Automotive News articles from January 2005

Automotive News archives from January 2005

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 3, 2005... Auto Shows - 2005 Jan. 5-9 - San Jose International Auto Show, San Jose McEnery Convention Center, San Jose, Calif., 717-566-6100, www.sjautoshow.com Jan. 7-16 - Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los...

Letters to the Editor.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 3, 2005... Lutz dressed STS in a plain paper sack To the Editor: I sent this letter to Robert Lutz of General Motors: I am writing after much soul searching over the new Cadillac STS. First, let me compliment Cadillac on my 2004 XLR. I...

Mazda fire will cut U.S. shipments; Hiroshima blaze halts RX-8, MPV and Miata.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Mazda Motor Corp. isn't sure when it can resume production of the RX-8, MPV and Miata after a fire in an assembly plant in Japan Dec. 15. On Dec. 24, Mazda estimated that the damaged plant, Ujina No. 1 in...

Some customers still get no respect; Dealerships could use more female managers and salespeople.(Opinion)(Column)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jamie LaReau People warned me that if I went car shopping without a male companion, I might be treated like a clueless bimbo. I shrugged it off. After all, it was 2004. I was wrong. Despite all the statistics, which...

Volkswagen's best-selling Jetta gets facelift for 2005.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Ralph Kisiel The long-awaited, redesigned Volkswagen Jetta debuts this week in Los Angeles. The 2005 Jetta is scheduled to go on sale March 18. The Jetta is VW's best-selling vehicle in the United States. The redesigned...

Toyota will build hybrids in U.S.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Toyota Motor Corp. will assemble hybrid vehicles in the United States, Akihiko Saito, executive vice president in charge of production, has confirmed. The company had said it was considering U.S. hybrid...

Ambitious 'Young Tiger' faces a slowing market.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Alysha Webb Exporting to the United States sounds incredibly ambitious. But caution has never been part of Chery Automobile Co.'s culture. Chery, one of China's "Young Tiger'' automakers, projects the no-boundaries spirit that...

Chinese team up with Bricklin; Promoter plans to import Chery cars in two years.
January 3, 2005... Byline: Dale Jewett Chinese cars are coming to the United States in two years, and the person selling them will be Malcolm Bricklin. That's the plan according to a contract Bricklin signed with Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. On Dec. 16,...

Toyota pays to be a TV 'Contender'; It will spend $16 million to place products, run spots on boxing show.(Marketing)(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.'s sponsorships on reality television programs)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Wayne Friedman Television Week Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. is paying $16 million to sponsor a new boxing-themed reality TV show on NBC, media industry sources say. The automaker's price for "The Contender'' is among the...

Bashing suppliers damages Big 3's market position.(Opinion)
January 3, 2005... A mountain of anecdotal evidence suggests that relations between the Big 3 and their suppliers are lousy. But what effect, if any, does that have on the carmakers' competitive positions? That has never been clear. Now there is some...

Snapshot.(Briefs)(Christmas business;Radio sales)
January 3, 2005... Christmas cheer for XM and Sirius Satellite radio was one of the hot Christmas gifts of 2004. Sirius Satellite Radio and rival XM Satellite Radio say a holiday gift-giving push helped them exceed subscriber goals for the year. Market...

Mitsubishi's loss grows.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has revised its loss for the first half of its fiscal year to reflect a write-off of U.S. assets determined to be worth less than book value. The automaker booked a special charge of $177.4 million at Mitsubishi...

Ford recalls Escape, Tribute.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Ford Motor Co. has recalled the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute to fix the liftgate, which could open during a crash if left unlocked. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the recall covers more than 310,000 units of the small...

This year, the spotlight is on brand Band-Aids; New entries fill holes, add depth to lineups.(News)
January 3, 2005... While past Detroit auto shows have offered a blockbuster or two, this year's show is likely to be remembered for vehicles intended to help jump-start a brand or expand that brand's range. For example, among the vehicles debuting next week...

Panel examines F&I practices.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Car dealers have been under scrutiny the past year for the way they finance vehicles. Those practices will be the focus of a panel at this year's Automotive News World Congress. Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability,...

Toyota's success is more than fish story.(Marketing)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jonah Bloom I clambered into a suspensionless, musty old cab outside the train station in Harrisburg, Pa., more in hope than expectation. The chances that my driver would know the location of an outdoor-sports store that opened...

Aston Martin designer resigns.(News)(Resignations)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Greg Bowens Henrik Fisker, 41, a top designer for Ford Motor Co., resigned two days before Christmas. He was chief design director for Aston Martin and director of Ford's advance design studio in Irvine, Calif. Fisker said...

Obituaries.(Danou Enterprises Inc)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
January 3, 2005... David Trainor ROYAL OAK, Mich. - Former auto executive David Trainor died Dec. 24. He was 67. Trainor was vice president of fleet sales for American Motors when Chrysler Corp. bought it in 1987. He left AMC at that time and for the past 15...

Miller beer a supplier? Big 3 include odd mix of companies for `supplier' discounts.(News)(Industry Overview)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Supplier discounts - often broadly defined - account for a rapidly growing share of Big 3 sales. About 3.3 percent of the roughly 16.8 million vehicles sold last year in the United States involved a supplier...

Slower sales spur service with a smile in China.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Alysha Webb At Beijing Qinhe Buick Auto Sales Co., salesmen and saleswomen in identical dark jackets hurry to help customers - even a foreigner with a reporter's notebook. No hard sale here. First they chat and offer a glass of...

9 Chrysler group plants are down.(Production)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... * Nine Chrysler group plants are closed this week. Three will be closed for tooling changes: Belvidere, Ill.; St. Louis South; and Warren Truck (Warren, Mich.). The other six will be closed for what the Chrysler group calls inventory...

Chrysler raises prices again; 3rd time on '05s.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. With its third price increase of the 2005 model year, the Chrysler group has matched General Motors in number, but it is still far behind GM in the amount it has tacked onto its sticker prices. The Chrysler...

Hybrid SUV not in Honda's 3-year plan.(Sports Utility Vehicles)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Unlike Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. has no plans to build hybrid SUVs in the next three years. "For now, we are not thinking about it'' for the three-year plan starting in April, says Honda President Takeo...

Honda's Fukui: No new N.A. plant.(News)(Interview)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Honda Motor Co.'s product offensive will continue in the United States in the next two years. Honda will launch a redesigned Civic and the Ridgeline SUV this year. In 2006, it will build a new Acura SUV and probably...

Honda's Insight won't get a makeover.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Honda Motor Co. has no plans to remodel the poor-selling Insight hybrid. But it has no plans to kill the two-seater, either, says President Takeo Fukui, because it is the most fuel-efficient car sold in the...

Retro theme keeps rolling with '06 HHR.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: K.C. Crain The 2006 Chevrolet HHR wagon debuting in Los Angeles continues the retro theme Chevrolet started with the SSR pickup. But while the SSR is a limited-edition vehicle aimed at buyers with deep pockets, the HHR is a...

HHR, Ferrari Superamerica to debut.(News)
January 3, 2005... Show to feature more than 10 major introductions A retro-styled Chevrolet, an innovative Ferrari convertible and the replacement for Volkswagen's top-selling U.S. sedan are among the world debuts this week at the Los Angeles auto show. ...

Court: Dealership can't force buyer to arbitrate claim.(Legal File)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Eric Freedman A Florida dealership cannot force the purchaser of a used 2001 Jaguar XK8 to arbitrate her fraud and unfair trade practices claims, the state Court of Appeal has ruled. The court ruled that the arbitration...

After a shaky beginning, Ford is on track in China.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Alysha Webb Ford Motor Co. learned hard lessons when it started making cars in China in 2002. Its first model, the Fiesta subcompact, was lambasted as old technology, and Ford was accused of not being committed to China. ...

Dealers.(People)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Milestones * John T. Platek and John J. Platek of Betley Chevrolet-Buick in Derry, N.H., received 25-year awards for Chevrolet and Buick from General Motors. * John Gudenkauf of Louisburg Ford Sales in Louisburg, Kan., received a...

Chevrolet counts on Cobalt to be big in small-car segment.(Marketing)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jamie LaReau General Motors launched an advertising blitz for its new Chevrolet Cobalt small car over the New Year's weekend - part of a major offensive in the economy-car wars. Because the Cobalt is a large volume vehicle, its...

Auto News Briefly.(Briefs)
January 3, 2005... Ex-dealer seeks an old friend When retired Ford dealer Joe Cleary read the Nov. 8, 2004, issue of Automotive News, he spotted an old friend: the 1946 Lincoln Continental shown in a front-page photo with movie star Clark Gable. Cleary, whose...

VW chases customers with free insurance deal.(Marketing)(Volkswagen of America Inc.)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Donna Harris Volkswagen of America Inc. is offering a year of free car insurance to attract buyers who have grown bored with conventional sales incentives. VW is conducting the pilot program, called "In the Car,'' from Jan. 4...

Consultants see Toyota rising to No. 3.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Dale Jewett A new generation of larger, more stylish vehicles will propel Toyota to No. 3 in U.S. sales within five years, says consulting firm CSM Worldwide. Combined U.S. sales of Toyota's divisions - Toyota, Lexus and Scion...

Court OKs amended Intermet contracts.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Julie Armstrong A court last week approved amended contracts between Intermet Corp. and 10 of its major customers. In November, the castings supplier asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan for...

Analysts: Sales will be flat - still fat - this year; The crystal ball consensus is a match of '04's 16.8 million.(News)(Industry Overview)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Greg Bowens, Lindsay Chappell If you thought 2004 was a great sales year, this year should bring a smile to your face. Analysts surveyed for Automotive News' annual look ahead expect 2005 U.S. light-vehicle sales to be almost...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
January 3, 2005... * The name of the writer of a letter on Page 12 of the Dec. 20 issue was misspelled. The letter, "Let designers design, not focus groups,'' was from Louis Pappas.

Los Angeles vs. Detroit.
January 3, 2005... Detroit and Los Angeles go at it again this week, only the name of the game is auto shows, not basketball. Wednesday is the opening media preview day in L.A. Detroit's extravaganza begins Sunday. Coverage begins on Page 8, with our...

Let's step back, rethink technology.(Column)(Reprint)
January 3, 2005... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Reprinted from Aug. 23, 2004 Just a few years ago everyone anticipated the switch from a 12-volt electrical system to a 42-volt system in the world's cars. I never understood why it wasn't just a 36-volt system,...

Kia flexes its muscles with SUV concept.(News)(Sport Utility Vehicle)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Mark Rechtin Kia Motors Corp.'s rumored foray into full-sized trucks and SUVs will take a big step forward with the KCD-II Mesa concept vehicle being unveiled next week at the Detroit auto show. The Mesa is a full-sized...

Speed-obsessed ads may be dangerous, Runge says.(Marketing)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Harry Stoffer In a rare reversal last August, General Motors succumbed to interest group pressure and pulled a TV commercial in the United States. The commercial depicted an underage driver's high-speed fantasy behind the wheel of...

Volvo will make Super Bowl debut; Commercial will introduce first V-8.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Jamie LaReau Volvo Cars of North America Inc. will advertise during the Super Bowl for the first time to launch the V-8 version of its XC90 premium sport wagon. The 30-second commercial will run in the third quarter of the...

Movies, Internet gain clout with automakers.(Marketing)(Industry Overview)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Lillie Guyer Automakers are using more product placement in films and interactive marketing rather than TV commercials. Hollywood and the Internet have changed what's acceptable and how much it costs, marketers say. Forrester...

Dealer opens stand-alone store to sell used Lexuses.(News)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Arlena Sawyers A Lexus dealer in suburban Dayton, Ohio, has opened a stand-alone dealership to sell certified used Lexus vehicles. He calls it the first store of its kind in the United States. The Lexus of Dayton Pre-Owned...

Mercedes thinks young with B class.(News)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mercedes-Benz AG will aim for a new generation of buyers with the B-class hatchback - the luxury brand's biggest departure among a wave of new products coming during the next two years. The B class, which is...

Pundits see merger mania in 2005; Group sees 5,000 suppliers by 2010.(News)(Industry Overview)
January 3, 2005... Byline: Julie Armstrong High raw material prices and pricing pressures from automakers will trigger more consolidation among North American suppliers in 2005, analysts say. The number of North American-based suppliers will fall to...

Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
January 10, 2005... Mustang ragtop is $24,495 LOS ANGELES - Ford Motor Co. said last week that the redesigned 2005 Mustang convertible goes on sale this spring with a base price of $24,495, including destination charges. The Mustang GT convertible, with a...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
January 10, 2005... * A story on Page 4 of the Dec. 20 issue incorrectly described the ownership of a wheel plant under construction near Shanghai. The plant is wholly owned by Prime Wheel Corp. of Gardena, Calif. * A story on Page 38 of the Jan. 3 issue...

Auto News digest.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Hyundai raises prices by $83 LOS ANGELES - In its second increase of the 2005 model year, Hyundai Motor Co. has raised prices an average of $83, or about one-half of 1 percent. The boosts amount to $50 on some Tucson models, $200 on...

Suppliers to the 2005 Toyota Tacoma.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The Toyota Tacoma, redesigned for the first time in 10 years, has grown. The 2005 Tacoma is 6 inches longer in the wheelbase and 5 inches wider than the previous model. The pickup also gets two new engines: a new 2.7-liter DOHC inline-four...

Range Rover Sport strays from heritage.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Bradford Wernle Land Rover purists might be offended by the Range Rover Sport. It is a compromise vehicle. Although the Sport has off-road capabilities, it is designed to show its stuff on the pavement. The Sport is Land...

Snapshot.(Briefs)
January 10, 2005... Angry Lutz defends Chevy HHR Some writers have derided the retro-styled 2006 Chevrolet HHR as a Chrysler PT Cruiser clone. And General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz is hopping mad about that. He told reporters at the Los Angeles...

Clean diesels: There's a simple solution; If Mercedes and Ford worked on it together, everyone would win.(Opinion)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Richard Truett Engineers, scientists and technicians at the world's automakers can build diesel engines that run as clean as their gasoline counterparts. The challenge is to do it affordably. Outfitting a vehicle with...

O'Neill deal brewed for 2 mos. Mitsubishi chief's departure disappoints many dealers.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Reynolds and Reynolds Co. courted Finbarr O'Neill for nearly two months before persuading him to resign last week as CEO of struggling Mitsubishi Motors North America. On Monday, Jan. 17, O'Neill will become CEO of...

Lincoln pins comeback hope on Zephyr sedan.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Amy Wilson Lincoln is counting on the 2006 Zephyr to kick off its comeback and bring new faces into dealer showrooms. The entry-level luxury sedan, Lincoln's first foray into that segment, is aimed at customers as young as 35 -...

Tucson's slow start irks dealers; With more launches ahead, Hyundai retailers air complaints.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Mark Rechtin Hyundai Motor America is on the eve of a massive product launch intended to more than double U.S. sales by the end of the decade. But various factory policies and snafus have some dealers skittish and confused. ...

AIADA's goal: Free trade with Thailand.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lindsay Chappell The American International Automobile Dealers Association has declared free trade with Thailand to be a top political objective for 2005. The chief motivation: Thailand has become a global market and...

Snake oil? Maybe not, but Bricklin plan is risky.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... It's too early to know whether entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin will succeed in his ambitious plan to import Chinese vehicles to the United States. But it's not too early to remind prospective dealers that this is a high-risk proposition that must...

GM expands use of hybrid system; Multiple configurations allow for more flexibility.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jason Stein General Motors will offer its "two-mode'' full hybrid, Advanced Hybrid System 2, on light vehicles by 2007. "We've secured key patents that will allow us to scale this system into multiple configurations,'' says Tom...

Vehicle takes GM fuel cells to the next stage.(News)(General Motors Corp.)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jason Stein General Motors has developed a fuel cell vehicle that could be built in small volumes, according to Larry Burns, General Motors' vice president of research, development and planning. "This is a real car,'' Burns...

Saturn gives peek at next sedan.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jason Stein General Motors might be calling it a concept, but what you see with the Saturn Aura is what you'll get. The mid-sized sedan won't look much different when it hits the streets in summer 2006. "It's a sneak...

Sky puts a halo on Saturn; Brand hopes roadster attracts young buyers.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jason Stein If a brand is going to stage a rally, General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz knows only one vehicle that can hit leadoff. "A roadster sets the tone,'' Lutz says. "It can be a halo vehicle.'' With the Sky...

Lutz groaned, and GM changed; Buick LaCrosse redo spurred revolution.(General motors)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jason Stein On Dec. 14, 2001, Robert Lutz had a serious problem. General Motors was about to build a car that its own senior executives didn't like. Lutz decided to huddle with Buick's designers and engineers at GM's technical...

Lender's plan: Lure auto shoppers early; Loan OK precedes trip to dealership.(Finance)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Centrix Financial LLC, a subprime lender, is launching its first marketing campaign aimed at vehicle buyers. And NASCAR is at the heart of the program. Customers typically encounter Centrix after they have...

M class gets high-tech help; 800 robots, new factory tackle quality problems.(News)(Mercedes-Benz)(Technical)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Lindsay Chappell When Mercedes-Benz pulls the wraps off its redesigned M-class SUV this week in Detroit, what onlookers won't see is the company's push for automated factory precision. Mercedes in Vance, Ala., has invested $600...

VW faces challenges in selling diesels in N.A.(News)(Volkswagen AG)(north america)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Alex Ricciuti Automotive News Europe Volkswagen AG is increasing its diesel sales in North America even as its overall sales fall in the United States. Despite the growth of hybrids, Volkswagen is staying with its strategy of...

Mercedes M class gets V-6 diesel.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jens Meiners Automotive News Europe Mercedes-Benz has developed a V-6 diesel engine that will replace its inline five- and inline six-cylinder diesels this spring in Europe. The first application for the new CDI engine in the...

Dodge adds Viper, Magnum SRTs.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Mary Connelly Dodge will begin building two limited-volume performance models in 2005. The 2006 Magnum SRT8 and 2006 Viper SRT10 coupe were unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show last week. The Magnum wagon is a "logical...

Dodge wants to return to car business.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Mary Connelly Dodge wants the 2006 Charger to make it a volume player in the sedan market. But that means Dodge must revive itself as a car brand, overcoming its primary image as a truckmaker. "Our biggest challenge for 2005 is...

Wave a magic wand.(Column)(Column)
January 10, 2005... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Reprinted from April 26, 1993 One of the wonderful things about people in government is this: All they have to do to make something happen is make a wish, pass a law, and - lo and behold - they think it happens. ...

Cadillac says STS-V is a serious performer.(News)(General Motors Corp. Cadillac Motor Car Div)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rick Kranz When asked about the 2006 STS-V's performance credentials, Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor says the proof is in the details. Those include: * A top speed exceeding 165 mph. * Zero to 60 mph in less than...

Fueling the future; Automakers are exploring at least 7 alternative fuels.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Automotive News Europe The biggest benefit of alternative fuels is that they offer lower emissions and better fuel economy. Used in vehicles, the fuels generate fewer toxic emissions and save energy. Here is...

Alternative fuels won't kill current engines.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Wim Oude Weernink Automotive News Europe Internal combustion engines require modifications to operate on alternative fuels, but they will not need to be replaced. Instead of developing new, alternative powertrains, researchers...

Runge to speak at congress.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... The nation's chief vehicle safety officer will speak at the 2005 Automotive News World Congress. Dr. Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since 2001, heads the agency that is rewriting...

Big 3 unite in pitch to new regime.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Harry Stoffer The Big 3 are making a comeback, at least as a lobbying coalition in the nation's capital. This month, members of the new Congress and top Bush administration officials are getting a data-laden brochure. It touts...

Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
January 10, 2005... Pischetsrieder: No U.S. plant yet Volkswagen AG Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder ruled out building a U.S. factory for now. VW first must exhaust overcapacity at plants in Mexico and South America, he said at the show. "That will take...

Waiting list for Bentley Continental GT is 1 year.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Mark Rechtin Americans who put a deposit on the Bentley Continental GT coupe will wait 12 months to take delivery, said Adrian Hallmark, Bentley Motors Inc. board member for sales and marketing. When dealers were asked to...

Mercury will offer unique designs; Design chief wants to set brand apart from Ford.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Amy Wilson More unique sheet metal is on the way for the Mercury brand, said Ford Motor Co.'s North American design director. Mercury will get more dramatic design changes to help set it apart from the Ford brand, Peter Horbury...

Ford plans to enhance new Mustang's ride.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. is planning upgrades to its new Mustang after just a few months on the market. Ford product development chief Phil Martens wouldn't provide details of the changes. But he said the upgrades would...

Bricklin's long shot in China; 5 new vehicles by 2007? Chery's product plan may be a bit too cheery.(News)(AVL List GmbH)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Richard Truett, Alysha Webb Malcolm Bricklin's plan to import five new Chinese vehicles to the United States in 2007 is a long shot. Up to three would be difficult but possible for Chery Automobile Co. Bringing five new...

Martens: Ford needs smaller car in U.S.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rick Kranz, Amy Wilson Ford Motor Co. needs a car smaller than the Focus to compete against the growing array of inexpensive subcompacts in the United States, says the automaker's North American product development chief. "It...

Japanese brands add incentives, gain U.S. light-truck share in '04.(Sales)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko The Japanese brands' sharp gains in market share last year were based on two trends: They sold more trucks, and they used heavier incentives. Nissan North America Inc. and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. gained...

2006 Pontiac G6.(News)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2005... Type of vehicle: Hardtop convertible Base engine: 200-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 In showrooms: First quarter 2006 Base price: Not released What's cool: Push one button, and the two-piece, Karmann-designed roof retracts into the luggage...

Auto News Briefly.(Briefs)
January 10, 2005... Bad drivers, good publicity The Subaru Impreza WRX has a reputation for quickness, and a couple of recent events are sure to give that reputation a boost. In Scotland, an off-duty traffic cop is in hot water after a police camera clocked...