Category: Automotive News

Renault’s Alpine Brand Is Developing Two Electric Crossovers for the USRenault’s Alpine Brand Is Developing Two Electric Crossovers for the US

Alpine Developing Two Crossovers for the USGREG PAJO Renault performance sub-brand Alpine is developing two electric crossovers for the United States market, the company’s CEO confirmed Thursday. Alpine boss Laurent Rossi told journalists on a roundtable phone call the “US is the main destination for these cars,” reports Automotive News. The first will be a mid-size electric crossover, followed by a similarly designed full-size version, meant to compete against cars like the Macan and the bigger Cayenne. They’ll be the first Renault-built cars to be officially sold in the US since the early Nineties. The new crossovers are a part… [...]

THE UNOBVIOUS ONES: Getting BMW’s programs fit for CanadaTHE UNOBVIOUS ONES: Getting BMW’s programs fit for Canada

The Unobvious Ones is a monthly look at movers and shakers who fly below the radar in the Canadian auto industry. TRACY BULMER WORKING WITH DEALERS TO TAILOR PROGRAMS TO CANADA Looking after customers isn’t just about the sale. There’s also aftersales, warranty and technical support. At BMW Group Canada’s head office in Richmond Hill, Ont., Tracy Bulmer oversees a team of 55 people in her role as director of customer support. “It’s an interesting area of ​​business, and sometimes people underestimate it because there are many different aspects,” he said. “We work with our partners in Germany in [...]

VW halts sale of some ID4 EVs over door riskVW halts sale of some ID4 EVs over door risk

Volkswagen Group has ordered dealers in the US and Canada to stop selling it ID4 electric compact crossover because its doors might open while in motion, and the German carmaker doesn’t yet have a fix for the problem. Nearly 18,000 vehicles were built at VW’s Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee may have door handles that are malfunctioning because of water seeping in, according to a stop-sale notice dated April 3. This can “cause a situation where a vehicle door could open unexpectedly” at low speed, VW said. First reports of ID4 driver and passenger doors opening surfaced in January, prompting… [...]

The Kia EV9 large electric crossover will be made in GeorgiaThe Kia EV9 large electric crossover will be made in Georgia

Kia’s three-row EV9 crossover promises to bring a similar mix of utility and style to the North American electric vehicle market, the automaker said. The EV9, presented Wednesday at the New York auto show, is the flagship model for Kia’s global transition to EV technology, according to the brand, and follows the 2022 North American launch of the two-row EV6 crossover. “The EV9 is a credible, high-value SUV that encapsulates our approach to bringing innovative, consumer-focused products to market with a serious commitment to electrification,” Sean Yoon, CEO of Kia North America, said in a press release. Kia said the… [...]

Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Fix a Damaged WindshieldWhy You Shouldn’t Wait to Fix a Damaged Windshield

We’ve all seen other drivers going down the road with a cracked or otherwise damaged windshield. Perhaps you’ve even done it yourself. As long as you can see, why should you worry about fixing something right away? Unfortunately, procrastination can be one of your worst enemies when it comes to repairing your windshield. The following are several reasons you shouldn’t wait to get your windshield repaired. Poor Visibility Car manufacturers spend a lot of time designing their cars with safety in mind. This extends to the design of the windshield as well. While a small chip [...]

Ed Morse Automotive Group Hits #52 on Automotive News’ Annual List of Top US Dealerships; Moved Up Eight SpotsEd Morse Automotive Group Hits #52 on Automotive News’ Annual List of Top US Dealerships; Moved Up Eight Spots

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Automotive News just announced its annual ranking of the top 150 auto dealership group based in the US, and Ed Morse Automotive Group was listed at #52, moving up eight spots from last year. The 2023 ranking is based on new vehicles sold in 2022 and is determined by the Automotive News Research & Data Center. “This new ranking is a true testament to the hard work of every single employee we have, as they are dedicated and determined to make the car and motorcycle buying experience an enjoyable one for [...]

2025 Ram 1500 REV pickup targets 500-mile range2025 Ram 1500 REV pickup targets 500-mile range

Stellantis is joining the electric pickup race later than its rivals, but executives say this has given the automaker time to gauge them and work to surpass them in key areas such as range, towing, payload and charge time. The 800-kilometre range for the REV’s 229-kWh battery pack and its targeted 6,350 kilograms of towing capacity exceed what’s on the market now. Chevrolet is going after 9,070 kilograms of towing for the work truck variant of its 2025 Silverado EV pickup. Ram said it is aiming for the REV to deliver a 0-to-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds, 654 hp… [...]

Software-Defined Vehicles Will Transform Auto IndustrySoftware-Defined Vehicles Will Transform Auto Industry

Q: What will be the biggest difference between a software-defined vehicle in 2023 and a software-defined vehicle in 2030? Milavec: In today’s vehicles, a driver’s experience is still primarily defined by hardware, but this is quickly shifting to software. With OTA updates, an SDV can stay in contact with its environment, the vehicle owner and the manufacturer to drive continuous innovation over the vehicle’s lifetime. This means that introducing new content and features doesn’t have to stop at the end of the production line – they can be introduced to vehicles already on the road, helping automakers strengthen [...]

Smart’s European dealers pleased with direct-sales planSmart’s European dealers pleased with direct-sales plan

BRESCIA, Italy – Smart dealers say they are happy with the brand’s change to a direct-sales agency model, which the joint Mercedes-Geely brand initiated last year by negotiating new contracts ahead of the launch of the #1 full-electric small SUV. “We are happy about the commission structure we are getting for the #1; our only complaint is that we need more product, so we don’t have consumers waiting for too long,” Ossuama Kaddoura, a Paris-based dealer who is also president of ASP (Smart Partner Association) told Automotive News Europe last week on the sidelines of a dealer event in Brescia.… [...]

Auto manufacturers are not trying to squeeze retailers out of businessAuto manufacturers are not trying to squeeze retailers out of business

I’ve covered the auto industry for a long time, but mostly from the factory, automaker, supplier or Wall Street perspective. Before I got to Automotive News, I probably wrote more about the consumer experience than the dealer experience. That all made sense when I was writing for general interest newspapers or a financial wire service. But I’ve always admired the entrepreneurial spirit of auto dealers, and I’m glad to have more exposure to them since I joined Automotive News almost four and a half years ago. I remember David Hult, CEO of Asbury Automotive, before the pandemic talked [...]