by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 22, 2012
At a time when the world auto industry was ready to collapse, the Chinese market offered a rare and desperately sought beacon of hope. Even as demand in the U.S. market plunged to its lowest levels in decades, China continued to deliver double-digit growth,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 22, 2012
Volkswagen will create another 800 jobs at its new assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee as it pushes to meet soaring demand. That comes on top of previous plans that will now bring a total of 1,000 new workers to the factory that opened only last year. The...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 22, 2012
The folks at Chevrolet will be busy squeezing in two significant new product updates at the New York Auto Show next month, the maker pulling the wraps off both an all-new version of the aging Impala line, as well as revealing an updated version of the big Chevy...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 22, 2012
Don’t call the new Kia Rio sedan a “penalty box.” There was a time when that might have applied to subcompact sedans in general – and Korean-made products in particular – but a shoot-out among domestic and import small cars suggests the best of the subcompact segment...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 21, 2012
The Nissan Leaf is about to get a sportier sibling. The Japanese maker’s luxury brand Infiniti will pull the wraps off its own battery-electric vehicle during the upcoming New York Auto Show. While company officials are holding most of the details for that April...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 21, 2012
The New York Auto Show has landed another big announcement, Mercedes-Benz planning to bring to the Big Apple its next-generation GL SUV. As with the smaller ML, the big G, the descendant of the legendary Gelandewagen, will migrate to a car-based platform. In fact,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 21, 2012
Toyota’s new Prius C is proving to be the little hybrid that could – and that’s leading the automaker to ramp up production of the newest member of its Prius “family.” The C is a compact gas-electric model that went on sale earlier this month, joining the original...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 21, 2012
Amplifying recent comments by many of his key counterparts, Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says he sees a “painful” restructuring coming for the European auto industry, with the sort of plant closings and job losses experienced in recent years by the industry in...
by Joseph Szczesny | Mar 21, 2012
Mobile phone giant Verizon Indianapolis-based Via are collaborating on the development two plug-in electric work vehicles. The vehicles would use VIA’s proprietary extended range electric vehicle technology and evaluate it for possible use in Verizon’s fleet. “At...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 20, 2012
Nissan will be updating its now year-old Leaf late in 2012, upgrading the cabin, adding a more efficient heater and – sometime likely to matter most to buyers of the battery-electric vehicle – adding as much as 25 more miles of range in cold weather. That’s a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 20, 2012
Japanese automakers were shut out of the top three in the latest Total Value Index, which measures the way consumers perceive the overall value of automotive brands and individual products. The study, which looks at dozens of factors — such as quality, long-term...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Mar 20, 2012
After a three-decade absence, Nissan has confirmed it is bringing back the once-familiar Datsun nameplate. The old name will be used to target some of the newest emerging markets, revealed Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn. The maker plans to put a particular premium...
