Strong incentives have helped lift Korean automakers over Toyota on Dataium’s monthly Automotive Shopper Intensity index, breaking the Camry’s winning ASI streak. Released on Wednesday, the Dataium index shows that strong incentives and marketing campaigns promoting fuel efficiency helped Hyundai’s Sonata and Elantra claim the top two spots in the index to rank highest in […] [Read More]

Although most new-vehicle buyers remain in the same size segment as their old ride, more than a quarter are downsizing these days. And often they get just as much enjoyment out of their economized rides, says J.D. Power and Associates. These findings were part of the firm’s 2012 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study, […] [Read More]

So many review sites, so little time: That’s the premise behind a new tool launched by reputation and social media management firm SOCIALDEALER. Announced this week, the reputation monitoring service aims to help dealers and manufacturers actively monitor the top ten review sites in real time, including Google, DealerRater, Edmunds.com and Cars.com. The SOCIALDEALER tool […] [Read More]

Continuing a string of growth announcements revealed throughout the year, online salvage vehicle auction company Copart opened its third physical facility in North Carolina this week. The company indicated its newest facility in the Tar Heel State is located in Mebane, representing Copart’s 155th facility worldwide. Officials explained that the site will be used to […] [Read More]

DMEautomotive announced Wednesday that five of its sales and service marketing programs have been approved for General Motors CSSR “Plus Ups” Certification.  Effective immediately, officials highlighted that thousands of GM dealers are now eligible to receive iMR sales matching funds and/or parts funds for these important loyalty, service marketing and customer retention programs that can […] [Read More]

In remarks during a celebratory presentation earlier this week for the opening of a Hendrick Automotive Group dealership in North Carolina, it was emphasized that success for a dealer isn’t just about selling a car. It’s about keeping a customer for the long haul. And this sentiment was among the attributes Rick Hendrick honed in […] [Read More]

The pre-owned business at Asbury Automotive Group may be quite pivotal in helping another segment continue to make progress. Asbury generated nearly $18 million in gross profits from reconditioning and preparation work during the second quarter, helping its parts and service business achieve a 4-percent year-over-year gain in both parts and service gross profits and […] [Read More]

Two of Chrysler Group’s most popular models — the Ram 1500 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee — are now the subject of separate probes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation. Nearly 337,000 vehicles are included in documents posted on SafeCar.gov; announcements that cover the 2009 and 2010 Ram 1500 and […] [Read More]

Expect to see more hybrids cruising around the world’s highways in the next few years. According to market research report distributor ReportStack.com, the global hybrid car market is expected to grow at a rate of 18.92 percent in the next three years. The cause for potential double-digit growth: increasing global oil consumption, the Global Hybrid […] [Read More]

A new service for auto dealers just released by DealerSocket offers a clean sweep of sorts, when it comes to a dealer’s customer database. DealerSocket on Tuesday announced the launch of data validation product DataRefresh, a monthly service that performs NCOA, CASS and DNC flagging and appends physical and email addresses and phone numbers. “Quality […] [Read More]