A positive indicator for the auto market is not just that sales have increased, but it’s the manner in which the industry is improving, said IHS senior principal automotive economist George Magliano on Tuesday. He pointed out the positive trends of decreased incentives, more robust leasing and looser credit. That being said, the industry is dealing […] [Read More]

Fiat announced it expects to hit its last performance event, or build a vehicle based on a Fiat platform with an EPA label of 40 miles per U.S. gallon, before the end of the year. This means the company expects to increase its Chrysler stake yet again by year-end. In announcing first-quarter results, Fiat Group […] [Read More]

While April new-vehicle retail sales have shown unexpected strength ahead of expected inventory shortages, J.D. Power and Associates believes the selling pace is expected to be slower during the second half of the month. Analysts project April new-vehicle retail sales to come in at 948,100 units, which represent a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of […] [Read More]

Surrounded by a mob of reporters immediately following his keynote speech Tuesday morning at the NADA/IHS Automotive Forum 2011, General Motors top boss Dan Akerson was pretty blunt when asked a question regarding the government’s future in terms of its GM ownership. "They will tell us when they’re getting out," Akerson told reporters. "I will […] [Read More]

Not officially being articulated as a recall by the automaker, Nissan Motor Co. has rolled out a service campaign to correct an issue associated with the LEAF’s vehicle control module. Nissan indicated this week that it has found a small proportion of the LEAFs in the market today have reported incidents that require reprogramming of […] [Read More]

Upon tweaking Toyota’s U.S. and Canadian production schedule yet again on Tuesdsay, Steve St. Angelo said the automaker is doing its best to work through supply challenges and retain its work force. TEMA plans to continue its Mondays and Fridays production suspension through June 3. “Previously, TEMA had announced production suspensions on Mondays and Fridays […] [Read More]

As college students nationwide brace for final exams, Honda is launching the Civic “Study Break” social marketing tour to promote the six all-new models of the 2012 Honda Civic at select universities on the West Coast. The Civic “Study Break” tour kicks off on Thursday at the Arizona State University campus and continues on to […] [Read More]

Edmunds.com on Tuesday revealed the winner of the 2011 Marketing Breakthrough Award, scheduled to be given at the New York International Auto Show. Site officials handed the honor to Subaru in recognition of innovative ad campaigns last year that they said were both “quirky and emotionally compelling.” They pointed out the specific campaigns: —Subaru developed […] [Read More]

Amid worries of possible radiation stemming from the fallout of the recent disaster in Japan, Toyota Motor Corp. got a bit of relief. The automaker said Monday that its export vehicles pose “no danger to human health" as far as exposing people to unsafe radiation. In a statement, the automaker noted: "Toyota Motor Corp. — […] [Read More]

Lithia Motors announced Monday it acquired a trio of franchise dealerships located near Portland, Ore. Executives indicated Lithia’s newest stores include Rasmussen BMW Mini, Mercedes-Benz of Portland and Mercedes-Benz of Wilsonville. They calculated the stores will add $176 million in estimated annual revenues. “The Rasmussen group has a strong history in the Portland market,” stated […] [Read More]