North America

Ford must switch gears, tout trucks, Mustang

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Ford-brand marketers face an interesting challenge. After spending millions of dollars over the last several years promoting a lineup of fuel-efficient small- and mid-sized cars and crossovers, two historic launches loom on Ford's near-term horizon: the next-generation F-series pickup and the 50th anniversary Mustang pony car.... Read More »

 

Hyundai sets new TV spots to reggae beat

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A remix of the Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds" will be the soundtrack for TV spots in a campaign touting the package of safety and maintenance services included with Hyundai's Blue Link telematics system.... Read More »

 

BEST PRACTICES

Dealer pairs test driver's phone to car

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A Chrysler Group dealer in Michigan has turned a 30-second routine into a better way to demonstrate his technology-laden vehicles.Before the start of each test drive at Extreme Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, the salesperson showing the vehicle asks the customer in the driver's seat for his or her smartphone and -- with permission -- connects the phone to the vehicle's infotainment system.... Read More »

 

Chrysler's crash course cuts waste

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Dakkota Systems' instrument panel factory is joined at the hip to Chrysler's Windsor minivan assembly plant. So as Chrysler works to wring costs out of its entire manufacturing operations, it's only natural for the company to examine its key suppliers. And the Dakkota plant here is the first guinea pig in a major experiment.... Read More »

 

MARKETING EXECUTIVE Q&A: OLIVIER FRANCOIS

At Chrysler-Fiat 'it's all about differentiating the brands'

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for Fiat and Chrysler, has helped rehabilitate Chrysler Group's image since its 2009 bankruptcy. Chrysler has racked up 37 consecutive months of year-over-year U.S. sales increases, thanks in part to memorable commercials, such as rapper Eminem's coup during the 2011 Super Bowl.... Read More »

 

Toyota puts high beams on headlight regulation

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
With a recent petition, Toyota has intensified the pressure on safety regulators to approve new headlights currently forbidden on U.S. roads. The headlights use cameras to detect other cars and automatically dim the portions of the high beam that would shine in other drivers' eyes.... Read More »

 

Krishnan Anantharaman joins Automotive News

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Krishnan Anantharaman has joined Automotive News as an assigning editor at the paper's headquarters.... Read More »

 

GM says new data centers will improve vehicles, margins

1:35 pm U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
General Motors said it is investing $546 million in two new Michigan data centers in hopes it will free up millions of dollars to boost vehicle quality more quickly.... Read More »

 

Musk's magic touch on Wall St.

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
The cult of personality surrounding Tesla Motors founder and CEO Elon Musk has wowed the investment community. Operating on the edge of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's fair-disclosure rules, Musk and his steady flow of Twitter posts about Tesla have corresponded with a swift rise in the share price of his EV company. He has repeatedly halted declines with well-timed tweets.... Read More »

 

China is a learning lab for Lincoln

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Lincoln is studying the habits of luxury shoppers at Shanghai's luxury malls for new ideas in customer service that eventually could find their way back to U.S. dealerships.... Read More »

 

Renault-Nissan unlikely to hit 2016 EV target

May 13, 2013 06:01 CET
Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan, said the companies are unlikely to reach their goal of selling a combined 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2016. Nissan has sold just 62,000 Leafs since the EV's debut in late 2010, he said.... Read More »

 

Progress in supplier relations stalls

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Automakers in North America failed to make progress in improving relations with suppliers over the past year, an annual study says.... Read More »

 

Magna hikes full-year forecast on strong Q1 profit

May 13, 2013 06:01 CET
Magna International has hiked its full-year sales forecasts after posting a better-than-expected profit and a 9 percent rise in revenue in the first quarter.... Read More »

 

FINANCE & INSURANCE

GM's F&I products will carry vehicle brand names

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
General Motors is rolling out branded F&I products, starting this month with a pilot at its 200 or so dealerships in Ohio and going nationwide by year end.... Read More »

 

FINANCE & INSURANCE Q&A: TOM DUNDON

Chrysler Group seeks an edge with Chrysler Capital

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Chrysler Capital, the private-label arrangement between Santander Consumer USA and Chrysler Group, began operating in the United States May 1 as the preferred lender for Chrysler Group. Chrysler Capital will offer prime and subprime retail loans and leasing through Chrysler dealers, as well as floorplanning and construction loans to dealers.... Read More »

 

CARS & CONCEPTS

Audi Q7 will shed weight

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
The redesigned Audi Q7 that debuts next summer in Europe will weigh about 800 pounds less than the current model, company insiders tell German sibling publication Automobilwoche.... Read More »

 

N.J. store sues Chrysler over termination

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
A Chrysler Group dealership in central New Jersey has filed a lawsuit to stop the automaker from terminating the dealership's franchises.... Read More »

 

Retired Texas dealer McCall supports Tesla

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Retired Texas auto dealer Sterling McCall surprised fellow dealers in April when he testified in favor of Tesla Motors Inc.'s bid to carve out an exemption to state franchise law. But after buying two Teslas himself -- and taking delivery of his Model S in a high school parking lot -- McCall became convinced that the current Texas law is unfair to the electric vehicle maker.... Read More »

 

New needs, more speeds

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
In March, luxury maker Land Rover proudly told an audience at the Geneva auto show that it would soon bring to market the industry's first nine-speed transmission. One month later, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors announced that they would jointly develop 10-speeds. Can 12-speeds really be that far behind? And why not a 24-speed?... Read More »

 

Toyota: N.A. to fuel biggest profits in 6 years

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Toyota Motor Corp. expects North America to be its fastest-growing market this fiscal year, driving the company to its highest profits since the global financial crisis.... Read More »

 

N.A. April output up 14%

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
North American car and truck production in April rose 14 percent from the year-earlier month to 1,474,599 units, the highest for any April since 2002.... Read More »

 

Nissan-Renault unlikely to hit 2016 EV target

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan and Renault, said the companies are unlikely to reach their goal of selling a combined 1.5 million electric vehicles by 2016. Nissan has sold just 62,000 Leafs since the EV's debut in late 2010, he said.... Read More »

 

Infiniti adds managers

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen continues to shift decision-making for the luxury brand onto managers who are focused solely on Infiniti.... Read More »

 

Porsche reassigns 2 execs

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Porsche Cars North America is bringing in Joe Lawrence, CEO of Canadian operations, to be its No. 2 executive in the United States, the company's largest market.... Read More »

 

Tesla falters in Texas; N.C. fight goes on

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013
Elon Musk has two weeks to convince Texas legislators that he deserves an exemption to current state law that would allow him to sell his Tesla electric vehicles directly to consumers. It will be a long shot.... Read More »