The bioplastics emit about 20% less carbon
By Steve Finlay • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM Taps Aerospace for HUD
General Motors Co. scientists are working on an enhanced vision system building off current head-up display technology that could greatly improve safety, especially in the area of distracted or inattentive driving. It is unlikely the technology will make it into production anytime before 2017. The system uses expensive night vision, navigation and camera sensors rarely found outside research and development
By James M. Amend • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Genuinely Dealer-Focused
Editor's Note: An April Ward's Dealer Business column mentioning Lee Iacocca inspired Mike Nicoloff of the Starr Automotive Group in Glendale, CA, to share these memories. Coming from a Chrysler dealership family, I was fortunate to have had personal experience with Mr. Iacocca on many occasions. My father in law, Joe Boccalero, was our dealer and I accompanied him to every corporate meeting, gathering
May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Design Breakthrough: Acura ZDX
Between the unusual mocha leather and futuristic styling cues, the interior of the all-new Acura ZDX leaves Ward's editors pleasantly surprised and hopeful that future Acuras will carry on the ZDX's interior DNA. Replete with unusual and visionary touches, including leather-wrapped concave instrument-panel trim and shield-shaped center stack that is convex, rising to a peak at its middle, the overall
By Christie Schweinsberg • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Super Duty Super Capable
Ford Motor Co. engineers must take some sadistic pleasure in cooking up new ideas to torture test the auto maker's line of F-Series Super Duty pickups. During a recent test drive of the upcoming '11 Super Duty lineup, this maniacal practice is all too evident. Can a diesel-equipped Super Duty pull a 85,000-lb. (38,556-kg) Caterpillar front loader despite the fact its maximum tow-rating, when fitted
By Byron Pope • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Popular-Priced Car: Subaru Outback
Ask average consumers to define key attributes of the Subaru brand, and all-wheel drive most likely will come to mind. A few might mention Subaru's legacy in rally racing. If Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. continues to launch interiors as user-friendly and well-appointed as that in the all-new Subaru Outback, then great interiors soon will top the list. Among popular-priced cars in this year's competition,
By Tom Murphy • May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers May Benefit from Chase, Mazda Getting Closer
Chase and Mazda North American Operations have expanded their relationship by signing a multi-year private-label agreement under which Chase will be the exclusive U.S. auto finance provider for Mazda. The Mazda Capital Services brand will roll out to Mazda dealers and consumers later year. Since we began our relationship a little more than a year ago, both our dealers and our customers have been extremely
May 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lexus Hybrid Includes Bioplastics – and Lots of Leather
The HS 250h includes what Lexus calls a “proactive adoption” of plant-based, carbon-neutral “ecological plastics” in about 30% of the interior trim and luggage area.
By Steve Finlay • April 26, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chrysler Taking Hard Line on Quality
Proposed solutions that were just short of unacceptable “used to be good ideas,” Chrysler quality guru Doug Betts says. “Now, they’re stupid ideas.”
By Eric Mayne • April 23, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lexus Carbon-Fiber Use Leads to Less-Expensive Application
Using thermoplastic resins for the LFA’s body, instead of thermoset resins, likely will lead to greater use of carbon fiber in mass-produced cars, says Nobuya Kawamura, project manager.
By William Diem • April 21, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford BEV Strategy to Depend on Volume
Ford predicts most of the growth in electrified vehicles will come from hybrid-electric vehicles, and to a lesser degree, plug-in HEVs.
By Byron Pope • April 14, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Launches Web Forum to Solicit Consumer Ideas
Ford invites consumers to “submit, share and suggest” ideas through its new web portal.
By Ward's Staff • April 13, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota Announces Team to Investigate Acceleration Complaints
Drawing from 200 technical employees working for Toyota in North America, SMART will “attempt to contact customers within 24 hours” of unintended acceleration complaints.
By Ward's Staff • April 8, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford to Invest $250 Million in Argentina Plant to Build All-New Vehicle
The investment will be used to prepare the plant to build an all-new vehicle “currently not in production in any part of the world,” Ford says.
By Ward's Staff • April 8, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
So Why Not Chrysler?
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.Call it a case of a lesson learned, or maybe it’s an indicator of a new level of desperation, but there’s a tinge of irony in the collaborat...
By David Zoia • April 7, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
AeroVironment Takes on Home Charging for Nissan Leaf
The charger also will be compatible with other EVs, including the upcoming Chevy Volt and Ford Focus.
By Christie Schweinsberg • April 7, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
From Driving Dump Trucks To Running Rolls-Royce
The very rich buy different cars for different uses. “When you have six, seven or eight cars, you buy them with a purity of purpose,” says Rolls-Royce’s Paul Ferraiolo.
By Steve Finlay • April 6, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Kia Optima Undergoes Metamorphosis
Styling highlights include a sweeping chrome arc that flows from the A- through C-pillars. It is a design motif that visually lowers the car and enhances its proportions, Kia says.
By Steve Finlay • April 1, 2010 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Leveraging Social Media for Super Duty Launch
Social media marketing techniques don't just apply to 20-something urbanites who covet small cars. Ford Motor Co. says convoys of diehard truckers are jamming the information superhighway to get up to speed on the latest diesel technology. The membership of the top 10 Super Duty enthusiast sites is more than twice that of the top 10 (Ford) Mustang sites, says Brian Rathsburg, marketing manager for
By Byron Pope • April 1, 2010
Previous
