Headlines for Wednesday, December 12, 2012
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European car sales seen flat in 2013, says Italy's ANFIA
European new-car sales in 2013 will remain more or less at 2012 levels, the chief of the Italian carmakers' association ANFIA said. Read More »
AutoNews Now: Car, truck award finalists
Fusion, Accord, ATS contend for annual prize as Ram 1500 takes on Ford, Mazda; Toyota glitch fix; Bill Ford's new ride. Read More »
Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Caddy ATS named 'Car of Year' finalists
The Cadillac ATS, Ford Fusion and Honda Accord were named finalists today for North American Car of the Year, while the Ford C-Max, Mazda CX-5, and Ram 1500 were named truck/utility finalists. The 2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year will be announced Jan. Read More »
First Shift: Union pain, business gain?
Michigan's 'right-to-work' law seen as boon to companies; Honda recalls Odysseys, SUVs; Fiat takes fuel pitch to pump Read More »
Nissan's U.S. battery plant begins lithium-ion pack output for Leaf EV
Nissan, aiming to be the world's largest seller of electric vehicles, said its Tennessee battery plant has begun producing lithium ion packs for the company's rechargeable Leaf, two years after the hatchback went on sale. Read More »
Right to work may put Mich. back on business map
Michigan, a symbol of American industrial rise and decline, is about to get a second look from corporate America. Read More »
The end is near for the French flagship sedan
France will no longer have a domestically produced flagship when output of the Citroen C6 ends later this month. The C6's demise marks the end of an era in France that reached its pinnacle in the 1950s. That was when the first Citroen DS sedan arrived. Read More »
Dealerships can make or break auto lender, factory reputations
J.D. Power and Associates has reaffirmed that the dealership F&I experience has a big effect on what customers think of the factory and the lender that finances the deal. Read More »
Toyota to alert customers about trunk-release defect
Toyota next month is expected to alert about 700,000 owners of three Lexus nameplates in the United States about a problem with the emergency trunk release, Consumer Reports magazine said today. Read More »
Nissan to extend lineup of hybrids, electric vehicles
Nissan said it will extend its offering of hybrids with 15 new models by 2017 and introduce new electric vehicles, as the automaker looks to move ahead of its competitors in low- and zero-emission cars. Read More »
Acura plans MDX successor with 'aero sculpture' design
Acura will introduce a prototype of the 2014 MDX mid-sized crossover in January at the Detroit auto show. Read More »
Subaru parent will delay decision on U.S. expansion
The head of Subaru's parent company said the company delayed making a decision on its U.S. capacity expansion as slumping demand in China and Europe gave it more room to ship vehicles to America. Read More »
Dealers boost F&I profits in Sandy's wake
Adam Kraushaar is making more money selling finance and insurance in the midst of mayhem. Kraushaar owns six dealerships in Toms River, N.J., one of the areas most forcibly struck by Hurricane Sandy in October. Read More »
How Nissan Acceptance snagged more dealers
Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp., the U.S. captive finance company for Nissan and Infiniti, has boosted its share of dealer business to 67 percent for the six months ended Sept. 30, up from 46 percent three years earlier. Read More »
Do's and don'ts for selling service contracts in the service drive
With top management's support, proper training and a maximum of two levels of coverage to sell, service writers can significantly boost their dealerships' sales of service contracts, F&I trainer Rick McCormick says. Read More »
Surprise! Auto-loan delinquencies decline
Auto loan delinquencies fell in the third quarter from a year earlier, extending a streak that goes back to the fourth quarter of 2009, according to Experian Automotive. Read More »
Honda to recall 871,000 vehicles for roll-away issue
Honda will recall 871,000 vehicles that could roll away after the ignition key has been removed, including 807,000 in the United States, the company said today. Read More »
Renault-Nissan finalizes Russian auto deal
Renault-Nissan finalized a long-awaited deal to expand in the Russian market, investing $742 million in a joint venture which will control Lada-maker AvtoVAZ. Read More »
PSA will eliminate additional 1,500 jobs as Europe sales drop
PSA plans to shed an additional 1,500 jobs by 2014, deepening its workforce reduction as car sales in Europe plunge to levels not seen in nearly two decades. The cuts, which come on top of 8,000 announced in July, will be made by not replacing people who leave. Read More »
Daimler names new board member for China to boost sales
Daimler said that Hubertus Troska, a top executive in its Mercedes-Benz trucks unit, will take over a newly-created portfolio for China to boost the car maker's flagging business in the world's largest auto market. Read More »
Turkish car production rises 3.9% in November
Turkish vehicle output rose 3.9 percent in November, bringing total 11-month production to 985,395 units, a 9.2 percent decline year-on-year, the Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD) said in a statement. Read More »
BMW to collaborate with Boeing on carbon fiber
BMW and U.S. aircraft maker Boeing plan to pool information on carbon fiber including research on carbon fiber recycling and know-how covering manufacturing. Read More »
BMW to collaborate with Boeing on carbon fiber
BMW and Boeing are to exchange information about making carbon fiber, an emerging battleground among auto and plane makers. The deal intensifies competition between BMW and rival Volkswagen, which already has a collaboration deal with Boeing through its Italian sportscar unit Lamborghini. Read More »
Maserati boss takes aim at German rivals
Maserati’s boss says the carmaker’s new Quattroporte flagship has “nothing to envy” when compared with German premium rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz S class or BMW 7 series. "We are now a true and strong alternative to everything out there," Maserati CEO Harald Wester said Read More »
The end is near for the French flagship sedan
France will no longer have a domestically produced flagship when output of the Citroen C6 ends later this month. The C6's demise marks the end of an era in France that reached its pinnacle in the 1950s. That was when the first Citroen DS sedan arrived. Read More »
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