Toyota Motor Corp's North American operations are looking to become a big exporter as the automaker gets hit by a strong yen that has eroded profits on vehicles shipped from Japan, a top executive said on Tuesday.
Buick, a GM brand, developed the new Encore to compete at a more upscale level than the Toyota RAV 4 or the Honda CR-V. Buick did not announce pricing for the Encore, but it is expected to be comparable with class products including the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1.
DETROIT -- Toyota introduced a plug-in hybrid concept vehicle Tuesday here in Detroit at the 2012 North American Auto Show called the NS4, separating it from the Prius family of vehicles and showcasing a new design the company plans to carry into the near future.
Ford's plans for Lincoln include more than well-designed and enginneered luxury product, Farley said. The brand plans to up the ante with a more customized personal service at its Lincoln dealerships, which have been asked to invest in upgrading facilities and overall grade. Lincoln hopes to grow to 800,000 units sold annually, as a formidable foe with other luxury brands including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus.
DETROIT -- As the music blared and the Dodge Dart rolled out to its debut, the stage shook underneath Dodge CEO Reid Bigland's feet before he stepped off.
The Detroit Auto Show 2012 has been so far a testament to value and design combinations, key elements that deliver winning car products. The Hyundai Elantra kicked off the first day of the North American International Auto Show -- as it's officially called -- Monday with a somewhat surprising win as Car of the Year. The compact Elantra, cited by voting jurors for its low price and high efficiency with 40 miles per gallon, beat the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Passat for the annual honor.
DETROIT -- When Joe Baker was doing research for the new concept car he was designing for Chevrolet, one piece of information stood out. Baker, who designed the Code 130R concept, looked most at United States Census data that said 80 million American consumers are approaching the age of 30.
General Motors Co will focus on maintaining profits, not defending U.S. market share gains made at the expense of Japanese rivals, the automaker's top executive said on Monday.
BMW posted record car sales for 2011 and forecast that a boom in luxury cars would keep it ahead of rivals this year as the world's biggest maker of premium cars enjoys strong demand from China and the United States.
DETROIT -- Ford chose a fitting venue to make the 2013 version of its midsize Fusion here at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday.
Hyundai Motor Co's Elantra won car of the year honors at the Detroit auto show on Monday, a marketing boost for the car with the fastest sales growth in the Korean automaker's line-up.
As recently as when Bill Ford Jr., now the company chairman, was CEO of Ford and Rick Wagoner was CEO of GM, meetings meant Wagoner tried to claim the head seat at the table by virtue of his company's position as the largest automaker in Detroit. Bill Ford wasn't yielding, it's just that Wagoner had that expectation.
Audi, the premium car brand of Volkswagen , posted record sales in 2011 as demand for luxury cars in China and Russia helped it gain ground on bigger rivals like BMW and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz.
It's about sustainability of profits, and sustainability through efficient products that contribute to both the broader environment and consumer benefit that will be at the heart of every automaker's presentations. America's Big Three, in particular, have revealed they are still among the biggest and best global forces to be reckoned with through profitability and strong, advanced product in the past year or two.
The legendry rock band will start the tour Feb 18 from Louisville's KFC Yum! Center. The five-month-long tour will conclude June 26 at New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA.
BMW grabbed the top spot in the U.S. luxury auto market in 2011, edging out Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand, as both German automakers took advantage of inventory problems for Toyota Motor Corp's Lexus lineup.
BMW AG has sealed its position as the most successful luxury brand in the U.S. in 2011 by outselling Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz last month.
BMW grabbed the top spot in the U.S. luxury auto market in 2011, edging out Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand, as both German automakers took advantage of inventory problems for Toyota Motor Corp's <7203.T> Lexus lineup, according to company figures issued on Thursday.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. reported sales of 178,131 cars in December, up 0.4 percent from 177,488 cars from a year ago. Sales beat forecasts by analysts polled by Bloomberg, who had predicted an average 1 percent drop in sales.
As one analyst said, the U.S. market isn't the cash cow it once was, but it's still a mature and profitable market, as opposed to more volatile emerging markets, or stagnant ones in Europe, said Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with the consulting firm IHS Automotive, according to The New York Times.
U.S. auto sales rose 10 percent in 2011 but major automakers forecast a slowdown in growth this year because of weak job growth and risks to the American economy from a slowdown in Europe.
German car sales rose 6.1 percent in December as consumers brushed off an uncertain economic environment and bought more compact cars, high-margin vans and luxury saloons.
