Few solid choices exist for a new Fiat-Chrysler partner.
Big companies are beautiful in the world of cars. Automakers that dominate the industry have the most flexibility and are generally profitable. That wasn’t always true, but …

Ford’s luxury brand unveils its new design direction
No doubt that the Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln brand has been a ship adrift. Its products aren’t unique to the brand nor does Lincoln possess even one model …

Sales fall, but Honda will rebound.

American Honda Motor Company reported that its sales were down for 2011, registering a 7.1 percent drop over 2010. Blame a March earthquake and heavy flooding in Thailand this past …

Ford is America’s best selling brand once again.
U.S. sales data for Ford are in and the news is quite good: the Ford brand topped 2 million units sold for 2011, the first time that has …

A “sales flop” or poor execution?

Fiat’s tiny 500 model took the market by storm one year ago with high expectations of sales success. Indeed, Fiat/Chrysler put its first year numbers at 50,000 units, but when …

Southern automotive plants target of unionization push.
The UAW is about to launch a unionization effort, one that this once powerful automotive union hopes will bring thousands of new rank and file members into its fold. …

Saab Automobile has shut down its operation, bringing to an end a line of cars made by this small, Swedish automaker. Saab’s demise wasn’t unexpected despite the surprise expressed by some and the consternation offered …

Hyundai has a big problem, one that other car manufacturers would love to have, but at least with a solution available: the automaker has nearly run out of manufacturing capacity. And not just in the …

Volt problems and Cruze success — how the latter can help the former.

I have no idea how the recent Volt battery-related fire incidences will impact GM, particularly its Chevrolet brand. Seven out of 10 GM …

Car buyers no longer need to fear being under water with their car loans.

Ally Financial, formerly GMAC and the sole financing arm for General Motors, has launched a new car loan program that is sure …

Autoblog has dismissed one of its journalists for unethical behavior. That journalist, Jeff Glucker, allegedly published an article on Wednesday about a Nissan-run contest, while also being under contract for a third-party agency running the …

By Jason Lancaster

Drivers are faced with a growing number of distractions…from smartphones to portable GPS units to high tech stereos to smart vehicle systems like Ford’s MyFord Connect or Toyota’s Entune. Thus, keeping one’s eye …

Word coming forth from the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show that Infiniti will build a compact vehicle based on a Mercedes-Benz small car platform should send up cheers throughout the industry. Maybe not so much …

Limited used car inventory fuels higher resale prices.

If you have shopped for a used car this year, chances are you have experienced the same sticker shock new car buyers may sometimes feel including shortness of …

Cadillac has discontinued production of not one, but two of its models this year. That isn’t big news in and of itself, but it is certainly newsworthy when those models are not being replaced. At …

Competing automakers agree to work as equal partners.
Rumors that the Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motors might someday merge have surfaced in recent years, but that talk has proven to be mere speculation. However, the …

GM resurrects its luxury Voltec offering.

According to Green Car Reports, the General Motors Company is resurrecting it Cadillac Converj coupe, an electrified model based on the same platform and technology powering the Chevrolet Volt, but …

Super Sergio…will he ever slow down?!
Sergio Marchionne is a heart attack just waiting to happen. The head of Fiat and Chrysler jets back and forth between Turin and Detroit, working upwards of 18 hours daily …

Comparing apples with oranges and with pears is just wrong.
With Plug-In 2011 behind us, its time to review one aspect of vehicle electrification that may get overlooked: consumer marketing. I say this because after speaking …

Our time at Plug-In 2011 Conference and Exposition was much too short, although spending 10 hours on Monday at the Raleigh Convention Center and another 14 hours on Tuesday meant that we got to meet …

By Harrison Card
What vehicle electrification does for you.

Electric cars attempt to stress familiarity. These vehicles are designed to be as close to looking like “normal” cars as possible. While they often feature a few blinking …

The first day of the Plug-In 2011 Conference & Exposition is behind us, with perhaps the busiest day just hours away. Plug-In 2011 has come to the Oak City – Raleigh, N.C. – so let’s …

Nissan faces stiff head winds as it seeks more customers.

Nissan USA has ambitious growth plans for the American market, as it seeks to increase its market share from 8 to 10 percent as reported by …

Nissan steps back to move forward.

Vehicle electrification is a challenge for automakers. The technology is available, but consumers are largely spurning hybrids and electric cars, sticking with gas-powered vehicles. Car manufacturers, seeing the enormous costs …

The Ford Motor Company is in the process of reviving Lincoln, its once storied luxury brand. Basically now a shell of its past greatness, the current Lincoln line up consists solely of premium content versions …

Compact cars provide excellent fuel economy at an affordable price.

The hybrid vehicle market remains weak, far weaker than what some people would like to admit. You can’t blame car shoppers for bypassing hybrids in favor …

The VW makeover continues; sales are up.
Volkswagen is reaping huge sales gains and is doing that on the strength of demand for its small cars, particularly its Jetta compact. That vehicle and the all new …

Press releases from the auto manufacturers always paint a positive spin on whatever news is being conveyed. That’s a given – your internal media organ has to advance the brand by raising awareness with customers …

GM CEO Dan Akerson is beginning to sound like Bob Lutz. Maybe not so much in bluster, but with every bit of Lutz’s candor.
Speaking to “The Detroit News” earlier this week, Akerson said this about …

Poor sales dog several of today’s models.
It is easy to focus on the hot selling cars of today as these models create the buzz that automakers crave. A number of models, however, don’t receive accolades …

Why Honda’s midsize hybrid initiative failed.
Short Model Run
Produced for three model years from 2005 to 2007, the Honda Accord Hybrid is an example of an execution strategy gone wrong. Instead of bolstering Accord sales, the …

Hyundai continues to tear up the auto industry.
Hyundai Motors continues to tear up the car industry, releasing a series of bold, new products and increasing market share even throughout the Great Recession. Along with Kia, …

By Jason Lancaster

We’ve all heard that pickup trucks are some of the worst offenders when it comes to gas mileage. To hear the media tell it, pickup trucks are tremendous low-tech gas guzzlers that waste …

By Jason Lancaster
In order for Hyundai to maximize both growth and profits, they need to add a luxury nameplate. Luxury cars are highly profitable when compared to mass-market cars, and luxury brands raise the public …

Launching an all-new car company is a tremendous undertaking. Launching a company based on innovative electric vehicle technology is extremely difficult, requiring vast sums of money from investors, government loan guarantee assistance and plenty of …

By Harrison Card
Young drivers crash a lot.  Yes, we know.  But, hey, at least they know when they left their turn signals on. Despite possessing turn signal awareness, young drivers have a habit of plowing …