Welcome, The Auto Writer Readers!

I announced on my The Auto Writer website on Thursday an important change which I am reiterating with you here: I’ve made Auto Trends my flagship automotive blog.

What this means is that this blog will be the beneficiary of my much more frequent updates, dispensing news daily — Monday through Friday. The Auto Writer, which I founded in February 2006 will stay around, but I’m turning it into a once weekly feature length article website.

Why the change? Because Auto Trends, founded by me in April 2008, has grown faster and it sits on its own URL. Though The Auto Writer continues to grow and shine, I’ve found that this site has the most promise of expanding in the months and, hopefully, years to come.

I’m still working out the details, but I’m thinking of including my full length car reviews on The Auto Writer while reserving all other news here. I may include a few new features here including some video clips and perhaps some job information.

What isn’t changing is this site’s emphasis: new models, concept cars & cool car stuff! I believe I’ve been hitting the first two categories spot on, but the third category needs some work. Gadgets are important part of the driving experience; I just need to find some and report about them to you.

I appreciate your stopping by here as well as on The Auto Writer. You can and probably do visit other car sites frequently (as I do) so I’m glad to have you here. Feel free to subscribe in order to keep up with the news.  Add your comments as you see fit.

Thanks again!

Hyundai Sonata Disturbs D-Segment

Hyundai continues to challenge the market.

The medium size sedan market, or D-segment, is a crowded field. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are the two biggest sellers, but both Ford and Chevrolet have enjoyed success in recent years with their Fusion and Malibu models respectively.

Every automaker fields at least one midsize product, usually several when you add crossovers to the mix. Dominated by sedans with a sprinkling of coupes thrown in, the one body style lacking in this segment has been the station wagon.

Redesigned Sonata

But Hyundai is in the process of changing all of that with plans to introduce a wagon model in the next year or two. Hyundai is already enjoying success with its totally redesigned 2011 Sonata and will include a hybrid model before the wagon rolls out. Forget worrying about Ford or Chevy: Toyota and Honda may have a problem on their hands when Hyundai expands its Sonata line.

The Hyundai Sonata wagon will be sold in Europe and North America and it is in that former market where an Autoblog sleuth took pictures of a disguised Sonata prototype. Though Autoblog isn’t particularly certain the wagon will make it to the states, I’ve got a good source telling me that it will.

Hyundai Success

Don’t forget, the Toyota Venza and Honda Accord Crosstour are based on the Camry and Accord platforms respectively. Hyundai has made it known that they plan on putting up a challenge in every car segment out there. Following its success with the Genesis sedan and Genesis coupe, the Korean automaker will be bringing the big Equus to North America later this year. Yes, one or two pickup truck lines are next, so the disturbing Sonata wagon most certainly looks to be a good one.

Speaking about the Hyundai challenge to other automakers, the combined Hyundai Kia Automotive Group is now the fourth largest automaker in the world, having passed Ford in 2009.  It was just a decade ago that the combined entity was in 11th place, well off the pace of the top car manufacturers and not much of a force to consider.

My, how things have changed!

Is 17 Million Annual Car Sales Possible?

During the lowest point of the recession, some automotive industry analysts were declaring that the era of robust auto sales for the United States was over. After peaking at 17.4 million annual units sold in 2000, sales gradually slid over the decade until plunging in 2008 and finally bottoming out at 10.4 million units for 2009.

Annual Sales

In the course of the recession, the US lost its long held position as the top car consuming country in the world, as China saw its sales surge in the face of an American retreat. Few are predicting that sales will return to previous levels at least in the next few years with some saying that 12-13 million annual sales is the most likely scenario, effectively becoming the “new normal” for the country.

Fortunately, that position is not universally held.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the management consultant firm A.T. Kearney, Inc. has issued a much more positive projection from 2012 and beyond even as sales are likely to climb to just 11.7 million units for 2010.

Optimistic Predictions

For 2012, Kearney is predicting US sales to reach 16.8 million units, 17.8 million in 2013 and 18.6 million in 2014. These sales numbers are the company’s “optimistic” predictions with their “pessimistic” numbers reflecting 12.9 million sales in 2012 followed by consecutive 14.6 million units sold in 2013 and 2014.

Even with baseline sales of 16.1, 16.5 and 17.5 million units in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively, few analysts are predicting that the 16 million unit threshold will be reached before 2013. Still, mostly everyone, including Kearney believes that pent up demand will bring customers back in to dealer showrooms. And, though cars tend to last much longer these days, the number of people with cars ten years or older is skyrocketing. Those people are seen as contributing to stronger sales in years ahead.

Outside Forces

Auto Trends doesn’t make predictions based on anticipated sales data, given the vagaries of the economy and other market conditions that may weigh in. The national debt is at an all time high level and taxes are bound to increase as national health care is introduced and other funding mandates arrive.

Finally, as A.T. Kearney partner Daniel Cheng noted, economic problems in Europe and elsewhere or terror threats could diminish the auto industry’s hope for a strong recovery, perhaps making everything I’ve written here moot!