Top auto brand images

The winners of Kelley Blue Book’s 2009 Brand Image awards have been announced:

• Best Value Brand: Toyota
• Coolest Brand: BMW
• Most Family Friendly Brand: Toyota
• Most Rugged Truck Brand: Ford
• Best Performance Brand: BMW
• Best Comfort Brand: Cadillac
• Best Exterior Design Brand — Luxury: BMW
• Best Exterior Design Brand — Non-Luxury: Nissan
• Best Interior Design Brand: Cadillac
• Best Prestige Brand: Mercedes-Benz

Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com had this to say, as reported by the Detroit Free Press:

"The winners of this year’s Brand Image Awards exemplify automotive brands that are on the right track, making a great impression with consumers not just on a specific model level, but across the entire brand lineup."

Tags: Toyota, BMW, Ford, Cadillac, Nissan, Mercedes Benz, Kelley Blue Book, brand image, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry

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Winners and losers in global market share: forecast

According to Global Insight, a leading American market intelligence specialist, these are the automakers that will grow the most in global market share over the next five years:

1. Tata (India): will grow 0.6 percent (current market share: 0.6 percent, 2013 forecast: 1.2 percent)
2. Chery (China): will grow 0.4 percent (0.6, 1.0 percent)
3. Renault (France): will grow 0.3 percent (3.1, 3.4 percent)

Other brands that will gain market share: Maruti (India), Nissan, BMW, Audi, Mitsubishi, Skoda and Wuling (China). All will increase 0.1 percent.

Brands that will stay the same: Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Dodge.

Carmakers that will lose global market share:

1. Ford: will lose 0.7 percent (current market share 7.1, 2013 forecast: 6.4 percent)
2. Peugeot: will lose 0.4 percent (2.9, 2.5 percent)
3. Daihatsu: will lose 0.3 percent (1.2, 0.9 percent)
4. Lada (Russia): will lose 0.2 percent (1.1, 0.9 percent)

Other automakers that will lose global market share: Toyota, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai, Fiat, Suzuki, Mazda and Opel.

Tags: auto industry

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Russia buzzing

Russian automaker Gaz and General Motors are planning a joint venture to build a $1 billion factory in Russia. Daimler may be involved as well.

The plant will have an annual capacity of 300,000 units, and will build a car to compete with Renault’s best-selling, low-cost Logan.

The local vehicle market in Russia is growing by leaps and bounds, and is on track to become Europe’s largest market by year end.

Read more at the Times Online.

Tags: Gaz, General Motors, GM, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, Russia auto industry, Daimler

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Only Honda is selling more in U.S.

Vehicle sales for June 2008 fell substantially in the U.S., compared to the same month last year. Only Honda was able to gain ground.

• Honda: Sales improved by 13.8 percent. June sales totaled 142,539 vehicles, a new monthly record. For the first half of 2008, Honda sales also rose, by 4.8 percent.
• Toyota sales fell by 11.5 percent. For the first half of 2008, they sold 1.24 million vehicles, down 6.2 percent.
• Ford sales dropped 28 percent. They sold 167,090 vehicles in June, and 1.1 million for the first half of 2008 (down 14 percent).
• GM sales were down by 18.5 percent (265,937 units in June compared to 326,300 a year ago). For the first half of 2008, sales were 1,6 million, 16.5 percent down. Hummer was especially hit with a drop of 59.3 percent.
• Nissan sales fell 17.7 percent, although sales of their more fuel efficient cars did grow.

Tags: Honda, Ford, GM, General Motors, Toyota, Nissan, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry

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Small gets big in U.S.

Various news items from Automotive News point a rosier picture for Japanese manufacturers vs. the American Big Three, as a pronounced move away from large vehicles towards smaller more eco-friendly ones continues in the U.S.

• Toyota and Honda are better positioned than Ford, GM and Chrysler to adjust production towards smaller cars.
• The full-size pickup segment has virtually collapsed (from 2.5 million units in 2005 to an estimated 1.5 million this year), catching Ford and Chrysler at the worst possible moment as they are about to launch redesigned models.
• GM’s Hummer line is close to being sold off or possibly disappearing.
• GM is considering lightening its big Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon models by moving to a different platform. "The future of other big SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Cadillac Escalade is unclear".
• Toyota is making a big move with its Prius hybrid, and may soon begin production in the U.S.

Tags: automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, alternative energy, renewable energy, sustainable energy, electric cars, hybrids, GM, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Hummer, Prius

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2008 highest quality trucks and multi-activity vehicles

J.D. Power’s 2008 Initial Quality Study is out, and these are the top trucks and MAVs (multi-activity vehicles) in each segment:

Compact MAVs

1. Honda CR-V
2. Chrysler PT Cruiser
3. Ford Escape

Midsize MAVs

1. Dodge Durango
2. Hyundai Santa Fe
3. Toyota Highlander

Large MAVs

1. Toyota Sequoia
2. Chevrolet Tahoe
3. GMC Yukon

Midsize premium MAVs

1. Lexus RX
2. Lexus GX 470
3. Porsche Cayenne

Large premium MAVs

1. Lincoln Navigator
2. Infiniti QX56
3. Cadillac Escalade

Large pickups

1. Chevrolet Silverado LD
2. Toyota Tundra
3. Chevrolet Avalanche

Midsize pickups

1. Dodge Dakota
2. Ford Ranger
3. Toyota Tacoma

Vans

1. Ford E-Series
2. Nissan Quest
3. Chevrolet Express

Tags: J.D. Power, Dodge Durango, Dodge, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai, Toyota Highlander, Toyota, Toyota Sequoia, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet, GM, General Motors, GMC Yukon, Lexus, Lexus RX, Lexus GX 470, Porsche, Porsche Cayenne, Lincoln Navigator, Infiniti, Infiniti QX56, Cadillac, Cadillac EscaladeChevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Avalanche Dodge Dakota, Ford, Ford Ranger Toyota Tacoma Vans Ford E-Series Nissan Quest Chevrolet Express, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry

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2008 highest quality midsize and large cars

J.D. Power’s 2008 Initial Quality Study is out, and these are the top cars in the midsize and large segments:

Midsize cars

1. Chevrolet Malibu
2. Mitsubishi Galant
3. Ford Fusion

Large cars

1. Pontiac Grand Prix Sedan
2. Mercury Sable
3. Mercury Grand Marquis

Tags: J.D. Power, Chevtolet, GM, Chevrolet Malibu, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Galant, Ford, Ford Fusion, Pontiac, Pontiac Grand Prix, Mercury Sable, Mercury Grand Marquis, Mercury, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry

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Most productive auto plants in U.S.

Who has the most productive auto manufacturing plants in the U.S.?

According to the 2007 Harbour Report, among multi-plant manufacturers that honor goes to Toyota and Chrysler. Both scored 30.37 hours to fully assemble a vehicle. Chrysler improved 7.7 percent while Toyota actually fell 1.5 percent.

Closely following the leaders by less than 3.5 hours are Honda, General Motors, Nissan and Ford. These four have been persistently closing the productivity gap over the past five years.

It’s worth noting from the Harbour Report press release that:

"Toyota fabricates and assembles a greater percentage of its vehicle parts with its own employees, while the Detroit Three purchase many modules and subassemblies from suppliers, thus saving labor. Toyota also has retained nearly all its employees even in plants that experienced lower production."

The most productive single plant in North America?

Chrysler’s Toledo Supplier Park which takes just 13.57 labor hours to build a Jeep.

You can read more here…

Tags: Harbour Report, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan, GM, General Motors, Honda, Ford, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry

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GM serious about small

General Motors has made several announcements in recent days that underscore their commitment to both the low-cost and the eco-friendly car segments…

GM is in the midst of:

• Ending production of full-sized pickups and SUVs at four U.S. plants.
• Considering "all options" with their Hummer brand, including selling it.
• Creating a new Chevrolet 1.4 liter compact car to be unveiled towards the end of 2008, and to begin production at their Ohio, USA plant in early 2009. They’re also adding capacity at this plant. The car is as yet unnamed and will be based on the Delta compact car architecture.
• Approving production funding for the Chevy Volt electric car project.

Tags: General Motors, GM, Chevrolet Volt, Chevy Volt, Volt, electric cars, alternative energy, Hummer

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Toyota enters Nano Wars

India’s premier carmaker, Tata Motors, rocked the automotive world when they finally released their anticipated Nano, alternatively known as the "People’s Car", "One-Lakh Car" and "$2,500 Car".

Kudos to Tata for building up expectations over the past five years (they announced this project back in 2003) and then coming through on their promise.

The initial reply from other major manufacturers such as GM and Toyota was that the Nano could not be profitable (Tata says it is), and that the car could not meet safety and emissions standards (it currently does in lax India which is Tata’s first intended market).

Now both GM and Toyota are scrambling to reply with product.

Basically what What Tata did was signal their intention of dominating the entry-level segment in India, where a potentially huge emerging middle class looks to buy their first automobile.

Toyota has announced plans to begin building small cars in India, for the local and export markets. They will build a second plant to be ready by 2010, at a cost of $350 million dollars and with an output of 100,000 units per year,  through their joint-venture in Bangalore.

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe has been quoted by the Times of India as saying, "There is a huge market for low-cost/price vehicles," but at the same time has expressed concern about Toyota’s ability to maintain a high level of quality.

At the same time, GM is manufacturing a $3,500 mini-car in China.

Tags: Toyota, Toyota India, GM, GM India, Katsuaki Watanabe, Nano, People’s Car, One Lakh Car, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, India, India auto industry

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