Car Biz Buzz

Car dealers are finding ways of attracting car buyers to showrooms while also delivering the best experience possible. Obviously fresh products remain an important part of the equation, but as the automotive industry braces for more losses, automakers are realizing the showrooms themselves also play a large role in the sales equation.

Luxury automakers in particularly have been focusing their attention to individual showrooms. Acura for example has begun investing heavily in its branding and services at the showroom level according to St Louis Acura dealers in order to raise the profile of the brand among premium car buyers. Additionally, a Los Angeles BMW dealer says that all products in the luxury segment remain so attractive and competitive that ultimately the focus has now widened to include the entire sales experience. As a result, if the showroom doesn’t give the premium feel that buyers expect, a dealer may lose a sale.

The latest to invest in its dealer showrooms is Audi. With an investment of $1 billion, Audi dealers will become transformed by the end of 2010 to include a new “Terminal” design scheme. The new design is intended to align dealerships with Audi’s image of sportiness, luxury, and efficiency. See the video of the new design above.

While automakers in every segment struggle to lure buyers back to showrooms, Washington DC Mercedes Benz dealers realize that service and the total package is exactly what premium buyers require. This is also why new car incentives have gone beyond low APRs and now include free maintenance and other enticing offers. Continue reading ‘Luxury Brands Invest in Posh Showrooms’

The automotive industry is said to be in the midst of an auto recession. With auto sales at a record low, automakers and dealers alike are feeling the effects of a sluggish economy as car buying is down across the board. Those particularly hard hit are the Big Three Detroit automakers who have scrambled to cut costs and introduce exciting new models.

New car buyers are staying clear from dealerships for a number of reasons. Among these reasons are falling resale values says Chicago Used Cars. For buyers planning on trading-in their current vehicles, they’re going to be getting less cash for them, which may make all the difference for some consumers. This is especially true for those who want to trade-in their full-size trucks and SUVs. Dealers are having a hard enough time selling their existing stock of new trucks and SUVs, and your used truck probably is likely to be a turn off for many dealers.

Leasing is also contributing to the auto recession. Automakers have reevaluated their leasing programs as many drivers have failed to make payments. Chrysler has made the boldest step, eliminating leasing entirely. Once vehicles have been returned to the dealer, Philadelphia Used Cars say they’ve lost a significant amount of value following the duration of the lease, hurting dealers further.

Car buyers have also changed their buying habits to keep with the changing economic constraints. Increasingly, buyers are considering smaller, more fuel efficient cars rather than the once popular trucks and SUVs. With concerns over gas prices and plummeting resale values, drivers are focused on compacts, which have helped make companies like Honda and dealers like Lexington Auto Dealers slightly better off as buyers are drawn to their selection of compact and fuel efficient models.

Some analysts have varying opinions about when the auto business will recover, but many expect it to be quite some time before it happens. Some don’t expect the recovery to begin until 2013. Meanwhile, it’s expected that GM may declare bankruptcy in the coming months. Even Ford, who has recently added a string of all-new models to their lineup, will also be bringing European models to US shores, which San Diego Ford dealers expect will help boost its presence within the compact car market. But Ford is not only in promising new models by 2010 – GM and Chrysler both have many vehicles in the works in hopes of encouraging a rebound in domestic sales.

Perhaps one of the most anticipated vehicles from Detroit will be the Chevrolet Volt. As a top priority for GM’s development teams, the Volt will be one of the first electric models available to the general public, and Hartford Buick expects will help boost GM’s reputation and brand when it comes to car buyers demanding efficiency and the greenest technology available. But with such significant time and financial commitment that big question is whether the Chevy Volt will pay off. Continue reading ‘The Auto Recession Hits Hard’

Faced with an uncertain market with ample new challenges, Land Rover has decided to freshen up its entire lineup. New Land Rover models that will get a midlife update include the LR3, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport. All of these new models will be on display at the upcoming New York Auto Show.

New upgrades to Land Rover models include fresh interior design, upgrades to the chassis, modest exterior updates, and even new V8 engines. Aurora Land Rover says that to further highlight these changes, the Land Rove LR3 will also be getting a name change to LR4.

In addition to its name change, the new LR4 will get plenty of attention inside the cabin, where Used Cars Denver, which specializes in Land Rover models, says American consumers have indicated room for improvement. Instead of its current utilitarian design, the new LR4 interior will have more soft surfaces and more of an up market feel and look. The LR4 will also receive an updated front grille that is similar to the one on the Range Rover. The new LR4 will go on sale in October.

The Range Rover Sport will receive 1,420 all new parts. Styling cues will also put it more in line with the larger Range Rover. There will also be new Jaguar-sourced Bilstein dampers to help with on-road driving comfort. The larger Range Rover will get a Jaguar-sourced 5.0-liter V8 that produces 510 horsepower. A 5.0-liter V8 that produces 375 horsepower will also become available on all three Land Rover models. With the new X5 and M5 seeing high demand at BMW Los Angeles dealer it seems like an appropriate time for Land Rover to revamp its lineup.  This is especially true as the premium SUV segment is facing more difficulties than most vehicle segments. Continue reading ‘Changes Come to Land Rover Lineup’

As Chevrolet continues to hype and advertise the long-awaited Volt plug-in electric car, many are doubting the effect it will have on Chevy and GM sales. This negative view is shared by the Obama administration, which believes that the car will cost consumers too much and will not provide the demand and the volume that the embattled automaker truly needs.

While the Volt is seen as being technically advanced and possesses plenty of promise, the Chevy is not the commercially viable vehicle that the automaker needs right now. With an expected price far exceeds that of the gasoline-propelled equivalents, the manufacturing costs may not be justified by sales when it becomes available next year.

The outlook being adopted by the current administration is certainly a setback for GM admits Chevrolet Chicago. The Detroit automaker has used the Chevrolet model to change the perception of the brand, and it was this one car that Chevrolet hoped would transform the brand into an eco-friendly moniker.

Regardless, the Chevrolet Volt is heading into production next year. Despite doubt in the vehicle’s commercial success, Orlando Chevrolet dealers say its unique technology will allow the Volt to travel up to 40 miles on batteries alone. After 40 miles, the gasoline engine will then be able to extend the vehicle’s range.

Despite the advanced technology behind the Volt, the administration believes that GM overall remains behind Toyota and other automakers when it comes to developing green technologies. With hybrid technology in particular, GM has offered few options for affordable, efficient hybrid offerings according to hybrid shoppers among Gardena Honda dealers. Meanwhile, the Volt powertrain will likely put it financially out of reach for many eco-conscious buyers. When it becomes available next year, the Volt is expected to be priced around $40,000 – thousands more than other gasoline-powered sedans in its class.

Most hybrids only offer a short range of hybrid power, making the Chevy Volt’s technology unique. However, if the automaker is unable to reduce cost it will not provide the eco-friendly hit that it was hoping for. This may be where GM has made a fatal error. Despite years and plenty of money already invested in the Volt, it is unlikely that the automaker will be able over overtake Toyota and Honda as the green automotive technology leader. Even with the Volt, San Diego Toyota says that GM brands still lack the popular small cars that consumers are buying from Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and others. Continue reading ‘Doubt Arises Around Chevrolet Volt’