Chicago Auto Show
First appearances in the Second City
Last week's Chicago Auto Show was the scene of some major product unveilings, from the tire-shredding Dodge Challenger SRT-8 to a Turkish-built Ford delivery van. Here are six vehicles that will turn up in showrooms by fall. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11
Nardelli: Challenger arrives just in timeChrysler LLC CEO Bob Nardelli thinks the new Challenger muscle car can draw buyers into Dodge showrooms and boost sales of the automaker's other vehicles. "It couldn't come at a better time in our business cycle," Nardelli said last week at the unveiling of the production version here. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11 |
Hummer shifts ad strategyThe softer side of Hummer will be portrayed in advertising this year. Gone are the ads that stress such things as ground clearance and departure angles. "It is kind of a softer, gentler communication," said Martin Walsh, Hummer general manager. "It is taking the message one step further, telling a better story about what it can do for you as a customer." [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11 |
GM: New Camaro will be affordable, not a fire-breather
General Motors will borrow some marketing savvy from the Ford Mustang to sell the Chevrolet Camaro. The Mustang lesson: Low-priced V-6 models established the brand. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11
Porsche's Cayenne GTS hits 60 mph in 5.7 secondsPorsche Cars North America Inc. launched its fastest version of the Cayenne SUV at the auto show here. It is called the GTS and can reach 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11 |
ZR1 will be in a class by itselfAll that touting of the 200-mph-plus 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 by General Motors is apparently giving the automaker's legal department nightmares. So now GM wants each owner to attend a driving school. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11 |
Ford will offer Edge Sport
Ford Motor Co. hopes to build on the success of the Edge crossover with a sporty new model coming this fall. The 2009 Ford Edge Sport adds standard 20-inch wheels or optional 22-inchers and body-colored side skirts to improve aerodynamics. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11
CHICAGO AUTO SHOW
Toyota: Hybrid sales will slow
Toyota's explosive growth in hybrid vehicle sales will slow dramatically this year because of capacity and output restraints, says Bob Carter, Toyota Division general manager. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11
CHICAGO AUTO SHOW
F-150 will get connected
Handy new options coming this fall on the 2009 Ford F-150 include a radio frequency identification system that enables fleet operators to monitor the truck's location; a tool-locking system that features a retractable steel cable in the bed; and Internet connectivity that enables an optional Bluetooth printer to produce documents, such as blueprints and schematics, inside the cab. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11
Mitsubishi freshens Eclipse coupe, SpyderMitsubishi Motors North America debuted a freshened 2009 Eclipse coupe and Eclipse Spyder convertible today at the Chicago Auto Show. The 2009 Eclipse has a new grille and new front and rear fascias, giving the sports coupe a more powerful, sporty look. [REG] 4:11 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 7 |
Cayenne GTS goes 60 mph in 5.7 secondsCHICAGO -- Porsche Cars North America Inc. is launching a new version of the Cayenne SUV. It is called the GTS and can reach 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. [REG] 11:04 am U.S. ET | Feb. 7 |
Challenger muscle car arrives just in timeChrysler LLC's Bob Nardelli thinks the new Challenger muscle car has the potential to draw buyers into Dodge showrooms and boost sales of the automaker's other vehicles. [REG] 3:36 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
GMC Denali XT taps Australian designIn what can be seen as the spiritual successor to the Caballero (or Chevrolet El Camino), GMC will bring the Denali XT concept to the Chicago auto show this week. [REG] 10:28 am U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
Chevy Traverse enters crossover marketChevrolet joins the midsize crossover fray with the introduction of the Traverse today at the Chicago Auto Show. Traverse marks General Motor's fourth crossover off the Lambda chassis following the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave. [REG] 9:45 am U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
VW turns to Chrysler for minivan fixTo fill the people mover void in its lineup, Volkswagen will add a minivan sourced from Chrysler. The VW Routan is basically a Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan clone wearing unique Volkswagen design treatments in front and back. [REG] 2:20 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
2009 Chevy HHR can run on E85 fuelGeneral Motors said today at the Chicago Auto Show that its 2009 Chevrolet HHR will have E85 compatibility. [REG] 1:45 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
More power, fresh looks for 2009 Acura RLAcura hopes to give sales of its flagship sedan a shot in the arm with an updated 2009 RL, which is debuting this week at the Chicago Auto Show. [REG] 12:23 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
Hyundai gives Sonata a makeoverFor the 2009 model year, Hyundai has given an extensive facelift to the Sonata sedan. [REG] 10:37 am U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
Hyundai's Genesis gets a plain grilleThe final piece of the styling puzzle now is in place on the upcoming Hyundai Genesis sports sedan. The car, scheduled to go on sale this summer, will have a plain grille without the Hyundai logo, says John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice president of product development, at the Chicago Auto Show. [REG] 10:23 am U.S. ET | Feb. 6 |
Ford adds Sport package to EdgeFord sharpens its Edge crossover with a new Sport package for the 2009 model year, which adds a body kit, interior-trim upgrades and 40-series Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires on standard 20-inch or optional 22-inch wheels. Front and rear light lenses get a smoked tint. [REG] 1:15 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 5 |
GM dominates Windy City debutsYou can call Chicago's auto show GM Town -- nearly half of the world debuts belong to General Motors. From a sales standpoint, the mid-sized 2009 Chevrolet Traverse crossover is the most important GM vehicle debut in Chicago, followed by Hummer's first real pickup, the 2009 H3T. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4 |
Hummer will sell a pickupThe Hummer line finally gets the model it has been lacking: a true pickup. The 2009 Hummer H3T crew cab seats five and has a 5-foot-long cargo box capable of carrying two dirt bikes or full sheets of plywood. Sales begin this fall. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4 |
GM unibody pickup bowsThe four-passenger GMC Denali XT hybrid concept debuting in Chicago shows General Motors' potential styling direction for a small, rear-drive pickup developed on a unibody architecture. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4 |
Ford sees market for small van
Ford Motor Co. is expected to reveal a small delivery van for the United States at the Chicago Auto Show. The Transit Connect is expected to go on sale in 2009. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4
Ford sees market for small vanFord Motor Co. is expected to reveal a small delivery van for the United States at the Chicago Auto Show. The Transit Connect is slated to go on sale in 2009. [REG] 1:10 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 30 |
Suzuki launches first pickup truckSuzuki's first pickup truck -- the Equator -- goes on sales the fourth quarter of this year. It will be shown for the first time at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 6. The small truck is a version of the Nissan Frontier and will be built at Nissan's factory in Smyrna, Tenn. The Equator will be equipped with both 4- and 6-cylinder engines. No pricing has been set. [REG] 10:28 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 29 |
Hummer adds pickup truck traits to H3TThe Hummer line finally gets the model it has been lacking: a true pickup. The 2009 Hummer H3T crew cab seats five and has a 5-foot-long cargo box capable of carrying two dirt bikes or full sheets of plywood. Sales begin this fall. [REG] 12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 29 |
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