Automakers: Page

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    GM Needs Volume to Make Small Cars Profitable

    Joliet, Il General Motors Corp. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz says the industry will not sell small cars profitably until consumer demand swings further towards the segment. Part of it is getting the supply and demand dictated, Lutz tells journalists at GM's recent '09 product preview here. The profitability of fullsize SUVs was only there because that was what the public demanded. The profit always goes

    By James M. Amend • Oct. 1, 2008
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    Chrysler May Simplify Surveys

    Ward's has learned Chrysler LLC may pare down its satisfaction surveys to two fundamental questions for dealership customers: 1.Would you buy another vehicle from this dealership? 2. Would you return to this dealership for service? A source says those bottom-line queries would replace longer surveys based on numeric index scoring. Critics say the customer-satisfaction index system is flawed. Auto

    By • Oct. 1, 2008
  • Carmy sedans and move on the assembly line at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky next to a row of colored front bumpers with Toyota badges. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Trendline

    Top 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
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    AutoNation CEO Says GM Neglects Chevy

    General Motors Corp. should pay more attention to Chevrolet, its flagship division, says Michael Jackson, CEO of AutoNation Inc., the nation's largest dealership chain. He's baffled GM has tried to bolster weaker brands, such as Buick and Saturn, by giving them preferential treatment with new-product infusions at the expense of Chevrolet. You don't treat your strongest brand like that, Jackson says,

    Oct. 1, 2008
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    Head-Restraint Tweak Boosts Crash Ratings

    A tweak earlier this year to the head restraint design of General Motors Corp.'s midsize cross/utility vehicles help the quartet earn a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The insurance group's highest safety ratings for the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave and newly launched Chevrolet Traverse arrived less than a week after two of the auto maker's small CUVs

    By James M. Amend • Oct. 1, 2008
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    Volvo Hybrid Bus Bows Using In-House Drive Technology

    The parallel hybrid system also will be used in trucks and construction equipment manufactured by Volvo Group.

    By Herb Shuldiner • Sept. 29, 2008
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    African Locust Inspire Volvo’s Quest for Crash-Proof Car

    Researcher Claire Rind’s studies of the African locust reveal that during migratory flights the insects do not collide even though they travel in swarms of millions.

    By Herb Shuldiner • Sept. 29, 2008
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    Hyundai Union Ratifies Wage Package; Co-Chairman Moves to Mobis

    A tentative Kia agreement reached late Thursday matches Hyundai’s terms, except the incentive bonus is less at 3.6 million won. A date for next week’s ratification vote has not been announced.

    By Vince Courtenay • Sept. 26, 2008
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    GM’s Top-Selling Chevy Dealer Out of Business

    Bill Heard Enterprises, which sold more than 40,000 new vehicles last year, is shuttering its dealerships.

    By Cliff Banks • Sept. 25, 2008
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    Nissan VQ Enjoys 14 Years of Accolades

    Nissan’s 10 Best Engines-winning DOHC V-6 keeps getting better – and bigger. With V-6s this good, who needs a V-8?

    By Gary Witzenburg • Sept. 25, 2008
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    Chevy Volt Makes Green-Leaning Filmmaker a GM Cheerleader

    A change to the Volt’s operating system switches from an ICE continuously recharging the Li-ion battery to one that powers an onboard generator that sends electricity to the drive wheels.

    By James M. Amend • Sept. 24, 2008
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    Toyota to Stick By NiMH

    Too much has been invested in nickel-metal-hydride technology for Toyota to make a sudden, wholesale move to lithium-ion batteries, a top research executive says.

    By David E. Zoia • Sept. 18, 2008
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    Hyundai to Bring Full I-Series Small Cars to India

    The i20 will launch in India by December and in two years the i30 and i40 will be available.

    By Sudhakar Shah • Sept. 16, 2008
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    ’09 Cadillac CTS-V Ready For a Fight

    After several good-but-not-great V-Series attempts, Cadillac’s bold reprise of the CTS-V confirms GM is serious about the brand’s world-class performance.

    By Mike Sutton • Sept. 15, 2008
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    Toyota to Unveil Lexus Convertible in Paris

    Dealer sources say the car is U.S. bound and should help Toyota’s sports-sedan lineup win sales from rivals BMW and Mercedes.

    By • Sept. 15, 2008
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    VW Happily Goes Where Some Fear to Tread With New Routan

    VW hasn’t ruled out a diesel for the Routan, but there isn’t one in the product plan, says an executive.

    By Tom Murphy • Sept. 11, 2008
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    Kia Union Rejects Second Tentative Agreement

    Management suspects rejection of a similar labor agreement with Hyundai last week may have influenced union recommendations.

    By Vince Courtenay • Sept. 11, 2008
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    Ford to Slash 500 Jobs at Oakville Assembly

    The move is not expected to result in layoffs, as Ford first will offer retirement packages to eligible employees.

    By Byron Pope • Sept. 10, 2008
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    GM to Unveil 7-Seat Chevy Orlando Concept in Paris

    The auto maker does not provide a timetable for the vehicle but says it is built on the same global architecture as the new Chevy Cruze compact car due in 2009.

    By Ward's Staff • Sept. 9, 2008
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    Ford Not Seeking Government Bailout, Mulally Says

    Ford’s CEO is confident the auto industry will secure government loans.

    By Byron Pope • Sept. 8, 2008
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    ’09 Cadillac CTS-V Nears Launch

    Although official pricing has yet to be announced, the average transaction price for the ’09 model is expected in the low- to the mid-$60,000 range.

    By Herb Shuldiner • Sept. 3, 2008
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    Saturn Shoots for the Moon

    Brushing aside rumors that his brand will be orphaned by General Motors Corp., dealer Todd Ingersoll proudly shows off his new Saturn of Danbury (CT) dealership as a vote of confidence in the division's future. Ingersoll, who started as a salesman at the dealership and went on to purchase it six years ago, says that constructing the new facility was done because a lease expired on an original building

    By Herb Shuldiner • Sept. 1, 2008
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    Ford Hopes To Go Up, Up and Away with Small-Car Plan

    When feeling the stress caused by the sharp downturn in U.S. sales and accelerated shift in demand from trucks to cars, Ford Motor Co.'s Mark Fields finds inspiration from an automotive leader who preceded him. Henry Ford said When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it, Fields, president-The Americas, says at the Management Briefing

    By Derek Stark • Sept. 1, 2008
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    Lucky Number Seven

    Getrag GMBH & CIE KG Becomes the latest high-profile player in the dual-clutch-transmission segment as BMW AG and Ferrari Automobiles SpA rush to incorporate the German supplier's new drivetrain technology in their newest performance cars. Many praise-worthy headlines are to be expected of these new transmission systems, which deliver more than ever the performance benefits of a sequential-manual

    By Peter Robinson • Sept. 1, 2008
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    U.S. Market Very Unlikely to See Hyundai i10

    A Senior Hyundai Motor America official says that contrary to published reports, the U.S. sales arm probably will not bring the i10 minicar here. It's very unlikely we'll bring the i10 to the U.S., John Krafcik, vice president-product development and strategic planning for HMA, tells media at a recent event for the Genesis sedan. Hyundai already sells the fuel-sipping A-car in South Korea and Europe.

    By • Sept. 1, 2008
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    L.A. BMW Dealers End New-Store Protest

    Clearing the way for a new BMW dealership to be built in the Los Angeles market, the California New Motor Vehicle Board has dismissed protests filed by other BMW dealers, including the lead opponent, Nick Alexander Imports. The new store is to be located in the affluent Hancock Park area on Wilshire Blvd. The Nick Alexander store is located on Alameda Street. Elizabeth Alexander is general manager

    By Mac Gordon • Sept. 1, 2008