Industry News
Chevy Volt/Opel Ampera is named European Car of Year
The Chevrolet Volt, which sells in Europe as the Opel Ampera, has been named European Car of the Year by automotive journalists from 23 countries. The award was made Monday on the eve of the Geneva auto show. The Opel Ampera made its European debut at …
Ford’s full-size Transit van to have more fuel-efficient V-6 engine
The Ford Transit full-size van will have a more fuel-efficient 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine under the hood when it goes on sale in North America next year, replacing the long-serving E-Series that will be discontinued, the automaker announced today at…
Chrysler to sell compressed natural gas Ram pickup
Ram is planning to announce plans Tuesday to launch a heavy-duty pickup that runs on compressed natural gas, the Free Press has learned, making it the second Detroit automaker in two days to embrace the technology for fleet customers.
Mark Phelan: Ford to unveil high-performance Fiesta at Geneva auto show
Ford will unveil the 178-horsepower performance version of its Fiesta subcompact at the Geneva auto show in Switzerland this week.
Ford’s troubled MyFordTouch infotainment system to get an upgrade
Flashdrives will be mailed out to owners of 2011 and 2012 Fords with MyFord touch, starting today, that consumers can plug into a USB port to download the software upgrade. The improved program attempts to address consumer concerns about the system whi…
Chevy Volt named European Car of the Year
The award was made Monday on the eve of the Geneva auto show. The Opel Ampera made its European debut at the Geneva show in 2009.
GM to begin selling CNG pickups in April
Consumers and corporate fleet purchasers can begin in April buying Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras that run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas, the automaker said today.
Chrysler’s Ram truck rides high with Red Wings
Fred Diaz had no idea the Detroit Red Wings would break the National Hockey League’s record for consecutive home wins when the Ram marketing team negotiated to sponsor a special-edition truck for the Wings. “The initial plan was to do 1,000, and that e…
A few minutes with Marissa Hunter, head of Ram advertising
Marissa Hunter, 37, is the mind behind Ram’s advertising and marketing efforts. Hunter, who grew up in the Thumb, wanted to be an Olympic gymnast. A communications graduate of Michigan State University, she joined Chrysler in August 2009, just before t…
Screws tighten on European automakers
As automakers prepare to roll out new models this week at the Geneva Auto Show – one of the major events in the automotive calendar – they are being forced to fight for a slice of an ever-shrinking European market stricken with austerity and recession.