Automakers: Page 319


  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    GM to Kill Pontiac Brand, Reports Say

    The speculation first arose in Australia, where GM sources the Pontiac G8 sports sedan from its GM Holden unit.

    By James M. Amend • April 24, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Bankruptcy May Be Part of Chrysler Strategy

    The bankruptcy filing would allow Chrysler to sell or close down operations and assets it doesn’t believe it will need and cancel franchise agreements with some dealers to thin its retail ranks.

    By Ward's Staff From Wires • April 23, 2009
  • The interior of a Kia EV3 showing the dashboard and front seats. Explore the Trendline
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Kia Corporation
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Artificial 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
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Ford Completes Transformation of Kentucky Truck Plant

    The facility, which currently assembles F-Series Super-Duty pickups, received a new flexible body shop and added a second trim shop to handle production of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator.

    By Ward's Staff • April 23, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Renault and Saturn?

    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.Is Renault the most likely partner for Saturn? Read the column to see the reasons why it might work.

    April 20, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    GMC, Pontiac Shut Down? Not Without Bankruptcy

    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.When yesterday's stories broke on various news agencies that General Motors Corp. was considering axing its Pontiac and GMC brands as a way ...

    April 17, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    GM Sticking to 4-Brand Strategy, Looking to Trim Dealer Ranks More Quickly

    GM’s CEO says today’s press conference is one of several planned as it works simultaneously to formulate a restructuring plan and prepare for a potential bankruptcy by June 1.

    By James M. Amend • April 17, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Small Can GM Get?

    A fair guess for a smaller GM might be a 10.2% market share in a few years. So in a 13 million-unit year, the new GM might sell fewer than half as many vehicles.

    By Jerry Flint • April 13, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Honda Hopeful Dog-Friendly Element Fetches Buyers

    Special items include a spill-proof water bowl and 12V ventilation fan for the rear cargo area and pet-restraint system for the cargo bay and second row.

    By James M. Amend • April 9, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Audi Q7 TDI to Carry $3,000 Premium

    American consumers are a generation behind in their thinking about diesel technology, says Audi’s U.S. chief.

    By Herb Shuldiner • April 8, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    GM Takes on 2-Passenger Electric Vehicles With Project PUMA

    Project PUMA recalls much of the Autonomy concept car GM unveiled in 2002.

    By James M. Amend • April 7, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    New GMC Terrain CUV Features DI Technology, Styling From Acadia

    The Terrain’s debut in late summer will mark the end of production for the Pontiac Torrent. Key competitors include the Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7, Nissan Murano and Hyundai Sante Fe.

    By James M. Amend • April 5, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    GM Daewoo to Launch Chevy Volt Test Fleet in Korea

    Feedback from the Volt test fleet will enable the auto maker to determine whether to add the U.S.-built electric hybrid to its product lineup here.

    By Vince Courtenay • April 3, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Honda Offering Buyouts, Cutting Production

    Honda does not detail the size of the separation packages it is offering U.S. and Canadian employees.

    By April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Hyundai Phasing Out Entourage Minivan

    After Years of Slow Sales, A Hyundai Motor America official says the auto maker officially is pulling the plug on its Entourage minivan. We are phasing that vehicle out, Dave Zuchowski, vice president-sales, tells Ward's. We have maybe 1,000 units we're going to sell this year. The Entourage was Hyundai's first entry into the minivan market, but its lifecycle was marked by indecision. It had been

    By April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Nation’s Top Ford Dealer Has Eye Out for New Franchises

    North Hills, CA The nation's No.1 Ford dealer is keeping an eye out for new franchises still. Adding brands has been a big benefit for Galpin Motors in my 55 years here, says owner Bert Boeckmann, who at age 78 is active in the management of a 9-brand dealership group with sons Brad and Beau. I've signed a letter of intent for the Mahindra truck and SUV line from India, and I'm watching with interest

    By Mac Gordon • April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    VW TDI is Overachiever

    It's No Surprise Americans are Not Especially Fond of diesel cars. Past U.S. diesels have been clattery, smoky and slow compared with gasoline counterparts, and U.S. diesel fuel has been sticky, stinky, harder to find and sometimes a lot more expensive than gasoline. Yet today's quiet, quick and smokeless modern diesels are more popular than gasoline burners throughout most of Europe because they

    By Gary Witzenburg • April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    California Cities Come to Aid of Dealers

    California has become the first state where municipalities have approved loans to dealers ravaged by the slump in new-vehicle sales. The unprecedented action involves appeals for loans from Chrysler LLC dealers in Victorville and Norco, cities with 106,000 and 24,000 populations, respectively, plus a Mazda dealer in Norco. Victorville is located in the Inland Empire area of Southern California. The

    April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Haldex Touts Fourth-Gen AWD System

    Swedish Supplier Haldex AB is migrating its automotive customers to its new fourth-generation all-wheel-drive system, which the company says is more cost-effective, lighter and faster because it uses fewer parts. The first vehicle offering the new AWD system was Volkswagen AG's small Tiguan cross/utility vehicle. Since then, other VW Group brands have gravitated to the technology, including the VW

    By Byron Pope • April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Droptop Camaro Stalled; 4-cyl. Model Could Be Revived

    There was No Convertible, High-performance model or 4-cyl. version on hand for the all-new '10 Chevrolet Camaro's official media rollout recently, but that doesn't mean they are off the table. The convertible Camaro has been confirmed for production by General Motors Corp., but its debut has been complicated by issues surrounding a key supplier. The top supplier filed for Chapter 11 (bankruptcy) protection,

    By Jim Mateja • April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Mazda to Offer Urea SCR

    Mazda Motor Corp. Says It will be the first auto maker to offer a diesel-powered passenger vehicle with a urea selective catalytic reduction system in Europe when it launches a refreshed version of the CX-7 cross/utility vehicle later this year. Currently, some European auto makers sell light vehicles in the U.S. equipped with SCR systems, but in Europe only commercial vehicles are marketed with the

    By Byron Pope • April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    CRM: Overrated or Underrated?

    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.Is CRM overrated? Depends on who you ask. Justin Norwood, the Internet director for Classic Chevrolet, the top selling Chevy store for thr...

    April 1, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Volvo Leaves No Stone Unturned in Bid for Vehicle-Safety Leadership

    The Swedish auto maker’s safety systems have been adopted by its competitors, including a 3-point seatbelt patented in 1959.

    By Byron Pope • March 30, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Mulally, Other Ford Executives Take Pay Cut in 2008

    Ford executives saw their compensation reduced in an attempt to “decrease costs and conserve cash in response to the difficult global economic climate.”

    By Ward's Staff • March 24, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Toyota, EDF to Test Plug-In Hybrids in France

    The Prius will be charged via 240-volt lines that are standard in France and throughout Europe, but the participants are designing the outlet and plug to be used, which could be something unique.

    By William Diem • March 20, 2009
  • WardsAuto logo.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of WardsAuto
    Image attribution tooltip

    Volvo Kicks Off TV Ad Campaign for XC60

    The average transaction price for the XC60, which started shipping to dealers in late February, is expected to reach $38,550.

    By Herb Shuldiner • March 20, 2009