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Nissan lures feathered pickup customers with fish, no rebates

Posted 10:57 am U.S. ET, May 17
blogs Andrew Thurlow is an intern at Automotive News.
 
If Nissan Motor Co. wants to portray its made-in-the-U.S.A. Frontier compact pickup as more, well, American, maybe the company's marketing team should take a gander at YouTube.
The video below has generated more than 281,768 views since it was loaded last week.
Here's what the voiceover cou ...
     Continue reading "Nissan lures feathered pickup customers with fish, no rebates" » May 17, 2013 10:57 am U.S. ET
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2 million extra doors was the best call Daimler made during 'marriage of equals'

Posted 12:35 pm U.S. ET, May 17
blogs
A popular off-roading magazine calls the Daimler-era call to add two extra doors to the venerable Wrangler "the best automotive industry decision of the last decade."
LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE:  It's easy to criticize the way Daimler AG ran and ultimately left Chrysler during the disastrous "marriage of equals" era. I know because I've done it on a regular basis.
But even the worst marriages can produce spectacular kids -- or in this case, products. And today, the 1 millionth copy of one of the best results of Chrysl ...
     Continue reading "2 million extra doors was the best call Daimler made during 'marriage of equals'" » May 17, 2013 12:35 pm U.S. ET
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In the Land of Many Buicks, one in particular stood out

Posted 3:59 pm U.S. ET, May 17
blogs
The Buick GL8 is an office on wheels for many Chinese. (BRADFORD WERNLE)
BRADFORD WERNLE:  SHANGHAI -- If you were an alien from another world and your spaceship landed in Shanghai, you would immediately conclude that Buick is a planetary titan among automotive brands.
Buick is the third-leading brand in China behind Volkswagen and Hyundai through March with 5.3 percent of the market, according to data from LMC Aut ...
     Continue reading "In the Land of Many Buicks, one in particular stood out" » May 17, 2013 3:59 pm U.S. ET
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With Mercedes, there's nothing bigger than S-class launch

Posted 10:46 am U.S. ET, May 16
blogs Diana T. Kurylko covers various U.S. import brands for Automotive News.
 
HAMBURG, Germany -- If you're going to unveil a flagship that will sell for nearly $100,000 in the United States, go big -- really big.
That's what Mercedes-Benz did for the debut of the 2014 S class here on Wednesday. The launch was staged in a customer delivery center used for the Airbus A380 -- a plane its creators modestl ...
     Continue reading "With Mercedes, there's nothing bigger than S-class launch" » May 16, 2013 10:46 am U.S. ET
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How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 16
blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
 
A religious experience set Dieter Zetsche on his path to becoming CEO of Mercedes-Benz. During the launch of the new S class in Hamburg last night, Zetsche said what he remembers most from a pastoral visit that Pope Paul VI made to the area where he was living as a young man was the Mercedes that his holiness was being driven in.
...
     Continue reading "How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man" » May 16, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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For AutoNation's Jackson, Penske sets pace for retirement

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 16
blogs Amy Wilson covers auto dealer issues for Automotive News.
 
AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson's employment contract with the country's largest dealership group is up in September.
Jackson will turn 65 next February, but he has no intention of walking out the door any time soon.
Jackson told Automotive News last week that he intends to follow the ...
     Continue reading "For AutoNation's Jackson, Penske sets pace for retirement " » May 16, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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How GM and Nissan avoided a UAW thorn

Posted 3:15 pm U.S. ET, May 15
blogs Lindsay Chappell is the Mid-South bureau chief for Automotive News.
 
A labor taboo still exists in the North American auto industry, and Nissan and General Motors sidestepped it this week.
GM revealed that it will buy Nissan's compact commercial v ...
     Continue reading "How GM and Nissan avoided a UAW thorn" » May 15, 2013 3:15 pm U.S. ET
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Rebranding effort aids AutoNation's community giving

Posted 11:57 am U.S. ET, May 15
blogs Amy Wilson covers auto dealer issues for Automotive News.
 
ATLANTA -- AutoNation Inc. has rebranded nearly 40 percent of its dealerships with its coast-to-coast AutoNation name. And, contrary to early fears within the nation's largest auto dealership group, AutoNation says it is maintaining or increasing share in those converted markets.
That's despite the loss of longtime regional b ...
     Continue reading "Rebranding effort aids AutoNation's community giving" » May 15, 2013 11:57 am U.S. ET
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Is the S in the new Mercedes S class for Shanghai?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 15
blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
 
The new Mercedes-Benz S class made its world premiere today in Hamburg, Germany, but Shanghai might have been more appropriate. Why? China accounted for 49 percent of all S-class sales from 2010-2012.
By comparison, 15 percent of total S-class sales were in Europe during the three-year period and the United States accounted f ...
     Continue reading "Is the S in the new Mercedes S class for Shanghai?" » May 15, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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'Last resort' means something good

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 15
blogs Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News
 
In a recent blog, I referred to GM Financial as a "lender of last resort" for parent company General Motors.
I meant simply that GM regards GM Financial as a lender ...
     Continue reading "'Last resort' means something good" » May 15, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Can battery rental reduce consumer jitters with EVs? Smart thinks so

Posted 2:02 pm U.S. ET, May 14
blogs
Smart is allowing buyers and lessees to rent the battery -- and lower the purchase price or monthly leases -- in the ForTwo Electric Drive coupe that went on sale this week.
DIANA T. KURYLKO:  Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the supplier of the battery used in the 2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive.
 
Consumers have a lot of gripes about the battery life in high-tech products.
Batteries seem to ...
     Continue reading "Can battery rental reduce consumer jitters with EVs? Smart thinks so" » May 14, 2013 2:02 pm U.S. ET
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Shaq: No grease needed to slide into my LaCrosse

Posted 4:21 pm U.S. ET, May 14
blogs
Shaq does indeed drive a Buick, brand spokesman Nick Richards confirmed today.
VINCE BOND JR.:  Can Shaquille O'Neal really fit into a Buick LaCrosse?
The debate continues, but Buick has to love the humorous PR its giant pitchman generates.
Last night was a shining example.
The brand, trying to lose its grandfatherly image and appeal to younger buye ...
     Continue reading "Shaq: No grease needed to slide into my LaCrosse" » May 14, 2013 4:21 pm U.S. ET
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The auto boom -- without new jobs

Posted 2:49 pm U.S. ET, May 14
blogs Lindsay Chappell is the Mid-South bureau chief for Automotive News.
 
NASHVILLE -- Bill Strauss has some very good news for the American auto industry. Or he has some very bad news. You can take your pick.
Strauss, a Federal Reserve Board senior economist and economic adviser for 30 years, has spent the past few years examining what's going on in auto manufacturing. He concludes, in a nutshell, ...
     Continue reading "The auto boom -- without new jobs" » May 14, 2013 2:49 pm U.S. ET
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Why Wednesday hearing could be connected cars' moment of truth

Posted 4:12 pm U.S. ET, May 13
blogs Gabe Nelson is a reporter for Automotive News and is based in Washington, D.C.
 
WASHINGTON -- In the software industry, people talk about vaporware -- products that are heavily promoted but never seem to go on sale.
Automakers are at the point that they must prove that connected cars, which talk to each other over Wi-Fi to stay out of fender-benders, are more than just vaporware.
...
     Continue reading "Why Wednesday hearing could be connected cars' moment of truth" » May 13, 2013 4:12 pm U.S. ET
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Audi outsells BMW brand globally for 2nd time in 4 months

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 13
blogs Douglas A. Bolduc is Managing Editor at Automotive News Europe.
 
Audi has won rounds two and four of its 12-round fight with BMW brand, but the world luxury-car champ is still ahead on the overall scorecard.
Audi outsold BMW brand by 4,474 units in January and by 2,902 vehicles in April, according to the data from the companies.
BMW brand beat Audi by 4, ...
     Continue reading "Audi outsells BMW brand globally for 2nd time in 4 months" » May 13, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Next hurdle for hot Tesla is pushing EVs mainstream

Posted 11:47 am U.S. ET, May 10
blogs Dave Guilford is enterprise editor of Automotive News.
 
Tesla has had one hell of a week. It reported its first quarterly profit. It's brainstorming self-guided cars with Google. The stock is sizzling.
< ...
     Continue reading "Next hurdle for hot Tesla is pushing EVs mainstream" » May 10, 2013 11:47 am U.S. ET
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Silverado hand-wringers should relax -- for now

Posted 12:15 pm U.S. ET, May 9
blogs
The exterior changes on the 2014 Silverado, which hits showrooms by early June, are striking when parked aside the outgoing model.
MIKE COLIAS:  SAN ANTONIO -- There was hand-wringing, even some flat out panic, when General Motors unwrapped its next-generation Chevrolet Silverado in December.
Many dealers, enthusiasts and writers questioned whether the pickup's design went far enough. There was also disappointment at the lack of a sexy technology to hit back at the Fo ...
     Continue reading "Silverado hand-wringers should relax -- for now" » May 9, 2013 12:15 pm U.S. ET
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Slow and steady wins at Subaru

Posted 10:32 am U.S. ET, May 9
blogs Lindsay Chappell is the Mid-South bureau chief for <i>Automotive News</i>.
 
Score one for the tortoise.
Subaru's plan to invest $400 million to expand its U.S. auto factory is evidence that a long-term business outlook and a steady commitment to growth are worth more than neon headlines and Wall Street drooling.
Even in the car business.
...
     Continue reading "Slow and steady wins at Subaru" » May 9, 2013 10:32 am U.S. ET
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Is Akio Toyoda cut from the Steve Jobs mold?

Posted 12:48 pm U.S. ET, May 8
blogs James B. Treece is industry editor for Automotive News.
 
Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda wants to take personal responsibility for injecting design and performance pizazz into the Lexus brand.
In essence, Toyoda is setting out to be the automaker's equivalent of the late Steve Jobs, the legendary boss of Apple.
An Continue reading "Is Akio Toyoda cut from the Steve Jobs mold?" » May 8, 2013 12:48 pm U.S. ET
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Subprime scrutiny could open a real can of worms

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 8
blogs Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News
 
Here's a disturbing thought: As much as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has upset auto lenders and dealers, it hasn't even gotten around to the vast category of subprime auto lending.
Sure, the bureau has targeted dealer reserve in prime-risk lending. And now the bureau is reportedly looking into F&I products as ...
     Continue reading "Subprime scrutiny could open a real can of worms" » May 8, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET
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Are car salespeople, journalists all that different?

Posted 4:49 pm U.S. ET, May 8
blogs Charles Child is news editor for Automotive News.
 
ORLANDO -- A strange thing happened to me here at the Digital Dealer Conference. I've concluded I could be a car salesman.
Let me tell you why that's surprising. Anyone who knows me realizes that working a car lot would be a seriously poor career choice. I'm an introvert. Alas, I lack the salesman's tools: instant rapport, ba ...
     Continue reading "Are car salespeople, journalists all that different?" » May 8, 2013 4:49 pm U.S. ET
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Ram photo shoot goes horribly, horribly wrong

Posted 12:00 pm U.S. ET, May 7
blogs
A 2014 Ram prototype pickup truck was lost at sea during a May 1 photo shoot near Moonstone Beach, just south of Trinidad, Calif. It was recovered the next day. (MATT HINTON)
LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE:  I love puns, so when photos arrived of the big blue Pacific crashing against a floundering Ram heavy-duty pickup during a beach-photo-shoot-gone-wrong, my mind just raced.
"Guts. Gnarly. Ram."
"Ram 2500 --fathoms?"
"Finally, the perf ...
     Continue reading "Ram photo shoot goes horribly, horribly wrong" » May 7, 2013 12:00 pm U.S. ET
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Why Chevy execs are suddenly watching 'Mad Men'

Posted 2:19 pm U.S. ET, May 7
blogs Nick Bunkley is an enterprise reporter for Automotive News.
 
One of Joel Ewanick's big moves in his brief reign as chief marketing officer of General Motors was to combine two rival ad agencies and give them the Chevrolet account, ousting Campbell Ewald after decades of experience.
It turns out that Don Draper had that exact same idea in 1968.
On the ...
     Continue reading "Why Chevy execs are suddenly watching 'Mad Men'" » May 7, 2013 2:19 pm U.S. ET
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Fiat ad or (Arianna, Pitbull) music video?

Posted 7:42 am U.S. ET, May 4
blogs

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE:  I present to you Fiat's latest video in North America, "Sexy People."
It could easily have been ghost written by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
...
     Continue reading "Fiat ad or (Arianna, Pitbull) music video?" » May 4, 2013 7:42 am U.S. ET
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For VW, new turbo brings more power, fuel economy for key models

Posted 8:00 am U.S. ET, May 3
blogs
In addition to a new turbo engine, the Beetle Turbo and Beetle Turbo convertible both receive new R-Line bumpers and trim, VW says.
GABE NELSON:  A new crop of turbocharged Volkswagen Jettas and Beetles will start to show up in U.S. dealerships this month.
These cars will look like the other 2013 Jettas and Beetles from the outside, but will get Continue reading "For VW, new turbo brings more power, fuel economy for key models" » May 3, 2013 8:00 am U.S. ET
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