Hyundai launches Guarantee Assurance Trade-in Value

Hyundai is making a grab for more customer loyalty than it already enjoys with its newly launched Assurance Trade-in Value Guarantee, which, as its name suggests, guarantees future trade-in values on new car purchases. The move falls under Hyundai‘s wide-spanning Assurance marketing scheme, and will give buyers a solid number to determine what their car will be worth two to four years down the line.

The new initiative will be go into effect starting in May, and affects all Hyundai models. The actual value of Hyundai‘s models will be determined by the Automotive Lease Specials Guide forecast of future value. Hyundai is quick to point out that the residual value for its models is now among the highest in the industry and it’s saying that this new program offers one of the major benefits of a Lease Specials program, but with all the benefits of actual vehicle ownership.

To qualify, the vehicle must be purchased at an authorized Hyundai dealership and then traded in within 24 to 48 months on a new Hyundai vehicle. See all the details in the official press release after the break.

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Ford to close 175 Lincoln dealerships

In late 2010, Lincoln outlined a plan to cut 175 of its 500 metropolitan dealerships. The goal was to eliminate redundancy, while at the same time giving the remaining stores a better chance to succeed.

Six months into the plan, Bloomberg reports that The Blue Oval has so far cut 100 of those dealers, bringing the total amount of retail outlets in the top 130 markets to 400. The next step for the remaining dealers is to upgrade their facilities to include new training and staffing standards and perks like free car washes in the hopes of meeting or exceeding the buying experience at Lexus or BMW stores. Dealers have until August 31 to meet these new standards, which are said to cost up to $2 million per store. Those who don’t qualify may receive decreased marketing support from Ford. The Blue Oval is reportedly still offering to buy Lincoln dealers or pair them with Ford franchises.

There is no question that Ford is asking dealers to heavily invest in their dealerships, and at a time when sales are very, very poor. Lincoln sales are down 11 percent so far in 2011, while the industry at large has experienced a 20-percent sales increase. But while sales are slow now, Ford has promised to introduce seven new Lincoln models by 2014. Ford is meeting with the Lincoln dealer council this week to discuss changes in customer service, while also giving the select dealers a sneak peek at some next-generation Lincoln models.

Source: [  Bloomberg, Autoblog.com ]

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New 2012 VW Beetle? nothing beetle about it! looks like an Audi

The New look,

First off we want to say that we believe Volkswagen went the wrong direction with this one ,   Everyone was wondering where the designers of the PT Curser went, now we know.  Its not a bad car, its just not a beetle. It looks like a cross between an Audi TT and Volkswagen Beetle,  too much Audi influence not enough BEETLE.

What’s NEW

Volkswagen is whipping the covers off redesigned 2012 Beetle this week, with simultaneous presentations at the New York and Shanghai auto shows and an invite-only event near VW headquarters in Berlin.

The two-door hatchback — scheduled to go on sale in North America in September — continues with the retro-inspired appearance of its direct predecessor.

The word “New” has been dropped from the car’s name. The car will be called the Volkswagen Beetle.

The separate fenders have tauter surfacing, crisper feature lines, squarer bumpers, altered detailing and a more rakish roofline

The updated styling, developed under Volkswagen Group design boss Walter de Silva and VW brand boss Klaus Bischoff, recalls many of the cues revealed on the Ragster concept introduced at the 2005 Detroit auto show.

In the U.S. market, three engines will be offered: VW’s 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine that generates 170 hp; a 2.0-liter TDI engine (140 hp), and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (200 hp). Other engine variants will be offered around the world.

Among the car’s new features are LED daytime running lights, bi-xenon headlamps and larger wheels — the latter of which can be specified up to 19 inches, VW says.

At 4,278 mm in length, 1,808 mm in width and 1,486 mm in height, the Beetle is a considerable 152 mm longer and 84 mm wider — but 12 mm lower than the outgoing model, which has accounted for more than one million sales globally since its introduction in 1998.

Inside, there’s a redesigned dashboard to provide the car with a more conventional driving position. The outgoing Beetle was criticized for its deep dashboard, something that imbued it with an upright, MPV-like driving environment.

In a move that will disappoint the flower power generation, the plastic vase has been deleted in favor of a new list of optional extras, including satellite navigation (the first time it has been has been made available on the Beetle), a high-end sound system developed with guitar and amplifier manufacturer Fender, keyless access, and a glass roof that is claimed to be 80 percent larger than that offered on the previous model.

As with its predecessor, the Beetle will be assembled at Volkswagen‘s Puebla plant in Mexico alongside the Jetta. The two models share many parts of the same front-engined/front-wheel drive platform.

Along with the coupe revealed here officially for the first time, VW is already well-advanced on a convertible version of the next Beetle, which insiders say is likely to make an appearance at the Los Angeles auto show in November.

Source: [ Automotive news )

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RECALL: Ford recalls over 1 million F-150 pickup trucks

WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. and U.S. safety regulators have agreed to a greatly expanded recall of the best-selling vehicle in North America, the Ford F-150 pickup truck.

The recall is for a possible short circuit that could cause airbags to deploy unexpectedly and involves nearly 1.2 million F-150s and some Lincoln Mark LT vehicles, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall covers F-150s from the 2004 to 2006 model years.

Previously, 144,000 of the pickup trucks were recalled. The expansion comes after talks between the automaker and safety regulators in Washington.

Ford, in an e-mailed statement, said its review found the airbag deployments were linked to a “wiring chafe” condition.

“If a wiring chafe occurs, the airbag warning lamp will illuminate for an extended period of time prior to any risk of deployment, alerting owners to service their vehicle,” Ford said. “We urge all of our customers to seek service immediately for an airbag warning lamp that is illuminated.”

Notifications in May

Ford said it would notify customers in May and will ask them to take affected vehicles to their dealers for repair at no cost. Ford said the repair involves a replacement of an airbag wire in the steering wheel. Repairs should take less than half a day.

The automaker added that it is not aware of any accidents stemming from the problems.

“In most cases, the reported deployments have occurred within the first few seconds following vehicle start-up,” the statement said. “Ford is aware of one instance where a driver exited a slowly moving vehicle following a deployment in a driveway.”

NHTSA chief David Strickland said in a statement: “We are pleased that Ford shares our commitment to safety.”

In February, Ford said in a response to safety regulators, “the condition does not present an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety” but agreed to the recall of 144,000 F-150s.

Today, Ford said it maintains its previous statement on the issue not being an “unreasonable risk,” but agreed to the expanded recall “to reassure customers of Ford‘s commitment to safety and to eliminate any possible customer confusion.”

The vehicles were the subject of 323 consumer complaints for airbag deployments resulting in 66 injuries, according to a January 2010 posting on the NHTSA Web site.

The reported injuries include a loss of consciousness as a result of the airbag deployment, a broken tooth, cuts to the arms and face, and abrasions and contusions.

Ford‘s April 11 letter to NHTSA said drivers were typically able to maintain vehicle control.

Ford cooperated during the study of the airbag issue throughout the process, NHTSA said.

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DIESELS DRAWING CONSUMER INTEREST

Motorists are exploring all their options for fuel efficiency amid some of the highest North American gasoline prices on record, LeaseTrader.com reported. The U.S.-based car Lease Specials website said that based on searches on its site, along with Lease Specials takeover data, drivers are taking a closer look at diesel-powered cars even though they tend to cost more than gasoline powered vehicles. Search demand is up 6.4 per cent since January for the Mercedes E3250 Bluetec, and is also up for BMW, Audi and Volkswagen, as well as for trucks from Chevrolet and Ford.

HSBC nominees announced

Four B.C. companies are in the running for HSBC Bank Canada’s inaugural International Business Awards. HSBC said in a news release it launched the awards program to “recognize the achievements of Canadian companies who have made the decision to expand their business beyond our borders, and who actively promote ‘Brand Canada.’” The winners will be announced May 10 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. BioteQ Environmental Technologies is nominated for Leadership in International Trade – Asia Pacific for its watertreatment technologies involving the recovery and removal of dissolved metals and sulphate in water contaminated by resource and power-generation activities.

In the same category, Pacific Prince Investments’ subsidiary SPF Pre-Cut Lumber was nominated for its success as a remanufacturer of Canadian wood products. Mineral explorer Energold Drilling Corp. was nominated for Leadership in International Trade – Latin America. Stork Craft Manufacturing is nominated for International Business of the Year

-Large Enterprise.

DIESELS DRAWING CONSUMER INTEREST

Motorists are exploring all their options for fuel efficiency amid some of the highest North American gasoline prices on record, LeaseTrader.com reported. The U.S.-based car Lease Specials website said that based on searches on its site, along with Lease Specials takeover data, drivers are taking a closer look at diesel-powered cars even though they tend to cost more than gasolinepowered vehicles. Search demand is up 6.4 per cent since January for the Mercedes E3250 Bluetec, and is also up for BMW, Audi and Volkswagen, as well as for trucks from Chevrolet and Ford.

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Japanese automakers have lost half a million units since quake

According to Automotive News, Japanese automakers have seen their production drop by over 500,000 units since the March 11 earthquake struck the island nation. In the month since the disaster, the country’s seven largest automakers lost around 516,000 units of production due to damage to production facilities and supplier delays. Toyota has been the hardest hit, with a loss of 260,000 units as of April 8. The automaker has a total of 18 domestic manufacturing facilities, and while two of those are back online, the remainder won’t open their doors until at least April 18. Even then, the plants may shut down again after April 27.

Honda, Suzuki, Subaru, Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi are all operating on some level, though production is an on-again, off-again affair. As an example, Nissan has managed to re-open all five of its Japanese facilities, though production has been scaled back to half-pace for the time being. There’s no word as to when full production will ramp up once again.

Source: [ Automotive news , autoblog.com ]

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Detroit automakers are expected to add 36,000 jobs by 2015

DETROIT — The Detroit 3 are expected to add 36,000 factory jobs by 2015, all of them paying new-hire wages and benefits that are half of what is typically paid to traditional UAW autoworkers, economist Sean McAlinden said today.

The carmakers are producing near the limits of what the current UAW work force of 102,000 can do on maximum overtime, said McAlinden, who spoke with reporters on the sidelines of a lecture at Wayne State University here.

They will have to hire to increase production once all laid-off UAW members nationally are back to work by September, he said.

“They’ll all be Tier 2 hires,” said McAlinden, executive vice president of research at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Detroit 3 are authorized under their current contracts with the UAW to have up to 25 percent of their hourly workers in the lower-wage category. Those provisions extend until 2015, even though the Detroit 3 are beginning informal contract talks with the UAW to replace the current four-year contracts that expire in September.

McAlinden said UAW contract concessions in 2007 and 2009 have reduced the average hourly UAW compensation with wages and benefits to about $58 an hour, just $2 more an hour than that of Toyota at its massive Georgetown, Ky., assembly plant.

He said General Motors, if it could get its current 49,000 hourly work force to 20 percent Tier 2, would bring its average hourly compensation to $48 an hour. That would mean greater profits for the carmaker, he said.

McAlinden said Ford Motor Co. has a 50/50 chance of being the UAW’s first target for negotiations since the company is the most profitable of the Detroit 3 and workers have the right to strike.

He added that Alan Mulally’s 2010 compensation of more than $26 million has galvanized Ford rank-and-file to demand more money in this year’s talks. It is a symbol that every worker recognizes. “It didn’t help,” McAlinden said

Source: [ Automotive News ]

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Fiat increase Chrysler ownership to 30 percent

Last week ,we told you that Fiat had plans to increase its stake in Chrysler within the next couple of weeks, and the automaker is apparently running ahead of schedule. The Detroit News reports that the Italian concern has officially purchased an additional five percent of the Auburn Hills, MI-based automaker, bringing the total to 30 percent. It’s the second ownership increase for Fiat in 2011, as the automaker only announced that it was increasing its stake to 25 percent in January.

The second five percent comes after met a condition stipulating that Fiat sell a Chrysler product in 90 percent of dealerships in Brazil while also achieving $1.5 billion in revenue outside of North America. The automaker reportedly struggled to reach an agreement with dealers in Brazil to sell Chrysler-badged vehicles, so a second stipulation was rewritten to account for Chrysler vehicles re-badged as a Fiat. That vehicle is the Fiat Freemont shown above, which is essentially a Dodge Journey with a Fiat badge.

The Detroit News says Fiat likely won’t hit its final bogey of achieving 35 percent ownership until the fourth quarter, when a Fiat-based Dodge hits the market. That vehicle will need to hit 40 miles per gallon in highway driving, which suggests the vehicle may be based on the Fiat 500.

Source: [ The Detroit News, Autoblog.com ]

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Jeep considering diesels for the American market

last week, Jeep unveiled a Mopar-modified Cherokee Overland. The safari-ready ute is actually a European market Jeep Liberty, right down to its 2.8-liter turbo diesel four-cylinder engine. The vehicle is only here for promotional purposes, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a diesel option for Jeep buyers on this side of The Pond?

The Detroit Free Press reports that Jeep President and CEO Michael Manley couldn’t agree more, but he’ll need to provide a rock-solid business case to move forward with oil burners in the States. The Jeep CEO said diesels could enter the U.S. market in two or three years if that business case is made, adding “diesel applications in the larger vehicles probably make more sense then they do in the smaller ones, purely because of the cost of the powertrains and the treatments that are required.”

Chrysler’s off-road brand already features diesel powertrains in Europe, and 80 percent of all Jeeps sold there are of the oil-burning variety. Those engines are becoming cleaner all the time as well, and the newest Euro diesels could soon also meet emissions standards in the U.S. and Canada.

We’re all for diesel-powered Jeeps, especially since the diesels tend to have similar fuel economy to a hybrid SUV, but with additional capability. And, hey… a Grand Cherokee with a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy doesn’t sound like a bad thing, either.

Source: [Autoblog.com ]

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