Headlines for Monday, July 23, 2012
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Redesigned CTS, new flagship are on tap for Cadillac
General Motors has green-lighted the development of a large flagship sedan for Cadillac, sources say, part of its plan to position its luxury brand's lineup to take on the German luxury stalwarts in every key sedan segment. Read More »
FUTURE PRODUCTS -- GENERAL MOTORS:First GMC crossovers, then new big trucks
In coming months, GMC will be working to reignite sales growth for its popular crossovers. After that, its focus will be on the next generation of its highest-volume vehicle: the Sierra pickup. Read More »
Buick will get sportier, roll out crossovers
Crossovers will take center stage for Buick in the 2013 model year. The compact Buick Encore crossover debuts in the first quarter as a 2013 model. Read More »
Bow-tie brand pivots from cars to trucks
Based on Chevrolet's vehicle launches over the past few years, a casual observer might not know that General Motors' bow-tie brand still makes trucks. But get ready for the trucks. Read More »
Industry execs: We're hiring
Surging North American auto sales are pushing some suppliers to expand and hire more workers -- steps they have resisted since the recession. Despite worries about declining demand in Europe, U.S. auto executives surveyed by advisory firm KPMG AG are bullish about their companies' prospects. Read More »
AutoNews Now: The move out of Japan
Backlash as Japan's automakers boost outsourcing; bigger voice for Honda N.A.; behind the scenes at Ford Fusion launch. Read More »
CARS & CONCEPTS:Hints emerge of Mustang at 50
Ford Motor Co. has been tight-lipped about its plans for the 50th anniversary edition of the Mustang in 2014. But a few hints are emerging. Read More »
How Ford, dealership handled this 2013 Escape recall
I've had vehicles recalled before. But I've always been able to make it to the first payment. So it came as a surprise when my cell phone rang Saturday morning and Southgate Ford in suburban Detroit told me my shiny 2-week-old Ford Escape was in need of attention -- as in right now. Read More »
First Shift: Toyota's N.A. power boost
Toyota boosts N.A. clout, 'van pools' in Europe; lockout at India plant; Nissan Rogue relief plan; a BMW for the day. Read More »
Cadillac driving to disrupt BMW-Mercedes U.S. luxury grip
General Motors took to a Georgia racetrack to show that its first compact Cadillac in a quarter-century drives as well as a BMW 3 Series. The trickier part will be getting it to sell as well. Read More »
Auto industry attracts best, brightest
If you wondered whether doldrums from the recent financial crisis had dulled interest in automotive careers, simply look at the young people featured in Automotive News last week. Read More »
Ford sees supplier flaw by TI Automotive at root of Escape recall
Ford Motor, which recalled about 11,500 Escape sport utility vehicles last week because of a fire risk, is pointing to a manufacturing flaw in fuel lines supplied by part maker TI Automotive for the problem. Read More »
Congress mulls what to do with those dusty insurance booklets
Each year U.S. regulators pull together data on insurance costs for all makes and models of cars, SUVs, light trucks and vans and compile it into a report made available to retailers. Read More »
Sonic says profit margins are rising after Q2 net income jumps 32%
Vehicle profit margins at Sonic Automotive dealerships are already bouncing back after declines in the second quarter. Read More »
Continental, SK Innovation complete EV battery deal
Continental and South Korea's SK Innovation completed a deal today to cooperate on lithium ion battery technology for electric vehicles. The venture is set to start operations in the fourth quarter of this year. The business will be managed from Berlin. Read More »
Chrysler considers $200 million investment to build more V-6s
Chrysler Group says it is considering investing nearly $200 million into its Mack I Engine Plant in Detroit to boost production of the V-6 Pentastar engine. Read More »
Fewer teens bother to get drivers' licenses, study shows
A University of Michigan study released today found that only six in 10 Americans ages 17-19 have drivers' licenses. Thirty years ago, that number was eight in 10. Read More »
Countdown to launch
As Ford pushed further into social media marketing for the crucial 2013 Fusion launch, it found that new media offers exciting possibilities and unexpected problems. Read More »
PSA to make vans for Toyota in Europe
PSA and Toyota signed an agreement for the French carmaker to supply light commercial vans to the Japanese auto manufacturer to sell under its own brand in Europe. PSA will provide medium-sized vans from a plant in Lieu Saint-Amand, France, starting in the second quarter of 2013. Read More »
Longtime supplier exec DelGrosso named CEO of Henniges Automotive
Henniges Automotive Holdings today named former TRW and Lear executive Douglas DelGrosso as its CEO. DelGrosso, 50, will assume the role at the sealing and anti-vibration supplier on Aug. 1. Read More »
Feds open safety probes into 337,000 Chrysler Group vehicles
Federal regulators have opened safety probes into nearly 337,000 Chrysler Group SUVs and pickups. Read More »
Visteon's offer for Halla shares rejected by South Korean pension fund
South Korea's National Pension Service said today it rejected the tender offer made by American auto parts supplier Visteon to acquire its 8.1 percent stake in car air conditioner maker Halla Climate Control. Read More »
Renault names Foucher new EV boss ahead of key Zoe launch
Renault has appointed Beatrice Foucher as the new head of its electric vehicles unit just months before the launch of the Zoe, Renault's first mass-produced EV. The Zoe is a crucial model in the Renault-Nissan alliance's 4-billion-euro investment in EVs. Read More »
VW Group has rivals by the throat – don't expect any mercy
How has VW Group been able to boost its western European market share to 23.8 percent after five months this year from 18.1 percent in 2004? Rival automakers and market watchers say the increase has been fueled by massive Chinese profits. Read More »
Maruti Suzuki shares fall after factory lockout
Maruti Suzuki India fell in Mumbai trading after the company said it's locking out a factory near New Delhi, pending the conclusion of a probe into a deadly riot last week. Chairman R.C. Read More »
French minister said to want PSA CEO Varin to keep job, revise plan
French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg wants PSA CEO Philippe Varin to remain at the helm of the carmaker and to rework a plan for its revival. Read More »
It's the beginning of the end for Opel
We are seeing a one-of-a-kind occurrence in the 126-year history of the automobile: Opel is being consciously and deliberately ruined. Within the next 10 years, the Opel lightning bolt will no longer be good for anything but affixing to Chevrolets or Chinese-made cars. Read More »
GM sues stores for missing targets
About a month ago, General Motors shared some good news with dozens of dealerships across the country: They could keep their franchises. But for a handful of dealerships, the message wasn't positive. Those stores had missed their 2011 targets, and GM was taking back their franchises. Read More »
AOL, Yahoo pick new lead partners
More dealers will get a shot at vehicle leads generated by Yahoo Autos and AOL Autos now that the giant search engine and media companies have moved away from TrueCar Inc. to alternative shopping services. Read More »
Should Opel, Chevy coexist in Europe?
GM flipped back into another Opel crisis this month with the abrupt departure of Karl-Friedrich Stracke as CEO of the German subsidiary. Read More »
Toyota's U.S. r&d matures
Toyota Motor Corp.'s North American operations have a new, unprecedented assignment: Develop cars. On your own. Read More »
VW aims to tailor U.S. lineup more to America
The Volkswagen brand's U.S. product planner wants a more Americanized lineup. His wish list calls for a small, locally built SUV, more diesels and possibly a return of the Phaeton. Read More »
AutoNation CEO: Bullish on '12 but wary of fiscal cliff
AutoNation Inc. CEO Mike Jackson generally is bullish on the rest of 2012. But throw in a presidential election in November and the federal government's automatic spending cuts and expiration of Bush-era tax breaks on Jan. 1, and it could all go haywire. Read More »
1 year later: Lessons learned after a tornado
No one could have imagined a good outcome after a tornado wiped out Fletcher Auto Group's Toyota and Nissan stores in Joplin, Mo., 14 months ago. But today, the retail group has two new dealerships, rising retail vehicle sales plus loyal customers and employees. Read More »
Chrysler will limit stores selling SRT Viper
The redesigned 2013 SRT Viper will be sold at about one in five Chrysler Group dealerships, says Ralph Gilles, head of the high-performance SRT brand. To qualify for the sports car, dealerships will have to train staff, buy special tools and improve their facilities. Read More »
China's dealers learning to sell American-style
Now that China's gold-rush car market has waned, you might wonder what comes next for that nation's automotive sales force. One answer lies in a BMW dealership in Xian, a city deep in China's interior, about 600 miles southwest of Beijing. Read More »
2014 Mazda6 bares some sheet metal in teaser videos
Mazda Motor Corp. is teasing the production 2014 Mazda6 with videos on YouTube showing glimpses of the redesigned sedan's grille, headlamps and front fenders. Read More »
VW will test Up, GTD on U.S. scribes
Volkswagen of America Inc. is bringing its Up subcompact car and the GTD, essentially a GTI with a diesel engine, to the United States. Sort of. Read More »
Report: Honda plans Fit-based crossover
Honda has said the Fit will pioneer an r&d strategy in which global nameplates will break from a one-size-fits-all approach and be developed and built regionally. Read More »
Lexus adds IS-F convertible
A fresh attitude for Lexus has been captured in spy shots showing the evolution of the IS-F, which will get a convertible variant to complement the sedan. This hard-top convertible will serve as a halo for the IS line. Read More »
How an ID thief snuck past dealers
In retrospect, it should have sounded fishy. But the car shopper told an elaborate, heartwarming story, said a finance manager at Evans Toyota in Fort Wayne, Ind. Now a man who fits the shopper's description is in custody, a suspect in a string of identity-theft cases across several states. Read More »
EDITORIAL:Ford shows how to do a recall right
Ford Motor Co. is showing the right way to conduct a safety recall with its response to reports of engine-compartment fires in the redesigned 2013 Escape crossover. Read More »
EDITORIAL:Tin whiskers? Get real
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know it is impossible to prove a negative. Unfortunately, that probably means periodic cockamamie theories about what caused unintended acceleration in some Toyota models. Read More »
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