Penske Automotive Group revealed Wednesday it has canceled the development of a five-door smart model in response to its discussions about shifting U.S. distribution and other activities for the smart brand to Mercedes-Benz. Furthermore, boosted by double-digit gains in total retail sales and same-store retail sales revenues at U.S. operations, Penske reported a fourth-quarter income jump of more […] [Read More]

Two economists will provide insight and analysis into the future of the Canadian used-car market during the 2011 Auto Remarketing Canada conference, which will be presented by CarProof. Auto Remarketing Canada, which will be held April 12-14 at the Hyatt Regency Toronto, will welcome Carlos Gomes, senior economist at Scotia Capital, and Michael Hatch, chief […] [Read More]

The distribution rights of smart USA — as well as the management, sales and marketing for the brand — are slated to be shifted completely over to Mercedes-Benz USA within the first half of 2011, according to plans shared Monday. Currently, these activities are handled by Penske Automotive Group, which began talks this week with Mercedes-Benz USA […] [Read More]

In what appears to be a major sign of progress for the global auto market, worldwide new light-vehicle sales in 2011 are likely to reach an annual record for the second year in a row thank largely to s a healthier global economy, according to J.D. Power and Associates. The firm also said that U.S. […] [Read More]

After the automaker notched a record year in China during 2010, General Motors’ top boss says the company’s largest market will remain “one of our priorities” and outlined plans for that country. China is the world’s biggest auto market, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Speaking during a media briefing Tuesday in Beijing, GM chairman and chief […] [Read More]

Seen as an added marketing hook for franchise dealers, Cadillac announced Monday a new program called Cadillac Shield designed to heighten the brand’s focus on customer service by tying together the wide-ranging benefits and technologies offered owners. Normal 0 false false [Read More]

Citing gains in emerging markets, Toyota Motor Corp. recently announced significant financial strides in net revenue, operating income and net income for the nine-month span that ended Dec. 31. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; […] [Read More]

As part of its Automobility program to help customers with special needs, Chrysler has upped the reimbursement for the installation of adaptive driver or passenger equipment to $1,000 across its lineup. Now, owners of all eligible Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles who have special needs can receive up to a $1,000 reimbursement for converting […] [Read More]

As the automaker posted another record sales performance, Subaru of America revealed last week how much money went to five charities during its third annual “Share the Love” event. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; […] [Read More]

With the dealership outgrowing its former location, Mercedes-Benz Canada announced it has broken ground on a brand-new building for its landmark Vancouver dealership this week. The new facility will be located downtown and will be situated on 3 acres of land. “With more than a decade of compounded sales growth, and a finite amount of space, Mercedes-Benz Vancouver has […] [Read More]