November 2012

Hyundai, Kia to reimburse owners to cover additional fuel costs

(November 3, 20120 ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America have announced that, following discussions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they are voluntarily adjusting the fuel economy ratings for approximately 900,000 — or 35 percent of — 2011-13 model year vehicles sold through Oct. 31, 2012.

New ads say 2013 Ford Fusion makes other cars invisible

(November 3, 2012) DEARBORN, Mich. — If there's one thing commentators agree on when talking about the all-new Ford Fusion, it's that this is one midsize sedan that people really notice. This is the theme of the surprising launch campaign for the car, which debuts this week.

"Introducing the entirely new Ford Fusion."

Dodge infuses sinister styling into 2013 Dodge Blacktop packages

(November 3, 2012) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Halloween may be over, but highways and parking lots across America are about to get more sinister as the Dodge brand expands its lineup of Blacktop special editions. New for the 2013 model year, Dodge will include the Avenger, Challenger R/T and Charger R/T to its Blacktop lineup.

Engine refined, Nissan GT-R becomes faster for 2013

(November 2, 2012) Improved response, better stability and sharper handling — those are the highlights of the 2013 model year Nissan GT-R. On sale next spring, the four-wheel drive supercar has received a round of enhancements aimed at subtly boosting the responsiveness of its 542 horsepower 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine while improving ride and handling at the same time.

Hyundai, Kia admit to overstating fuel economy

(November 2, 2012) The Detroit News reported today that Hyundai and Kia have admitted to overstating the estimated fuel economy posted on window stickers of about 900,000 vehicles sold since late 2010. They will spend millions of dollars to compensate owners for the faulty claims.

Subaru breaks all-time annual sales record with two months left

(November 2, 2012) CHERRY HILL, N.J. — Subaru has reported 26,119 sales for October, a 30 percent increase over October 2011. The company also announced record breaking annual sales of 271,582 — a 26 percent increase over 2011.

Auto industry's sales momentum stalled by Sandy

(November 2, 2012) The auto industry slowed to a weak 7 percent sales gain in October,  stifled at month-end by Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. The seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate slipped to 14.3 million, from September's 14.9 million figure. Before Sandy hit four days ago, analysts had predicted a SAAR in the 14.8 million to 14.9 million range.

New models propel Cadillac cars to 37 percent sales gain

(November 2, 2012) DETROIT — Two all-new models and momentum in key markets like the West Coast drove a 37 percent increase in U.S. sales for Cadillac’s rebuilt car lineup in October. The new XTS luxury sedan sold more than 2,000 units for the third consecutive month while the new ATS sport sedan started to gain momentum in its first complete month on the market.

Chris Basseiga's Minty FReSh wins FR-S Tuner Challenge

(November 2, 2012) LAS VEGAS — With a unique color and a supercharger under the hood, custom-car builder Chris Basselgia of Lebanon, Pa., won Scion’s FR-S Tuner Challenge, announced yesterday at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas.

Small-car sales lead Ford in October

(November 1, 2012) DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 1, 2012 — Ford's total U.S. sales grew across the portfolio in October, with cars up 2 percent, utilities up 2 percent, F-Series pickups up 8 percent and Econoline and Transit Connect sales up 19 and 22 percent, respectively.