News and insight on new products
Savvier dealers might conclude that it's better to stick to the sticker on the 2014 Corvette Stingray than rake customers just because they can.
Posted 1:55 pm U.S. ET, April 26
DETROIT -- General Motors resisted the urge to jack up the price on the 2014 Corvette Stingray, despite major enhancements on the seventh-generation sports car.
The $51,995* sticker for the coupe, which is expected to hit showrooms by September, is just 1,400 bucks more than the current model, even with its more powerful engine, better fuel economy and vastly improved interior.
Why the asterisk? Because buyers will be hard-pressed to find one at that price.
The gouging is expected to be rampant.
"I'd say $5,000 to $10,000 will be a typical markup, at least during the first several months," says Steve Hurley, dealer principal at the fort ...
Continue reading "Why the Stingray's $52K sticker should come with an asterisk" » Apr 26, 2013 1:55 pm U.S. ET
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If I were an executive at a Chinese domestic automaker, I would be very worried. Why? It is difficult to find a Chinese-brand car on the streets of Shanghai, the country's largest city with more than 23 million inhabitants.
I experienced this first hand visiting the city for the auto show. During a long bus ride from the Shanghai World Expo to the Pudong district, I didn't see one Chinese-brand passenger vehicle.
What did I see on Shanghai roads? I got a history lesson on Volkswagen's long presence in China experienced by seeing the various generations of its Santana sedan, which is the taxi of choice.
...
Continue reading "Looking for a Chinese car in Shanghai" » Apr 19, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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GM sold 2,210 Chevrolet Colorados in the U.S. during the first quarter compared with 10,056 for the same three months last year. Pictured is the 2013 model. The new model is expected to be unveiled this fall.
Mark Reuss says the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-sized pickups will be so much better than the bland outgoing models, General Motors might come up with new names.
"We're targeting a new generation of buyer with a new truck," the GM North America president told reporters this week.
That's good. Because GM's entire pickup strategy relies greatly on the success of those new mid-sized offerings.
Sticking with a mid-sized pickup is a big bet that diverges from rivals Ford and Chrysler, which have walked away from the segment.
...
Continue reading "Why GM might rename its new mid-sized pickups" » Apr 18, 2013 1:08 pm U.S. ET
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Mercedes-Benz is poised to take aim at the growing compact crossover segment with the five-door GLA -- a vehicle company executives say will be packed with premium features but carry a competitive price tag.
Mercedes is unveiling a concept version of the GLA crossover at the Shanghai auto show. It's a wedge-shaped vehicle that doesn't have the boxy, masculine and in-your-face design of the larger Mercedes-Benz GLK.
That's good because the GLA is aimed at new buyers who probably don't have Mercedes-Benz on their shopping lists.
In other words, this is not a soccer mom's car ...
Continue reading "With GLA, Mercedes aims for younger shopper" » Apr 17, 2013 5:07 pm U.S. ET
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Honda sold 5,614 Acura ILX sedans in the United States during the first quarter.
LOS ANGELES -- Those with keen eyesight will have noticed an aberration in the production numbers listed by the Automotive News Data Center.
The Honda Motor Co. plant in Greensburg, Ind., built just 91 units of the nearly new Acura ILX entry-luxury sedan in March. This came after a couple of previous slower months.
American Honda executives have admitted the ILX has not had the strongest launch. They acknowledge that the base 2.0-liter engine is a bit underpowered, and only offering a stick shift on the improved 2.4-liter engine has deterred shoppers.
Still, once the ILX go ...
Continue reading "The story behind low Acura ILX production numbers" » Apr 16, 2013 2:18 pm U.S. ET
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Mercedes hopes that Neistat's work will help the automaker shed its image of “the brand of my parents.”
Mercedes-Benz -- intent on creating nonstop buzz for the new CLA sedan -- is turning to a source of marketing new to the company.
It has hired young filmmaker and director Casey Neistat, 32, to make four short films for social media about the compact coupelike sedan that goes on sale in September. Mercedes-Benz is trying to appeal to buyers in their 30s and 40s; it has priced the swoopy front-wheel-drive CLA at $30,825, including shipping.
It trumpeted the CLA's price with a very hip but un-Mercedes-Benz-like Super Bowl commercial featuring an all-star cast that included actor Willem Dafoe as the devil, model ...
Continue reading "The great car commercial -- Mercedes style" » Apr 11, 2013 11:05 am U.S. ET
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GM said the 2014 Chevy Silverado (pictured) and its GMC Sierra twin received EPA mpg ratings of 16 city/23 highway for two-wheel-drive models and 16 city/22 highway for four-wheel-drive versions.
DETROIT -- The five automakers that build full-sized light-duty pickups must hate tree-grown fruit because they sure go out of their way to avoid apples-to-apples comparisons.
The fuel economy ratings for General Motors' redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickups highlight the confusing claims that dominate one of the industry's most competitive segments.
Last week, GM said the twin pickups received EPA mpg ratings of 16 city/23 highway for two-wheel-drive models and 16 city/22 highway for four-wheel-drive versions. The ratings were for crew cab versions of the 1500-model pickups po ...
Continue reading "Confused by pickup claims? That's the idea" » Apr 8, 2013 3:01 pm U.S. ET
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The Chrysler 700, shown at the Detroit auto show in January 2012, was designed to serve as a starting point for improving the styling of Chrysler's minivans. (RICK KRANZ)
After way more than a year of debate back and forth, Chrysler Group has settled on a design for its next generation minivan.
But in an interview with the Detroit Free Press at the New York auto show this week, Chrysler design head Ralph Gilles wouldn't disclose whether the single minivan would remain a Chrysler Town & Country or stay as a Dodge Grand Caravan.
"We are down to one and we are having a good time with it," Gilles told the Free Press. "I can't tell you the brand. All I can tell you is that we are deep in development."
Judging just from the c ...
Continue reading "Why the stakes are high for Chrysler's new minivan" » Mar 29, 2013 2:48 pm U.S. ET
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The WRX concept: Hints at what next year's WRX will look like
Subaru isn't known or widely praised for bold design. Loyal buyers of the brand often are more concerned about safety and durability than styling; they often shun conspicuous or expensive cars.
But Subaru has been updating its styling and you can no longer call its models quirky. The BRZ coupe that went on sale last year turned some heads.
But the WRX concept at this year's New York auto show did more than that.
The car hints at what next year's WRX will look like. Gone are the boxy lines and the kit-car appearance. The new WRX will continue to share the Impreza's compact p ...
Continue reading "Subaru turns a new leaf: Bold styling" » Mar 28, 2013 7:44 pm U.S. ET
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Infiniti has a plan to expand its hybrid vehicle offerings. Its mass-market sister brand, Nissan, is following suit. Pictured is the QX60.
The wraps came off of the 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid Wednesday afternoon in New York, and the model signals a clear new path for the luxury brand. There will be hybrid powertrain options for almost every new model Infiniti introduces.
But there will also be new marketing challenges -- not just for Infiniti, or for the rest of Nissan Motor Co., but across the auto industry.
Infiniti has a plan to expand its hybrid vehicle offerings. Its mass-market sister brand, Nissan, is following suit, and so will other automakers in coming years. Subaru unveiled its first hybrid today, the XV Crosstek Hybrid.
Continue reading "Hybrid wave raises marketing questions" » Mar 28, 2013 2:23 pm U.S. ET
DETROIT -- General Motors resisted the urge to jack up the price on the 2014 Corvette Stingray, despite major enhancements on the seventh-generation sports car.
The $51,995* sticker for the coupe, which is expected to hit showrooms by September, is just 1,400 bucks more than the current model, even with its more powerful engine, better fuel economy and vastly improved interior.
Why the asterisk? Because buyers will be hard-pressed to find one at that price.
The gouging is expected to be rampant.
"I'd say $5,000 to $10,000 will be a typical markup, at least during the first several months," says Steve Hurley, dealer principal at the fort ...
Continue reading "Why the Stingray's $52K sticker should come with an asterisk" » Apr 26, 2013 1:55 pm U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
Looking for a Chinese car in Shanghai
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, April 19If I were an executive at a Chinese domestic automaker, I would be very worried. Why? It is difficult to find a Chinese-brand car on the streets of Shanghai, the country's largest city with more than 23 million inhabitants.
I experienced this first hand visiting the city for the auto show. During a long bus ride from the Shanghai World Expo to the Pudong district, I didn't see one Chinese-brand passenger vehicle.
What did I see on Shanghai roads? I got a history lesson on Volkswagen's long presence in China experienced by seeing the various generations of its Santana sedan, which is the taxi of choice.
...
Continue reading "Looking for a Chinese car in Shanghai" » Apr 19, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
Why GM might rename its new mid-sized pickups
Posted 1:08 pm U.S. ET, April 18Mark Reuss says the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-sized pickups will be so much better than the bland outgoing models, General Motors might come up with new names.
"We're targeting a new generation of buyer with a new truck," the GM North America president told reporters this week.
That's good. Because GM's entire pickup strategy relies greatly on the success of those new mid-sized offerings.
Sticking with a mid-sized pickup is a big bet that diverges from rivals Ford and Chrysler, which have walked away from the segment.
Continue reading "Why GM might rename its new mid-sized pickups" » Apr 18, 2013 1:08 pm U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
With GLA, Mercedes aims for younger shopper
Posted 5:07 pm U.S. ET, April 17Mercedes-Benz is poised to take aim at the growing compact crossover segment with the five-door GLA -- a vehicle company executives say will be packed with premium features but carry a competitive price tag.
Mercedes is unveiling a concept version of the GLA crossover at the Shanghai auto show. It's a wedge-shaped vehicle that doesn't have the boxy, masculine and in-your-face design of the larger Mercedes-Benz GLK.
That's good because the GLA is aimed at new buyers who probably don't have Mercedes-Benz on their shopping lists.
In other words, this is not a soccer mom's car ...
Continue reading "With GLA, Mercedes aims for younger shopper" » Apr 17, 2013 5:07 pm U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
The story behind low Acura ILX production numbers
Posted 2:18 pm U.S. ET, April 16LOS ANGELES -- Those with keen eyesight will have noticed an aberration in the production numbers listed by the Automotive News Data Center.
The Honda Motor Co. plant in Greensburg, Ind., built just 91 units of the nearly new Acura ILX entry-luxury sedan in March. This came after a couple of previous slower months.
American Honda executives have admitted the ILX has not had the strongest launch. They acknowledge that the base 2.0-liter engine is a bit underpowered, and only offering a stick shift on the improved 2.4-liter engine has deterred shoppers.
Still, once the ILX go ...
Continue reading "The story behind low Acura ILX production numbers" » Apr 16, 2013 2:18 pm U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
The great car commercial -- Mercedes style
Posted 11:05 am U.S. ET, April 11Mercedes-Benz -- intent on creating nonstop buzz for the new CLA sedan -- is turning to a source of marketing new to the company.
It has hired young filmmaker and director Casey Neistat, 32, to make four short films for social media about the compact coupelike sedan that goes on sale in September. Mercedes-Benz is trying to appeal to buyers in their 30s and 40s; it has priced the swoopy front-wheel-drive CLA at $30,825, including shipping.
It trumpeted the CLA's price with a very hip but un-Mercedes-Benz-like Super Bowl commercial featuring an all-star cast that included actor Willem Dafoe as the devil, model ...
Continue reading "The great car commercial -- Mercedes style" » Apr 11, 2013 11:05 am U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
Confused by pickup claims? That's the idea
Posted 3:01 pm U.S. ET, April 8DETROIT -- The five automakers that build full-sized light-duty pickups must hate tree-grown fruit because they sure go out of their way to avoid apples-to-apples comparisons.
The fuel economy ratings for General Motors' redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty pickups highlight the confusing claims that dominate one of the industry's most competitive segments.
Last week, GM said the twin pickups received EPA mpg ratings of 16 city/23 highway for two-wheel-drive models and 16 city/22 highway for four-wheel-drive versions. The ratings were for crew cab versions of the 1500-model pickups po ...
Continue reading "Confused by pickup claims? That's the idea" » Apr 8, 2013 3:01 pm U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
Why the stakes are high for Chrysler's new minivan
Posted 2:48 pm U.S. ET, March 29After way more than a year of debate back and forth, Chrysler Group has settled on a design for its next generation minivan.
But in an interview with the Detroit Free Press at the New York auto show this week, Chrysler design head Ralph Gilles wouldn't disclose whether the single minivan would remain a Chrysler Town & Country or stay as a Dodge Grand Caravan.
"We are down to one and we are having a good time with it," Gilles told the Free Press. "I can't tell you the brand. All I can tell you is that we are deep in development."
Judging just from the c ...
Continue reading "Why the stakes are high for Chrysler's new minivan" » Mar 29, 2013 2:48 pm U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
Subaru turns a new leaf: Bold styling
Posted 7:44 pm U.S. ET, March 28Subaru isn't known or widely praised for bold design. Loyal buyers of the brand often are more concerned about safety and durability than styling; they often shun conspicuous or expensive cars.
But Subaru has been updating its styling and you can no longer call its models quirky. The BRZ coupe that went on sale last year turned some heads.
But the WRX concept at this year's New York auto show did more than that.
The car hints at what next year's WRX will look like. Gone are the boxy lines and the kit-car appearance. The new WRX will continue to share the Impreza's compact p ...
Continue reading "Subaru turns a new leaf: Bold styling" » Mar 28, 2013 7:44 pm U.S. ET
Post Comment | Permalink
Hybrid wave raises marketing questions
Posted 2:23 pm U.S. ET, March 28The wraps came off of the 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid Wednesday afternoon in New York, and the model signals a clear new path for the luxury brand. There will be hybrid powertrain options for almost every new model Infiniti introduces.
But there will also be new marketing challenges -- not just for Infiniti, or for the rest of Nissan Motor Co., but across the auto industry.
Infiniti has a plan to expand its hybrid vehicle offerings. Its mass-market sister brand, Nissan, is following suit, and so will other automakers in coming years. Subaru unveiled its first hybrid today, the XV Crosstek Hybrid.
Continue reading "Hybrid wave raises marketing questions" » Mar 28, 2013 2:23 pm U.S. ET
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12:30 pm U.S. ET, April 26 | UPDATED: 4/26/13 12:47 pm ET - adds details, link
GM set the base price of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe at $51,995, including destination charges, $1,400 more than the outgoing model. ...General Motors says its Chevrolet Spark EV will get the equivalent of 119 mpg in combined ...
Volvo isn't going to develop a sedan to challenge the BMW 7 series, the Mercedes S class o ...
GM-VW China rivalry heats up as both see 3 million auto sales
GM and Volkswagen, the largest foreign carmakers in China, both forecast sales will climb ...
Kia has set the starting price of its new range-topping Cadenza sedan at $35,900, includin ...
Riviera concept shows Buick design direction
General Motors unveiled a gull wing, two-door Buick Riviera concept car today at an event ...
BMW will offer extra services to attract drivers to its "i" electric-car lineup, including ...
Ghibli will be Maserati's first diesel-powered car
Maserati released images of the Ghibli four-door sedan ahead of the car's debut at the Sha ...
Lexus plans to show a production-ready hybrid SUV to rival Audi's Q3 and BMW's X1 at next ...
BMW, amid crossover surge, preps X4 for U.S.
BMW, capitalizing on a surge in its U.S. ...
The Porsche Panamera has been restyled and the lineup gains a plug-in hybrid model, along ...
Tesla Motors has joined forces with USBank and Wells Fargo Bank to create vehicle financin ...
Z28 revs Chevy's performance line
Chevy's performance division is on a roll. And GM plans an advertising campaign to spread ...
General Motors today said its upcoming redesigned full-sized pickups will have the most fu ...
Toyota re-styles no-frills models to drive China fightback
Toyota is giving its Vios and Yaris models a major makeover for China as part of the Japan ...
More »
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