News archive

June 2011

NADA sees rebound of auto sales in second half of year

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(June 13, 2011) New car and truck sales should pick up in the second half of year, the National Automobile Dealers Association said Sunday, but warned that sales would lag again in June.

Paul Taylor, chief economist of NADA, said the group anticipates inventory shortages that slowed May sales to affect this month's results. But a turnaround should occur in the U.S. after that, helped by an improving credit outlook and lower gasoline prices.

Our newest feature — views from Clanging Bell

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(June 12, 2011) Veteran automotive writer Russ Heaps has an interesting and entertaining view of the world — and the automotive industry — and he expresses his thoughts almost daily on his Clanging Bell blog.

He offers his opinions on everything from his favorite watering hole to the latest movies and books to life in general. And he always has an opinion on the latest automotive news and trends.

Nissan sales up 35 percent in Europe this year

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(June 13, 2011) Nissan has announced European sales of more than 294,000 units for the January to May period, an increase of 35 percent compared to 2010.

In May Nissan sold over 58,000 vehicles, representing a 37 percent year-on-year increase, and in percentage terms nearly three times the rise in overall customer demand within the region last month.

Police fleets gain 3 mpg with 2012 Chevrolet Impala

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(June 12, 2011) DETROIT — Law enforcement officers are just as affected by higher gas prices as the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve. The 2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicle helps address this by adding more miles per gallon and a more powerful engine. 

Volvo developing system that brakes for animals

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(June 12, 2011) Volvo is taking the next step in active safety by developing a system that alerts and automatically brakes for animals on the road.

The new system, which is due for launch in a few years time, uses the same radar and camera technology as used for Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake which is available on S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80.

Kia's hamsters garner another advertising award

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(June 11, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. — Kia Motors' rapping and dancing hamsters earned the company one of the most prestigious advertising awards this week when the "This or That" campaign for the brand's funky Soul urban passenger vehicle received the Gold Effie award in the "David v. Goliath" category at the 2011 North American Effie Awards ceremony in New York.

GM's Certified Pre-Owned changes name, adds free maintenance

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(June 11, 2011) DETROIT – Starting today, two years of standard maintenance including oil changes will be part of purchasing a Certified Pre-Owned Chevrolet, Buick or GMC vehicle as General Motors moves to tie pre-owned cars, trucks and crossovers to its brands.

Luxury cars make big moves in May on AutoTrader

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(June 10, 2011) Luxury sporty cars dominated the biggest movers on AutoTrader.com.  The hottest cars in May based on searches included the new BMW 6-Series and the much-praised 2012 Audi A7.

GM to invest $47 million in powertrain plant

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(June 10, 2011) DEFIANCE, Ohio — General Motors intends to invest $47 million in its Defiance powertrain plant to purchase tooling and equipment to increase volume of components for the fuel-efficient Ecotec 1.4-liter engine and the next generation of small block car and truck engines.

2011 Cadillac SRX recalled over airbag issue

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(June 10, 2011) DETROIT — General Motors is recalling 50,500 Cadillac SRX luxury crossover models because the performance of the front passenger airbag differs from the owner's manual.

The recall, announced by GM on Friday, affects 47,401 vehicles in the United States, with the remainder in Canada and Mexico from the 2011 model year. The automaker said it knew of no crashes, injuries or complaints related to the issue.