General Motors made what it’s calling a “bold new guarantee” for the Chevrolet lineup, telling buyers “if you don’t love it, return it.” Starting today, participating U.S. franchised dealers will offer the Chevy Confidence program, which includes: —Love It or Return It: This vehicle return program covers every new 2012 or 2013 model-year vehicle purchase. […] [Read More]

Dealers United has introduced its July deal for members, featuring deep discounts on a customer relationship management package provided by DealerSocket. Based on the negotiated terms, members of Dealers United will save 55 percent off all setup and training, and 31 percent off the monthly charges if they jump on the deal between now and […] [Read More]

For franchised dealerships, June was a month of swarming trade-ins and solid growth in the used-car department, where sales climbed more than 4 percent year-over-year, according to CNW Research. Firm president Art Spinella said Monday that franchised dealers sold 1.68 million used units in June for a 4.47-percent uptick, noting that these stores were “swamped […] [Read More]

Dealership sales staff are apparently going well beyond a “May I help you?” approach to potential buyers. According to a new industry index by Pied Piper, sales forces are showing extra effort in customer service, especially at luxury brand stores. That improvement in sales effectiveness, the index shows, often accompanies gains in a dealership’s market […] [Read More]

Automotive solutions provider VIN Viper revealed late last week that dealers and customers who use its iPhone, Android and desktop platforms will now have access to vehicle history reports — an offering that may prove particularly useful, following some new California regulation laws on the books. The company announced it has integrated National Motor Vehicle […] [Read More]

Though not climbing at the same clip as earlier months, Canadian new-vehicle sales jumped nearly 3 percent in June, closing a first half that saw a “resurgent” market beat year-ago sales by more than 7 percent. This was the latest take from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, which released its monthly Market Snapshot and commentary on the […] [Read More]

Mazda Canada has an interim president to replace Don Romano, who “elected to leave the company," effecitve Tuesday. Mazda Motor Corp. announced that appointed as interim president is Shusuke "Kory"  Koreeda, who was most recently executive vice president at Mazda Canada. It is expected that Mazda Motor Corp. will approve his appointment to the presidency later […] [Read More]

For dealers that might use the phrase “up to” in connection with vehicle incentives or performance, the National Automobile Dealers Association pointed managers toward a study just released by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC-commissioned study indicated that when marketers — which can include dealers — use the phrase “up to” in claims about their […] [Read More]

General Motors had its best month in almost four years, Chrysler had its strongest June in five years and Ford reported record sales for two of its models. What’s more, Toyota was up significantly from tsunami-impacted June 2011 as its U.S. dealers moved close to 178,000 new vehicles. These were just some of the highlights […] [Read More]

As Americans celebrate Independence Day this week, Cars.com and Kelley Blue Book’s Kbb.com both shared some stars-and-stripes-themed perspective on the U.S. auto business that continues to gain momentum. Cars.com released its latest American-Made Index, while Kbb.com has released its rankings of the 10 Cars That Reignite the American Dream.  Both company’s lists were unveiled on […] [Read More]