Automakers: Page 368

PSA to Close Ryton Plant in 2007

Ryton, which has made the Peugeot 206 since 1998, will reduce production to a single shift in July and close permanently in the first half of 2007.

By William Diem • April 19, 2006

Prosecutors to Summon Kia CEO in Bribery Probe

Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo apologizes for causing "concern" to South Korean society over the probe.

By Ward's Staff From Wires • April 19, 2006

Explore the 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

New Bentley Continental GTC 2+2 Debuts

The car is powered by a 552-hp, W-12 engine and can hit 195 mph (314 km/h) with the top up and 190 (306 km) with it down.

By Herb Shuldiner • April 17, 2006

Ford Realigns South American Unit

Dominic DiMarco is appointed executive director for Canada and South America, while Barry Engle is named president of South American operations.

By Ward's Staff • April 13, 2006

Honda Unveils Element SC Prototype

The new SC trim will join the Element lineup in the U.S. this fall.

By Christie Schweinsberg • April 13, 2006

Bradshaw to Maintain Nissan Momentum

New U.S. sales and marketing chief must launch six new products this year.

By Christie Schweinsberg • April 13, 2006

Hyundai Unveils New Elantra in New York

The auto maker claims class-leading interior volume for the compact car segment.

By Christie Schweinsberg • April 13, 2006

Hyundai Stockholders Sue Top Execs; Unions to Demand Wage Hikes

The suit accuses Hyundai and Kia CEOs of diverting funds into a private company, in which the two Chungs have a controlling interest.

By Vince Courtenay • April 12, 2006

Ford, Shelby, Hertz Team on Special Mustang for Rent, Not Sale

Only about 500 of the special-edition Mustangs will be built.

By David E. Zoia • April 12, 2006

VW Launches New Jetta as Sagitar in China

The company received 9,000 orders for the new model before its official market introduction.

By Peter Homola • April 11, 2006

GM Netherlands Loses Appeal

GM will have to pay a €35.47 million fine for its policy to withhold dealer bonuses on sales of cars outside the Netherlands.

By Keith Nuthall • April 7, 2006

Nissan Vows Canton Issues Remedied

The auto maker, which took a bruising two years ago for the quality of the vehicles from its newest plant, says it is working hard to fix its reputation.

By Christie Schweinsberg • April 7, 2006

Bentley Opens Second Showroom in Moscow

Russia now is Bentley’s third-largest market in Continental Europe behind Germany and Switzerland.

By Peter Homola • April 6, 2006

Mazda Takes Stake in Changan Ford

Mazda will hold 15% of the JV, acquiring the share from Ford, which now will hold just 35% of the company.

By Ward's Staff • April 4, 2006

GM Rolls Out DI 2L for Saturn Sky Red Line

At 130 hp/L, the new DI 2L turbocharged Ecotec is GM’s highest specific output engine ever.

By Ward's Staff • April 3, 2006

Rare Occurrence: Toyota Prius Sales Drop

At a time when car buyers are focused on rising fuel costs and less dependence on foreign oil, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.'s popular Prius hybrid-electric vehicle experiences its first year-on-year sales decline in more than two years. Ward's data shows 6,547 units were sold in February, 531 less than in like-2005, the first time, since the second-generation Prius hit the U.S. market in October

By Christie Schweinsberg • April 1, 2006

Why Nissan is Moving

Sandy's Downtown Grille is about to greet some new customers. This quaint little pub located in the historic town of Franklin, TN, is 15 miles (24 km) south of Nashville, where a fierce battle was waged during the waning days of the Civil War. Meanwhile, 2,000 miles (3,200 km) away, the Paradise Restaurant, a favorite watering hole near Nissan North America Inc.'s (NNA) headquarters in Gardena, CA,

By David C. Smith • April 1, 2006

UAW Scores Dealership Firsts

The United Auto Works union, facing membership declines in auto plants, is shoring up its ranks by signing up members at car dealerships. The UAW has won the right to represent workers at a Ford dealership in Ohio and one in Michigan. It is a first for both states. A majority of workers at Mathews Ford in Oregon, OH, outside Toledo, voted for UAW representation. The 35-person bargaining unit includes

April 1, 2006

Caddy Ups Performance, Prices with V-Series

General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac luxury division moves a step closer to eclipsing the high-performance luxury image of its German rivals with the introduction of the new '06 V-Series STS sedan and XLR roadster. Aimed at niche vehicles produced by the in-house tuning efforts of Audi AG (Quattro GmbH), BMW AG (M GmbH) and Mercedes-Benz (AMG GmbH), the new V-Series cars return an element of performance,

By Mike Sutton • April 1, 2006

Convertible for Converts

Volvo Cars sold a scant 200 C70 convertibles per year in its Swedish home market before the auto maker stopped making the rag top in 2004, two years after ending production of a companion C70 coupe. Now the C70 returns as a two-in-one vehicle: a sleek coupe and a convertible, when its 3-panel hardtop roof electronically retracts, a 30-second contortion act that ends in the trunk. Sales of the new

By Steve Finlay • April 1, 2006

Teutonic Pocket Rocket

German engineering is in da haus. So says a billboard slogan that forms part of an ambitious ad blitz celebrating the debut of Volkswagen's GTI Mk V. The campaign barely disguises VW's disdain for the tuner crowd's extreme elements as it satirically disses their hip-hop swagger. The trim silhouette of the '06 GTI restores welcome sanity to a segment given over to wing-backed, low-riding, hood-scoopified

By Eric Mayne • April 1, 2006

She Scores an Industry First as a Female Auto Technician

Ingrid Dobson, a master technician at Chapman BMW in Scottsdale, AZ, is the first woman in the industry to win top honors in the ACT (Association of Certified Technicians) Challenge. It is a series of written tests that measure a technician's knowledge and skill. Beyond that, Dobson is leading the way in breaking down stereotypes and barriers for women interested in pursing careers in automotive services.

April 1, 2006

Hyundai Cutting Costs

Hyundai Auto-motive Group, which includes Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd., Kia Motors Corp. and supplier Hyundai Mobis, is in a deep cost-cutting mode, asking all suppliers to bite the bullet and lower prices substantially. In January, group Chairman Chung Mong-koo ordered a 30% reduction in general expenses. In addition, cuts in supplier costs are being negotiated on a company-by-company basis, although no

By Vince Courtenay • April 1, 2006

Camry Confirmed at SIA

Officials from Toyota Motor Mfg. North America Inc. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant confirm Toyota's plan to build its Camry sedan at the SIA facility in Lafayette, IN. The deal, in the works since last October, when Toyota announced it was taking an 8.7% stake in Fuji after General Motors Corp. sold its shares in the Japanese auto maker, will bring 100,000 units

April 1, 2006

If Anyone Should Know

BEL AIR, CA Lee Iacocca twice rescued Chrysler Corp. from the brink of bankruptcy, so he knows something about living on the edge. He thus can sympathize with the monumental challenges facing General Motors Corp. and the Ford Motor Co. as they battle to stay afloat and win back market share and also with their suppliers, many of whom already have plunged into bankruptcy, most famously Delphi Corp.

By David C. Smith • April 1, 2006