Month: November 2015

Inspired by Automotive News’ dealership Best Practices series, Toyota challenged its Latin American dealers and distributors to brainstorm their own ways to improve. At an award ceremony in Tokyo recently, Toyota’s Steve St.

In a small shared office not far from Venice Beach in Los Angeles, Nissan Motor Co. is gazing into the far-off future. And it looks more like one of those baseball bullpen carts than a Titan pickup or a Maxima sport sedan.

New dealership group RFJ Partners is continuing to grow. With the purchase of a Nissan store in Spokane, Wash., RFJ is making the first expansion of its high-volume Dave Smith dealership brand and operating model.

At Patriot Subaru of Saco, Maine, employees direct the charitable giving program. They select organizations they want the dealership to support, and managers determine the amount to give based on the employee’s involvement with the cause.

Long after a Toyota-Ford hybrid pickup partnership unraveled, the rivals are racing to roll out their own products. It’s a battle between two champions – one in hybrids, the other in pickups – for what will be a niche but growing segment.

Mitsubishi will fortify its fragile U.S. rebound with three electrified crossovers in five years, a bolstered listening post in Washington D.C. and an advanced technology office in Silicon Valley.

Cadillac is drafting a new retail incentive program that could significantly boost factory payments to dealers who invest in facilities, new technology and other elements to improve the customer experience.

TrueCar’s new CEO, Chip Perry, harbors no illusions about the task he’ll face in stabilizing the company and rebuilding bridges with auto dealers.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is developing a new stand-alone ratings program for automobile headlights, with the first batch of results due out next year.

After 40 years, BMW’s 3 series still rules the sporty-compact segment. But tougher competition and changing market tastes pose challenges.