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New York 2011: Nissan says subcompact buyers aren’t looking for styling, sportiness

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Nissan

2012 Nissan Versa

2012 Nissan Versa – Click above for high-res image gallery

After Nissan unveiled its redesigned 2012 Versa sedan at the New York Auto Show yesterday, coverage was almost unanimous in declaring it, at best, inconspicuous. David Reuter, Nissan’s VP of Corporate Communications, tells Autoblog that’s fine:

“The Fiesta may have been getting the press, this is what was selling. We were up 20 percent last year. Our competitors have gone for sporty and styling, but that’s not what these buyers want. Subcompact buyers want a dependable, roomy car with good fuel economy, and they want the features and specs to feel they spent a lot more on a car than they did.”

The formula, inconspicuous as it might be, has worked: Nissan moved 99,705 Versa sedans and hatchbacks in 2010, running away from everything else in the class – next were the Honda Fit with 54,354, the Hyundai Accent with 51,975, and the Chevrolet Aveo with 48,623 units sold. Say what you will about the looks, with a segment-leading 103 cubic feet of room in the 2012 Versa and more standard features at a competitive price point, the momentum will likely continue.

Gallery: 2012 Nissan Versa: New York 2011

New York 2011: Nissan says subcompact buyers aren’t looking for styling, sportiness originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Hyundai may be piling on the sales, but dealers aren’t piling on the profits

Filed under: Car Buying, Hyundai, Earnings/Financials

2011 hyundai sonata 2.0t

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai is holding a hot hand with its current lineup. Sales are climbing and perception of the brand is swinging strongly in the right direction. Not everyone is singing just yet, however, because Hyundai dealers are apparently lagging behind the competition in one very important area: profits.

In 2010, the industry-wide average dealer profit was 2.1 percent of total sales. Hyundai has seen its average dealer profit rise over the last few years, but according to Automotive News, it’s still below industry average; last year, Hyundai dealers earned 1.9 percent. On the flip-side, Honda dealers enjoy an average profit of nearly three percent of total sales.

One area where dealers see hefty profits is from the service bays and parts sales. Ford and Chevrolet dealerships might see 85 percent of their overhead costs taken care of by the service department. A typical Hyundai dealer may earn enough to handle 40 percent.

Hyundai dealers also have to contend with shortages of their popular models and weak used-car sales. Yet as more folks buy Hyundai vehicles, the dealers will increase the speed at which they catch up with the competition. More vehicles on the road will lead to a rise in trips to the service bay and parts sold. More used current-generation vehicles will help turn around used-car sales. Hyundai dealers know this, and 85 percent of the nearly 800-strong network is operating in the black.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T: First Drive

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Hyundai may be piling on the sales, but dealers aren’t piling on the profits originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gilles: Next Dodge Viper inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” Aren’t we all?

2010 Dodge Viper Final Edition Roadster, ACR and Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Dodge Viper has always been an impressive looking vehicle, but its muscled lines haven’t ever been what we’d call feminine. That may change with the next-generation version of the Snake. Ralph Gilles, head of Chrysler design and the Dodge brand, says that the look of the next Dodge Viper will be inspired by “a naked woman on the beach.”

Sorry, but we’re having a hard time coming up with a witty quip after that one (well, other than the one in the headline).

Gilles made the announcement while speaking with reporters at the Automotive News World Conference, and while the revelation about the vehicle’s design inspiration was a big highlight, he also announced that the next Viper would take dead aim at stealing buyers away from both the Porsche brand and the Chevrolet Corvette. That’s especially true when it comes to the crowd of younger buyers – guys and girls under 45.

The next-generation Viper is set to debut in 2013, and while that gives Dodge plenty of time to get the car right, we don’t expect either Porsche or Chevrolet to sit back and allow the Viper to play catch up. Suddenly we’re very excited to see what the sports car world looks like in two years.

Gallery: 2010 Dodge Viper Final Edition

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Gilles: Next Dodge Viper inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” Aren’t we all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IIHS: New texting laws aren’t reducing accidents

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology, By the Numbers

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released new findings related to texting-while-driving laws and their effectiveness – the results of which are quite surprising. The Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the IIHS, compiled claim data for four states; California, Louisiana, Minnesota and Washington. Each state has enacted a ban on texting while driving, and this study examines data for the months before and after the laws went into effect. Earlier this year, the HLDI released data relating to the banning of hand-held cell phones and how those laws had zero effect on crash rates. Its new research refines that study to show that texting bans have produced a more alarming result. In three of the four states examined, crashes increased by three to four percent after the laws were enabled.

Adrian Lund, President of the IIHS and the HLDI, believes the laws do not take into account the overall problem of driving while distracted but merely focus on one aspect of it. Lund states people texted before the laws came into effect and they’re likely doing so after. Drivers may now be texting in ways so as not to get caught doing do, such as lowering their phones and thus drawing their eyes down away from the road. Lund also states that he knows texting while driving is dangerous and there is a crash risk associated with it, but the bans are clearly not reducing that risk.

Not everyone agrees with the IIHS study, however. AAA released a statement today that states, “It is not realistic to expect that simply enacting a law to ban texting while driving will have a large, immediate impact on crash totals in a state in the first months.” The release goes on to add that in addition to laws, public outreach, high-visibility enforcement, substantial penalties and, most importantly, adequate time are needed before a positive effect can be seen. In other words, holds your horses, IIHS. Likewise, The Detroit News D.C. Bureau Chief David Strickland reported live via Twitter from a Senate Commerce meeting today that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland said he has questions about the IIHS study and that NHTSA still wants to get at the worst kinds of distracted driving, not just texting, adding that a bee or insect in the car has been shown to be the most dangerous kind.

So are drivers in these states merely making texting while driving more dangerous by lowering their phones out of view? The IIHS research indicates this might be the case, or the uptick in accidents might just be a correlation and not causal. Either way, automakers are developing more complex systems to take these tasks out of the equation eventually. The Ford Sync system and the upcoming UVO unit from Kia will answer and read your texts for you. OnStar is also working on a way to integrate Facebook into GM vehicles. These ideas sound silly but they may help reduce our need to grab that phone so we can keep our eyes on the road.

Full release available after the jump.

[Source: IIHS | Image: Getty]

Continue reading IIHS: New texting laws aren’t reducing accidents

IIHS: New texting laws aren’t reducing accidents originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Woodward: Rides that aren’t from around here

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows

Porsche 911

Imports: 2010 Woodward – Click above for high-res image gallery

Not everything that trawls the potholes of Woodward Ave. during the Dream Cruise was made in America. A lot of the cars aren’t from around here; they’re imports. We’re not just talking about Japanese cars, either. The imports at Woodward often hail from Europe, and are just as classic as anything that Detroit screwed together.

Truth be told, we didn’t capture as many foreign cars as we would have liked between dodging raindrops and trying fill all of our other galleries. But we went ahead and built a high-res gallery with the shots we got because, well, we got some really good ones of classic Porsche 911s, and we figured the Porschephiles among you could use some new desktop wallpaper. Enjoy!

Gallery: Imports: 2010 Woodward

2010 Woodward: Rides that aren’t from around here originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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