Consumer Reports Launches Annual Auto Issue in Spanish

In an effort to reach the Hispanic community better, Consumer Reports is offering its annual auto issue — the most popular issue of the magazine — in Spanish for the first time.

Officials highlighted the issue contains information on the 2011 Top Picks, Automaker Report Cards, Best New Car Values, Used Car Reliability and more “unbiased and objective buying advice and information.”

Furthermore, the publication mentioned its annual auto issue will be offered digitally and can be purchased at Zinio.com for use on PC and Mac computers or iPads, and at BarnesandNoble.com for the Nook Color. Consumer Reports stressed the digital version will provide instant access to the magazine and give consumers the ability to highlight, bookmark and save articles and pages of interest.

Officials recapped that the 2010 Census counted 50.5 million Hispanics in the United States, making up 16.3 percent of the total population. They also noted the nation’s Latino population, which was 35.3 million in 2000, grew 43 percent over the decade and accounted for most of the nation’s growth — 56 percent — from 2000 to 2010.

“More and more Hispanics are online, and as the digital platform grows, we think this is another way of getting Consumer Reports’ information into the hands of a growing audience,” noted John Sateja, executive vice president of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports.

Officials pointed out the annual Auto Issue En Espanol is their latest effort to extend its reach into the U.S. Spanish-speaking market.

Almost three years ago Consumer Reports launched its own Spanish-language site, www.ConsumerReportsEnEspanol.org. And, last year, Consumer Reports launched the first-ever Spanish-language edition of its best-selling annual buying guide entitled Guía de Compras 2010 de Consumer Reports, with a forward by Julie Stav, best-selling author and the host of “Tu Dinero con Julie Stav.” That was the first time that Consumer Reports’ ratings and reliability data was published in a language other than English.