Category Archives: results

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Debuts in US After 3 Year Lag

The Outlander PHEV move follows the introduction of the Outlander last year in the U.S. after it was on sale for almost three years elsewhere. Even though SUV sales account for 40% of the U.S. market, poor Mitsubishi U.S. sales and the Great Recession that started in 2008 roughing up all automakers precluded plugging it in here. Continue reading

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US March Sales Continue Torrid Pace

This means that the data so far in 2016 contradicts pessimists who thought last year’s record light vehicle sales – the strongest in 15 years – was the top of the market. During 2015, offshore brands continued to dominate, once you get past the one-two-three punch from the Detroit Three pickup trucks – F-Series, Silverado and Ram. Continue reading

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VW America CEO Michael Horn Out in Dirty Diesel Scandal

Thus the history of sudden death departures at VW in North America continues. When sales previously slumped, Horn became CEO after the abrupt resignation of Jonathan Browning when VW brand sales fell in 2013. The decade before VW said it would triple sales here in 10 years. The lack of trucks and SUVs doomed the plan from the start. Continue reading

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Ford China Sales Increase 18%

Thus the rocky road in China continues for Ford, one that started in the last century when it submitted a Taurus as a car to be built in China. GM proposed a more prestigious Buick model and got the approval form the Communist Party, thereby locking Ford out of what is now clearly the world’s largest auto market for years. It’s been playing catch-up ever since with GM and Volkswagen well ahead in the sales and profit races. Continue reading

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Boom or Bubble as US February Auto Sales Soar?

So be careful, really careful what you wish for! Not first rate strategic thinking in our view. More like the old Detroit ‘Ten Day Sales’ mentality. The most delicious aspect here in AutoInformed’s view is that you now have Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, threatening to impose tariffs on Ford Motor Company for exporting jobs and importing vehicles back into the U.S. Politics is Job One over in Dearborn these days for the government affairs and corporate P.R. staffs, but you never know because they are not going to say much in public other than these plans were in place and they are rebalancing production. Good luck with that. Maybe Ford should build where they sell? Continue reading

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Volkswagen CEO, other Execs Knew of Diesel Scandal Months – if Not Years – Before Public Exposure of the Fraud

The German defense appears weak to AutoInformed (caveat we know little about German law) because former CEO Martin Winterkorn on 27 July 2015 discussed with Volkswagen employees the diesel emissions problem at a regular meeting about “damage and product issues.” Herbert Diess, Volkswagen passenger car CEO, was also present. Memos were sent more than a year earlier. Continue reading

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US February Auto Sales Forecast as Best in 15 Years

An estimated 1,354,503 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in February for a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate, aka SAAR, of 17.7 million, according to a new forecast. The projected February auto sales sales – if accurate … Continue reading

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Ford Joins Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition

The electronics industry has had myriad problems with manufacturing conditions, exploitation of workers and suicides in offshore plants. Whether any significant changes occur in worker rights in an industry driven almost entirely by cost cutting remains to be seen. Continue reading

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Only Two Detroit Vehicles Make Consumer Reports Top Picks

The Chevrolet Impala ($39,110) repeated as the Top Pick in the Large Car category, and joins the Ford F-150 ($51,630-$57,565) as the only Detroit Three winners this year. Continue reading

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Chevrolet Wins Pro Stock at Winternationals in Pomona

Greg Anderson, driver of the Summit Racing Equipment / KB Racing Pro Stock Chevrolet Camaro SS lines-up to race his KB Racing teammate Jason Line, during the finals of the NHRA Winternationals Sunday 14 February 2016 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. Anderson won the race, his sixth Winternationals win and the 79th of his career. Continue reading

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Cadillac ‘Global’ Sales Increase 2.2% in January

Calling Cadillac global is exaggerating to the point of absurdity, though. The United States at 10,740 and China at 8,337 accounted for 92% of the total. In the EU – home of luxury powerhouse BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Ferrari – Cadillac sold 93, yes 93 vehicles. Continue reading

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Diesel Stink – Volkswagen Postpones Annual Results Report

The timing of the report clarifying the background and responsibilities connected to the diesel emission issue is not affected by this decision. Continue reading

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Toyota Earns $5.4 Billion Profit in Its Fiscal Third Quarter

For the nine-month period ended December 31, 2015 consolidated vehicle sales totaled 6,492,784 units, a decrease of 246,374 units compared to the same period last fiscal year. However, TMS retained its global sales lead over diesel Scandal plagued Volkswagen Group, General Motors. Corp. Continue reading

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Toyota Pulls Plug on Scion Brand

“The Scion brand never quite caught on in the way that Toyota hoped it would. By offering Scion products under the Toyota badge, the company can save marketing costs and eliminate what had effectively become a distraction from its core business focus.” Continue reading

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US January Vehicle Sales Predicted as Flat

It looks like US January new vehicle sales at 1.1 million would be a -30.2% decrease from December if the forecast is accurate for an estimated Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of 17.5 million. If true that would be a … Continue reading

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