Automakers: Page
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
VW, MIT Collaborate on Robotic Driver Companion
The smiley face robot can help navigate a driver through traffic, offer reminders when the gas tank is running low and give information about the vehicle and its surroundings.
By Herb Shuldiner • Dec. 9, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Renault Pushes Ahead With EV Li-Ion Battery Development
Renault Samsung CEO Jean-Marie Hurtiger says the auto maker will build electric vehicles in South Korea and is working on projects with local battery makers.
By William Diem • Dec. 7, 2009 -
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
LFA Pricing Reasonable, Lexus’ Templin Says
Output of the LFA, with a limited 2-year, 500-unit production run, doesn’t begin until December 2010, but Lexus expects to have every one sold beforehand.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Dec. 4, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New VW Beetle to Arrive in U.S. in 2011
VW is saying goodbye to the current car with special “Final” editions rolled out at the Los Angeles auto show today.
By Byron Pope • Dec. 2, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Toyota Touts New Sienna Minivan as Sedan Substitute
The third-generation ’11 model boasts extra cargo space and interior comfort and convenience features unique to minivans, such as footrests and a dual-view entertainment system.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Dec. 2, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Early Drive Reveals ’11 Buick Regal Jolt of German Refinement
GM finally may have found the right home and, more importantly, the right strategy for injecting some Germanic soul into its American cars.
By James M. Amend • Dec. 2, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Australia’s Credit Arm Receives Funding From OzCar Program
FCA Holdings, operating as Ford Credit, reportedly is the sole beneficiary of the A$2 billion federal guarantee to help car dealerships secure financing.
By Alan Harman • Dec. 2, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.S.-Bound Fiesta Creates New Business Model for Ford
Due to the Fiesta Movement online marketing campaign, Ford’s upcoming new B-car already is claiming 60% brand awareness in its segment, the auto maker’s top marketer says.
By Byron Pope • Dec. 2, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM’s Clean-Sheet Approach Picks Up Speed
To say General Motors Co. President and CEO Fritz Henderson would like to put 2009 in his rearview mirror would be an understatement. Certainly not alone in his disdain for a year when the auto industry witnessed its sharpest and most prolonged downturn in the post-war era, as head of the now-defunct General Motors Corp. it's unlikely anyone saw the carnage more closely or came under greater scrutiny
By James M. Amend • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
System Aids Parts Shipment Information for GM Dealers
A new system is intended to help General Motors Co. dealers with parts shipment information. Auto/Mate Dealership Systems has integrated GM's Parts WorkBench upgrade with its Automotive Management Productivity Suite. The enhanced OEM interface allows GM vehicle invoices, as well as weekly and monthly parts statements, to automatically download to the dealership management system, eliminating time
Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Credit: Business as Usual
One major credit arm claims it stands out from the crowd of automotive lenders whose policies reportedly tightened up over the last year or so. Ford Credit, lending arm of Ford Motor Co., says it did not change practices during the credit crunch because its business models have helped it more accurately predict payment behavior compared with generic models. That allowed the captive lender to extend
By Lillie Guyer • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford’s New Police Interceptor Will Replace Crown Victoria
Ford Motor Co. confirms development of a new Ford Police Interceptor is under way to replace the aging Ford Crown Victoria, scheduled to be phased out in 2011. The auto maker is mum on details, such as what model the new law-enforcement vehicle will be based on, saying only that it will an all-new purpose-built Police Interceptor. However, earlier media reports indicated Ford was looking to convert
By Christie Schweinsberg • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
He’s Starting Over at Age 60
Former Huntington Chevrolet owner Greg Williams a casualty of the dealership reduction movement has been fighting for survival at a political and personal level. He has been urging Congress to restore dealership rights that he says were stripped away when General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC declared bankruptcy. Meanwhile, he has been fighting his own battle against GM and its financial arms,
By Lillie Guyer • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
What’s Normal Now?
ORLANDO, FL It's hard to say when auto financing will get back to normal because no one knows what normal is anymore, says Charles Aiesi, a senior manager at American Honda Finance Corp. That's how much the market has changed in a dramatically short time. With a hint of nostalgia, lending-industry players recall how different it was little more than a year ago, back when dealers readily secured commercial
By Steve Finlay • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Volvo Demos Pedestrian Safety System
On a small test course adjacent to its New Jersey headquarters, Volvo Cars of North America LLC demonstrates its new pedestrian-protection technology with full autonomous braking. The new system, which is engineered to automatically stop cars from hitting pedestrians at speeds of up to 16 mph (25 km/h), will be introduced in the '11 Volvo S60 sedan that goes on sale in September. The system consists
By Herb Shuldiner • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Luxury Dealership Sells Experiences
Ferrari-Maserati of Fort Lauderdale, FL, opened a new state-of-the-art luxury showroom. High-performance, luxury Italian automobiles, Ferraris and Maseratis are literally mechanical works of art, says owner Garrett Hayim. We needed a showroom that was the perfect setting to show off the craftsmanship and aesthetic beauty of these amazing automobiles and to accomplish this, we simply had to build one
Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Inflatable Seatbelts Enhance Safety
Ford Motor Co.'s new inflatable seatbelt, demonstrated by the auto maker recently, should help mitigate passenger injuries but also could hike the cost of car insurance, as well as the price of a vehicle offering the technology. The safety option will debut on the '11 Explorer cross/utility vehicle next year. The inflatable belt especially will be helpful in protecting young children and elderly passengers,
By Byron Pope • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Skepticism Persists as Nissan’s Ghosn Leads Charge Into EV Age
When Nissan asked people for their first choice between a hybrid, electric or internal-combustion car, 9% of the Japanese and 8% of the Americans queried opted for electric.
By Roger Schreffler and Mack Chrysler • Dec. 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Benchmarking Shows Toyota, Honda Follow Different Paths to Hybridization
While Toyota has worked to constantly improve hybrid performance, Honda’s strategy has been to cut costs, a French analyst says during a technical presentation.
By William Diem • Nov. 30, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Caught Off-Guard by Toyota Recall
NHTSA says Toyota also intends to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon, ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250 models as an “extra measure of confidence.”
By Byron Pope • Nov. 25, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Oshawa Wins Buick Regal; Facility Poised for Additional Product
The extra vehicle could be the Regal hybrid, which Ward’s reported earlier this month as a variant scheduled for Oshawa in the second half of 2011.
By Ward's Staff • Nov. 25, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lexus Sees New GX Taking Large Share in Shrinking Segment
It is important Lexus continue to offer a midsize utility vehicle with three rows of seating, a top executive says, but the future of the body-on-frame GX appears murky.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Nov. 23, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealers Remember Firebrand on Ford Alliance’s Anniversary
“We dealers all needed an Ed Mullane to champion our cause in those Congressional bankruptcy hearings and bankruptcy courts. He would have blown them away.”
By Mac Gordon • Nov. 19, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Romania Loan Approval Highlights Shift in EU Policy
In a close vote, the European Commission puts its stamp of approval on a loan that will help finance low-emission engine and vehicle production at Ford’s Craiova, Romania, plant.
By Keith Nuthall • Nov. 16, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Honda to Add Dealerships in China to Meet Increased Demand
The auto maker says it is at full production capacity at its plants in China, as vehicle sales soar due to government stimulus measures designed to minimize the effects of the global economic crisis.
By Alan Harman • Nov. 13, 2009
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