J.D. Power Dependability Study Shows Lowest Problem Rate Since 1990

Overall vehicle dependability has improved from 2010, with automakers succeeding in reducing problem rates in many traditional areas, but experiencing some challenges in overcoming problems with newer technologies and features, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study released Thursday.

The study, which measures problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of three-year-old (2008 model year) vehicles, includes 202 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle.  Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

In 2011, overall vehicle dependability averages 151 PP100—the lowest problem rate since the inception of the study in 1990—and improves from 170 PP 100 in 2009. Between 2009 and 2011, annual improvement for the industry has averaged 6 percent, which is slightly lower than historical rates of improvement. During the past decade, industry improvement has averaged 8 percent each year.

The slowdown in improvement is largely attributable to increased rates of problems with electronic features in vehicles, including audio, entertainment and navigation systems and new safety features, such as tire pressure monitoring systems.

Highest-Ranked Nameplates and Models
For the first time since the inception of the study, Lincoln leads the overall nameplate rankings in 2011. Lincoln improves by 13 PP100 from 2010. Lexus follows Lincoln in the nameplate rankings.  Rounding out the top five nameplates are Jaguar, Porsche and Toyota. The Porsche 911 has the fewest problems in the industry, with just 68 PP100.

Toyota Motor Corporation continues to perform well in long-term dependability and garners seven segment awards—more than any other automaker in 2011—for the Lexus RX, Scion xB, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Prius, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra. Ford Motor Company receives four model awards for the Ford Fusion, Ford Mustang,
Lincoln MKZ and Lincoln Navigator. General Motors (Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS, and Chevrolet Tahoe) and Honda Motor Company (Acura RL, Honda CR-V and Honda Fit) each receive three awards. In addition, the following models also receive awards: BMW X3, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Mercedes-Benz CLK.

The study finds that while domestic brands have closed the gap in initial quality with import brands, there is still a considerable difference between the two in vehicle dependability, with import brands outperforming domestic brands by 18 PP100 in 2011. This is consistent with findings of the 2008 Initial Quality Study, which examined the models included in
the 2011 VDS after 90 days of ownership. While domestic brand cars have fewer problems (135 PP100, on average) than import brand cars (147 PP100, on average), trucks and crossover vehicles (1) of import brands have considerably fewer problems than those of domestic brands.

In addition to affecting brand image and brand loyalty, long-term dependability also has a notable effect on dealership service and customer service spending. As the number of problems experienced increases, owners are increasingly likely to use non-dealer service facilities for paid service work. In addition, as the number of problems increases, the percentage of owners who say they "definitely will" return to their dealer for service diminishes. Among owners who indicate they have experienced no problems, 76 percent indicate they "definitely will" return to the dealer for paid service. This proportion decreases to 42 percent among owners who say they experienced six or more problems.

The 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 43,700 original owners of 2008 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded between October and December 2010.

(1) The truck category includes both pickup trucks and vans, while the crossover vehicle category includes crossover vehicles, multi-purpose vehicles and utility vehicles.

2011 Nameplate Ranking (Problems per 100 Vehicles)
       
Lincoln 101
Lexus 109
Jaguar 112
Porsche 114
Toyota 122
Acura 123
Buick 125      
Mercedes-Benz 128
Cadillac 130
Hyundai 132
Honda 139
Ford 140
SAAB 146
Infiniti 151

Industry Average 151

smart 152
Chevrolet 156
Volvo 156
Subaru 157
Kia 160
Audi 161
BMW 164
Scion 166
Ram 173
Mazda 181
Nissan 183
GMC 184
Mitsubish i186
Suzuki 190
Volkswagen 191
Chrysler 202
Dodge 206
Land Rover 212
Jeep 214
MINI 221

Top Three Models per Segment
Sub-Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Honda Fit
Toyota Yaris
Hyundai Accent 

Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Toyota Prius
Hyundai Elantra Sedan
Toyota Matrix  

Compact Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Mazda MX-5 Miata
Scion tC

Midsize Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Ford Mustang
       
Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Ford Fusion
Buick LaCrosse
Mitsubishi Galant
       
Large Car
Highest Ranked: Buick Lucerne
Ford Taurus
Chevrolet Impala       

Compact Premium Sporty Car*
Highest Ranked: Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class

Entry Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Lincoln MKZ
Lexus ES 350
Acura TL (tie)
Acura TSX (tie)

Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: Acura RL
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Lexus GS       

Large Premium Car*
Highest Ranked: Cadillac DTS
Mercedes-Benz S-Class

*No other model in this segment performs above the segment average.
NOTE: For a segment award to be issued, there must be at least three models with sufficient sample that comprise 80 percent of market sales within an award segment.  There are only two premium sporty models with sufficient sample size, thus no premium sporty awards have been presented. 

Top Three Models per Segment
Truck/Multi-Purpose Vehicle/Crossover/SUV Segments Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle*

Highest Ranked: Scion xB
Chrysler PT Cruiser    

Compact Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: Honda CR-V
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4    

Entry Premium Crossover/SUV*
Highest Ranked: BMW X3 

Midsize Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: Toyota 4Runner
Hyundai Santa Fe
Ford Edge      

Large Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: Chevrolet Tahoe
GMC Yukon
Toyota Sequoia 

Large Pickup
Highest Ranked: Toyota Tundra 
Ford F-150 LD
Ram 1500 LD    

Midsize Pickup*
Highest Ranked: Toyota Tacoma
Honda Ridgeline

Minivan
Highest Ranked: Toyota Sienna
Honda Odyssey
Chevrolet Uplander     

Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV
Highest Ranked: Lexus RX
Lexus GX 470
Volvo XC70
       
Large Premium Crossover/SUV*
Highest Ranked: Lincoln Navigator
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class     

Nissan's Carlos Tavares On The Importance of Quality

Quality is a top priority at all automakers and every executive has a different way of expressing the quality culture at their respective companies. Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice President of Nissan Motor Corp. and board member stresses the importance of the customer in the quality equation. Many OEMs are embracing comprehensive online technology to get detailed feedback from their customers so engineers can understand and immediately respond to issues as they emerge.

February 2011 U.S. Auto Sales

General Motors total sales in the United States rose 49 percent in February, as dealers reported 207,028 deliveries for the company’s four brands. During the month, retail sales rose 70 percent – the highest year-over-year gain in the company’s history. GM has sold 385,924 in 2011, a 35.9 percent rise over the first two months of 2010.

Ford’s total February sales, including sales to fleet customers, were 156,626, up 14 percent. In the first two months of 2011, Ford sales totaled 283,943, up 14 percent versus the same period a year ago.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., reported February sales of 141,846, up 41.8 percent over the year-ago month. The Toyota Division posted February total sales of 128,032, an increase of 48.5 percent over the same period last year. The Lexus Division reported total sales of 13,814, flat from last February.Year-to-date, Toyota has sold 257,702 vehicles, up 29.6 percent over 2010.

American Honda posted February sales of 98,059, an increase of 21.6 percent compared to February 2010. Year-to-date sales of 174,328 is an increase of 17.7 percent. Honda Division posted February sales of 87,263, an increase of 21.7 percent compared to February 2010 and Acura division sales increased 20.8 percent to 10,796.

Chrysler Group reported U.S. sales of 95,102, a 13 percent increase compared with sales in February 2010. Year-to-date Chrysler has sold 165,220 vehicles, a 17 percent increase over 2010.

Nissan North America reported record February U.S. sales of 92,370, an increase of 31.6 percent.  Nissan Division sales were up 31.8 percent for the month and also set a new February record. Sales of Infiniti vehicles rose 29.9 percent over the prior year. Year-to-date sales are 164,217, up 23.7 percent from 2010.

Hyundai Motor America announced record February sales of 43,533, up 28 percent compared with the same period last year. For the year, total Hyundai sales are 80,747, up 25 percent.

Kia Motors America had its best ever February sales of 32,806, up 36.4 percent from 2010.  Year-to-date sales are 60,595, up 31.2 percent from last year.

Volkswagen of America reported 21,461 units sold in February 2011, an 18.5 percent increase over prior year sales. VW has sold 39,862 vehicles in the first two months of the year, a 10.3 percent increase over 2010. Separately, Audi reported record-setting February U.S. sales of 7,753. For the first two months in 2011, Audi has sold 15,565, a 22.3 percent rise over the same period last year.

Subaru of America continued record-breaking sales for February at 21,683 sold, up 19,8 percent compared to the previous year. Year-to-date, Subaru sales are 40,541 vehicles.

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported February sales of 19,919 vehicles, an increase of 10.8 percent from same month a year ago. Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 8.7 percent in February for a total of 16,416 compared to February 2010. Year-to-date BMW has sold 38,575, an increase of 15.6 percent over 2010.

Mazda North American Operations reported February 2011 sales of 19,387, an increase of 13.7 percent versus February of 2010. Year-to-date Mazda sales are 32,748, up 2.8 percent from last year.

Mercedes-Benz USA reported February sales of 16,176 vehicles, a 5.1 percent gain over February 2010. On a year-to-date basis, the 33,449 vehicles sold represent a 9.5 percent increase.

Mitsubishi Motors North America reported February 2011 sales of 6,893 vehicles, a 71.5 percent rise from the same month in 2010. Year-to-date Mitsubishi sales are 12,607, a 54 percent jump from 2010.

Jaguar Land Rover sales of 3,247 in February is an increase of 16 percent over 2010 with Jaguar sales at 692, a drop of 9 percent vs. last year and Land Rover at 2,555, a 26 percent increase. Year-to-date, JLR sales are 6,453, a 20 percent rise over 2010. Jag sales are 1,627, a 17 percent gain and Land Rover sales are 4,826, a 21 percent increase.

Porsche Cars North America announced February sales in the U.S. of 2,019 units, an increase of 32 percent. Year-to-date Porsche sales are 4,419 up from 3,317 last year.

American Suzuki sold 1,643 vehicles in February, an increase of 19 percent over last year. Year-to-date Suzuki has sold 4,205, up 23 percent from 2010.


Sales will be updated as manufacturers report.

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid For $53,700 On March 16

The all-new 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid, which goes on sale March 16, will cost $53,700 with a 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine, which paired with the 50 kW electric motor, provides a hybrid system net power of 360 horsepower. The Infiniti M Hybrid features the all-new Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid™ system, a one-motor, two-clutch parallel hybrid design that utilizes precise, high-speed motor control technology enabled by the powerful Lithium-ion battery, allowing power to be delivered directly to the vehicle's 7-speed automatic transmission. Estimated fuel economy is 27 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, with combined fuel economy rated at 29 mpg.  The new Infiniti M Hybrid can drive on electric power alone at speeds up to 62 mph and can travel on electric propulsion for up to 1.2 miles at a time. Tests have shown that in mixed driving, the Infiniti M Hybrid is able to drive in electric only mode for as much as 50% of the time. 

The 2012 Infiniti M performance luxury sedan is also offered in four non-hybrid models, which go on sale March 2, with a starting M.S.R.P. of $47,700 for the Infiniti M37 RWD, $49,850 for the Infiniti M37 AWD, $59,100 for the Infiniti M56 RWD and $61,600 Infiniti M56 AWD.

Toyota, Vindicated By The DOT, Will Launch New Ad Campaign

Toyota will launch "#1 For A Reason", a new advertising campaign on Monday to remind people why Toyota continues to be the top brand consumers turn to when buying a new vehicle. Camry, Corolla, Prius, RAV4 and Tacoma will be featured in the commercials and some of Toyota's bragging will include: Camry being the number-one selling car in America for nine straight years with more than 90 percent of Camrys sold over the past 15 years still on the road today; the Corolla sedan holding the title of best-selling car of all time with more than 8.6 million sold in the U.S. since it launched in 1968 and the Prius being the best-selling hybrid in the world averaging 50 miles per gallon.

Last week, the Department of Transportation (DOT) released results from an unprecedented ten-month study of potential electronics-based causes for unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles. NASA engineers found no electronic flaws in Toyota vehicles capable of producing the large throttle openings required to create dangerous high-speed unintended acceleration incidents. The two mechanical safety defects identified by NHTSA more than a year ago – “sticking” accelerator pedals and a design flaw that enabled accelerator pedals to become trapped by floor mats – remain the only known causes for these kinds of unsafe unintended acceleration incidents. Toyota has recalled nearly 8 million vehicles in the United States for these two defects and spent billions.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “We enlisted the best and brightest engineers to study Toyota’s electronics systems, and the verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas." In conducting their report, NASA engineers evaluated the electronic circuitry in Toyota vehicles and analyzed more than 280,000 lines of software code for any potential flaws that could initiate an unintended acceleration incident. Unfortunately, the Egyptian revolt may have buried this news in coverage by the mainstream media who were quick to blast Toyota at the outset of these incidents and do irreparable damage to the Toyota image.

The 2011 Toyota Matrix made its debut at the Chicago Auto Show last week with new standard wheels, interior design features and standard Smart Stop Technology. The 2011 Matrix has a base model with a 132 horsepower 1.8-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine and the sporty S grade has a 158 horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The Matrix has earned an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 25 mpg city and 32 mpg highway for the 1.8-liter with the five-speed manual transmission, and 26 mpg city and 32 mpg highway for the 1.8-liter paired with the four-speed automatic transmission.

Fiat Is Back On Sale In The U.S. - "Life is Best When Its Driven"

The Fiat brand is back on sale at 130 U.S. dealers with 3 editions of the 101 horsepower 1.4-liter Fiat 500 that took Europe by storm almost 4 years ago with sales growing to over 600,000 across the Atlantic. That said, the U.S. edition, made in Toluca, Mexico along side the Dodge Journey, replaces the PT Cruiser at that plant. Two railcars left last Friday for U.S. showrooms.

The Fiat 500 has been Americanized to accommodate larger people, longer distances, the automatic transmission preference, glovebox stowage needs, armrest desires, cupholder capacity and more.

Head of the Fiat Brand for North America, Laura Soave, raised Italian in Michigan, was asked what Fiat stands for and replied - "First In Advanced Technology." Today's "millennials", as she calls them, will have no idea of the "Fix It Again Tony" reputation of the '70's Fiats. The Fiat 500 buyers will have "no brand loyalty and just want something different", according to Soave. The base POP with manual transmission starts at $15,500, the SPORT at $17,500 and the upscale LOUNGE with a standard automatic transmission at $19,500. The Fiat 500 is an A-segment vehicle so technically its only competitor is the smart which has had plummeting sales, but Soave says the Toyota Yaris and Mini are the real rivals.

Personalization is the name of the game with 14 interior and exterior colors and about 500,000 ways to make your Fiat 500 special. A Cabrio will be arriving in April, the Abarth and BEV electric next year and a 4-door model in 2013. There are also plans for the Alfa Romeo to make a return to the U.S. market. "Fiat Freaks" who populate 50 clubs around the U.S. have been waiting 27 years for the return of the brand. Social media will be a big marketing channel for Soave and her team to hit the first year sales target of 45,000 units. Ciao for now.

2012 Acura TL Facelift & Redesign

The newly refined 2012 Acura TL has a new front bumper and grille, rear end, a new Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission, a revised interior and a host of technology upgrades.

The transmission teams with a new multi-clutch torque converter which improves fuel economy to 20/29 city/highway mpg, an increase of 3 mpg in highway driving over the 2011 TL. The TL's standard 280 horsepower 3.5 liter V-6 engine receives a host of friction-reduction technologies. The TL's other engine choice is the more powerful 305 horsepower TL paired with Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive powertrain.

Acura sold 34,049 TLs in 2010, a 1.9 percent increase over 2009. In January, TL sales were 1,592 down 19.8 percent from January 2010 so the introduction of refreshed TL comes at a good.time to reinvigorate  its target buyers.

NADA 2011: DealerTrack's O'Neil On Streamlining Car Buying

DealerTrack, one of about 400 large, regular exhibitors at NADA, operates the auto industry's largest online credit application network, offering about 17,000 dealers access to over 900 automotive financing lenders through its credit application network. DealerTrack also offers dealers inventory management tools and services along with a sales and F&I solution to streamline the entire sales process from a single integrated platform. DealerTrack’s Compliance solution helps dealers meet legal and regulatory requirements and their data services division includes Chrome Systems which offers technology and data solutions and ALG for residual values. DealerTrack acquired triVIN, which helps streamline the time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often complex processes of vehicle registration and lien and title management. According to DealerTrack President and CEO Mark O'Neil more acquisitions may be coming. The stock trades under the symbol: TRAK and is trading near its 52-week high.

NADA 2011: Honda's Mendel Says New Civic's Importance Is "Huge"

John Mendel, American Honda's Executive Vice President of Auto Sales rev'd up his dealers at the NADA Convention in San Francisco around the new Civic - a concept version was shown in Detroit a month ago with production versions to be shown to dealers in a few weeks in Las Vegas and the public will see it at the mid-April New York Auto Show along with a preview of the new CR-V.

TOP 15 SELLING VEHICLES TO KICK OFF NEW YEAR

January 2011 Vehicle Sales
FORD F-Series                 35,806
GM Chevrolet Silverado     28,172
TOYOTA Corolla               20,581
TOYOTA Camry               18,145
CHRYSLER Dodge Ram       16,618
NISSAN Altima                 16,454
HONDA CRV                     16,339
GM Chevrolet Impala         15,188
HONDA Accord                 15,012
HONDA Civic                    14,634
FORD Fusion                    14,346
GM Chevrolet Malibu          14,102
FORD Escape                   13,973
HYUNDAI Sonata              13,261
VOLKSWAGEN Jetta          11,460

January 2011 Auto Sales Up Over January 2010

General Motors reported January U.S. sales of 178,896, a 23 percent increase from a year ago for Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC. Retail sales were 36 percent higher than a strong January a year ago.

Ford’s total January sales (including fleet sales) were 127,317, up 13 percent, including a planned 27 percent decline in sales to daily rental companies.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. reported January sales of 115,856, up 17.3 percent over the year-ago month. The Toyota Division had sales of 102,996 units, an increase of 23.7 percent over the same period last year and the Lexus Division reported sales of 12,860 units, a decrease of 17.1 percent from last January.

American Honda posted January sales of 76,269 vehicles, an increase of 13 percent. Honda Division posted January sales of 68,308, an increase of 13.2 percent versus January 2010. Acura with 4,268 units sold was up 32.1 percent.

Nissan North America reported January U.S. sales of 71,847, an increase of 14.8 percent.  Nissan Division sales were up 15.4 percent for the month. Sales of Infiniti vehicles rose 10.3 percent over the prior year.

Chrysler Group reported U.S. sales of 70,118, a 23 percent increase compared with sales in January 2010.

Hyundai Motor America announced record January sales of 37,214 units, up 22 percent versus 2010.

Kia Motors America announced record January sales of 27,789 units, a 25.6 percent increase over the same period in 2010  and besting the previous January record of 22,524 set in 2007 by 23.4 percent.

Volkswagen reported 18,401 vehicles in January 2011, a 2.1 percent increase over prior year sales. Separately, Audi reported record January U.S. sales of 7,812, a 20 percent overall increase from January 2010. The previous January sales record for Audi in the U.S. was the 6,510 vehicles sold in 2010.

Subaru of America reported record January sales of 18,858, up 21 percent versus January 2010.

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported January sales of 18,656 vehicles, an increase of 21.1 percent from the the same month a year ago. 

Mercedes-Benz USA sold 17,273 vehicles in January, a 14% increase over January 2010.

Mazda North American Operations reported January 2011 sales of 14,267, a decrease of 9.1 percent versus January of 2010, primarily due to a substantial reduction in fleet sales this month.

Mitsubishi Motors North America reported January 2011 sales of 5,714 units, an increase of 37 percent compared to January 2010.

Jaguar Land Rover North America January U.S. sales for both brands totaled 3,206 units, up 24 percent from January 2010. Jaguar sales were 935 units, up 48 percent from January 2010 and Land Rover sales were 2,271 units, 16 percent up January 2010.

American Suzuki sold 2,562 vehicles in January, a 26 percent rise over January 2010.

Blog will be updated as manufacturers report.

Audi Will Feature A8 In Super Bowl Ad

Audi will have a 60-second TV spot set to air in the first break after kick-off of Super Bowl XLV.  The spot called "Release the Hounds" will feature an irreverent, satirical overtone and follow two well-dressed inmates as they attempt to break out of a luxury prison. Challenging viewers to re-think luxury, the ad will humorously feature a number of elements that recall the heyday of old luxury and will culminate with an unforgettable and comical cameo at the end. Audi's 2011 Super Bowl spot also will feature the 2011 A8, Audi's flagship sedan. The 60-second TV advertisement is being created by San Francisco-based Venables Bell & Partners.

Super Bowl MVP Will Get A 2011 Chevy Camaro Convertible

The Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLV, to be decided by a media panel and fan vote on www.superbowl.com from the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers on February 6th,  will receive a 2011 Camaro Convertible which arrives in dealerships in February. The 2011 Camaro Convertible is available with offered with a standard 312-horsepower Direct Injection V6 engine (29 miles per gallon on the highway) or with a  426 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine in the SS model. What's next - replacing the hardtop on Hawaii Five-0?

Kia Returns To Super Bowl With 2011 Optima Ad

 Kia returns with a new 60-second spot that will air in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLV titled “One Epic Ride,” and Kia will extend the campaign by giving away up to five Optimas through its “One Epic Contest,” which challenges consumers to solve a series of puzzles using clues provided in pre-Super Bowl and game day advertisements and social media postings. In “One Epic Ride,” people across space and time — from a police officer and an international villain to aliens and an ancient chief — will go to great lengths to snatch the all-new Optima from the clutches of others and put themselves behind the wheel. The Optima becomes an object of desire, and even Poseidon, the king of the sea, does his best to get his hands on the car.

Created by David&Goliath, “One Epic Ride” demonstrates the extreme measures people will go to get their hands on a midsize sedan that defies the conventions of the segment with a combination of striking design, exhilarating performance and outstanding value not found anywhere else in the category.

Volkswagen With 2 Super Bowl Ads: Passat & Beetle

Volkswagen will premiere two 30 second spots during the 2nd and 4th quarters of Super Bowl XLV showcasing two new vehicles that won't hit showrooms until later this year. The  all-new 2012 Passat and the 21st Century Beetle, are part of a pre-launch advertising and marketing campaign that includes television, digital, experiential, and retail activations to maintain momentum throughout the year.

With its all-new 2012 Passat ad, Volkswagen brings Star Wars™ to one of TV's most talked about events.  Accompanied by John Williams' iconic "The Imperial March," the spot features the most infamous villain in the galaxy, a pint-sized Darth Vader, who uses the Force when he discovers the all-new 2012 Passat in the driveway. The two iconic brands leverage humor and the unforgettable Star Wars score to create an emotional spot and make Super Bowl ad history.

In "Black Beetle," the first spot for The 21st Century Beetle,  there's CGI-generated lush kingdom where the Black Beetle rules, runs, navigates and out performs all the other creatures. With the song "Black Betty," rerecorded by Jon Spencer and the Blues Explosion, the Beetle ad does not feature any actual images of the car, a building anticipation of the reveal.

The ads come from Deutsch LA, Volkswagen’s new ad agency of record.

2011 Chrysler Town & Country & Dodge Grand Caravan In Production

The new 2011 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan had their production launch this week in Windsor, Canada, as two of the 16 new or significantly refreshed products Chrysler has debuted recently. The Chrysler Town & Country was 2010's best selling minivan with 112, 275 sold, a 33 percent increase compared with 2009, and Chrysler's second best-selling vehicle last year. The new 2011 model was shown in Detroit last week and the Dodge Grand Caravan in Los Angeles in November.

The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan both have the all-new 3.6-litre Pentastar V-6 engine with up to 2 miles per gallon improved fuel economy of 36 MPG Highway . Both feature a new fuel-economizer mode that helps maximize fuel efficiency and more than 40 safety features including a new driver-side knee blocker airbag, front seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags, electronic stability control and tire pressure monitoring.

The newest features include the Super Stow 'n Go seating and storage system, with larger, more comfortable seats and with a new, easy to use one-touch fold down function, the Stow 'n' Place™ roof rack system that lets owners stow the roof bows in the side rails when they're not using them and snap them easily into place when needed to reduce aerodynamic drag and wind buffeting and there's a heated steering wheel. The Uconnect system offers touch-screen and voice command for control of multiple media sources, navigation and hands-free phone.

Chrysler claims to be the inventor of the modern minivan with the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager first launched in 1983 followed by the upscale Chrysler Town & Country in 1989 adding up to 13 million sold since. In 2010, 460,154 minivans were sold in the United States, up 11 percent compared with 2009.

General Motors Executive Shuffle Again - Effective Feb. 1,2011

Thomas G. Stephens, 62, is the new Global Chief Technology Officer in a move to bring greater focus and urgency to developing leading edge technology for all General Motors vehicles. Stephens, 62, will continue to report to GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson who says  “Tom will make sure that GM technology keeps up with our customers and keeps ahead of our competitors.” The new CTO position is a major element of Akerson’s goal to make the company more customer driven and technology focused.  In December, Akerson elevated Joel Ewanick to Global Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for GM’s brands globally. Stephens also will be responsible for the company’s research and development organization led by GM vice president Alan Taub. The successor for Stephens is Mary Barra, named senior vice president, Global Product Development, to lead the design, engineering, program management and quality of vehicles for the company’s 11 brands around the world. Barra began her career with General Motors in 1980 as a General Motors Institute (Kettering University) co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. In 1988, Barra received a GM fellowship to the Stanford Graduate School of Business and in 1990 graduated with an MBA.

Linda Marshall has been appointed president of OnStar succeeding J. Christopher Preuss, who has elected to leave the company to launch a communications consultancy practice. Marshall joined GM in November 2010 as executive director, OnStar global business strategy and development from  the position of chief operating officer for Revol Wireless. She will report to Stephen J. Girsky, vice chairman, corporate strategy and business development. Marshall has more than two decades of experience in the telecommunications industry, including senior executive-level roles at both Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless.  She holds a bachelors of science in accounting and business from Elmhurst College and completed the Executive Management Program at Stanford University.

General Motors is making changes in its U.S. marketing operations with former Chevy Marketing V.P. Chris Perry going to vice president, U.S. marketing, replacing Joel Ewanick who was named Global Chief Marketing Officer on Dec. 17, 2010.  Perry, 50, who will report to Ewanick, had served as U.S. vice president, Chevrolet Marketing, since September 2010. Prior to joining GM, Perry was vice president, marketing, Hyundai Motor America.  Perry also spent nearly 10 years at American Isuzu Motors, where he held a variety of marketing and advertising positions. In his new role, Perry will have responsibility for improving the positioning of the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands and consumer consideration of GM vehicles in the United States.

Rick Scheidt, currently executive director, Chevrolet product marketing, is named U.S. vice president, Chevrolet Marketing, replacing Perry.  Scheidt, 57, joined GM in 1980, and has held several marketing positions within GM, primarily with the Chevrolet brand.

John Schwegman, currently U.S. vice president, Buick-GMC Marketing, is named U.S. vice president, GMC Marketing. Schwegman, 46, began his career with General Motors in 1988.  He has held numerous sales and marketing assignments, including positions at the former Pontiac and Saturn divisions and in General Motors Market and Industry Analysis.  Most recently, he led the Marketing launches for Chevrolet’s current generation full-size trucks brands.

Tony DiSalle, currently product and marketing director, Chevrolet Volt, is named U.S. vice president, Buick Marketing. DiSalle, 46, began his career with GM in 1988.  He has held several management positions, including key assignments at OnStar and within GM’s marketing operations.

“These moves support our plans to continue building very clear and distinct swim lanes for our four brands, “said Joel Ewanick, Global Chief Marketing Director.  “These individuals have great track records for leading very aggressive and creative marketing strategies.”

BMW's Ian Robertson On In-Vehicle Technology

 

2011 NAIAS: Media Day 1 Was Overwhelming, Day 2 Was Empty

The North American International Auto Show kicked off with its first of two media days on Monday January 10th with 18 manufacturer media conferences, that's right 18! Beginning at 6:30am, or 3:30am for those of us who flew in from the West Coast, Porsche debuted the Porsche 918 RSR hybrid concept medium-sized coupe that will only be driven by the race car driver assigned to the vehicle, not the masses. A big deal for Porsche being their first Detroit appearance in years because Porsche doesn't sell many cars in Michigan, unlike Los Angeles where it always has a lavish, expansive display in its own exhibit hall. So, exhausted from the outset after a 5:30ET/2:30PT wake up call, it's race and scramble to make the media conferences. Just 10 to 15 minutes between the vehicle introductions so no time for lunch because you would miss BMW, Audi and Toyota. Nearly 12 hours later, the challenge was staying awake for the 6:15pm Chevy Sonic unveiling, by using the toothpicks from GM's mini-burgers to keep my eyelids open. As it turns out, it was Chris Perry's last Chevy announcement as he now takes over U.S. marketing under GM's global marketing chief Joel Ewanick.

The only manufacturer to present on Day 2 was Volvo which is going through a product realignment so they showed off a crashed electric C30 and only got some audience because Wall Street analysts were gathering to hear Ford CEO Alan Mulally next door explaining their global strategy to Wall Street analysts. Fitting that Volvo had a crashed car given the state of many of us West Coast journalists. Otherwise, Day 2 was for getting photos and videos of the cars that were so mobbed on Day 1, but unfortunately without the executives to provide commentary on their new products. My personal show disappointment was the absence of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, apparently shown in a sneak preview to a select group of invited journalists. Talk is that show organizers will have to go back to spreading out the OEM presentations over a few days. It will help the local economy, not to mention the health of the sleep-deprived California journalists. Twitter may have tweeted out on Day 1, too. On a positive note, by viewing this website, you can see the quantity of material gathered. Next stop is NADA in San Francisco where manufacturers and dealers mix to examine their industry and its challenges.

Toyota's Jim Lentz Forecasts Better 2011 Sales vs. Flat 2010