Automakers: Page

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    Honda Hit With Higher U.S. Steel Prices

    Honda’s CEO says the auto maker likely will have to pay the increased costs, despite having stood its ground against similar tactics earlier in the decade.

    By Ward's Staff • May 29, 2008
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    Hyundai Set to Break Ground on Russian Plant

    The planned $400 million plant will be a freestanding facility capable of producing 100,000 vehicles annually.

    By Vince Courtenay • May 29, 2008
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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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    Honda Designer Believes ’09 Pilot’s Boxy Look Will Grow on Consumers

    “I think it’s evolved into something more modern; it’s just going to have to be in the public eye to get it more identified,” Dave Marek says of the ’09 model going on sale this week.

    By • May 23, 2008
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    Tiguan Has Heart of a Tiger

    VW Tiguan is a stylish, purposeful CUV that reinforces VW’s edgy brand image, while injecting European-style handling into a segment not known for performance.

    By Tom Murphy • May 22, 2008
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    Putting Fresh Spin on Iconic Chrysler 300 Presents Challenge

    Not wanting to mess too much with success means the new 300 will have an “evolutionary” exterior. However, the interior will make a “huge leap,” one product designer says.

    By • May 22, 2008
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    Hyundai Chairman to Face Resentencing for Embezzlement Conviction

    Chung Mong-koo on Tuesday faced the tribunal of judges who will decide the new sentence for a hearing on the matter, during which state prosecutors demanded a new, 6-year prison term.

    By Vince Courtenay • May 21, 2008
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    Jaguar Learns From Past While Looking to Future

    Under Ford’s leadership, the essence of the brand became diluted when the auto maker’s focus shifted to increasing volume rather than remaining true to its roots as a manufacturer of exclusive sports cars.

    By Byron Pope • May 16, 2008
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    Renault to Add Sandero at Russia’s Avtoframos

    The Sandero, which already is manufactured in Brazil and Romania, will be the plant’s second model.

    By Peter Homola • May 15, 2008
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    AAM Strike Costs GM 230,000 Vehicles Through April

    GM resumed some of the previously restricted operations at four North American assembly plants yesterday.

    By Ward's Staff • May 13, 2008
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    Infiniti G37 to Drop Its Top

    The G37, with Nissan’s new 3.7L V-6 VQ series engine – winner of a Ward’s 10 Best Engine award in 2008 – has outpaced sales of its predecessor.

    By • May 13, 2008
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    Kerkorian to Increase Stake in Ford; Auto Maker Asks Investors to Hold Onto Shares

    The announcement by Ford reverses a sentiment the auto maker expressed yesterday, when it called Kerkorian’s interest a welcome sign that its turnaround was progressing.

    By Ward's Staff From Wires • May 9, 2008
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    Top Hyundai Official Confirms Small Car for Kia Georgia Plant

    Kia America officials already have said the second-generation Sorrento SUV will be produced at the facility, but decline to comment on a possible second model.

    By • May 9, 2008
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    GM Holden Elizabeth Plant Marks 50-Year Anniversary

    In 1924, the coach maker launched a manufacturing plant and became the sole supplier of bodies for the Buick, Chevrolet, Oakland and Oldsmobile brands.

    By Alan Harman • May 9, 2008
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    G8 GT Recalls Era of Affordable V-8 Motoring

    The Pontiac G8’s rear-wheel drive setup lends the vehicle wonderful proportions. Designers added big fender flares and a high beltline to convey pent-up power.

    By James M. Amend • May 7, 2008
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    Pilot Proves Looks Aren’t Everything

    The all-new Honda Pilot might not be the best looking CUV, but it is well-mannered, versatile and loaded with cargo space.

    By Tom Murphy • May 6, 2008
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    UAW Strikes GM Fairfax Plant

    The UAW threatened to strike the plant last month but agreed to extend the contract deadline as negotiations to forge a new plant-level labor deal continued.

    By Ward's Staff • May 5, 2008
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    Chrysler’s Time Machine

    Although based on Chrysler’s LX sedans, the ’08 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is an emotional recreation of a legendary muscle car that exemplifies the historic influence of Detroit’s auto makers.

    By Mike Sutton • May 5, 2008
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    For Infiniti, Nothing Lasts Forever

    Dealership chain Lithia Motors Inc. has stopped selling Infinitis at its Johnston, IA, outlet near Des Moines. Nissan North America Inc.'s Infiniti luxury division wanted the dealership to invest about $2 million for a facility expansion. Lithia declined. It came down to a business decision, general manager Brad Pietzsch tells the Des Moines Register. The dealership sold about 240 Infinitis a year.

    May 1, 2008
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    Let There Be LED Light

    Let there be light, white light closely emulating daylight and not blinding Halogen blue, please. If that is part of a customer wish for vehicle headlights, General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac Div. is happy to oblige. And dealers are delighted. Cadillac will introduce its new '09 Escalade Platinum edition with innovative LED (light emitting diode) headlamp technology. GM hopes to expand the LED offering

    By Lillie Guyer • May 1, 2008
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    Chrysler Stands By Chery Partnership

    Chrysler Llc Is Committed To Its small-car partnership with Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., but the Chinese auto maker won't get any free passes just because the deal portends cost-savings. Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli reiterates the Detroit auto maker's allegiance to Chery, which has come into question with the announcement of a new manufacturing agreement between Chrysler and Nissan Motor

    By Eric Mayne • May 1, 2008
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    Former Olds Dealer Opens Funeral Home

    After General Motors Corp. buried the Oldsmobile brand, an Olds dealership general manager did something in kind: she became a funeral director. Sarah Lee-Ellena, who worked at the defunct family-run Bill Lee Oldsmobile in Clinton Township, MI, used her share of the GM buyout and private capital to fund a second career. She enrolled in the Wayne State University Mortuary Science program. Upon graduating,

    May 1, 2008
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    Ford Exec Tells Dealers to Rally the Troops

    Seeking to stoke sales as it rolls out the new Ford Flex cross/utility vehicle, Ford Motor Co. hopes its upcoming Drive One ad campaign will rival the staying power of the once-popular tagline, Have You Driven a Ford Lately? Drive One ads are shown at a dealer preview last month in Las Vegas where Ford's new group marketing and communications vice president, Jim Farley, urges dealers to fire up their

    May 1, 2008
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    Infamous Chicken Tax Ripe for Plucking

    The U.S. is Planning to Restart Free-trade negotiations with Thailand after a 4-year hiatus, and America's hefty tariff on truck imports likely will occupy a good portion of the talks. Thailand is a major hub for the production of pickup trucks by global auto makers, including Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. However, multi-lateral discussions half a world away could pluck the chicken tax off

    By James M. Amend • May 1, 2008
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    Hyundai Motor Finance Corp. Uses Cautious Approach

    Don't expect rampant trailblazing from Hyundai Motor Finance Corp. Instead, the captive auto-financing arm of South Korean auto maker Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. prefers a more conservative style, says its executive director of strategic planning and risk, Glenn Gottfried. Do you want to make a big splash in the pool or take a tip-toe approach? he says. We picked the latter. Consequently, Hyundai Motor

    By • May 1, 2008
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    African-American Women Wield Much Economic Power

    African-American women make up one of the most visible, fastest-growing and influential market segments today. So says Miriam Muley, CEO of The 85% Niche, and previously executive director of diversity growth markets at General Motors Corp. The concept of ethnic target marketing was born as a result of the tremendous growth of African Americans, she says. Based on estimates from Packaged Facts and

    May 1, 2008