Luxury cars are sought after for their style, safety, and amenities, but they aren’t always perfect. Resale value remains one of their biggest weaknesses among premium brands, which is why Acura is has found one area where it can truly shine. Continue reading ‘Acura Retains Leading Edge In Resale Value’
Nissan are set to take a big risk with the introduction of the 2011 Nissan Juke Crossover. With the Cube, Rogue, Murano, Xterra, Pathfinder, and Armada, does Nissan really have room for another? Well, according to Nissan, the Juke Crossover is “a sporty crossover alternative to traditional small hatchback vehicles,” so in answer to that question, yes! While the Juke is considered to be “part SUV, part sports car”, let’s just hope the gamble pays off.
The auto industry has gone through many changes over the past few years, and this year’s North American International Auto Show truly exemplified this. These changes have been guided by people shying away from expensive, gas guzzling vehicles and migrating toward hybrids and other “green” options.
Despite the love affair American consumers have had with cars, this past year sales were very low. China has officially surpassed the United States as the world’s largest automotive sales market as auto sales in China last year increased by nearly 50 percent. On the other hand, American sales plummeted over 20 percent! Is this permanent? GM’s top executive, Kevin Wale, along with many other automakers seems to think so. Since we are in dire economic times, the jury is still out on whether or not these numbers are a clear indicator of where our auto industry is headed.
Large engines and large horsepower numbers are always easy ways to draw-in the automotive enthusiasts at auto shows. But these days, Detroit is busy turning out sporty and fun to drive cars that feature smaller dimensions, and smaller engine displacements as well.
One of the best examples of this new trend is the Chevrolet Aveo RS concept which broke cover this week at the North American International Auto Show. While it’s technically a concept, the Aveo RS likely displays much of the next generation Aveo’s styling and dimensions. Competing directly with the upcoming Ford Fiesta, the new Aveo will likely mark a turning point for Detroit automakers as they begin to build small cars that are not only sexy, but also a blast to drive. Continue reading ‘Chevy Hints at the Future With Aveo RS Concept’
As General Motors pushes to terminate Saturn and Pontiac, the automaker will be introducing impressive discounts in order to help deplete inventories of these two brands. GM employees and suppliers can get even better deal thanks to employee discounts as well.
Tens of thousands of GM employees can take advantage of this unique perk, which has long been a part of GM’s benefits package. In addition, GM is offering $7,000 off new cars until January 4.
The new discounts are intended to move Saturn and Pontiac inventories quickly so that GM and its dealers can focus more on its core brands, including Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC. GM employees are most likely to get the best dealers on these new cars, even below invoice price. Continue reading ‘Looking for New Car Deals? Try Saturn, Pontiac’
Although Toyota has remained the dominant automaker in hybrid vehicle sales thanks to the popular Prius, the automaker has been slow to produce extended range plug-in hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles. In an effort to change that Toyota will begin leasing 150 plug-in Prius hybrids in the U.S. shortly in preparation of thousands of units in retail sales within two years.
In February, Toyota will be releasing only 600 of these plug-in Prius models globally. The vehicle will be in direct competition with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which will be available next year. Continue reading ‘Toyota to Lease Prius Plug-In Hybrid’
The Ford Transit Connect may be the most eye-catching vehicle in the Ford lineup. The design is unique, but it’s either hideous or futuristic depending on how you choose to see it. Regardless, the Transit Connect is not about style, but rather about function and its utility.
Thanks to its high roof, the Ford Transit Connect can provide up to five passengers with ample room, or it can make hauling cargo an extremely simple task. For a small business, the large cargo doors help make the Transit Connect more accessible than other vans. Continue reading ‘Ford Transit Connect Eagerly Tackles Cargo’
Almost as soon as Toyota earned the title of the world’s largest automaker, analysts quickly began to eye Volkswagen and their rapid growth as well. Now it seems that the time has come for the Volkswagen Group to claim the title of the world’s largest automaker, as this year VW is poised to produce 4.47 million vehicles.
Since January of this year, Toyota has been struggling against the effects of a sluggish economy. As such, the automaker has been forced to cut output dramatically. According to VW St Louis, assistance by the German government through a Cash-for-Clunkers-like program has also helped VW gain the edge over Toyota.
Last year Toyota had produced 9.24 million vehicles. This year that number is expected to be around 7.24 million vehicles according to IHS Global Insights.
This year the VW group also added Porsche to its roster of global brands which Green Bay Volkswagen says is a great addition to the already world-class lineup of brands. These other brands include Bentley and Lamborghini just to name a few. Last year Toyota earned the title of world’s largest automaker after overtaking General Motors, which held the title for 80 years. At Boston Toyota the demand for fuel efficient vehicles like the Yaris, Corolla, and the third-generation Prius helped maintain Toyota sales, but global challenges has hindered Toyota’s continued growth. Continue reading ‘Volkswagen Group Becomes World’s Largest Automaker’
General Motors, and Penske Automotive, will be saying goodbye to Saturn as the attempt to sell the Saturn brand fell through. Production on Saturn vehicles has already been stopped, and now dealers will have just a few months to sell all remaining inventory.
Penske Automotive Group was in talks with GM for months in hopes of buying the embattled brand. The biggest challenge standing in the way of the Penske was finding another source for vehicles says Buick Birmingham since GM had no intention of continuing to supply the brand with vehicles. Penske had reportedly been in talks with French automaker Renault, but when discussions fell through, Cincinnati Used Cars suggests that Penske had no choice but to walk away from GM.
Once Penske walked away from talks, it took GM less than 24 hours to build the last Saturn vehicle. Currently, there are about 12,000 Saturn vehicles in inventory. Last month about 3,000 vehicles were sold according to sources at Chevy Parts New Mexico. It’s expected that inventory will be divided by GM to ensure as many dealers as possible have their needs met.
GM remains confident that it will be able to sell the remaining Saturn inventory. Unfortunately, Saturn dealers are so optimistic about the demise of the beloved brand. Continue reading ‘Saturn Phased Out Over Next Four Months’
