by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 31, 2011
Honda saw profits tumble by nearly 40% for the maker’s third quarter, largely due to problems with the weak U.S. dollar, but while sales are down, it upgraded its profit forecast for the full fiscal year, which ends on March 31. Earnings for the October-December...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 31, 2011
“Good enough” isn’t good enough if General Motors hopes to win back sales and market share, says Mark Reuss, president of the maker’s core North American operations. So, he says, every new car, truck or crossover will have to pass through a rigid evaluation procedure...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 31, 2011
Showing further signs of a comeback from its 2009 bankruptcy, Chrysler significantly narrowed its net loss for the fourth quarter of 2010 while posting an operating profit for the final three months of the year. The maker, meanwhile, said it expects to have its bottom...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 31, 2011
While there are dozens of new product roll-outs scheduled for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, Chrysler and its Italian ally Fiat hope to steal much of the thunder with an assortment of new offerings set to underscore the breadth of their fast-growing, trans-Atlantic...
by Bryan Laviolette | Jan 31, 2011
Back in ’60s, BMW essentially created the modern sports sedan by slipping a 2.0-liter four cylinder under the hood of a car designed with a 1.6-liter. Long before BMW became synonymous with silky smooth inline sixes – and later ever-more powerful V-8s and...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 28, 2011
Who says good things come in small packages? Probably anyone who gets the chance to drive the new, U.S. version of the Fiat 500. The Italian microcar has won a procession of awards back on the home continent, including the much-coveted World Car of the Year. But the...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 28, 2011
In a move that underscores the complexity of the global auto industry, the new Fiat 500 being launched in North America will also debut on a wider, global stage as the Chrysler Group assembly plant in Toluca, Mexico ramps up production later this year. The facility...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 28, 2011
In a stunning upset, Nissan Motor Co. surged past rival Honda Motor Co. to become the second-largest Japanese automaker – and join the Top Five car manufacturers worldwide. The switch in status was driven, to a significant degree, by Nissan’s success in tapping the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 28, 2011
Ford Motor Co. has posted its biggest profit since 1999 – although the numbers fell more than a billion dollars short of what many had anticipated the automaker would announce. Ford officials said they earned $6.6 billion in 2010, which will trigger profit-sharing...
by Marty Bernstein | Jan 28, 2011
Let’s face it, advertisers love sports – perhaps none more than in the auto industry. Last year’s FIFA World Cup was the biggest worldwide televised sports event in history, next in total number of viewers is expected to be next weeks Super Bowl XLV, with commercials...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 28, 2011
Convertibles are back in style at Chrysler Group. The maker that helped spur the revival of open-top motoring, back in the ‘80s, has updated its Sebring into a much more stylish and desirable offering that means it won’t just land with a thud in the daily rental...
by Bryan Laviolette | Jan 28, 2011
When the Ford Focus goes on sale later this year, drivers should notice the next level in transmission shift quality. The 2012 Focus will have what Ford calls Torque Hole Filling technology, a concept the automaker first patented a quarter century ago. While Ford has...
