by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 24, 2013
Volkswagen grabbed the top spot in the latest J.D. Power APEAL study, a survey that focuses on the things that surprise and delight car buyers rather than the problems that frustrate them. The German maker’s Porsche and Audi brands topped the annual report while five...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jul 24, 2013
For Ford and Toyota it’s splitsville. The two automakers have completed their feasibility study for collaboration on the development of a new hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. The study was launched in August 2011. “As a result, Ford and Toyota have agreed to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 24, 2013
Ford Motor Co. delivered a second-quarter profit of $1.2 billion, a jump of $193 million over year-earlier numbers, or 18.5%. On a per-share basis, Ford earned 30 cents, a 4 cent increase compared to the April – June 2012 period. The maker was firing on all cylinders...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 23, 2013
England has been in an uproar as it celebrates the birth of the newest addition to the royal family, and while parents Prince William and Kate Middleton have yet to give the newborn a name, the tiny Prince of Cambridge did get his first taste of luxury on the drive...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 23, 2013
Ford Motor Co. hopes to hire about 3,000 engineers and other professionals this year a third more than originally planned — but standing conventional wisdom on its head, the Detroit maker is finding it difficult to come up with enough ready, willing and able...
by Mike Davis | Jul 23, 2013
A German manufacturer best known for its heavy duty truck engine components could re-write the rules when it comes to passenger car powertrains. The company is the Mahle Group, and it’s presently showing off a “demonstration vehicle” with an experimental ...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 23, 2013
True, it is far from the biggest surprise but Bentley has now given the formal go-ahead for production of its new premium-luxury SUV, the as yet-unnamed addition to its line-up slated to reach showrooms around the world in 2016. The pet project of former Bentley boss...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 23, 2013
After a long wait, Jaguar is finally getting ready to broaden its lineup with the addition of a new entry-level luxury vehicle it hopes will keep pace with competitors from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which have fashioned strategies for moving into the low-end...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 23, 2013
An increasingly worried Toyota is struggling to keep its king-of-the-hill sales leader from taking a tumble. While the Japanese importer recorded a 6% increase in sales for the first half of 2013, the best-selling Toyota Camry sedan was off an unexpected 2% as its...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 22, 2013
This story has been revised to reflect revisions to the legal strategy of the Uno family lawyers. You win some, you lose some. Well, not quite. But even after winning approval late last week for a $1.63 billion deal to settle one key class action stemming from its...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 22, 2013
Though it’s still nearly a year from reaching U.S. showrooms, BMW has set a price of $42,275 for the new i3 electric vehicle that will serve as the launch platform for its all-new battery-car brand-within-a-brand, BMW i. The little battery-electric vehicle will...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jul 22, 2013
Honda’s long-struggling luxury brand Acura reportedly plans to start building cars in China in 2016, targeting what is soon expected to become the world’s largest market for highline vehicles. But Acura officials insist that even as they look for other opportunities...