Edmunds' AutoObserver Blog

May 9, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Here are some highlights from Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:   

Hybrids "Paying Off" More Quickly, New Edmunds Data Shows - As gasoline prices go higher, many hybrid-electric vehicles currently on sale are proving to be even wiser investments. Considerable past discussion about hybrids has focused on "payback" time, or the period required for savings from a hybrid's enhanced fuel economy to recoup the initial higher purchase price a hybrid commands. But with every increase in gas prices, the hybrid payback time becomes consequently shorter - to the point where some popularly-priced hybrid models can pay back their owners' investment in as little as 18 months. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/05/hybrids-paying-off-more-quickl.html.

Dodge Journey Ads a Hit, But Ford’s Drive One Has Mixed Impact - Chrysler’s advertising campaign for its new Dodge Journey crossover has greatly boosted initial online interest in the vehicle. On the other hand, the new omnibus marketing effort launched by Ford recently, Drive One, isn’t packing nearly the same punch. For more information on this story and an analysis of the advertising campaigns, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/05/dodge-journey-a.html.

Chrysler Unveils New Gas-Price Guarantee Incentive: "Let’s Refuel America" - Chrysler announced Monday evening that it will launch a new incentive program, called “Let’s Refuel America,” that  guarantees buyers of most of its vehicles $2.99 a gallon gasoline for the next three years. It comes as no surprise that Chrysler is offering a gas-related incentive: Current hefty cash incentives seem to be doing little to move the metal. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/05/chrysler-unveil.html.

UAW Strikes GM Where It Hurts Most -- in the ‘Bu- The United Auto Workers union struck -- literally -- General Motors where it hurts most -- at the automaker’s Kansas City, Kansas, factory that builds the fast-selling Chevrolet Malibu, already in tight supply. The supposed hangup is over seniority issues and work rules. However, many experts believe the strike -– and ones threatened at other GM plants –- has less to do with local GM issues than it does to show support of its union brothers at American Axle, on strike against the GM supplier for more than 70 days. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/05/uaw-strikes-gm.html.

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Apr 24, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Here are some highlights from Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:

Ford Surprise: Turns Red Ink into Black - Ford reported Thursday morning that it was in the black in the first quarter, compared with the red ink it reported in the year-ago quarter, thanks to aggressive cost cutting and strong international sales. Analysts had predicted Ford would announce a loss. Instead, Ford surprised them by posting net income of $100 million in the first quarter this year, compared with a $282 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Profitability will be short-lived, however. Ford executives said in a conference call with media and analysts that the automaker will post a loss for full-year 2008, albeit vastly improved from 2007. They added the company is still on target to be profitable for 2009. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/ford-turns-red.html.

GM 1Q Global Sales Flat Thanks to North American Drop - General Motors Corp. says its first-quarter 2008 global sales reached 2.25 million vehicles, a drop of less than one percent despite the drag of lagging North American sales. GM sales of 947,000 units in North America was roughly a 10 percent drop compared with 2007’s first quarter. GM executive director of global market and industry analysis Mike DiGiovanni said the number “exceeded our internal forecasts,” but also says, counter to some industry analysts, GM does not expect U.S. sales to shore up in the second quarter. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/gm-1q-global-sa.html.

Ford’s Drive One Could Be Right Campaign, Right Time - Ford may be on to something with the new, omnibus Drive One marketing campaign that the company has been revealing in stages over the last few weeks – and plans to use for years. The effort is the first major manifestation of the marketing strategy that has been hatched at Ford over the last six months by Toyota émigré Jim Farley. Drive One purports to scrape away all the superfluous messaging and all the trappings that attended automotive marketing during the long-running good times, by using actual Ford employees in advertisements that appeal in a very basic manner to the real needs and wants of vehicle buyers. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/fords-drive-one.html.

Beijing Auto Show and China’s Auto Industry: Life in Fast-Forward- Beijing’s auto show, like China’s auto industry and the country itself, has grown up and gained sophistication rivaling other global entities –almost. The Beijing auto show is an analogy to the China auto industry – and Chinese economy generally: spectacular progress and phenomenal growth in the blink of an eye, but still a tad off in the final bit of refinement necessary to be considered world-class – a level assured to be achieved at some point. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/beijing-auto-sh.html.
 
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Apr 11, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Here are some highlights from Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:  

Adios, Amigo: Isuzu Riding Off into American Sunset - Isuzu has announced it will call a halt to North American SUV sales in January 2009, but the news shouldn’t come as too much of a shock to anyone who’s been watching Isuzu of late. Isuzu’s fortunes have been on the wane for some while now as its long-term tie-up with General Motors has slowly unraveled and it’s been forced to rely on rebadged GM vehicles to keep sales alive. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/adios-amigo-isu.html.

Toyota, Daihatsu and Subaru Join Forces on Product Development, Vehicle Sharing - Japanese automakers Toyota, Daihatsu and Subaru parent, Fuji Heavy Industries, announced they have joined forces to develop new vehicles and supply each other with cars. The arrangement allows the companies to beef up their product portfolios, especially with slim-profit small cars, run assembly plants at full capacity and share development costs so no one company has to go solo on all such costs. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/toyota-daihatsu.html.

Ford, Microsoft Find They're in ‘Sync’ with Young Buyers – In an otherwise dismal month and quarter for industry sales, March retail sales for the Focus marked their highest level for any month since August 2005 – with retail sales up 36 percent in March and 35 percent in the first quarter compared with the same periods a year ago. The reason for higher retail sales, Ford says, is in large part because younger consumers were flocking to buy Sync, the in-vehicle connectivity system that has been featured lately in marketing for the subcompact car. For more information on this story and Microsoft Sync, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/ford-microsoft.html.

New York City Congestion Charge Dead On Arrival- The New York state legislature this week refused to vote on a proposal to institute a “congestion charge” for vehicles entering Manhattan, a plan similar to one adopted in London and other European cities to address pollution and overcrowding concerns. Critics said the congestion fee would disproportionately tax commuters and simply shift traffic to other areas outside the congestion-charge zone. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/04/new-york-city-c.html.

Feel free to share this message with others who want to stay up on auto industry news. And, please send your comments and questions to autoobserver@edmunds.com.     

 

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Mar 28, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Here are some highlights from Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:    

GM Closes More Plants Due to Supplier Strike – General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck car assembly plant, which builds the 2008 Buick Lucerne and 2008 Cadillac DTS, will shut down March 31. The closure is due to parts shortages caused by the strike by workers against supplier American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings. A GM plant in Janesville, Wis., which builds the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and GMC Yukon, also will close next week, leaving GM with only two plants producing large SUVs and pickup trucks. For more information on this story and UAW strike updates, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/gm-closes-more.html. 

March Sales: Consumers Not Compelled to Buy, Says Edmunds Forecast - Despite an abundance of rich incentive deals, March vehicle sales for the industry are expected to be lower than March 2007 and even lower than February when automakers report results Tuesday. March new-vehicle sales, including fleet sales, are expected to total 1.33 million, a 13.2 percent decrease from March 2007 and a 13.9 percent increase from February 2008. For more information on this story and sales data, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/march-sales-con.html.

 Tata Will Get Near-Death Jaguar, <st1:placename w:st="on">Recovering</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Land</st1:placetype> Rover from Ford In <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> - The long-awaited deal that hands British brands Jaguar and Land Rover over to <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>’s Tata Motors from Ford is finally done. So what does Tata get from Ford, at least in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>? Edmunds.com’s analysis of sales, market share and manufacturer incentives shows Tata has one nearly dead brand with Jaguar; Land Rover appears in recovery but with the cost of its meds climbing.

For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/tata-gets-near.html.

Gas Tax? Americans Say "No Way, We Won't Pay" - Many lawmakers and auto executives have long advocated a higher gas tax to get Americans to drive smaller more fuel-efficient and thus lower-emissions cars. But all acknowledged to push a higher gas tax is political suicide, and a new survey proves it. For more information on this story and additional survey results, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/gas-tax-america.html.

Feel free to share this message with others who want to stay up on auto industry news. And, please send your comments and questions to autoobserver@edmunds.com.     

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Mar 14, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Here are some highlights from Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:   

Audi "Positioned Well" for Coming Fuel Economy Crunch – Audi of America Inc. is ready for a projected shift in consumer demand toward more fuel-efficient vehicles, said its top technical executive. Michael Dick, Audi AG’s member of the board of management for technical development, told AutoObserver, “I think we are positioned very well” for any increased focus on fuel-efficiency in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> According to Dick, Audi has a company-wide “roadmap for 2012” initiative that has earmarked efficiency improvements throughout the vehicle, in areas such as aerodynamics, rolling resistance and friction. For more information on this story and Audi’s future plans, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/audi-positioned.html.

China’s Brilliance Motors: Edging Closer to European, U.S. Sales - Brilliance appears to be edging closer to selling cars in Europe as well as North America with this week’s announcement that investors led by Rocket Capital Investment Group agreed to buy $100 million of the automaker’s stock. Brilliance Chairman Wu Xioan told reporters in Hong Kong this week that the automaker aims to export 15,000 cars this year, half of which will go to Europe. Wu also said the investment may help Brilliance export cars to the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> as early as next year. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/chinas-brillian.html.

Chrysler: A Week of Whacking Costs - In the past week Chrysler has sold off an engine plant, closed down a design studio and instituted a mandatory two-week summer shutdown to save money. Chrysler’s moves could be read as merely a response to the deteriorating economy and slower vehicle sales, but are being seen by some as signs that Cerberus Capital Management is whipping the automaker into shape to get it ready for sale. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/chrysler-a-week.html.

GM, Ford Stock Plummets to Historic Lows - Shares of General Motors and Ford plummeted to historic lows Thursday after Morgan Stanley Research cut its earnings forecasts based on a lowered outlook for <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> auto sales. The report came on top of waning consumer confidence, higher gas prices, tightening credit availability and issues with auto suppliers. Ford stock fell to its lowest level since 1985, and GM’s shares fell to its lowest level since 2006. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/03/gm-ford-stock-p.html.

Feel free to share this message with others who want to stay up on auto industry news. And, please send your comments and questions to autoobserver@edmunds.com.     

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Feb 29, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

<o:smarttagtype name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:smarttagtype>Hi,

Here are some highlights from Edmunds’ AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:  

Chrysler Loses Nearly $3 Billion in Two Months, Daimler Report Says -  Chrysler LLC reported a loss of about $2.8 billion in August and September of last year, according to Daimler AG’s annual report,. The loss includes restructuring expenses in the fourth quarter and cost related to a concessionary labor contract Chrysler negotiated with the UAW. For more information on this story and Chrysler’s financial situation, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/02/chrysler-loses.html.

GM Closes Truck Plant Due to Supplier Strike - The strike by the United Auto Workers against American Axle and Manufacturing Inc. has begun to pinch production of General Motors’ pickup trucks, including the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado and 2008 GMC Sierra. GM shut its assembly plant in Pontiac, Mich., Thursday as the strike created shortages of critical parts. The strike also could force Chrysler LLC to curtail production of pick-up trucks. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/02/gm-closes-plant.html.

Hyundai Tries Big Incentives To Keep Alabama Plant Humming - Hyundai has been cutting production at its nearly new assembly plant in Montgomery, Ala., and greatly beefing up incentives to keep the plant humming. Hyundai cut daily production at its sole <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> assembly plant by about 20 percent late last year and has been turning to monster sales incentives to try to keep the three-year-old plant producing Sonata sedans and Santa Fe SUVs at the current lower rate. For more information on this story and Hyundai incentive data, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/02/hyundai-sonata.html.

Tata Nano: World's Cheapest Car Gets an On-Sale Date - Ravi Kant, managing director of Tata Motors, has confirmed Nano production will commence in October this year. When it appeared January 10 at the New Delhi Auto Expo, the Tata Nano amazed everyone with its rock-bottom starting price of $2,500. For more information on this story, visit http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/02/tata-nano-world.html.

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Jan 17, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Here are some highlights from this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:

Detroit Auto Show Hangover: Impressions from Press Days - he Detroit auto show party’s over – at least for the media; it only just begins on Saturday for the public. After another spin around the floor, here are some unvarnished impressions of the show, this piece gives you a perspective from AutoObserver’s writers.  For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/detroit-auto-sh.html.      

Early Word on Malibu: Customers Okay With Smaller Engine - Another sign the automotive times are a-changin’: Customers grabbing up General Motors Corp.’s all-new ’08 Malibu midsizer don’t mind a couple less cylinders. Speaking to reporters, GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner says some early data on engine take-rates for the Malibu show customers opting as much for the car’s smaller 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine as they are for the Malibu’s grunty and sophisticated 3.6-liter dual-cam V-6. . For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/chevrolet-malib.html.          

Federal Panel Calls for Serious Gas-Tax Hike - The Associated Press reports this week a special panel is recommending a significant increase in federal gasoline tax that would more than double today’s rate. If fully phased-in, the new tax rate could add 40 cents to the price of a gallon of fuel.  For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/gas-tax-hike-fe.html.     

GM Launches Partnership with Coskata To Pursue Its Ethanol Dreams – Here in a cluster of tiny laboratories, in a nondescript one-story office building, in a cookie-cutter industrial park in suburban Chicago, scientists and engineers –- as of Sunday, officially partnered with General Motors –- may be coming up with one of the most feasible solutions yet to the wrenching problem of global dependence on oil for gasoline. It’s called cellulosic ethanol. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/gm-launches-par.html.    

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Jan 4, 2008 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Happy New Years from AutoObserver.com! Here are some highlights from this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:  

2007: A Historic Year for <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> Vehicle Sales - Overall, the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> auto industry, which reported December and full-year 2007 sales on Thursday, saw sales drop to their lowest level in a decade. For the first time since 1931, Ford Motor Co. was not the No. 2 automaker in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>; Toyota was, even though Toyota suffered sales declines in some months for the first time in years. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/2007-a-historic.html.     

Ford Taps India’s Tata as Top Bidder for Jaguar, Land Rover - Ford confirmed what has been widely speculated in recent weeks -- that it has selected India's Tata Motors Ltd. as the top bidder for its Jaguar and Land Rover units. A statement by Ford said it had entered into "focused negotiations at a more detailed level" with Tata. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/ford-taps-india.html.         

Chevrolet Volt: Is Intro Time Slipping? - GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said on Thursday that the company is “currently benchtesting batteries” for Chevrolet Volt and added that, while beginning Volt production in 2010 “would be great,” he “can’t guarantee it at this time.”  GM previously has indicated that it will launch Volt around 2010, though some outside observers are skeptical that GM will have the batteries ready for the plug-in hybrid.  For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/chevrolet-volt.html.    

GM Centennial: Focus on Future While Nodding to Glorious Past – When General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner began an online chat earlier this week with members of the worldwide automotive news media, he formally kicked off a corporate centennial celebration that will culminate with a huge Sept. 16 observation of exactly one official century of existence for GM. Wagoner’s thrust was purposeful, because the future will be the focus of the entire centennial celebration that the company is calling GMNext (www.gmnext.com). About 85% of GMNext activities and resources will be devoted to projecting GM’s second century and only about 15% to reveling in its first hundred years. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/gm-centennial-f.html.   

Honda, Toyota Are Most Researched Vehicles in 2007, Edmunds.com Reports - Honda and Toyota models dominate the list of vehicles most researched by the 13 million people who visited Edmunds.com every month last year. The Honda Civic and Honda Accord ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, on Edmunds.com's 2007 list of most researched cars.For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/most-researched.html.          

Feel free to share this message with others who want to stay up on auto industry news. And, please send your comments and questions to autoobserver@edmunds.com.    

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Dec 21, 2007 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Happy Holidays from AutoObserver.com! Here are some highlights from this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:  

Incentives: They Aren’t What They Used to Be - TV advertising is spiced with year-end incentives for auto buyers. But money-back and cut-rate-interest programs aren’t what they used to be in the auto industry...  For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/incentives-they.html.   

Nissan May Use Back Gate to Sneak Into Superbowl TV Ads - Nissan says it has never advertised its vehicles on TV during the Super Bowl, but that may be changing in Super Bowl XLII on February 3 and the introduction of the restyled 2009 Murano. The company isn’t denying reports that it may seek a significant in-game ad presence by making a large spot buy that would allow it to run many local advertisements on Fox TV stations and affiliates during the game.  For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/nissan-murano-s.html.   

GM’s Dream of Mid-Engine Corvette Not Off the Table – With General Motors Corp. unveiling the ultra-high performance ZR-1 and its six-figure price, the possibility of the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette moving to a more exotic mid-engine configuration still is being discussed at the highest levels of GM engineering, planning and marketing, sources close to the situation tell AutoObserver. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/chevrolet-corve.html.  

Nissan Will Attempt to Squelch Gouging on GT-R Car - Now that the $70,000-or-so price of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.’s upcoming  '09 GT-R supercar is public knowledge, reader message boards a Edmunds’ CarSpace.com and all over the Internet are abuzz with discussion -– and skepticism –- about what the real price will be once dealers and associated speculators stake out their pieces of the action.The ’09 GT-R, tested last weekend by Edmunds' Inside Line, certainly is next year’s most highly anticipated U.S. vehicle launch. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/nissan-will-att.html.        

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Dec 7, 2007 - News from AutoObserver.com

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Here are some highlights from AutoObserver.com this week. As always, there is more available directly on www.autoobserver.com:  

New CAFÉ: Higher Numbers, Same Problems - The U.S. House of Representatives finally approved a massive energy bill whose cornerstone is the long-debated increase of fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon average for both passenger cars and light trucks by 2020. Trouble is, just when auto companies, politicians and environmental interests seem able to agree the public insists on something resembling “action” regarding auto fuel economy, the bill faces an almost certain roadblock in the Senate – not to mention a threatened veto from President Bush – because it retains a provision to reduce tax breaks for Big Oil and mandates large utilities produce at least 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources.  For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/new-cafe-higher.html.  

Ford Wins Fix for Labor, Manufacturing Excess – But Products are Yesterday’s News - November’s handshake with the UAW also brings the union’s blessing to pare Ford’s U.S. manufacturing footprint to just nine assembly plants; the company already has shuttered four major U.S. plants and will close another in 2009 as it right-sizes itself to a near-term market share projected to be around 15 percent. As recently as 2002, Ford share exceeded 20 percent. But with Ford shedding costly and unproductive manufacturing capacity (and the associated workers, unfortunately), the next problem emerges: much of what’s being built in Ford’s remaining UAW-represented plants is yesterday’s news. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/ford-wins-fix-f.html.  

Ford Explorer: No Longer King of <st1:placename w:st="on">SUV</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype> - Remember when the Ford Explorer was king of the SUV mountain – the best-selling SUV in <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>? The Explorer's reign is long over. Without fanfare, the Honda CR-V quietly took over the No. 1 spot among SUVs and crossovers this past year. A number of other SUVs have also passed the Explorer by. In fact, the Explorer has been surpassed by the Ford Escape and Ford Edge. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/ford-explorer-n.html.

Toyota Prius: Outselling Entire Brands - The Toyota Prius has become a brand unto itself; the single hybrid car is outselling entire brands with their full lines of models. The Prius more than doubled sales in November compared with November 2006. Prius outsold the entire Acura, Saturn, Buick, Subaru and Mercury brands. It came close to outselling the Cadillac and Volkswagen brands. That's to name only a few. For more information on this story, visit: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/toyota-prius-ou.html.       

<st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region> Car of the Year: Honda Fit Wins – As Expected - Like many Car of the Year contests, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>’s COTY can throw up the occasional unexpected result. But not this year. Going into this year’s showdown, many wise souls predicted that the new Honda Fit would win at a canter. And that in the end is exactly what happened. For more information on this story, visit:  http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/12/japan-car-of-th.html.

Feel free to share this message with others who want to stay up on auto industry news. And, please send your comments and questions to autoobserver@edmunds.com.    

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