by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 15, 2012
With today’s official launch of production of the all-new 2013 Altima, Nissan is loading up for big game, hoping to take down the long-dominant player in the critical American midsize sedan segment, the Toyota Camry. Long an also-ran, the outgoing Altima has been...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 15, 2012
Motorists have gotten used to the idea of incentives. In fact, it’s the rare model that will sell without some sort of giveback, whether cash rebates, low interest loans or, as one GMC dealer is pitching, five tons of free gas. Before you rush to your local showroom...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 15, 2012
Nissan’s announcement couldn’t have come at a better time. With a new federal study showing underinflated tires triple your risk of an accident the Japanese maker plans to introduce a new “Easy Fill Tire Alert” system on its 2013 Altima sedan that takes the guesswork...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 15, 2012
Today’s tires are engineering marvels, improving both performance and fuel economy, even if they tend to largely be ignored by motorists. But that’s a problem that also turn a tire into a killer. A new government study warns that as many as one in 20 crashes could be...
by Joseph Szczesny | May 15, 2012
Ally Financial Inc. the nation’s largest automotive lender, has placed its money-losing mortgage subsidiary into bankruptcy – a move that actually could free it up to stage a much-anticipated IPO. The bankruptcy filing was part of series of strategic actions aimed at...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 15, 2012
Even as – and perhaps because – much of the rest of the auto industry rapidly ramps up production in China Subaru has decided to scale back its ambitions for the booming Asian market. With the automotive subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries now delaying plans for a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 14, 2012
It’s time to do some “myth-busting,” says Ford Motor Co.’s global marketing chief, and the maker is counting on a new global ad campaign, dubbed “Go Further,” to get its message out to potential customers who have long ignored the brand – whether in Boston, Berlin or...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 14, 2012
Long the go-to customers for automotive partsmakers, Toyota and Honda have seen a sharp slide in the tenor of their relationship with industry suppliers, according to a new study, while things are markedly improving when it comes to General Motors and Chrysler. The...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 14, 2012
Several thousand folks who turned out for the Mini United Festival in Le Castellet, France over the weekend got a pleasant surprise: the first look at what the British maker is billing as “the fastest Mini ever.” Dubbed the Mini John Cooper Works GP, it offers some...
by Joseph Szczesny | May 14, 2012
The auto industry has given the U.S. economy a major lift in recent months, GM chairman and chief executive officer Dan Akerson told new graduates of the Columbia University’s business school. That’s a big shift from just a few years ago, when it was one of the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 14, 2012
Slow was not part of his vocabulary. Carroll Shelby operated at one of three speeds: fast, faster, fastest, and even a serious heart ailment failed to keep him down for very long. The legendary automotive racer and raconteur passed away over the weekend after a...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | May 11, 2012
Toyota officials, all the way up to President Akio Toyoda, have routinely insisted that being number one was never their goal, and so they downplayed the fact that production cuts forced by last year’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami led Toyota to tumble to number...
