WEEKLY: Will barrage of spiffs help GM? | Ford tries its best on 4th recall | Akerson wants faster, leaner, smarter GM

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Dec. 10, 2012

» Tell a colleague about this newsletter    » Open this newsletter in a web browser    » Home page » Webinars » Contact Us ShareThis Click here to view this week's digital edition EDITOR'S PICKS A pileup of pickups GM starts December with swollen inventories, sliding market share. Will a barrage of spiffs help? General Motors entered December with bloated inventories reminiscent of its prebankruptcy days-and its lowest market share in 90 years. GM will try to ...  FULL STORY   Ford tries its best on 4th recall  Akerson's goal: Faster, leaner, smarter  F&I after the storm  UAW stunned by Michigan right-to-work bills  Making Mazda stand out  Akerson aims to make GM executives more accountable  Mazda CEO targets higher sales, upscale brand image  The smartest guy in the room  It could be a game changer Advertisement Personalized service is key for Exeter Finance Corp. Dealers don't know what they're missing in premier service until they try Exeter Finance Corp. This national subprime auto lender offers local decision makers, flexible financing options and quick funding that keep dealers coming back for more. Click or call 855.4.EXETER today. FINAL ASSEMBLY In James Bond style, Italian investor rushes to Aston Martin's rescue Turns out James Bond isn't the only one who's taking a high-stakes ride with Aston Martin these days. On Friday, the Italian private equity firm Inves ...  FULL STORY  FINAL ASSEMBLY : Automakers back up their sales bluster -- and we're eating crow FINAL ASSEMBLY : Decades-long Honda-RPA link hits the skids FINAL ASSEMBLY : Marchionne pokes Piech again, with Volkswagen spiff FINAL ASSEMBLY : Nissan, Fiat play a game of 'I know you are, but what am I?' DEALERS Rocky ILX launch has Acura execs plotting quick changes 'Underpowered' 2.0-liter engine on the way out Acura sales are climbing again after last year's earthquake-caused inventory crisis, but the launch of the ILX compact sedan has been a disappointment ...  FULL STORY   Public dealership groups expand their brands  Most Suzuki dealers take buyouts  Register to be among the 2013 Best Dealerships To Work For  Feds should set goals, then get out of the way  Face-to-face, it's all about the customer  Retail sales outpace fleet in November  NADA, Tesla talk about retail model  Chrysler has highest stocks since Ch. 11  Infiniti has global sales plan for JX crossover AUTOMAKERS AND SUPPLIERS Fisker sees partnership next year Suitors calling; 'We are not going to go it alone' Fisker Automotive's CEO, warning of the pitfalls facing independent small automakers, says the luxury plug-in hybrid manufacturer is poised to partner ...  FULL STORY   GM trade-secret trial: How the scheme failed  New EPA lab gear will monitor mpg claims  2014 Grand Cherokee leads Chrysler's diesel push  Back-up camera mandate could cover '14 models  Ford sees itself as a leader, but it's playing catch-up  Green along the edges  A wise move  Akerson: In-house IT is crucial  Honda plans 3 Fit variants in Mexico FINANCE & INSURANCE FINANCE & INSURANCE Tailoring F&I to growing Hispanic market Multilingual staffers, menus help overcome language barriers Auto dealers in markets with large Hispanic populations learned long ago that they often need to communicate with customers in Spanish. But the growin ...  FULL STORY   Buyer's agent works the deal for frustrated car shoppers  A woman's touch is rare in F&I  Preloading products boosts per-car F&I sales  Product caps grow amid ethics concerns  What lenders want from dealers  What dealers want from lenders  Dealers, lenders: A working relationship  Finding the limits of fair pricing  Hiring for F&I? You'd better interview MARKETING 2 Fords fall short on mpg, magazine says The Ford C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid fall about 20 percent short of their fuel economy claims, Consumer Reports magazine said, after running ...  FULL STORY   Nissan fights fuzzy image with tech ads  Mitsubishi exec asks Japan for more marketing cash PEOPLE LETTER TO THE EDITOR Congratulations to Edsel B. Ford II I recently read that Edsel B. Ford II will receive the 2013 Keith Crain/Automotive News Lifetime Achievement Award in January. I have been in the auto ...  FULL STORY   GM CEO: Batey is a future leader  New Nissan sales boss to lead pursuit of Honda  Dealers AUTO SHOWS LUCA CIFERRI Suddenly, everything looks like a BMW X1 At last month's Los Angeles Auto Show it seemed that BMW X1s were everywhere. A cute blue vehicle I passed looked just like an X1 compact crossover. A ...  FULL STORY   Jeep eyes record year, hunts Wranglers  Ram to add stores for commercial line  Lambo will mark 50th year with a new model DESIGN BMW 3-series convertible, coupe to become 4 series BMW's redesigned 3-series coupe and convertible will be renamed the 4 series in an effort to create more exclusivity and command higher prices for the ...  FULL STORY   A minivan's function, without the moniker GREEN CARS Akerson says cost cuts will help the Volt General Motors CEO Dan Akerson believes GM can cut $5,000 to $10,000 in costs out of the next-generation Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. Akerson acknow ...  FULL STORY  USED CARS How Carfax locks up car history Consumers like it, but some dealers chafe West-Herr Automotive Group of Blasdell, N.Y., believes vehicle history reports sell used vehicles. It chooses Carfax Inc. reports -- even though its u ...  FULL STORY  INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY As tests get tougher, dummies get smarter The suburban Detroit headquarters of Humanetics Innovative Solutions Inc. is part office, part plant and part medieval torture chamber. Humanetics bui ...  FULL STORY  WEBINARS MARKETPLACE JOB LISTINGS Driving Global Manufacturing Excellence: A Cummins Continuous Improvement Case Study Tuesday, December 11, Learn firsthand how Cummins, Inc. has prepared its manufacturing organization to help the company capitalize on strategic growth opportunities in the emerging markets of Brazil, India and China. Cost: FREE Connectivity beyond the Vehicle: Will OEMs Lose Relevance? Tuesday, December 18, Learn how developing an owner-centric connectivity strategy, one that takes into account the entire connected experience for the consumer – reaching well beyond just vehicle featurescan be beneficial to OEMs. Cost: FREE Turn Your Internet Department Into an Internet Dealership! Wednesday, December 19, An estimated 90% of consumers start the car buying process online. Your entire staff needs to be thinking WEB! We're bringing in Internet pioneer David Kain, a former Ford dealer who in 2000 helped create Forddirect.com, to help you create a strategy for developing YOUR Internet dealership! If you sign up today, it's just $59! Webinar Archives Library   Automotive insight and marketing solutions. Polk   One Call Closer Automotive One Call Closer/ Outside Sales Rep   Auto Owner Email Postal and Phone Data-All Verified Media One   Increase your customer paid labor and parts sales Service Advisor Training   OEM Parts Locator and Marketing Service PartsVoice Certified salesperson: Mercedes-Benz of Denver Location: CO, United States SERVICE TECHNICIANS: VOLKSWAGEN CO, United States General Manager: Auction Direct USA Location: Pittsburgh, PA, United States Controller: Portland-Kuni BMW Portland, OR, United States Service Writer: Nissan of Valencia Location: NA, United States Sales Manager: Sport Durst Automotive Group Durham, NC, United States General Manager: Unknown Location: Stafford, VA, United States To view other breaking news stories throughout the day, visit autonews.com To unsubscribe from this email newsletter, or to sign up for more email products, please click here. Automotive News is located at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, Michigan, 48207