Japan eyes reform of auto market as trade talks loom 12:04 pm U.S. ET | June 18, 2013  Japan sees an urgency in overhauling policies that favor domestic industries such as automakers as it seeks to revive the economy and join talks on a Pacific-region trade deal, the government's ambassador to the United States said.... Read More »
LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE Pickup.com shootout is a salvo in ongoing pickup battle 12:07 pm U.S. ET | June 18, 2013  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 of their chosen hardware.... Read More »
GM: Labor costs must be cut to save Australia plants 3:34 am U.S. ET | June 18, 2013  GM's Holden unit and its labor unions will begin talks to reduce costs enough to keep its Australian plants viable, a month after Ford said it will stop making cars locally.... Read More »
Output soars to 16M, with high-profit twist 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Vehicle production in North America is back near record levels, with output forecast to surpass 16 million units this year for the first time in more than a decade. But even though the numbers look similar to the days when Detroit used sky-high incentives to grapple with bloated inventories, the industry is in a much different place this time around.... Read More »
Lincoln targets fastest-growing segments 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  As Lincoln tries to reinvent itself, Ford Motor Co.'s struggling luxury brand will target only the fastest-growing luxury segments in which it can competitively and profitably field entries, the company said.... Read More »
Ford adding knobs, buttons to MyFord Touch 12:07 pm U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Ford plans to revert to more traditional knobs and buttons in its MyFord Touch infotainment and control system. The system has hurt Ford's ratings in several quality surveys. Customers have complained the system is bulky, distracting and overly complicated to use. Ford has issued several software upgrades.... Read More »
Ford pushes new models over rental sales in Europe revivalJune 17, 2013 10:34 CET  Ford is counting on new models such as the EcoSport small SUV to help reduce reliance on low-margin sales to rental-car companies in Europe in the battle to stem losses in the region.... Read More »
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE Peugeot, Seat, Ford push LED headlamps into European mass marketJune 17, 2013 06:01 CET  When Peugeot launches its new 308 at the Frankfurt auto show in September it will become the first automaker in Europe to offer full-LED headlamps as standard in the majority of the compact's trim lines. This is a big leap for the technology, which for years was only available on high-end models such as the Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz CLS because of it costs about three times as much as comparable xenon lights.... Read More »
Voice controls: Just another distraction? 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Car companies are moving full steam ahead on voice controls and are unlikely to be slowed by the note of caution AAA sounded last week, automakers and suppliers say. The influential consumer group, which has more than 53 million members in North America, released research last week that showed voice-to-text systems can cause as much mental distraction as talking on a hand-held cellphone.... Read More »
Robots take the wheel for Ford road tests 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 15, 2013  Making sure vehicles are "built Ford tough" has become too tough on the test drivers whose job involves putting thousands of bone-jarring, teeth-rattling, mind-numbing miles on new models. So Ford has started giving some of that work to replacements who don't need breaks: robots.... Read More »
GM, Chrysler voice support for Detroit on brink of bankruptcy 4:51 pm U.S. ET | June 14, 2013  Two of the automakers most closely associated with Detroit expressed support for the city, which announced plans to miss debt payments on Friday, making it the most populous city in the United States to default since Cleveland in 1978.... Read More »
Supplier IAC files for $115 million IPO 7:36 pm U.S. ET | June 14, 2013  International Automotive Components Group, backed by billionaire U.S. investor Wilbur Ross, filed with U.S. regulators on Friday to raise up to $115 million in an initial public offering of common stock.... Read More »
Ford CFO's sustainability call shows profit part of green push 11:06 am U.S. ET | June 14, 2013  Ford CFO Bob Shanks' call today concerning the automaker's sustainability efforts shows that going green is falling into the laps of those who control purse strings at more of the world's largest companies.... Read More »
Ford studies new models to drive Lincoln revival 3:48 pm U.S. ET | June 13, 2013  Ford may develop new models for Lincoln in fast-growing vehicle segments as part of the automaker's latest attempt to revive the struggling luxury brand and boost its profits. The company did not specify which vehicle segments it was targeting. But in a presentation to investors on Thursday, Ford showed in a chart that it expects the premium small-car and crossover segments to grow sharply by 2015.... Read More »
For Lincoln dealers, fine cheese and Jason Bourne hold key to brand makeover 1:11 pm U.S. ET | June 12, 2013  Ford is spending more than $1 billion to try to resurrect the Lincoln brand and it knows it needs not just better cars, but a luxury car-buying experience that will attract younger, better-educated and wealthier buyers. So it's putting its dealers through training at the Lincoln Academy, where they raise their consciousness and sharpen their senses with exercises including sampling cheese.... Read More »
JAMIE LaREAU Lincoln's maintenance cutbacks offer F&I opportunity 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 12, 2013  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.... Read More »
AAA sounds an alarm on voice-to-text features 6:00 am U.S. ET | June 12, 2013  The voice-to-text features that car companies are offering to keep drivers' eyes on the road may also be highly distracting, the consumer group AAA warned today as it released the results of a two-year research project.... Read More »
Study: New products bolster market share 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 10, 2013 Automakers who replace their products faster stand to increase market share over the next four years, according to a new industry forecast from Bank of America Merrill Lynch. That bodes well for the Detroit 3 because they are on the cusp of a wave of product redesigns. The financial company's analysis predicts that General Motors and Ford Motor Co. each will add a point of market share by 2016 because of a slew of critical product replacements.... Read More »
Turbos: MPG or muscle? 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 10, 2013  Some automakers say turbochargers offer high fuel economy and quick acceleration, the best of both worlds. Well, yes and no. Turbocharged vehicles allow automakers to keep power output high while they downsize engines for better fuel economy. But much of the mpg gain is lost when American drivers stomp the gas pedal and enjoy turbos' high performance.... Read More »
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION CEOs' pay grows with the economy 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 10, 2013  Ford CEO Alan Mulally has repeated as highest-paid CEO at publicly traded North America-based automotive companies. Mulally took home $68,443,381 in 2012, up slightly from the $68,247,702 he made in 2011. He climbed to the top of last year's list after placing third in the 2010 rankings. Unlike previous years, Mulally isn't the only automaker CEO on the list. No. 33 on this list of 35 executives is General Motors CEO Dan Akerson.... Read More »
Automakers ramp up U.S. commercial truck offerings 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 8, 2013  When Daimler AG brought its Euro-styled Sprinter van with a 14-foot high roof and sloped brow to the United States, it stood out on the parkway like a pachyderm. Now several automakers, including Daimler, Ford and Chrysler, are bringing new, large, fuel-sipping work vans to the United States as they gear up for a boom in the highly profitable segment. The surge is fueled by new-home construction and an improving economy.... Read More »
Ford maintains lead in brand loyalty, Polk says 12:44 pm U.S. ET | June 7, 2013  Ford defended its top position in automotive brand loyalty for the first quarter of 2013, according to an analysis by Polk, a suburban Detroit research firm. Polk reports that, on average, 52 percent of new-vehicle owners were repeat brand customers in the first quarter, up 2 percentage points from the first quarter of 2012.... Read More »
Volvo puts creative business up for reviewJune 6, 2013 20:00 CET  Volvo Cars has put its global creative account into review. The Swedish automaker, controlled by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said it is seeking a global agency that can "focus and strengthen the brand communication worldwide."... Read More »
Volvo puts creative business up for review 2:00 pm U.S. ET | June 6, 2013  Volvo Cars has put its global creative account into review. The Swedish automaker, controlled by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said it is seeking a global agency that can "focus and strengthen the brand communication worldwide."... Read More »
JAMIE LaREAU Ford dealers’ time to shine is during a recall 2:49 pm U.S. ET | June 6, 2013  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.... Read More »
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