Automation

Ford overhaul nears halfway point

Ford President Joe Hinrichs says the automaker is about half finished with the global reshaping of operations and procedures needed to tackle CEO Jim Hackett's mammoth $25.5 billion cost-cutting plan.Read More

Range Rover Evoque adds a hybrid powertrain

The second-generation Range Rover Evoque, previewed last week in Chicago, goes on sale in a few weeks in North America with mild styling changes.Read More

Innovate to avoid disruption

A McKinsey Center for Future Mobility study says dealers can pave their path to future success amid disruption by choosing one of four paths: focusing on luxury brands in tier-two cities; growing in geographic scale and scope; prioritizing less disrupted rural markets or creating a personalized omnichannel sales approach.Read More

At 88 days, inventories are highest in 5 years

Automakers and dealers began February with an 88-day supply of inventory as a weather-hindered sales rate in January conspired with a spike in light-trucks stocks. All three Detroit automakers had more than a 100-day supply.Read More

GM Cruise offers equity as employee incentive

While General Motors' Cruise autonomous-vehicle unit is still laboring to get its big projects off the ground, it's moving to attract and secure top-tier talent by offering future and current employees equity in the business under a new incentive plan.Read More

CDK focuses on core

CDK Global reports increased revenue in its second quarter and says it is now turning its attention to its core business of customer service.Read More

Auto tariff report may stay secret for a while

Auto interests say the Commerce Department's findings should be shared now to lift the cloud of uncertainty that has crimped investment.Read More

Super Bowl exposure, without the expenditure

How some auto brands basked in the big-game spotlight, without paying for TV time.Read More

Nominate an impact player for 40 Under 40 auto retailing honors

Automotive News is selecting the 2019 class of 40 Under 40 in auto retailing. We'll profile the honorees in the July 15 issue and celebrate their accomplishments during a luncheon at the NADA Show in February 2020.If you know someone under age 40 who is making a big impact at a new-car dealership in the U.S., we want to know. Self-nominations are welcome....

Mazda's Moro: New crossovers could give U.S. sales big boost

Mazda plans to remedy its shortage of crossovers with two new products in the next few years. The company also says that it still intends to offer a diesel CX-5.Read More

Drive Flex DMS rollout accelerates

CDK has about 40 dealerships lined up to get its Drive Flex DMS. The plan is to eventually roll it out to all of the nearly 9,000 U.S. dealerships that are CDK DMS customers, a process likely to take three to four years.Read More

Ford told Britain's May it is preparing alternative factory sites

Ford advised British Prime Minister Theresa May that it is stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain, The Times reported. Ford, which operates engine plants in Britain, faces a bill of up to $1 billion if Britain leaves the Europe Union without a deal.Read More

Ally's core business is driving optimism

Since Doug Timmerman took over as Ally Financial's president of auto finance last spring, he's been building relationships with dealers and focusing on the lender's core business: retail and commercial auto finance.Read More

Deeper issues in tech shortage

The shortage in skilled auto service workers can be directly linked to pay rates, says one Automotive News reader in a letter to the editor.Read More

Gentex put live action in rear view

Gentex's Full Display Mirror, which streams video of a vehicle's rear view to a mirror-integrated LCD display, won an Automotive News PACE Award in 2016, the company's seventh.Read More

Updated Nissan Rogue Sport receives high-end safety tech

Nissan is migrating more technology into the Rogue Sport, the smaller version of its compact crossover.Read More

Wheeler's EPA nomination heads to full Senate

Andrew Wheeler's nomination to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency moves to the full Senate for consideration. The former lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry has been serving in the role as acting administrator since Scott Pruitt's resignation in July.Read More

Porsche to release new timepiece

Porsche Design is planning to issue a watch — the €4,911 ($5,600) Porsche Design 911 Chronograph Timeless Machine Limited Edition — to celebrate the launch of the eighth-generation 911.Read More

Dealers take a hard look at F&I managers' pay

A drastic pay disparity between F&I managers and their management peers could disrupt the traditional career path and make dealers question the value of the F&I position. Still, slashing or minimizing F&I pay could drive away talent.Read More

Lincoln misses San Francisco customers

Lincoln needs to address its lack of presence in the San Francisco Bay Area, writes one Automotive News reader.Read More