Web

AutoNation unit launches Shop-By-Payment service

3:09 pm U.S. ET | May 20, 2013
AutoNation's lead-referral subsidiary today unveiled an online service that lets consumers search dealership Web sites for new and used vehicles based on monthly payments. When a consumer chooses the desired payment a sales lead is sent to the dealership.... Read More »

 

CHARLES CHILD

Are car salespeople, journalists all that different?

4:49 pm U.S. ET | May 8, 2013
A strange thing happened to me here at the Digital Dealer Conference. I've concluded I could be a car salesman.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Fiat ad or (Arianna, Pitbull) music video?

7:42 am U.S. ET | May 4, 2013
I present to you Fiat's latest video in North America, "Sexy People." Some things just need to speak for themselves. I am left without words.... Read More »

 

Autobytel posts highest quarterly revenue in 5 years

2:38 pm U.S. ET | May 3, 2013
Lead-generation Web site Autobytel reported its highest quarterly revenues in five years during the first quarter -- growth that reflects the improving automotive market.... Read More »

 

Most car shoppers prefer 'the deal' more than latest design, AutoTrader says

3:13 pm U.S. ET | April 11, 2013
As much as car enthusiasts gush over new automotive sheet metal and technology, nearly 80 percent of car shoppers would prefer to get a good deal on a car than wait for a newer design, a recent online survey shows. The survey by AutoTrader.com found that 57 percent of shoppers do not feel it is important to have the latest vehicle redesign.... Read More »

 

PHILIP NUSSEL

Why GM should go all out with hot spots

1:43 pm U.S. ET | March 11, 2013
If General Motors wants to take the industry lead in installing Internet hot spots in its vehicles in coming years, then it should go all out. GM needs to make the cable industry uncomfortable by making these hot spots robust enough to become householdwide connections while the vehicles are parked in a garage.... Read More »

 

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC

LaFerrari and Golf were Geneva Web winners

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 11, 2013
Ferrari's new supercar and Volkswagen's award-winning top seller were the big Web winners from this year's Geneva auto show, according to a study. The VW Golf was the media champion of the show because of the debut of the GTI version of the compact as well as the car's victory in the 2013 European Car of the Year contest.... Read More »

 

Autobytel posts gains in Q4 from growth in online leads

3:09 pm U.S. ET | March 1, 2013
Online automotive lead provider Autobytel posted a modest increase in net profits for the fourth quarter last year due to an increase in demand from automotive dealers and manufacturers. Net income for the quarter rose to $351,000, up from $341,000, a year ago.... Read More »

 

Jeep serves as poster child for the Twitter-hacked

2:54 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 20, 2013
Jeep is becoming a corporate poster child for the Twitter-hacked -- and automakers are taking note and playing defense. Companies should reassess the way they handle social media passwords after Jeep's Twitter account was invaded yesterday, a computer forensics expert suggested today.... Read More »

 

Renault, Dacia want to expand in fast-growing market for online car sales

Feb. 12, 2013 06:01 CET
The Renault and Dacia brands plan to aggressively expand their online car sales, taking advantage of a trend in vehicle retailing that is expected to grow rapidly this decade.... Read More »

 

2013 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS WORLD CONGRESS

Chrysler's Bigland: Dealers' 'methodical' response to online leads is boosting sales

10:56 am U.S. ET | Jan. 16, 2013
A sharp focus on responding to Internet leads has allowed Chrysler Group to dramatically decrease both the number of lost leads as well as the time the average customer waits for a response, the automaker's head of United States and Canadian sales said.... Read More »

 

Half of drivers under 30 use Web behind wheel, survey shows

1:56 pm U.S. ET | Nov. 16, 2012
Almost half of drivers from ages 18 to 29 use the internet behind the wheel, as more people buy smart phones, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance said in a survey released today.... Read More »

 

DAVID BARKHOLZ

For some dealers, it’s time to celebrate and explore digital reforms

12:01 am U.S. ET | Aug. 17, 2012
U.S. auto dealers are enjoying a banner year. Now let’s see if they’ll use this little respite from the recent downturn to upgrade store technology and experiment more with nontraditional forms of marketing, especially digital advertising.... Read More »

 

2012 MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS

Chrysler's new infotainment system connects without smartphone

2:00 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 6, 2012
New versions of Chrysler Group's Uconnect infotainment system this fall will, for the first time, connect to a cellular network in the United States without an onboard smartphone. The vehicles will use the Sprint network in a partnership with Chrysler.... Read More »

 

BMW counts on Web to help recoup spending on EVs

July 27, 2012 06:01 CET
BMW will sell cars over the Web for the first time as the world's largest maker of luxury vehicles seeks an inexpensive way to reach more buyers to recoup spending on its electric models.... Read More »

 

FordDirect will help dealers manage reputations online

5:49 pm U.S. ET | July 18, 2012
FordDirect, a joint venture between Ford Motor and its dealers, launched a new service to help dealers manage their reputation and social media presence online this week. FordDirect has contracted with Digital Air Strike, a Sunnyvale, Calif., company that helps dealerships create and manage social media content.... Read More »

 

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

Dealers can’t count on locals for used-car sales anymore

11:31 am U.S. ET | July 17, 2012
The Internet has done many things for auto dealers and made more than a few changes to the way they do business. But while new-car pricing and lead-generation sites like TrueCar.com dominate the headlines, the Internet’s bigger threat to dealers’ bottom lines may be on the other side of the lot.... Read More »

 

Looking for a ride? App connects drivers and passengers

1:19 pm U.S. ET | July 9, 2012
Drivers with an empty seat in their car can find people in need of a ride through a new app that connects them with potential passengers nearby.... Read More »

 

BMW, others gain from closer ties with bloggers

June 12, 2012 07:04 CET
BMW, Mercedes and other luxury brands are boosting efforts to court bloggers to target a growing audience of would-be buyers who can't be reached through TV and newspaper ads. BMW claimed an 88 million-euro ($110 million) revenue gain for its 1-series line by wooing customers with a Web-only campaign.... Read More »

 

Autobytel to provide content for Scripps' TV station Web sites

12:22 pm U.S. ET | June 11, 2012
Online auto shopping service and lead provider Autobytel is working with media giant E.W. Scripps to provide editorial content for Scripps' TV station Web sites.... Read More »

 

Verizon joins automakers in promoting internet-connected cars

9:49 am U.S. ET | June 7, 2012
Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile-phone carrier in the United States, is teaming up with Toyota, Honda and other automakers to promote the use of fourth-generation wireless Internet features in cars.... Read More »