by Michael Strong | Jun 3, 2015
The net cast by lawyers directing the class-action lawsuits against General Motors related to the faulty ignition switches just got a little wider as they announced former CEO Rick Wagoner will be deposed in September. Wagoner, who was CEO when the company headed into...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 3, 2015
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly is putting a dozen or more North American vehicle programs on hold as he sets out to find the partner he believes is critical for the long-term survival of his trans-Atlantic automaker. The move appears to be the biggest...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 3, 2015
In another sign of the strange bedfellow relationships reshaping the auto industry, Toyota is teaming up with Ford to develop an open-source version of Ford’s AppLink connected-car infotainment system. The concept, which will be central to the completely updated Sync...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 2, 2015
Small outside, big inside. That’s been a major selling point for a new generation of compact Sport-Utility Vehicles, such as the BMW X1. And the German maker is promising to deliver even greater room, versatility — and performance — as it prepares to roll...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jun 2, 2015
Vision Gran Turismo has emerged as a force of nature in the automotive world so Ralph Gilles, product design chief at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said he was excited when he received an e-mail more than a year from the Polyphony Digital Inc. asking if what was then...
by Michael Strong | Jun 2, 2015
While May auto sales were expected to be strong, the overall thought was that sales would be down a bit due to one less selling day; however, new car buyers came out in force and, in the process, ensured several sale streaks remained intact. The early predictions...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 2, 2015
While May might not have brought the big uptick in sales we’ve seen in recent months, preliminary data suggest that automakers took in record revenues, with the average transaction price of new cars, trucks and crossovers sold last month climbing by at least 4%. All...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jun 2, 2015
While the other economic sectors suffered in May, the auto industry continued to post healthy sales in May even as sales showed sales leveling off at seasonally adjusted annual sales rate or SAAR of nearly 17 million units. The domestic carmakers, Fiat Chrysler and...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 2, 2015
Hoping to hold its lead against increasingly aggressive rivals, Ford Motor Co. will launch its completely redesigned Sync 3 infotainment system this summer on the 2016 Ford Escape and Fiesta models. Launched in 2007, and among the first to offer such features as voice...
by Michael Strong | Jun 2, 2015
Takata plans to use a new style airbag inflator, replacing its current “batwing” type model that is at the center of the exploding airbag controversy for the supplier. The company will tell members of a congressional subcommittee today it’s making the change on the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 1, 2015
Used to seeing three grades of gasoline at your local service station? Shell has begun introducing another, a premium-plus grade that the Dutch-based energy company claims can improve efficiency while also reducing engine wear. Whether other oil companies will follow...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jun 1, 2015
In an effort to impress tech-savvy young consumers, carmakers are using trendy apps to help chase away the auto industry’s lingering image as a low tech industry peddling archaic products. Volvo Cars, which is the midst of a major push into the U.S. market with...
