Pickup.com shootout is a salvo in ongoing pickup battle

Posted 12:07 pm U.S. ET, June 18

Larry P. Vellequette covers Chrysler for Automotive News.

If you'll forgive the metaphor, the shootout described this week by the editors at pickuptrucks.com may say more about the automaker/gunslingers themselves than the effectiveness ...
     Continue reading "Pickup.com shootout is a salvo in ongoing pickup battle" » Jun 18, 2013 12:07 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Range anxiety, hydrogen style

Posted 3:08 pm U.S. ET, June 18
Honda plans to follow the FCX Clarity, shown, with a new fuel cell vehicle in the United States and Japan in 2015.
:  WASHINGTON -- Honda's hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, the FCX Clarity, has been known to travel thousands of miles without refueling.
But only while sitting on the back of a truck.
There are so few hydrogen fueling stations in the United States that Honda often must ship the car from C ...
     Continue reading "Range anxiety, hydrogen style" » Jun 18, 2013 3:08 pm U.S. ET Post Comment  |  Permalink

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Why GM can only get hurt keeping data secret

Posted 9:52 am U.S. ET, June 17

Jesse Snyder is senior writer for Automotive News.

General Motors won’t release production data?
Red alert! Like when the “Check engine” light pops on, the immediate question is “How bad is it?” You hope it’s a $20 fan belt but fear a cracked engine block.
As Automotive News Continue reading "Why GM can only get hurt keeping data secret" » Jun 17, 2013 9:52 am U.S. ET

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Honda's little radiation-proof robot does nuke duty

Posted 8:58 am U.S. ET, June 17

Hans Greimel is Asia editor for Automotive News.

TOKYO -- In the highly radioactive crucible of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, there are simply some areas too hot and hazardous for humans to venture for cleanup.
Now, Honda Motor Co. is parlaying its expertise in robotics into a helping hand -- quite literally a telescoping, cancer-impervious surveying arm t ...
     Continue reading "Honda's little radiation-proof robot does nuke duty" » Jun 17, 2013 8:58 am U.S. ET

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Why Europe is a proving ground for rising star executives

Posted 3:33 pm U.S. ET, June 14

James B. Treece is industry editor for Automotive News.

"It's the hottest fires that make the hardest steel."
That quote, from Chrysler's "Made in Detroit" commercial, certainly applies to automotive executives. Consider this year's list of Europe's Rising St ...
     Continue reading "Why Europe is a proving ground for rising star executives" » Jun 14, 2013 3:33 pm U.S. ET

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Foreign competition leads to new partnerships in China

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, June 14

Yang Jian is managing editor of Automotive News China.

SHANGHAI -- In China's auto industry it is common to see joint ventures between global brands and state-owned Chinese companies.
But now a new type of partnership -- between big state-owned automakers and small private domestic companies -- is emerging.
This is occurring because the Chinese ...
     Continue reading "Foreign competition leads to new partnerships in China" » Jun 14, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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Why some F&I time should be spent in the box

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, June 12

Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News

Most F&I insiders agree that customers dread the idea of spending time in the F&I office, also known as “the box.” But the F&I office has its supporters, too.
Certainly, there’s been a lot of discussion lately about keeping the customer’s time spent there to a minimum. And F&I managers ...
     Continue reading "Why some F&I time should be spent in the box" » Jun 12, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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Lincoln's maintenance cutbacks offer F&I opportunity

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, June 12

Jamie LaReau covers auto dealers for Automotive News.

Some Lincoln dealers see opportunity in Lincoln's plan to trim its complimentary maintenance program from 4 years/50,000 miles to 2 years/24,000 miles starting with 2014 models.
They say the change presents an opportunity to pitch other aftermarket products that would enhance the shorter plans, thus boosting F&I sales. Or ...
     Continue reading "Lincoln's maintenance cutbacks offer F&I opportunity" » Jun 12, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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More dealership employees = more sales?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, June 12

Lindsay Chappell is the Mid-South bureau chief for Automotive News.

Japanese-brand auto dealerships added 11,894 employees in the United States last year, according to a recent report from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association in Washington.
JAMA's numbers are sometimes called into question -- such as when auto dealership workers are included in total U.S. employment figures for Japa ...
     Continue reading "More dealership employees = more sales?" » Jun 12, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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BMW X5 footprint grows, first rwd variant planned

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, June 11

The restyled front end of BMW's X5 has a more prominent kidney-shaped grille.
DIANA T. KURYLKO:  BMW is putting more space between its flagship crossover and the rest of its expanding crossover lineup.
The redesigned X5 crossover, coming in the fourth quarter, is slightly longer than the current model, gets a new front end and will be available with several new safety and communications features.
...
     Continue reading "BMW X5 footprint grows, first rwd variant planned" » Jun 11, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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The EV taxation debate comes to Michigan

Posted 11:04 am U.S. ET, June 11

Chris Gautz covers state politics for Crain's Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News.

LANSING, Mich. -- Can a road tell the difference if an electric vehicle or a gas guzzler is driving over it?
No, but lawmakers around the country tasked with coming up with a new revenue stream to pay for the upkeep of those roads sure can. And they are looking for the owners of those vehicles that guzzle so little gas to pay ...
     Continue reading "The EV taxation debate comes to Michigan" » Jun 11, 2013 11:04 am U.S. ET

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So NHTSA, where's the old Cherokee?

Posted 5:11 pm U.S. ET, June 7

Larry P. Vellequette covers Chrysler for Automotive News.

Several of my colleagues and I have spent most of this week researching, writing and talking about Chrysler Group's decision to fight the recall of the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee ...
     Continue reading "So NHTSA, where's the old Cherokee?" » Jun 7, 2013 5:11 pm U.S. ET

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Resurgent economy bolsters foreign car sales in Japan

Posted 10:36 am U.S. ET, June 7

Hans Greimel is Asia editor for Automotive News.

TOKYO -- For months, U.S. and European automakers have been fretting about the impact of the tumbling yen on local sales.
Without doubt, the shrinking yen makes Japanese exports more profitable and increases their allure in overseas markets.
But here's the flip side they don't complain abou ...
     Continue reading "Resurgent economy bolsters foreign car sales in Japan" » Jun 7, 2013 10:36 am U.S. ET

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Ford dealers’ time to shine is during a recall

Posted 2:49 pm U.S. ET, June 6

Jamie LaReau covers auto dealers for Automotive News

A vehicle recall can be good for dealers.
If handled right, a recall often helps boost a dealership’s customer retention rate and increase service revenues, an industry observer says.
Ford Motor Co. issued a Continue reading "Ford dealers’ time to shine is during a recall" » Jun 6, 2013 2:49 pm U.S. ET

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Lenders must be locally flexible

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, June 5

Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News

Centralization has its limits.
Several large dealership groups and lenders have centralized functions at headquarters or set standard nationwide procedures. But sometimes consumers and their incomes don’t fit the usual profile.
Consider:
• Some Las Vegas ...
     Continue reading "Lenders must be locally flexible" » Jun 5, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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Why Chrysler decided to fight NHTSA

Posted 10:07 am U.S. ET, June 5

Larry P. Vellequette covers Chrysler for Automotive News.

Chrysler Group's decision to reject a recall request for 2.7 million aging Jeep SUVs caught the automotive industry -- and the media -- by surprise Tuesday.
It's a rare event when an automaker says no to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well it should be.
But lost amid ...
     Continue reading "Why Chrysler decided to fight NHTSA" » Jun 5, 2013 10:07 am U.S. ET

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Lutz: GM nice-guy Wagoner fell victim to bad timing, bad luck

Posted 1:45 pm U.S. ET, June 4

Nick Bunkley is an enterprise reporter for Automotive News.

Bob Lutz put a chapter about his old boss, Rick Wagoner, in his new book, which has the word "idiots" in the title.
But Wagoner is no idiot, Lutz writes. He was just too passive, too data-focused and "too nice" to lead General Motors through the toughest period in its history.
"Rick trusted ...
     Continue reading "Lutz: GM nice-guy Wagoner fell victim to bad timing, bad luck" » Jun 4, 2013 1:45 pm U.S. ET

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EV's biggest danger? If buyers feel stupid

Posted 4:09 pm U.S. ET, June 3

Jesse Snyder is senior writer for Automotive News.

Electric vehicle sales have hit a rough spot. Sales are soft, flat or even falling, and prices are dropping.
I don’t want to overstate the situation for a technology still in its infancy.
But looking from the industry’s current near-zero state of usage to a much higher -- and su ...
     Continue reading "EV's biggest danger? If buyers feel stupid" » Jun 3, 2013 4:09 pm U.S. ET

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Where are the beefs about auto loans?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 29

Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News

With Memorial Day earlier this week, it's a good time to note that auto loans barely made the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's list of common complaints for military families, despite an outcry from the bureau, the Federal Trade Commission and others over supposed dealer abuses.
In 2010, a Defense Department spokesman e ...
     Continue reading "Where are the beefs about auto loans?" » May 29, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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Driver's license in Japan comes with a large helping of numbing ritual

Posted 12:09 pm U.S. ET, May 29

Hans Greimel is Asia editor for Automotive News.

TOKYO -- Japan's automakers love to moan about all the red tape that discourages young people here from buying cars: high taxes, thickets of registration, the need to show proof of an overnight parking spot, onerous inspection regimes.
Add to all that the trials and travails of simply getting a driver's license and then keepi ...
     Continue reading "Driver's license in Japan comes with a large helping of numbing ritual" » May 29, 2013 12:09 pm U.S. ET

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A good GM diesel car ... has hell frozen over?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 25

The Cruze diesel is rated at 27 in city driving and 46 mpg on the highway.
MIKE COLIAS:  HELL, Mich. -- General Motors' passenger-car diesel program has, quite literally, been to Hell and back.
Chevrolet chose this out-of-the-way and ironically named destination for journalists to test drive its Continue reading "A good GM diesel car ... has hell frozen over?" » May 25, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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Clues to the next Wrangler: See the want ads

Posted 2:02 pm U.S. ET, May 24

Chrysler's posted job descriptions appear to show that Jeep has decided to put the next-generation Wrangler on a serious diet -- just as Ram did for the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup.
LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE:  Jeep has begun searching for the extra bodies to mount its next big project: the redesign of the Jeep Wrangler. And the job opening descriptions provide some clues as to the changes planned for the off-roader's next generation.
This is supposition on my part, of course -- and a Jeep spokesman declined to comment when asked, s ...
     Continue reading "Clues to the next Wrangler: See the want ads" » May 24, 2013 2:02 pm U.S. ET

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Why Victor Muller has painful memories of running Saab

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 23

Nick Gibbs is UK correspondent at Automotive News Europe.

Reports say that the Swedish government wants to question former Saab Chairman Victor Muller as part of an inquiry into suspected tax offenses at Saab. Muller defended payments he received from the automaker in a recent interview with me and talked about how he has moved on from painful memories of Saab.
The Dutch entrepreneu ...
     Continue reading "Why Victor Muller has painful memories of running Saab" » May 23, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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Are worries over slower, smaller tax refunds overblown?

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 22

Jim Henry is a special correspondent for Automotive News

Some lenders complained in first-quarter earnings reports about smaller and later tax refunds.
IRS refund statistics weren’t down by much, but any change is important because tax refunds contribute to the annual peak in subprime financing, according to dealers and subprime lenders.
Ch ...
     Continue reading "Are worries over slower, smaller tax refunds overblown?" » May 22, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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For happier customers, sales and F&I need to talk

Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 22

Jamie LaReau covers auto dealers for Automotive News

Good communication between sales and finance staff cannot be overstated.
That’s my takeaway from reading a recent chat on a Facebook page shared by finance managers.
Many pondered why a customer can sometimes complain to the sales manager that the F&I manager was rude when the F&a ...
     Continue reading "For happier customers, sales and F&I need to talk" » May 22, 2013 12:01 am U.S. ET

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