Truck

For some, trucks are about panache, not power

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2013
As the economy improves, marketers of full-sized pickups are devising strategies to snag first-time buyers and lifestyle buyers who are returning to the vehicles.... Read More »

 

Behind in mpg, GM says its trucks cost least to own

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 14, 2013
General Motors can't claim best-in-class fuel economy for its current Chevrolet Silverado pickup. But it's making a more expansive boast in recent advertising: lowest total cost of ownership.... Read More »

 

GM, Isuzu weigh joint development of new truck

2:40 pm U.S. ET | Jan. 9, 2013
General Motors and Isuzu Motors will discuss the possibility of jointly developing a next-generation pickup truck, GM said in a statement on today. The two automakers signed a memorandum of understanding to start negotiations, but GM declined to outline the timing of the talks or any other aspect of the potential deal.... Read More »

 

U.S. new-auto registrations to grow 6.6% in 2013, Polk estimates

Jan. 3, 2013 06:01 CET
Sales of new autos, a bright spot for the U.S. in 2012, will grow further this year as an improving economy and demand for pickups and for mid-sized cars boosts registrations 6.6 percent, according to R.L. Polk & Co. About 15.3 million new light-vehicle sales will be registered in 2013, up less than 1 million from last year, the auto researcher said in a report today.... Read More »

 

U.S. new-auto registrations to grow 6.6% in 2013, Polk estimates

12:34 am U.S. ET | Jan. 2, 2013
Sales of new autos, a bright spot for the U.S. in 2012, will grow further this year as an improving economy and demand for pickups and for mid-sized cars boosts registrations 6.6 percent, according to R.L. Polk & Co. About 15.3 million new light-vehicle sales will be registered in 2013, up less than 1 million from last year, the auto researcher said in a report today.... Read More »

 

JAMES B. TREECE

GM pickups raise the 'wow' bar

4:02 pm U.S. ET | Dec. 17, 2012
General Motors' new pickups have plenty of cool extra features. I'm not talking about the big stuff. I give the Chevrolet and GMC pickup truck specialists the benefit of the doubt on the big stuff.... Read More »

 

GM's 2014 pickups bank on improved power, mpg, refinement to revive truck share

12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 13, 2012
GM's next generation, full-sized pickup trucks offer "evolutionary" styling changes but significant engine and interior advances, a bid by GM to cater to buyers who use their trucks to make a living. GM today touted the improved power, fuel economy, refinement and functionality of the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups -- the company's top-selling model line and biggest profit source -- ahead of their showroom debuts next summer.... Read More »

 

Renault will sell Volvo Trucks stake to boost investment in carmaking

Dec. 13, 2012 09:49 CET
Renault will sell its remaining 6.5 percent stake in truckmaker Volvo as it seeks to cut debt and boost investment in carmaking. The sale will raise $1.92 billion and ends Renault's 11-year run as the Swedish truckmaker's largest shareholder.... Read More »

 

Daimler names new board member for China to boost sales

Dec. 12, 2012 09:19 CET
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 »

 

A pileup of pickups

12:01 am U.S. ET | Dec. 10, 2012
General Motors entered December with bloated inventories reminiscent of its prebankruptcy days-and its lowest market share in 90 years. GM will try to fix both problems in a hurry.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Ford takes Ram's bait with an empty hook

3:44 pm U.S. ET | Nov. 21, 2012
Ford Motor -- whose absolute dominance of the profit-producing pickup segment is now measured in geological terms -- is throwing a hard elbow at the rival Ram 1500 and its claim of best-in-class 25 mpg highway fuel economy. The Blue Oval's marketing campaign doesn't mention the Chrysler Group offering by name, but delivers a stiff jab to an area where the Ram 1500 lags the F-150.... Read More »

 

GM to unveil new Silverado, Sierra trucks in December

1:19 pm U.S. ET | Oct. 22, 2012
GM will introduce its next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-sized pickups at a media event Dec. 13 in suburban Detroit. “The bold exterior design of the new Silverado reflects the enhanced capabilities of the truck,” GM said today. The unveiling of the redesigned trucks at Michigan Motion Picture Studios will come a month before the Detroit auto show.... Read More »

 

Chrysler seeks business buyers with heavy-duty Rams

12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 27, 2012
Ram will try to sell more vehicles to commercial customers next year with a new commercial division offering a re-engineered lineup of heavy-duty pickups and chassis-cab trucks, as well as two Fiat-based commercial vans.... Read More »

 

Chevy plans high-sticker luxury pickups

12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 24, 2012
General Motors plans a luxury trim level for its next-generation Chevrolet Silverado pickup, its answer to the leather-swathed top offerings of its rivals. GM will name the model the High Country, according to dealers briefed on the plans during a national Chevy dealer meeting this month in Las Vegas.... Read More »

 

Sweden's SKF opens bearing factory in China

Sept. 21, 2012 11:51 CET
SKF, a Swedish producer of bearings, seals and lubrication systems, officially opened a factory in Jinan in east China's Shandong province.... Read More »

 

Let the pickup wars begin

12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 17, 2012
General Motors has been cranking out pickups to stockpile them ahead of factory downtime this summer and fall, as it retools for the next-generation trucks due out by summer. Now it's crunch time. The company wants to whittle its four-month supply to less than three months by year end.... Read More »

 

CARS & CONCEPTS

Tweaks push Ram mpg to 18/25

12:01 am U.S. ET | Aug. 27, 2012
When it goes on sale this fall, the 2013 Ram 1500 pickup will get better fuel economy than Ford's and General Motors' most efficient full-sized pickups. The re-engineered Ram pickup achieves 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.... Read More »

 

S&P revises Ford outlook to positive, seeks more diverse profitability for upgrade

2:39 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 10, 2012
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services raised its outlook on Ford to "positive" from "stable," saying the U. S. automaker's performance in North America continues to support good overall automotive cash flow and profitability. But the agency indicated it wasn't likely to boost the automaker's credit rating to investment grade before 2014.... Read More »

 

The pickup hiccup: Over?

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 30, 2012
Six to eight times a month now, someone who brings an F-150 into Earnhardt Ford for service ends up buying a new truck instead of going ahead with the repair. The trucks coming in are so old and run-down that it makes more sense to replace them, says John Nissen, general manager of the dealership in suburban Phoenix.... Read More »

 

Redone Ram counts on mpg, technology to grab pickup share

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 30, 2012
The head of Ram predicts his re-engineered 1500 pickup will swipe loyal customers from other brands because of better fuel economy and new technology when it debuts this fall. But Fred Diaz, the native Texan who has ridden herd over the Chrysler Group's truck brand since it split from Dodge in 2009, understands the size of the challenge.... Read More »

 

Volkswagen profit growth slows on European market's slump

July 26, 2012 10:19 CET
Volkswagen Group reported slowing earnings growth as the impact of the sovereign debt crisis weighed on demand in its home region.... Read More »

 

FINAL ASSEMBLY

GM will skip Texas state fair, hide new trucks from rivals

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 9, 2012
General Motors is playing a game of Texas Hold'em with the launch of its redesigned full-sized pickups.... Read More »

 

EDITORIAL

Fuel economy push gives pickup buyers options

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 9, 2012
There's a persistent fear among some in the auto industry that fuel economy regulations will result in a limited selection of undersized, underperforming pickups that buyers won't want. So far, the results are the exact opposite.... Read More »

 

PICKUP GAME

As trucks square off, this time mpg comes into play

12:01 am U.S. ET | July 2, 2012
Coming this fall: The pickup wars resume, with a twist. Expect boastful claims of horsepower, torque, towing capacity and durability. But this year the Ford and Ram brands also plan to duke it out over fuel economy.... Read More »

 

GM's female manufacturing chief faces big truck test

12:22 pm U.S. ET | June 25, 2012
GM's global manufacturing chief Diana Tremblay is one of the highest-ranking women in the automotive industry. Throughout her 35-year career at GM, she has made her mark in what were regarded as male domains, from directing foundry workers to staring down union labor negotiators. Now she faces an even more critical task for the world's largest automaker -- ensuring the smooth 2013 introduction of the automaker's all-important remodeled full-size pickup trucks and SUVs.... Read More »