by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 13, 2014
Let there be light, said the Korean carmaker and, lo, there was, proving to the many disbelievers that Hyundai actually could build something more impressive than a low-priced econobox. The maker’s first effort to move up-market with the mid-luxury Genesis proved one...
by Michael Strong | Jan 13, 2014
BMW rolled out its new M4 coupe, M3 sedan and new 2-Series Coupe, but not without reminding its biggest competitor in North America – Mercedes-Benz – it’s still No. 1, despite the fact Mercedes took top sales honors in the United States this year. After introducing...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 13, 2014
What to do when the next generation of car buyers would rather be texting their friends from home? That’s the challenge facing automakers as they set out to design vehicles that can win over reluctant Millennials and the generation to follow. So, perhaps it’s no...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 13, 2014
Strong design has been the foundation of Kia’s growth in the past few years. While he has moved upstairs to a new job that put him in charge of design at both Kia and Hyundai, Peter Schreyer remains one of the industry’s influential designers and he is...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 13, 2014
While it debates what continent will house the headquarters of the newly merged Fiat-Chrysler, the company’s board cleared up its near-term leadership questions by extending Sergio Marchionne’s employment contract for three years. Marchionne told reporters at the...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 13, 2014
With gas prices remaining above $3 a gallon, the competition for small car buyers remains intense. Makers have been plowing significant resources into the development of their small cars. The Nissan Versa, Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic and Fiat 500L have pushed the...
by Michael Strong | Jan 13, 2014
Perhaps no other car is as identifiable as the Volkswagen Beetle. Teenage girls squeal with delight at the sight of the convertible and young boys love to see the Super Beetle racing along the sand. Well, the convertible has been around for a while so VW decided to...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 13, 2014
Forget the fuel economy numbers and the environmentally friendly products it normally talks about. When Toyota rolled into town for this year’s North American International Auto Show, it had muscle on its corporate mind. Toyota delivered one of the big – if many –...
by Henny Hemmes | Jan 13, 2014
Last year, German car manufacturers posted record sales in the North American market with 1.33 million light vehicles – an increase of 5% compared with 2012. The jump lagged the overall market’s performance, which rose 8% on a year-over-year basis. The U.S. market...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 13, 2014
The death of the ultra-exclusive Maybach brand left Daimler AG in a quandary: how to compete against rivals like BMW-owned Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen’s Bentley. The plan calls for stretching the time-tested Mercedes-Benz brand even further up-market – even as it...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 13, 2014
While they may not generate much in the way of sales volumes, coupes have a way of setting the design tone for a manufacturer, putting a halo around a brand like Mercedes-Benz as they’re freed from the need for functionality above all else, which can be the...
