by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 21, 2010
They may still be considered “emerging” markets, but China alone hs already laid claim to being the world’s largest automotive market and, according to a new report, just the four so-called “BRIC” countries alone will soon account for a full one of every three global...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 21, 2010
At least 8,300 jobs will be cut and an assembly plant in Antwerp, Belgium closed, as part of a broad restructuring by General Motors’ troubled Opel subsidiary. It had previously been reported that the company was considering the shutdown of two plants and at least...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 20, 2010
Production of the all-new 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan has begun at the automaker’s assembly plant, in Princeton, Indiana. Unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, last November, and garnering strongly favorable reviews since then, the new minivan is taking aim at the...
by Ken Zino | Jan 20, 2010
The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding General Motors Company a $7.7 million grant to help the development of four technologies to improve the fuel economy of light-duty vehicles. Economy gains of up to 25% are possible, according to GM, which has long-standing...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 20, 2010
Few automobiles have ever received the hype and hoopla of the Chevrolet Volt, but now, almost exactly three years after it first rolled onto the stage at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, the critical question is whether the production version will live up to expectations....
by Ken Zino | Jan 20, 2010
BMW’s slumping Mini brand is adding what it calls a crossover to its lineup, as the fourth model. The Mini Countryman is needed in the U.S. and globally to reverse a sales decline of the minicars after their marketing momentum, which allowed premium pricing for what...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 19, 2010
New confirmation has emerged indicating that General Motors expects to bring out a replacement for its current full-size pickup trucks in the 2012-2013 period. It was the large investment in the current Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models, along with the gas...
by Ken Zino | Jan 19, 2010
Increasingly severe CO2 standards in Europe requiring average fleet emissions of 130g/km by 2015 are forcing automaker to undertake a drastic downsizing of vehicles in a market already dominated by relatively small cars. The regulations backed by tax incentives and...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 19, 2010
Bowing to heavy pressure, Japanese government regulators have lifted rules that would have barred American automakers from participating in that country’s own version of the Cash for Clunkers program. The rules were seen as adding insult to injury considering that...
by Ken Zino | Jan 19, 2010
BMW and Daimler dropped behind Toyota in European sales last year for the first time in history, as Toyota and its Lexus luxury brand moved ahead of them, according to the latest data from ACEA, the automakers’ trade group. Overall, dealers delivered 14.5 million...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 19, 2010
They say you shouldn’t jump into a major purchase, like an automobile, without sleeping on it. And that’s probably what the folks at the BMW dealership, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, had in mind when they put their new billboard along I-95. But the ad has generated...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 18, 2010
Why is one car worth $15,000 and another $150,000? Traditionally, the differentiators included such luxury touches as leather, chrome and, of course, more powerful engines. But these days, technology has become a hallmark of high-line brands. Manufacturers like...
