Tag Archives: Ward Auto

Automobiles

Report: Honda Ridgeline to take two-year dirt nap before resurrection

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By Jonathon Ramsey

2012 Honda Ridgeline Sport

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Three years ago, Honda said there would be no new-generation Honda Ridgeline coming in 2011. In late 2011, when there was still no word on a replacement for the little truck that’s been carrying on pretty much the same since 2006, within the space of a month both Honda’s US truck planner and the CEO of American Honda said the Ridgeline would continue and that it was an integral part of the lineup.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t take a two-year timeout. A report in Ward’s Auto says that the Lincoln, AL plant that builds the Ridgeline will cease its production in September, 2014 and a new one won’t arrive until 2016. That’s a walk-back from when the plan was to have the current truck run until a week before the next-generation truck went into production. Even so, Honda still says the Ridgeline isn’t going away forever, a company spokesman telling Ward’s, “Ridgeline continues to be an important part of our lineup.”

2016 is a long way away, though, and we all know how quickly a product line put into a coma can end up suffering fatal consequences. Even though we keep talking about the Ridgeline, perhaps what Honda is actually saying is that the small pickup market is important to them, and they’re working on a way to take better advantage of it than the Ridgeline was doing. We’ll find out one way or the other in three years.

Honda Ridgeline to take two-year dirt nap before resurrection originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Jul 2013 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Shanghai: BAIC 500 and 900 Concepts look cool, offer little info

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By Steven J. Ewing

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Chinese company BAIC showed up to the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show with a pair of concepts, the 500 (above) and 900 (right). And while we don’t have much in the way of information about these vehicles from the People’s Republic, they’re still pretty neat and worthy of some attention.

According to CarNewsChina.com, the 500 concept looks to be purely a design study – a sort of homage to the Beijing BJ212 SUV, and it’s unclear if this thing will ever see production. Still, it looks rough and ready – there are lots of styling elements here that take cues from off-road stalwarts like the Land Rover Range Rover and Toyota FJ Cruiser, albeit in a much more, uh, Chinese package.

The 900, on the other hand, takes the shape of a svelte sedan, and Ward’s Auto reports that it’s even built on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform, using V6 power from the German automaker. Ward’s states that the 900 concept previews the next-generation design DNA for BAIC‘s premium models, and features large, carbon fiber gullwing doors that, obviously, will not make it to production.

Have a look at both concepts in our galleries above and below, and let us know what you think of the BAIC pair in the comments.

BAIC 500 and 900 Concepts look cool, offer little info originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Subcompact car sales in a funk despite high gas prices

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By Chris Paukert

2013 Mazda2 - metallic green, front three-quarter view

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When gas prices rise, knee-jerk consumerism means that sales of small cars increase in lockstep, right? Well, sometimes – but that’s not always the case. Ward’s Auto reports that sales of subcompact car sales in America are off despite fuel prices pushing and holding at $3.50 to $4.00 a gallon across the country. According to the report, the “Lower Small” segment has seen a 2.6-percent sales decline since October, while fuel prices have been on the rise. Despite their comparatively thirsty appetite for fuel, the industry publication notes that sales of large crossovers are up a whopping 61 percent over the same time period.

Part of the sales stories may center on the boom/bust cycle that comes as a result of new or aging models in each segment – the full-size CUV segment has received a raft of new models, including the refreshed Lambda triplets from General Motors, the Nissan Pathfinder and even derivatives like the new Sport model in the Ford Explorer family. Yet it isn’t as if America’s subcompact segment is stagnant – as Ward’s points out, most of the players are two years old or less.

Sales losers in the first quarter of the year include the Mazda2 (pictured – down 51.9 percent), Toyota Yaris (-27.9 percent) and Hyundai Accent (-24.7), though other models including the Kia Rio and Chevrolet Sonic slipped as well. Conversely, the Nissan Versa and Ford Fiesta held their own, registering sales up 11.6 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.

Part of subcompacts’ sales problem may be due to the fact that those same automakers offer larger compact models whose fuel economy figures are comparable to that of their smaller counterparts. Further, pricing differences may not amount to all that much between the models – particularly in leasing situations where compact cars’ typically command higher residual values.

Subcompact car sales in a funk despite high gas prices originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Fiat 500 Abarth to get automatic transmission option

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By Steven J. Ewing

Fiat 500 Abarth

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Boo and hiss all you want, but the truth is that manual transmissions aren’t for everybody. When Fiat launched the hot little 500 Abarth last year, it did so with a five-speed manual as the only transmission available, but according to Ward’s Auto, that might change.

“We’re not opposed to doing it. We just didn’t think there would be consumer requests for it, and there is,” Fiat’s North American president, Tim Kuniskis, told Ward’s in regards to an automatic-equipped Abarth.

With the launch of the upcoming droptop 500C Abarth, Kuniskis says that the company is expecting a few more women buyers to opt for the more potent version of the pint-sized cabriolet. “I think when we’ll see more women is when we have the automatic, and we’re planning to add the automatic in the Abarth at some point, only because we’re getting that feedback from customers.”

As of this writing, it’s still unclear when the automatic option will be available for the 500 Abarth, but it seems all but inevitable.

Fiat 500 Abarth to get automatic transmission option originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Audi rumored to buy Alfa Romeo, officials deny it

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By Jonathon Ramsey

2014 Alfa Romeo 4C live at Geneva Motor Show reveal

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For more than two years, Volkswagen has been making public statements about its willingness to buy Alfa Romeo and quadruple the Italian brand’s sales, and for just as long, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has replied with some version of “Mr. Piëch, drop it.” According to a report in Ward’s Auto, all that jousting might be over: it claims that sources close to both Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler admit that the two are in talks for Audi to buy not just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy. In fact, a final deal could possibly include partsmaker Magnetti Marelli.

Against that backdrop, a report by German news weekly Stern quotes a Fiat spokesmen as saying it doesn’t comment on rumors and an Audi rep has said flatly that “There is no substance in the news.” If a sale is being arranged, the timing would seem to point to how eager Fiat is to raise cash to complete its major initiatives. Even though Alfa Romeo continues to delay its return to the US, it just showed off the production version of the 4C at the Geneva Motor Show (shown above) and said that preferred Fiat dealerships here would get them. Then there’s Alfa’s recently concluded deal with Mazda to develop a roadster based on the next generation MX-5 Miata – a deal that would seem to help both the Italian and Japanese brands.

The monetary issues are troublesome, though. Fiat is taking a beating in the European market and its weak-kneed balance sheet is delaying gotta-have-it products like the Jeep Cherokee. Fiat has been talking to banks about getting money to buy the rest of Chrysler and those financial institutions have also raised issues about debt and cash reserves, and the nasty game of chess Fiat is playing with the United Auto Workers (and now the court system about the portion of Chrysler it doesn’t own) could end up blowing another hole in Marchionne’s plans. It is possible that this could finally have convinced Fiat to at least see how serious Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen, is about buying Alfa Romeo. Or it could be just another rumor.

Beyond Alfa Romeo, the report says the deal being discussed would include the rather modern Pomigliano d’Arco plant built just for the production of Alfa Romeos. Audi’s interest in Magnetti Marelli is claimed to be because the German brand wants a components maker and it would also like to establish an R&D center in Italy, where its holdings already include Lamborghini, Ducati and the styling house Italdesign-Guigiaro.

Audi rumored to buy Alfa Romeo, officials deny it originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Lexus LF-LC approved for production

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By Jonathon Ramsey

Lexus LF-LC concept - front three-quarter view, maroon

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On the sidelines of a press drive for the 2014 Lexus IS, the company’s vice president of marketing in the US told Ward’s Auto that the honchos in Japan have approved the Lexus LF-LC concept for production. He wouldn’t offer any other details on how the luxury coupe might be transformed into a vehicle for the buying masses, and that has led to a bag full of speculation.

The show car was hybrid-powered and rear-wheel drive, a beautifully executed stab by Toyota designers in Newport Beach at redefining Lexus, but even with the concept, the point was to keep it “within reach for premium buyers.” The report says the odds are on limited production and higher pricing than Lexus’ “mainstream products,” and other sites have speculated on what kind of powertrain it might end up in showrooms with.

GT Channel posits that the LF-LC will be the inspiration for a coupe in the Lexus LS price bracket with a choice of either the 4.2-liter V8 or the hybrid powertrain from the LS 600h, further speculating it will be called LC 550 and cost more than $100,000. It then says that there would be another coupe created beneath that one to replace the SC 430. Lexus Enthusiast, however, calls those “warmed-over rumors” and says that the marque probably won’t deviate from its engine-capacity-naming scheme – labeling a car with a 4.2-liter V8 an LC 550. Nor does it think Lexus will use the letters LC after the company has trademarked “RC” in the US and Australia.

Time will sort the rumors from the truth, but we can probably start to admit that we’re look forward to it.

Lexus LF-LC approved for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW to launch loaner program to avoid range anxiety on i models

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By Zach Bowman

BMW i3 Coupe in motion - profile view

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BMW is looking to stave off electric vehicle range anxiety with a new program that offers buyers a free gasoline loaner with every i3 purchase. Ward’s Auto reports BMW is confident that the EV will give buyers the kind of transportation they need for 90 percent of their trips. The loaners, meanwhile, will be available for those few occasions when drivers need to cover more ground than the machine’s batteries will allow. The i3 gets around with help from a 180-horsepower electric motor paired with a lithium-ion battery pack.

The combo is good for trips of between 80 and 100 miles depending on driving habits and weather conditions, though BMW also plans to offer a model with a small two-cylinder range-extending gasoline engine as well. That option will likely set you back an additional $4,000. When the machine bows in 2014, it will likely come with a charge time of four to six hours when suckling from a 220-volt outlet.

As far as the conventionally powered loaner car goes, the cost of the program is included in the i3’s purchase price, though BMW has yet to figure out how many free loans will be offered, or what happens after that threshold is reached.

BMW to launch loaner program to avoid range anxiety on i models originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: Why Cadillac thinks it needs to succeed in Europe to sell cars elsewhere

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By Zach Bowman

Susan Docherty

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Ward’s Auto has taken an interesting look at the renewed focus General Motors is showing towards Cadillac in Europe. Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Europe (pictured), says in order for the luxury brand to thrive in China, it first needs to succeed in the old country. The reason? Chinese buyers look to Europe for cues as to what’s deemed worthy of the term “luxury.” There are hurdles to the plan, however. In addition to the fact that the EU is flooded with high-end nameplates, GM doesn’t necessarily have the distribution network in place to put buyers behind the wheel.

Combine that with persistent economic woes and Cadillac’s checkered past marred by a lack of diesel engine options and a bankrupt distributor, and the road ahead for the brand looks like less of an uphill climb and more like a straight-up cliff face. But Docherty is optimistic and says she has a plan for the brand. We recommend heading over to Ward’s for a closer look at the full read.

Why Cadillac thinks it needs to succeed in Europe to sell cars elsewhere originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Hybrids outsell many market segments in 2012, still struggling

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By Seyth Miersma

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2012 was a rocking year for hybrid vehicle sales here in the US, and Ward’s Auto has written up an interesting piece that breaks some of the sales data down. The number-crunchers have tallied, for instance, that the 427,605 hybrids sold in 2012 is a 64-percent increase on the 261,507 sold in 2011.

Those numbers are big enough to beat out whole other mainstream segment sales, says Ward’s, including midsize luxury cars, small crossovers/utility vehicles, and three separate SUV segments.

However, if we step back and take a closer at the real numbers for actual hybrids, the jump that Ward’s is highlighting might actually be more a product of a booming market than anything. For instance: the article points out that US market share for “alternative-fuel” vehicles grew from 2.8 percent in 2009 to 3.3 percent in 2012. Of course, diesel vehicle sales from Audi and Volkswagen account for more that 100k of that group, and another 11,000-odd EVs push up that market share, too. (Read the handy AutoblogGreen alt-fuel sales report for the end of 2012, if you want a more complete breakdown.)

All of that means that true hybrid market share was less than three percent for 2012 – and closer to the 2009 levels – despite having a much improved total volume in a much improved car market. That’s good news for car makers, for sure, but we’re slightly less bullish than Ward’s about the pro-hybrid message being sent by US car buyers.

Hybrids outsell many market segments in 2012, still struggling originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog