Mercedes Working to Brake Quality Erosion

Marina Naumann is driving her Mercedes-Benz E-Class down steeply twisting Camps Bay Drive, just south of Cape Town, South Africa. Suddenly an alarm sounds and the instrument panel flashes: Long Stop Brake Failure-Stop Car. Naumann would do that if she could. The brake pedal has gone soft as if there is no connection to anything. The E-Class's high-tech electro-hydraulic Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC)

By Peter Robinson • Sept. 1, 2005

Ford Combines Sales Offices

Ford Motor Co. will shuffle top management at its three domestic brands in order to consolidate marketing sales and service activities. The auto maker names Darryl Hazel, formerly Ford Div. president, vice president-marketing for the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands. Al Giombetti, formerly president of the Lincoln Mercury unit, takes the newly created role of vice president-sales for the three brands.

Sept. 1, 2005

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

Profitability in Question

Armin Mueller is explaining ZF Friedrichshafen's 3-pronged approach to modularity for a group of international journalists visiting the supplier's plant in Solihull, U.K., in the Midlands, the hub of the U.K. auto industry. Mueller, vice president-development for ZF's Lemforder chassis and axle group, says modular contracts fall into three categories: Level 1 jobs limit ZF's responsibility to component

By Tom Murphy • Sept. 1, 2005

The Road to Recovery

Acceptance is the first step on the road to recovery. And that is the path Mercedes-Benz recently has been following, as it tries to rebuild its once-vaunted reputation for quality and starts to see positive results from its efforts. It obviously is a top priority for incoming DaimlerChrysler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche, who also took over the top job at Mercedes on Sept. 1. The company already has been

By Alisa Priddle • Sept. 1, 2005

Audi Reveals Q7 CUV

Not content with watching its German competitors reap the benefits of having large utility vehicles in their lineups, Audi AG finally enters the lucrative market with the 7-passenger Q7, set to go on sale in Europe next month. More than just a beefed-up station wagon (like the A6-based Allroad Quattro), the ’06 model Q7 rides on a 118.2-in. (300.2 cm) wheelbase version of the capable unibody chassis

By Mike Sutton • Aug. 25, 2005

Renault to Debut Concepts Big and Small at Frankfurt

Renault SA will mark its presence at Germany's Frankfurt Motor Show in September with the debut of a pair of unusual concept vehicles: the Egeus luxury cross/utility vehicle and the Clio Renaultsport small car. Egeus represents Renault's vision of the modern high-end CUV, blending traits from traditional wagons, sedans and utility vehicles. Egeus luxury CUV Concept “Egeus is an SUV for city driving

By Mike Sutton • Aug. 18, 2005

Product Leading GM Renaissance

TRAVERSE CITY, MI Suppliers latched onto the optimistic product presentation at the Management Briefing Seminars by General Motors Corp. like a remora to a shark. "It was a terrific presentation," says Rich Rurak, an executive at PPG Industries. "It was great to hear something so positive." "It was right on the spot," says Jacqui Dedo, president of The Timken Co.'s automotive division. "He gave a

By William Diem • Aug. 4, 2005

Honda Civic Coupe, Sedan Developed Concurrently

TRAVERSE CITY, MI With Japanese engineers working on the Civic sedan and U.S. engineers developing the coupe and Si, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. will be able to bring both models to market at the same time this fall in both countries. The '01 Civic coupe came out two months behind the sedan. But through use of digital prototype modeling (DPM), Honda was able to have engineers working around the clock on

By Christie Schweinsberg • Aug. 4, 2005

Scorecards Mark New Chrysler Supply System

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Chrysler Group underscores its strategy of encouraging suppliers to reach “reward” status by announcing two such overachievers have been awarded contracts for an ’09 cross/utility vehicle. Johnson Controls Inc. will supply seats and Magna International Inc. will provide the rest of the cockpit for a CUV slated to come to market in late 2008, says Peter Rosenfeld, Chrysler executive

By Alisa Priddle • Aug. 3, 2005

Common Equates to Success for Toyota

TRAVERSE CITY, MI A whopping 144% increase in sales of the new '05 Toyota Avalon is further validation of Toyota Motor Corp.'s practice of using common platforms to create unique new products, says the engineer behind the program. Seiya Nakao, Toyota Technical Center U.S.A. Inc. executive chief engineer-Avalon, Solara, Sienna, is pleased with the reception the flagship Avalon has received since it

By Alisa Priddle • Aug. 3, 2005

Logistics Plays Design Role at Chrysler

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Logistics has a hand in car design at Chrysler Group. For 19 different parts, including roofs and door apertures, the supply operations department tells engineers that parts must fit the packaging racks in a certain way in order to be delivered properly to the assembly line. Work stations are being redesigned to be smaller, with less room for parts storage, says Dave Hodgson, Chrysler’s

By William Diem • Aug. 3, 2005

Toyota Cultivating Supplier Philosophy for 65 Years

TRAVERSE CITY, MI When it comes to dealing with their suppliers, some auto makers act like hunters and some act like farmers, Toyota Motor Mfg. Corp.'s Osamu “Simon” Nagata, pointed out last year at the Management Briefing Seminars. This year, Toyota's vice president of purchasing for North America, expands on the theme: Toyota clearly is a “farmer” that wants to nurture and support its suppliers

By Drew Winter and John D. Stoll • Aug. 2, 2005

Benz to Use Kuka Laser-Weld System

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Mercedes-Benz soon is likely to adopt a system developed by Kuka Robot Group that can weld a whole body side from a laser welder located 13.2 ft. (4 m) from the steel, Kuka USA President and CEO Larry Drake reveals here at the Management Briefing Seminars. Such laser welding is expensive, but it will eliminate many steps in the body welding process.(See related story: Kuka Plays

By William Diem • Aug. 1, 2005

BMW Tweaks Active Steering

BMW AG won't exactly admit its high-tech Active Steering system had some bugs, but executives and engineers quietly concede the much-debated advance over conventional variable-ratio power steering has been to improve response and Wolfgang Epple, BMW 3-Series program director, says the newly revised Active Steering debuts with the '06 3-Series. Active Steering uses a supplemental, motor-driven gearbox

By Bill Visnic • Aug. 1, 2005

Dealerships: Let’s Party!

When hockey star Sergei Fedorov bought a Ferrari at Cauley Ferrari-Maserati in West Bloomfield, MI, owner Jeff Cauley didn't just hand over the keys to the $650,000 car. Instead he decorated the showroom and tossed a party for 350 glitterati hailing from sports, entertainment and media world. Champagne flowed all night long. This was such a hoop-de-do party we even had people from Italy celebrating

By Maureen McDonald • Aug. 1, 2005

GM’s Combo Order

Nearly 500 stand-alone Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers face an ultimatum: combine or face the consequences. The consequences are unpleasant. Fewer body styles and models will be coming from General Motors Corp. for those stand-alone dealers in GM's national network who fail to reach combination agreements. As of this year, 198 of the stores handle Buick soley; 110 are Pontiac stand-alones; and 168

By Mac Gordon • Aug. 1, 2005

The Hyundais Are Coming

Dealers Rick and Rita Case opened what is billed as the world's largest Hyundai dealership. It is in Davie, FL, south of Fort Lauderdale. The grand opening included the arrival of 22 trucks carrying more than 220 new vehicles as a crowd of nearly 200 dignitaries watched, including Hyundai Motor of America President and CEO Bob Cosmai. Displayed at the event was the Hope on Wheels Hyundai Santa Fe,

Aug. 1, 2005

Exit Plan? What Exit Plan?

LAKE PLACID, NY Ford Motor Co.'s foray into the employee-discount wars looks to be lacking a clear exit strategy and, based on initial sales results, it may not need one for a while. When asked when the auto maker will bring an end to its Family Plan, which offers employee pricing to everyone on most Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles, Ford Div. President Darryl Hazel gives little guidance. That's

Aug. 1, 2005

Ward’s Rides Torque Tsunami to MBS

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Most of Ward’s editorial staff this year blew into town for the Management Briefing Seminars on a torque tsunami generated by diesel-powered test cars from Robert Bosch GmbH. The vehicles include a Honda Accord, BMW 535 and Audi A6. Bosch maintains an impressive armada of European-spec diesel-powered vehicles to showcase to diesel-deprived Americans. The company’s fuel-injection

By Bill Visnic • Aug. 1, 2005

Please Cooperate

It has been an ongoing conversation to get some auto makers to include all their North American plants in Harbour Consulting Inc.'s annual Harbour Report on productivity, says President Ron Harbour. The 2005 North American report recently was released with some Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. plants notably absent, as is the sole Mercedes-Benz U.S. International

Aug. 1, 2005

1st Lexus Credit Card to Cultivate Loyalty

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus luxury division issues its first credit card, the Lexus Pursuits Visa Card. Lexus aims for the card to reward existing Lexus owners and bring new customers into dealerships. Lexus Pursuits Visa also will offer one of the most generous rewards programs in the industry, Toyota says. Like our vehicles, the Lexus Pursuits Visa Card will deliver the highest levels of quality,

Aug. 1, 2005

A Hip Subaru?

The dimly lit lobby bar of the ultra-hip W Hotel in San Francisco is filled with scenesters, including members of the NBA's Phoenix Suns, who are bouncing to the electronic beats of the house DJ and lounging on plush couches. As the party-goers trickle out into the drizzling Pacific night, valets fetch BMWs, Land Rovers and Cadillacs. Nobody's leaving in a Subaru, a brand long known for its boxy wagons

By Brian Corbett • Aug. 1, 2005

Pontiac: We’re Back, Jack

On June 21 (which not coincidentally is the summer solstice), General Motors Corp. staged a flashy rock concert in New York City's Times Square to hype the introduction of the Pontiac Solstice, the division's first 2-seat roadster. The performance in outdoor advertising's epicenter featured the band Jet (which Rolling Stone magazine calls rock's new party boys) as well as an interactive multi-media

By Steve Finlay • Aug. 1, 2005

Getrag Starts Construction In Slovakia

Getrag Group celebrates the groundbreaking of a new production facility in Slovakia that will manufacture dual-clutch and motorcycle transmissions, gear wheels and other transmission parts. The plant, representing an investment of about E300 million ($358 million), is in Kechnec, about 12 miles (20 km) from Kosice, Slovakia's second-largest city, and will create around 750 immediate jobs.

Aug. 1, 2005

Mercedes to Debut Hybrid Technology in Frankfurt

Mercedes-Benz has a hybrid surprise up its sleeve for September’s Frankfurt auto show. “I can confirm we will show something concerning hybrid technology,” a Mercedes spokeswoman tells Ward’s. The auto maker reportedly plans to reveal a hybrid diesel version of its large S-Class sedan and a CLK roadster with integrated starter-generator technology. The spokeswoman says it is too early to confirm diesel

By John D. Stoll • July 27, 2005