Category Archives: marketing

Lexus LF-LC 2+2 Sport Coupe revealed. Sort of…

Posted on 21 December 2011 by Ken Zino

In November, the Lexus Division of Toyota reported total sales of 19,458 units, up 6.7% year-over-year, the best month since March, the month of the infamous tsunami. With Lexus attempting to regain it’s top selling luxury brand spot in the U.S. that it lost this year to the Germans post tsunami, look for LF-LC to appear sooner rather than later. Continue reading →

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European Auto Sales Drop Continues Unchecked in November

Posted on 16 December 2011 by Ken Zino

Counter intuitively the Eurozone crisis is producing calls for austerity, instead stimulus plans that would increase tax revenues and employment from all industries, including auto manufacturing and sales. The automobile industry in Europe provides employment for more than 2.3 million workers and supports another 10 million jobs in related industries. Annually, automakers invest more than €30 billion in R&D, which makes it the largest private investor in R&D in Europe. Europe’s increasing instability poses risks for European, as well as the global economy. It could even affect the outcome of the U.S. presidential election next year. Continue reading →

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Buick 2013 Encore Teaser Photo – Will it Play in China?

Posted on 15 December 2011 by Ken Zino

The real challenge for all new Buicks going forward is not whether the vehicle will play in Peoria, but rather how it plays in Shanghai? Buick sold a record of 59,763 vehicles in China in November – more than 5 times what it sold in the U.S. Little wonder the head of GM advance design in China is now Chinese. Continue reading →

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New 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Revealed after Press Leaks

Posted on 15 December 2011 by Ken Zino

Press leaks about the new Mercedes-Benz SL have apparently prompted an extensive official release of the all-aluminum sports car ahead of its official introduction at the North American International Auto Show next month. Continue reading →

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Dodge Dart Reborn based on Alfa Romeo Platform

Posted on 6 December 2011 by Ken Zino

The new Dodge Dart will appear in modified form with a lengthened and widened platform, which Dodge claims will have segment-leading interior roominess. Dodge exited the compact car segment (or so-called c-car segment) when then owner Daimler killed the Neon back in 2005 – as gasoline was relatively cheap at just over $2 a gallon and truck and SUV sales were booming. The Neon nameplate goes back to the 1995 when Bob Lutz then at Chrysler boasted it would beat the Japanese in the economy car segment. It didn’t come close. Continue reading →

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GM Plans Four World Debuts at NAIAS. Where is Bob Lutz?

Posted on 2 December 2011 by Ken Zino

“ATS enters the biggest market segment in the global luxury car industry, both in terms of volume and importance,” said Barra.

No kidding. ATS better be good when it appears next fall.

But when I asked what GM consultant Bob Lutz was doing these days, Barra said she was trading e-mails with him about getting Lutz to drive a new Chevy Sonic, which has been on sale globally for a couple of years. While Barra called Lutz an “automotive rock star,” there was no hint in her brief response that she was spending any time with Lutz. Continue reading →

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New Vehicle Sales Satisfaction Improves from 2010

Posted on 1 December 2011 by Ken Zino

Satisfaction with the new-vehicle sales process has improved from 2010, according to a new study released today. All sales satisfaction measures improved “notably” from 2010, with the greatest increase in the delivery process, despite the fact that the average length of time to complete the delivery portion of a new-vehicle sale has increased by four minutes to an average of 32 minutes in 2011. Continue reading →

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Toyota Motor November Sales Up 7% as Inventories Build

Posted on 1 December 2011 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor has now returned near the sales levels it had in Q1 before the tragic Japan earthquake disrupted production for months. With the auto industry monthly sales running at the highest rates since August of 2009 when taxpayer subsidies boosted sales under the Cash for Clunkers program, Toyota seems ideally positioned top be back to full strength by early next year. As it is now Toyota has about a 14% market share in the U.S. even though year-to-date total sales are off a whopping 20%, at 1,384,558 vehicles. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor November U.S. Sales Up 13%

Posted on 1 December 2011 by Ken Zino

Overall, ytd Ford Motor has sold 1,938,666 vehicles, more than 500,000 vehicles ahead of Toyota Motor Sales. Continue reading →

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GM Will Lend Cars to Concerned Chevrolet Volt Owners as NHTSA Volt Battery Fire Investigation Continues

Posted on 28 November 2011 by Ken Zino

General Motors announced Monday that any Volt owner concerned about safety can contact his or her Volt advisor to arrange for a free GM vehicle loan until resolution of the issue. A letter to Volt owners will go out today. The aggressive customer satisfaction move came after the National Highway traffic safety Administration announced on Friday that it would open a preliminary evaluation of Volt battery assemblies after NHTSA test results caused electrical fires up to three weeks after an initial vehicle New Car Assessment Program side pole crash test. Continue reading →

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Happy New Year – BMW Ups U.S. Prices and Delivery Fees

Posted on 23 November 2011 by Ken Zino

Year-to-date, U.S. sales of the BMW brand are up 12.9% at 199,552 compared to 176,736 sold in the first ten months of 2010. BMW is on track to displace Lexus as the number one Luxury brand in the U.S. because of Toyota’s earthquake induced production disruptions. Continue reading →

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Toyota Camry Hybrid Prices Cut $850 to $1,150 for 2012

Posted on 21 November 2011 by Ken Zino

The revised hybrid-electric powertrain, like other 2012 Camry models has a newly-developed 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Toyota says that improved electric motor-voltage control, optimized regenerative braking, and reduce parasitic losses in the transaxle are key to the ratings. Reduced vehicle weight and improved aerodynamics are also factors in the class-leading fuel economy ratings. Continue reading →

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November U.S. Auto Sales Up – 11.3 Million Retail SAAR?

Posted on 18 November 2011 by Ken Zino

New-vehicle retail sales in November are increasing at a rate that could mean deliveries of 791,900 cars and light trucks, which represents a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 11.3 million units. Continue reading →

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Cadillac XTS Sedan Unveiled With a V6 and All Wheel Drive

Posted on 16 November 2011 by Ken Zino

Cadillac XTS will be the most-spacious Cadillac sedan in the current line, with interior space roughly comparable to current full-size sedans. In what appears to be a clear bid to make the XTS saleable to the chauffer-driven communist ruling class in China, XTS has 40 inches (1,016 mm) of rear legroom. Continue reading →

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EU Car Sales Down Again in October. Four Year Trend Ongoing

Posted on 16 November 2011 by Ken Zino

The ongoing economic decline of Europe is causing problems for the Detroit Three. Sales in Germany, the largest EU market, remained stable (+0.6%), while results in Italy (-5.5%) and Spain (-6.7%) were negative, leading to an overall 1.8% decline in new registrations. From January to October, Germany was the only major market to post significant growth (+9.8%). France saw its demand slightly increase by 0.4%, while the UK (-4.5%), Italy (-10.8%) and Spain (-19.7%) all declined. Continue reading →

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