Did Ford’s F-150 Fumble To The Chevrolet Silverado During Super Bowl XLVI?
If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you probably caught Chevrolet's ad for the 2012 Silverado pickup. Most saw it as a clever riff on the whole 2012/Mayan calendar/world-ending thing that's rumored to occur later this year. When the folks at Ford watched it, though, all they saw was red.
The premise of the ad is simple: the apocalypse has arrived on schedule, delivered by a shower of falling meteors, alien space ships, volcanic eruptions, and a plague of frogs. As the dust settles, four friends meet up at a pre-designated rendez-vous point in their Chevrolet Silverados. Backed by strains of Barry Manilow's 1976 key-change extravaganza, "Looks Like We Made It", the four briefly discuss their friend Dave, who's nowhere to be seen.
"Dave didn't drive the longest-lasting, most dependable truck on the road," one of the four says, eyes downcast. "Dave drove a Ford."
The group look sad for a moment, then take solace in a box of Twinkies. (Sadly, cockroaches and Cher are nowhere to be seen.)
Though the ad seems like good-natured ribbing between two Detroit rivals, set against a backdrop of global annihilation, Ford isn't laughing. In fact, according to the Detroit Free Press, Ford sent a cease-and-desist letter to General Motors insisting that it pull the commercial from the internet and stop running it on television. Ford says that the ad's claims are false and points to the sales volume for the F-series as proof that Ford pickups are thoroughly reliable and durable.
Ford's fumble
From where we sit, Ford may have fumbled on this one -- twice.
First, we're all for truth in advertising and protecting brands, but we've watched this commercial numerous times, and it seems like Chevy's comments about Ford are generic enough to dodge legal bullets. In other words, we may not be lawyers, but we're not entirely sure that Ford has a case. That makes Ford come off like a bit of a whiner, and whining is never good. (We have a suspicion it's even worse when it comes to truck ads.)
GM's marketing head honcho, Joel Ewanick, released a statement in response to Ford's letter. In it, he basically said that if the world does end, and Ford trucks do survive, GM will be happy to apologize. Our guess is that GM will capitalize on this controversy for a while. In fact, as of this morning, when we Google "Super Bowl 2012", the first ad that pops up references the Silverado, saying "Dave didn't survive the 2012 apocalypse. Will you?" (We've pasted a screencap below.)
However, Ford's biggest fumble may have been not taking advantage of the advertising buzz surrounding the Super Bowl at all. Ford chose not to run commercials during the game -- which is fine, given the hefty price tag associated with those ads. But why didn't Ford create a commercial to run online in the week prior to the game, just to generate excitement?
Ford has now acknowledged that mistake. As the automaker's marketing chief, Jim Farley, told reporters at the National Automobile Dealers Association in Las Vegas, "My biggest regret is we didn't create a long-form Super Bowl-like ad and promote it".
For non-football junkies and Puppy Bowl fans, we've pasted the Chevy Silverado ad below. Have a look and let us know if you think Ford has a fair case, or if it's making a mountain out of a apocalyptic molehill.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Honda Recalls 2012 Accord, 2012 Crosstour, 2011-2012 Ridgeline
Honda has issued two recalls today -- one for the 2012 Accord and 2012 Crosstour, and another for the 2011-2012 Ridgeline.
The 2012 Accord and Crosstour recall is the most worrisome of the two. According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Accords and Crosstours from the 2012 model year may have been built with a faulty inflator for the side-curtain airbag on the passenger's side. As a result, those airbags may not deploy during a crash, seriously increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Thankfully, the size of this recall is fairly small, including only 347 units to date. (Given the popularity of the Accord, the recall could've been much larger a few months down the road.) Honda expects to notify owners of affected vehicles about the recall by next Friday, February 10. At that time, they'll be able to take their vehicles to a Honda dealer, who will inspect the airbag system and replace inflators as necessary, free of charge.
If you have questions about the 2012 Accord and Crosstour recall, we encourage you to ring Honda Customer Service at 800-999-1009, or call the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and ask about recall campaign #12V030000.
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The 2011-2012 Ridgeline recall centers around the Ridgeline's spare tire, which has come with inaccurate inflation information on the attached placard. If owners use the spare tire and it's improperly inflated, the tire could fail, leading to an accident. Approximately 206 Ridgelines are included in this recall.
Honda has already begun sending out notices to Ridgeline owners, so if you have one of the recalled vehicles in your garage, you should receive something in the mail very soon. At that time, you can take your Ridgeline to a Honda dealer, who will amend or replace the tire information placard free of charge.
Should you have additional questions about the Ridgeline recall, call Honda Customer Service at 800-999-1009, or ring up the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and ask about recall campaign #12V025000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
January 2012 Car Sales Are Strong–Except At GM
While nearly every automaker reported brisk, upbeat sales numbers for the first month of 2012, General Motors didn't have much to cheer.
GM sales were off by 6 percent last month, while its crosstown rivals were up, strongly in the case of Chrysler, which reported a sales increase of 44 percent, while Ford rose 7 percent.
Also on the upturn were Toyota and Honda, both reporting solid sales increases nearly a year after the destructive March 11 earthquake in northern Japan devastated the country and one of its auto production bases.
January's sales numbers were all that much more impressive given the predictions made just a week ago. Analysts at J.D. Power had expected sales to come in at nearly 13.5 million units, with 10.9 million of those sold to retail customers. With tallies complete, Automotive News now reports that U.S. auto sales rose 11 percent on the month to a total of 913,284 units, for a seasonally-adjusted annual rate, or SAAR, of 14.2 million units.
For the year, the SAAR could rise to 14.5 million units, some automakers predict.
The strengthening in the market is unmistakable, Power's senior vice president of global automotive operations John Humphrey said in a release. “Vehicles are currently remaining on dealer lots for fewer than 50 days on average, which is the lowest level for January for the past several years. This is a good indication that pent-up demand is beginning to return to the market.”
The numbers for January 2012, as reported by the automakers:
General Motors: GM (NYSE: GM) reported sales off by 6.1 percent in January, an off-note drop while other major brands posted strong increases. As a whole, GM sold 167,962 vehicles in January 2012. Chevrolet sold 123,864 units, down 1.2 percent from a year ago; GMC moved 24,966 units, down 9.7 percent; Buick sold 10,208 vehicles, off 23.1 percent; and Cadillac was down 29.1 percent at 8,924 units. Volt sales were off by nearly half, but Chevy's Cruze, Malibu and Impala continued to sell well.
Ford: Ford (NYSE: F) sales grew 7 percent over what the automaker calls a strong January 2011. Ford sold 136,710 vehicles in the month, with 131,589 units coming from the Ford brand, which was up 8.3 percent on the month. The 2012 Focus--TheCarConnection's 2012 Best Car To Buy--had a 60-percent sales gain, with F-150 and Explorer sales up as well. However, Lincoln sold 5,121 vehicles, down 7.9 percent from last year's numbers--and just 78 cars more for the whole brand than Ford counted in sales of its outgoing Ranger compact pickup.
Toyota / Lexus / Scion: Toyota's trio of brands reported 124,540 cars and trucks sold in January, up 7.5 percent over the same period in 2011. Toyota got big help from the new Camry, and rose 9 percent to 112,266 units sold. Lexus moved 12,274 vehicles in January for a 4.6-percent decrease, and Scion sold 3,535 vehicles in the month, up 7.9 percent from the same period in 2011.
Chrysler: Chrysler posted the biggest sales increase of any major automaker, posting a 44-percent rise on plenty of fleet sales mixed in with stronger numbers for some of its mainstay products. In all, it sold 101,149 units, with the Chrysler brand growing its numbers by 81 percent, to 17,604 units. Jeep held strong with a 37-percent increase to 31,710 sales, with Dodge posting a 29-percent rise on sales of 31,454 vehicles. Ram trucks accounted for 18,470 vehicle sales, up 42 percent, and Fiat sold 1,911 vehicles in January--down from 2,655 units in December. The Chrysler 200 sedan and convertible posted a sales increase of 789 percent on the month.
Honda / Acura: Honda reported total January 2012 sales of 83,009 units, an increase of 8.8 percent over the same period in 2011. The Honda brand tallied 74,628 of those sales, up 9.3 percent, with Acura rising 5.3 percent with 8,381 sales last month. The Honda CR-V is off to a good sales start, with record January sales up 16 percent over January 2011.
Nissan / Infiniti: Nissan and its luxury Infiniti brand combined for sales of 79,313 vehicles in January, up 10.4 percent over January 2011's 71,847 units. Nissan accounted for 72,517 units, up 12.5 percent, with Altima up 35.9 percent; Infiniti was down 8.2 percent at 6,796 units, from 7,405 units the year prior.
Survey: Hyundai, Subaru, Lexus Score High With Dealers
Each year, thousands of consumers answer surveys about cars and the people who sell them. Those studies -- like the ones we recently mentioned about brand loyalty and the shopping habits of men and women -- can tell us a lot about buyers, but for an insider's look at the auto industry, you need to chat with folks on the other side of the counter: the dealers. A new study from the National Automobile Dealers Association says its members are happiest in the company of Asian marques like Hyundai, Subaru, and Lexus.
The study was carried out in July and August 2011 and garnered responses from over 14,700 dealerships. According to a NADA press release, survey participants rated automakers in three areas: (1) "franchise value" (e.g. brand value, product offerings, etc.); (2) "automaker policy decisions that affect the dealership" (both directly and indirectly); and (3) "the automaker's field staff who visit dealerships". Taken in sum, those scores gauge how easy manufacturers make things for their brand representatives in the community so that they can get on with the business of selling and servicing cars.
When all the responses from the NADA survey were tabulated, Hyundai landed on top for the third year in a row. Subaru clocked in at number two, and Lexus drove to the number three spot. Those were followed by Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi, with Cadillac and Honda tied for tenth.
There are a couple of things worth noting in NADA's results. For starters, nearly half of those brands are premium marques. Since high-end lines typically pride themselves on high-end service to consumers, it's not entirely surprising to see that attitude carry over to the automakers' relationships with their dealers. It's all part of the same culture.
That said, dealer satisfaction doesn't necessarily correlate with customer satisfaction. Back in December, we saw that car shoppers were most pleased with their experiences at Lexus and MINI dealerships, but MINI was a no-show on the NADA survey. And while some of J.D. Power's top performers with shoppers also scored well with dealers -- Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Porsche, Volkswagen -- others NADA faves like Audi, Kia, and Honda fared poorly with consumers. Translation: just because customers have great experiences at a dealership doesn't mean that that same dealership will have great experience with the automaker it represents.
And the last thing worth noting: with the exception of Cadillac, NADA survey respondents showed no love for Detroit. If we were the betting sort, we'd wager that might have something to do with lingering resentment toward GM and Chrysler for their controversial downsizing of dealer networks after their 2009 restructurings. There are undoubtedly other factors at work, too -- like Chrysler's insistence that Fiat dealers create entirely new showrooms. Even though dealers were eager to get the (now underperforming) Fiat 500, construction projects always brings their share of frustration.
If you've got a few minutes to spare this Monday morning, you can click here to read a PDF explaining the NADA survey and some of its findings.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Women Are More Practical Shoppers, But Men Get Better Deals: Infographic
So, you're in the market for a new car. You've skimmed through our extensive collection of news and reviews, and you're ready to hit the showroom. What should you expect? If you're a man, you might negotiate a slightly sweeter deal, however, your female friends will probably pay less because they've configured a more cost-efficient ride. That's according to new data from CarWoo.
We first mentioned CarWoo a little over a year ago. It's a website that allows shoppers to solicit competing offers from auto dealers, a little like Lending Tree does for home loans. So, you tell CarWoo what sort of vehicle you're looking for, and CarWoo asks dealerships in your area to make their best offer. (Interestingly, when CarWoo debuted, there was a fee to use it, which made us somewhat skeptical about its prospects. Now, that fee seems to have been removed, or it's been pushed deep into the sale transaction.)
After crunching numbers for cars bought through CarWoo in 2011, data hounds found that women pay less for their wheels -- around $28,306, compared to $31,911 for men. That's mostly because women chose less expensive options and packages than their male counterparts.
However, men did score ever-so-slightly better when it came to haggling. On average, men paid 10.3% below MSRP, while women got 10.2% off. That's pretty solidly in keeping with last year's stats, which found that "Only about one out of five dealerships offered a significantly different ($500+) price to one gender versus the other." This may have something to do with the fact that CarWoo's bidding process is anonymous, so dealers don't know a bidder's gender. Secret shoppers have found greater disparities in the way that salespeople treat men and women in person.
Our suggestion? Don't rely on your gender to score a great deal. Instead, you're better off looking to specific brands. As we saw just a few weeks ago, Chrysler and Nissan offer substantially better discounts than other makes: the average Jeep customer saved 17.7% in 2011, while Nissan shoppers saved 15.7%, and Chrysler customers saved 14.2%.
For a full rundown of CarWoo's 2011 shopping stats, check the infographic at left.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
GM Back On Top With 9 Million Unit Sales In 2011
Fueled by record worldwide sales of its Chevrolet brand, General Motors has achieved 2011 sales of 9.03 million units, surpassing both the 8.16 million sold by Volkswagen and the 7.9 million estimated by Toyota. Like other Japanese automakers, Toyota was impacted by inventory shortages caused by the twin disasters in Japan.
That puts GM back on top of global sales, which is a remarkable achievement given the automaker’s financial health in 2009. GM hasn't sold that many vehicles worldwide since 2007, prompting GM’s stock to rise slightly on the news. In early afternoon trading on January 19, the stock was selling at a high of $24.93 per share.
The Chevrolet brand accounted for 4.76 million sales worldwide last year, breaking sales records in 15 markets (including the United States). Chevrolet sales in the U.S. totaled nearly 1.78 million units, representing a growth of more than 13 percent compared to prior year.
Leading sales for Chevrolet globally was the Cruze compact sedan, which sold more than 670,000 units around the world last year. Global platforms, such as the Sonic and Spark contributed to Chevrolet's success, and the brand has big expectations in 2012 for the global launch of the 2013 Malibu.
GM picked up four-tenths of a point of market share worldwide last year, and now accounts for 11.9 percent of global vehicle sales. Its largest market is China, which made up 28.2 percent of sales last year (including joint ventures with Chinese partners), followed by the United States, which produced 27.7 percent of sales.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2001-2002 Ford Escape Recalled For Potential Fire Hazard
Hot on the heels of recalling the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, Ford Motor Company has issued another recall -- this time for the Ford Escape SUV.
A bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains that the Escape recall is due to a faulty brake master cylinder reservoir cap. In certain cases, that cap can leak brake fluid, which may drip down onto the wiring that controls the anti-lock braking system. Over time, the leak may cause corrosion of the electrical connectors, which could result in melting of the wires, or in some cases, a fire.
The recall affects Ford Escapes from the 2001 and 2002 model years that were manufactured between October 22, 1999 and July 19, 2002. The NHTSA says that some 244,530 SUVs are included in the recall, which is related to a larger investigation of Ford Escapes and Mazda Tributes from the 2001 - 2004 model years.
This recall will roll out much faster than the one for the Freestar and Monterey. Owners of affected vehicles should expect to receive notification on or shortly after January 23. However, Ford says that the parts necessary to repair the Escape may not be available quite so quickly. If that's the case, Ford will ask Escape owners to park their vehicles outside until parts arrive -- presumably to ensure that potential fires don't spread to garages and other structures.
If you believe that you own one of the affected vehicles, we encourage you to contact your local dealer, or call Ford's Customer Relationship Center at 866-436-7332 and ask about recall 11S24. Alternately, you can ring the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and inquire about recall campaign #12V005000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2013 Lincoln MKZ Preview: 2012 Detroit Auto Show
GM has the new 2013 Cadillac ATS sedan waiting in the wings, and at Ford, the mission's almost the same--to snare more entry-level luxury-sedan buyers. That task begins with the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, making its debut as a concept car at the 2012 Detroit auto show.
Lincoln's mission is a little more urgent, though. Once the best-selling luxury nameplate in the U.S., Lincoln sold just more than 85,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year, about half of Cadillac's numbers and well off the more than 300,000 cars and crossovers sold by luxury-sales champ BMW.
Working in its favor, Lincoln has the current MKZ, one of the brand's strong sales stories. In its final year on the market, MKZ sales in 2011 increased 22 percent over the prior year, and its hybrid edition has attracted new looks from shoppers normally sold on Lexus.
To grow again, Lincoln will have to win over those intenders, and analysts, who see today's Lincolns as too closely patterned on Ford-brand vehicles. Design is one way Ford hopes to change minds. Based on the same mid-size platform as the new 2013 Ford Fusion, also introduced in Detroit, the next MKZ heralds a new design direction for the sagging luxury brand.
The latest theme--one of a few Ford's tried on the Lincoln lineup in the past decade--tamps down some of the brash cues on today's Lincoln MKZ and its MKX and MKT crossovers in favor of leaner, softer lines. The MKZ concept is as sleek as the fantastic-looking Fusion, but distinguished by the more delicate louvers on its new grille, and especially, by the longer arch of its roofline, and a very short trunk.
Lincoln's design chief, Max Wolff, calls the new look elegant simplicity. "It’s something warmer and more restrained, which is moving away from complex designs and traditional luxury," he said.
Inside, the concept continues a more Lexus-like interpretation of luxury, with warm colors and a touch of green. The poplar wood trim is "responsibly harvested," and is framed by aluminum trim, and surrounded by neutral leather perforated to look like champagne bubbles.
Electronics take up even more real estate in this version of the MKZ: dash buttons control the transmission, eliminating a shift lever, and big 10.1-inch and 8-inch LCD screens in front of the driver and on the center stack serve as displays for gauges, mapping and in-car apps, governed by the Bluetooth-driven MyLincoln Touch system. A panoramic glass roof brings more light into the four-seat cabin.
Compared to the current MKZ, the new version should grow, while coming in very close to the concept's overall dimensions. The concept is 194.1 inches overall, with a 112.2-inch wheelbase. Today's car measures 189.8 inches long, and rides on a 107.4-inch wheelbase.
The MKZ's new platform is said to be able to handle all-wheel drive. Powertrains and other hardware aren't detailed yet, but EcoBoost engines, an adaptive suspension and drivetrain, and a lane-keeping system are planned.
Now that it's sold off all the European luxury brands it once owned, Ford says it's committed to reviving Lincoln sales and repositioning it as a newer-age luxury leader. According to Ford's president of the Americas, Mark Fields, Ford is investing heavily in the brand so that it can "win customers in the luxury market with strong new vehicles."
It's an important piece of Ford's newly focused business plan, and potentially, a big money-maker for the company. With seven new or heavily revamped vehicles on the way in the next three years, Lincoln is getting another lease on life--and the fight to regain its spot in on the luxury leaderboard begins here.
Stay in touch with all the news from Cobo Center as we cover the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Hyundai Elantra, Range Rover Evoque Are NA Car, Truck Of The Year
The winners of the 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have been announced, as the auto industry kicks off the new year at the annual Detroit auto show.
For this year's awards, the winners are the 2012 Hyundai Elantra for car of the year and the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque for truck of the year.
In December, a panel of 50 journalists named six finalists for the two awards. On the car side, the NACOTY jurors put the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, and Volkswagen Passat up for top honors. In trucks, which includes vehicles classified as trucks by the EPA, the finalists included the BMW X3, Honda CR-V, and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.
Last year, the NACOTY jurors, including High Gear Media's Marty Padgett, narrowed down the list from a set of 24 vehicles, including seven trucks and 17 cars.
To be eligible for either award, a vehicle must be substantially changed or new from the prior year.
The North American Car of the Year and Truck of the Year jury includes U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists, with all types of media included, from online to print, to broadcast and radio.
The winners of the awards in 2011 were the Chevrolet Volt and Ford Explorer.
2012 North American Car of the Year Shortlist
Audi A6
Audi A7
Buick Verano
Chevrolet Sonic
Chrysler 300/SRT-8
Fiat 500
Ford Focus
Hyundai Accent
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Veloster
Kia Rio/Rio 5
Scion iQ
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Camry
Toyota Prius V
VW Beetle
VW Passat
2012 North American Truck of the Year Shortlist
BMW X3
Honda CR-V
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
Mini Countryman
Nissan Quest
Saab 9-4X
High Gear Media covers the 2012 Detroit Auto Show live from Cobo Center--follow the news on the Web, on Facebook or on Twitter
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2013 Cadillac ATS Preview: 2012 Detroit Auto Show
Cadillac has been promising us a true BMW 3-Series competitor, and it is finally here. The 2013 Cadillac ATS is the compact luxury sedan that Cadillac is depending on to establish a new reputation among some of the world's top performance sedans.
The ATS follows the new-expression Art & Science design direction set by the new 2013 XTS, which was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show this past fall. The front end does a great job mimicking the XTS while the side character line is softer and less pronounced. While the standard 17-inch alloy wheels fill the wheel wells nicely, 18-inch alloy wheels are optional. Out back, the ATS uses the third brake light as a spoiler similar to the CTS Coupe and XTS. Dual exhaust outlets emerge through a pseudo-diffuser with a center mounted backup light mounted low to the ground.
Cadillac says it created a driver-focused interior for the ATS, focusing on the placement of the pedals and steering wheel, along with the location of the shifter. The flowing dashboard wraps around into the door panels and features ambient lighting. A wide range of interior color options will be available, ranging from black and tan to more vibrant colors such as brown and burgundy, all complimented by various trim materials ranging from real wood and plated metal to carbon-fiber. Sport seats will be available for those who seek more support for spirited driving.
Riding on an all-new platform, the ATS will be available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive configurations. While the ATS gets a 2.5-liter direct-injection four-cylinder rated at 200 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque, a 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 rated at 318 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque is optional, Cadillac expects the volume engine to be the optional 2.0-liter turbo direct-injection four-cylinder engine rated at 270 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.
Both a six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission will be offered, and while official fuel economy ratings have not yet been announced, Cadillac says the ATS will deliver a peak highway fuel economy rating of more than 30 mpg.
Cadillac is serious about going after the premium German marques and as such has fitted certain models of the ATS with Brembo brakes and Magnetic Ride Control. Cadillac claims a less than 3,400-pound curb weight on the ATS will be one of the lowest in the segment along with nearly 50/50 weight balance.
Like the XTS, the ATS will be a tour de force when it comes to technology. Cadillac's new CUE infotainment system will be available. Featuring an 8-inch glass LCD touchscreen display in the instrument panel and a 5.7-inch reconfigurable screen making up the gauge cluster, CUE helps control everything from navigation and audio, to climate control and vehicle settings. While CUE can be voice operated, the instrument panel does feature touch-sensitive buttons that can control main audio and climate control functions quickly. All touch controls for the instrument panel and touchscreen display feature haptic feedback, which provides a vibration confirming your selection.
The ATS backs up the in-cabin tech with a myriad of safety features including eight standard airbags and StabiliTrak. Optional technology includes full-speed, range-adaptive cruise control, intelligent brake assist, brake pre-fill automatic collision preparation, and much more. With all this optional technology available, Cadillac is not only looking towards the technology and driving-enthusiast crowd, but the safety-conscious crowd as well.
Stay tuned for more information and pricing as it becomes available. And make sure to follow the rest of the news flowing out of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show by visiting our dedicated show page.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
