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<title><![CDATA[RSS for Pontiac]]></title>
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<link><![CDATA[http://search.autonews.com/]]></link>
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<title><![CDATA[GM designer knows crucial launches produce a love-hate response]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130520/OEM03/305209972/gm-designer-knows-crucial-launches-produce-a-love-hate-response]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130520/OEM03/305209972/gm-designer-knows-crucial-launches-produce-a-love-hate-response</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 20 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[SAN ANTONIO -- Chevrolet designer Tom Peters describes the blocky, chiseled front end of the 2014 Silverado pickup as a "fist in the wind." The metaphor also could describe the resolve Peters needs to weather his critics as the lead designer for two of the most closely scrutinized vehicles on the ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GM's Cruze diesel ghostbuster]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130520/OEM02/305209993/gms-cruze-diesel-ghostbuster]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130520/OEM02/305209993/gms-cruze-diesel-ghostbuster</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 20 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[PONTIAC, Mich. -- No one on Mike Siegrist's engineering team talks about the failed Oldsmobile diesel V-8 from the 1980s. But it's there, a 745-pound cast-iron ghost. Siegrist, a 35-year General Motors veteran who got his start at Oldsmobile -- and briefly worked on that troubled engine -- leads ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[In the Land of Many Buicks, one in particular stood out]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130517/BLOG06/130519893/in-the-land-of-many-buicks-one-in-particular-stood-out]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130517/BLOG06/130519893/in-the-land-of-many-buicks-one-in-particular-stood-out</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 17 May 2013 15:59:44 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[SHANGHAI -- If you were an alien from another world and your spaceship landed in Shanghai, you would immediately conclude that Buick is a planetary titan among automotive brands. Buick is the third-leading brand in China behind Volkswagen and Hyundai through March with 5.3 percent of the market, ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Certified used-vehicle sales, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130516/DATACENTER/130519913/certified-used-vehicle-sales-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130516/DATACENTER/130519913/certified-used-vehicle-sales-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 16 May 2013 15:43:06 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[GM's FandI products will carry vehicle brand names]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130513/RETAIL02/305139979/gms-fi-products-will-carry-vehicle-brand-names]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130513/RETAIL02/305139979/gms-fi-products-will-carry-vehicle-brand-names</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 13 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[General Motors is rolling out branded FandI products, starting this month with a pilot at its 200 or so dealerships in Ohio and going nationwide by year end. GM will offer extended-service contracts, tire-and-wheel coverage and guaranteed asset protection, or GAP, policies bearing the Buick, ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GM's FandI products will carry vehicle's brand]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130508/FINANCE_AND_INSURANCE/130509896/gms-fi-products-will-carry-vehicles-brand]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130508/FINANCE_AND_INSURANCE/130509896/gms-fi-products-will-carry-vehicles-brand</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 08 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Jim Kornas, director of extended protection plans at GM. General Motors is rolling out branded FandI products, starting this month with a pilot at its 200 or so dealerships in Ohio and going nationwide by year end. GM will offer ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Va. group cultivates home-grown talent]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130422/RETAIL07/304229964/va-group-cultivates-home-grown-talent]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130422/RETAIL07/304229964/va-group-cultivates-home-grown-talent</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Brown Automotive Group used to search far and wide for top talent, picking off store managers and executives who promised to work magic. Back in the 1990s, the company occasionally would have a revolving door of general managers, CEO Charles Stringfellow said. The dealership group, based in ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Recall of airbags shows risk of global supply chains]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130418/ANE/304179999/recall-of-airbags-shows-risk-of-global-supply-chains]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130418/ANE/304179999/recall-of-airbags-shows-risk-of-global-supply-chains</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[TOKYO -- A massive vehicle recall by four Japanese automakers because of faulty airbags underscores the perils of huge global supply chains as companies increasingly rely on a handful of suppliers for common or similar parts. Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda are recalling about 3.4 million vehicles worldwide because of airbags supplied by Takata Corp. that are at risk of catching fire or injuring passengers. Toyota is recalling about 1.73 million vehicles produced between November 2000 and March 2004, including 580,000 vehicles in North America and 490,000 vehicles in Europe. Honda is recalling about 1.14 million vehicles, while Nissan said it may call back 480,000 vehicles. Mazda said it is recalling 45,463 units. It is the largest recall for airbags made by Takata, the world's second-largest supplier of airbags and seat belts, Reuters reported. Increasingly, groups of carmakers rely on single-source global suppliers for key components. And there are hazards. "It's a huge problem for the industry," said George Magliano, senior auto analyst with IHS Automotive. "The issue today is we can't change the way we do business, because otherwise we just can't operate profitably." Still, he said, "We can't allow failure in the supply chain." Some airbags at the front passenger seat may not inflate correctly because of a problem with the propellant used in the airbag inflator, Toyota spokesman Ryo Sakai said. Toyota spokeswoman Shino Yamada said that five incidents of malfunctions have been reported, though there were no accidents or injuries. In the United States, vehicles involved include certain Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia and Tundra, and Lexus SC 430 models made from 2001-03, according to a statement from Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. in California. General Motors said Takata is a supplier, but that the problem affected only about 55,000 2003 Pontiac Vibes assembled at the Fremont, California, plant GM previously ran in a joint venture with Toyota. Those vehicles were included in Toyota's total recall number, a GM spokesman said. Some non-Japanese automakers were also supplied with the faulty airbags, a Takata spokesman in Japan said. He declined to name those automakers. BMW has an undetermined number of vehicles affected by the recall, a U.S. spokesman for Takata said. Officials with Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Volkswagen said they were unaffected because they did not use the airbags covered by the recall. The Takata U.S. spokesman said no other customers were affected. -- Reuters, Vince Bond Jr.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ex-GM dealer fights fraud conviction]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130415/RETAIL07/304159989/ex-gm-dealer-fights-fraud-conviction]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130415/RETAIL07/304159989/ex-gm-dealer-fights-fraud-conviction</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[A former Florida auto dealer is appealing a federal judge's refusal to overturn his fraud and conspiracy conviction and 135-month prison sentence for engineering a floorplanning scam. John Giovanetti, a former owner of Big Oaks Buick-Pontiac-GMC in Bartow, Fla., is challenging U.S. District Judge ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Airbag recall shows risk of global supply chains]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130415/OEM01/304159936/airbag-recall-shows-risk-of-global-supply-chains]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130415/OEM01/304159936/airbag-recall-shows-risk-of-global-supply-chains</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[TOKYO -- A massive vehicle recall by four Japanese automakers because of faulty airbags underscores the perils of huge global supply chains as companies increasingly rely on a handful of suppliers for common or similar parts. Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazda are recalling about 3.4 million vehicles ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Certified used-vehicle sales, March and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130412/DATACENTER/130419965/certified-used-vehicle-sales-march-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130412/DATACENTER/130419965/certified-used-vehicle-sales-march-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:23:24 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Ex-GM marketing boss LaNeve takes over Lincoln's ad agency]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130408/RETAIL03/130409898/ex-gm-marketing-boss-laneve-takes-over-lincolns-ad-agency]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130408/RETAIL03/130409898/ex-gm-marketing-boss-laneve-takes-over-lincolns-ad-agency</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:15:58 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- Mark LaNeve, former top North American marketer at General Motors and ex-head of Cadillac, has taken over as president of the Lincoln brand's ad agency, a Ford Motor Co. spokesman said Monday. LaNeve replaces Cameron McNaughton, who had been president of the agency, Hudson Rouge, since it was founded in 2011. LaNeve, 54, will keep his other title: COO of Team Detroit, the Ford brand's advertising agency. He has been working there, often on Lincoln's marketing and advertising, since August 2012. The change comes as Lincoln, weighed down by delays launching the redesigned 2013 MKZ sedan, struggles to reverse a slide in U.S. volume. The brand's U.S. sales have slipped seven consecutive months in an overall light-vehicle market that continues to expand. Hudson Rouge, of New York, was created under the aegis of Team Detroit in Dearborn, Mich., which is owned by WPP, a British media conglomerate. "Mark brings a tremendous amount of equity and understanding of the luxury space," said the Ford spokesman Chris Preuss. "When you look at Mark's credentials, having redone Cadillac and Volvo, it makes a lot of sense." LaNeve assumes control of the agency as the luxury Lincoln brand is going through a difficult rebirth. The 2013 MKZ sedan was heralded as the first car in that rebirth, but its launch has been hobbled by production delays and quality glitches. Earlier this year, Lincoln launched a big advertising push for the MKZ that included two 30-second spots on the Feb. 3 Super Bowl telecast. But dealers did not have any cars to sell. Now that more cars are flowing into dealerships, Lincoln is ramping up its advertising again this month. Preuss said there are now around 4,000 MKZs at dealerships, though there are some geographical areas with more cars than others. LaNeve, who is widely regarded as a "dealer guy," started his marketing career at GM and was credited with reviving the Cadillac brand. After rising to the post of brand manager for the Pontiac Bonneville in 1995, LaNeve left GM in 1997 to become vice president of marketing and later CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, then owned by Ford. In 2001 he returned to GM as general manager of Cadillac. In 2004, he became GM's North America vice president of sales, service and marketing. A few months after GM declared bankruptcy in 2009, he left to become chief marketing officer for Allstate Corp. in Northbrook, Ill. There he oversaw creation of the insurance company's "Mayhem" advertising campaign. LaNeve resigned from Allstate in February. He returned to the auto industry last year when he accepted the job at Team Detroit. LaNeve will continue to live in Detroit, though he will visit the Hudson Rouge agency in New York on a regular basis, Preuss said. In a memo to dealers, Matt VanDyke, global director for the Lincoln brand, said McNaughton will be leaving the agency in early May to "pursue other opportunities." He thanked McNaughton for his hard work in building Hudson Rouge and for his dedication to Lincoln.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Barra remakes GM product development]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130328/ANE/303299997/barra-remakes-gm-product-development]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130328/ANE/303299997/barra-remakes-gm-product-development</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- It has been just over two years since Mary Barra became the surprise pick to steer General Motors' global vehicle development, instantly rocketing her from a relative unknown to one of the industry's highest profile executives. She'll get a report card soon. Over the next 18 months, GM ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Certified used-vehicle sales, Feb. and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130320/DATACENTER/130329986/certified-used-vehicle-sales-feb-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130320/DATACENTER/130329986/certified-used-vehicle-sales-feb-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:10:23 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Three GM cars being probed by NHTSA for possible brake light problems]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130312/OEM11/130319973/three-gm-cars-being-probed-by-nhtsa-for-possible-brake-light-problems]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130312/OEM11/130319973/three-gm-cars-being-probed-by-nhtsa-for-possible-brake-light-problems</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:18:24 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Federal safety regulators are looking at three General Motors vehicles for potential brake light defects that could result in a recall of more than a million mid-sized vehicles. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokesman said today the recall could affect 2004-11 Chevrolet Malibus and 2007-09 Saturn Auras, alleging that the brake lights do not operate properly on those model years. Also, in February, federal safety officials told Automotive News they were investigating an estimated 550,000 Pontiac G6s because of possible brake light malfunctions that could increase the chances of an accident. NHTSA said it had received 212 consumer complaints concerning brake light problems on 2005-09 modelG6s. The Malibu and Aura share many parts with the G6, but it's unclear whether all three vehicles use the same brake lights or brake-light components. "The agency is investigating 97 complaints from different Malibu and Aura owners," a NHTSA spokesman said. According to NHTSA documents, consumers said the brake lights on the vehicles illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed or do not light up when the pedal has been depressed. "We are continuing to cooperate with the NHTSA and will respond to the agency's questions," a GM spokesman said. "It is premature to discuss a recall." The Associated Press reported the investigation earlier today.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Industry's stable store count masks changes at brands]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130311/RETAIL07/303119956/industrys-stable-store-count-masks-changes-at-brands]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130311/RETAIL07/303119956/industrys-stable-store-count-masks-changes-at-brands</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chrysler Group added domestic dealerships and franchises in 2012 for the second year in a row, but General Motors and Ford Motor Co. continued to trim their dealership counts. The changes in the Detroit 3's dealership networks were relatively minor. But they reflect the automakers' differing approaches to adjusting the size of their networks, especially since the wholesale scything of dealerships as part of the 2009 bankruptcies of Chrysler and GM. Overall, the number of new-vehicle dealerships and franchises remained stable last year, according to annual dealership census data compiled by Automotive News . The number of light-vehicle dealerships in the United States on Jan. 1 dipped 1 percent from the year-earlier level to 17,760. The number of franchises was virtually flat: 31,376 on Jan. 1, down 69 from 31,445 a year earlier. The stable totals obscure shifts among brands, most notably the elimination of Saab, Suzuki and Maybach. The exit of those three brands from the United States eliminated 465 franchises. A franchise is an agreement that gives a dealer the right to sell a particular brand of new vehicles. A dealership is the building in which one or more of those vehicle brands are sold. John Frith, a vice president at Urban Science, a retail consulting firm in Detroit, said a 2 percent annual decline of dealerships used to be considered normal. But that former steady attrition gave way to deep cuts in dealerships and franchises tied to the recession, the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler and the elimination of volume brands such as Saturn, Mercury and Pontiac. Now, barring unexpected economic shifts, industrywide growth in dealerships of 0.1 to 0.2 percent is expected over the next few years, Frith said. And if new-vehicle sales stabilize at around 15 million units, he said, "we expect the overall dealership count to remain relatively flat." Chrysler continued to refine its Genesis consolidation plan, launched in early 2008, which called for combining its domestic brands -- Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and now Ram -- in each store by the end of 2011. By now, a Chrysler spokesman says, 91 percent of the automaker's dealerships "have all four brands under one roof." Its dealership count grew 2 percent to 2,370, and its franchise count grew 3 percent to 9,074 last year. Chrysler's increases exclude its sibling Italian brand, Fiat, which added 62 franchises last year, an increase of 45 percent. Fiat had 200 outlets on Jan. 1, up from 138 a year earlier. GM took a different stance last year, trimming its dealership count by 1 percent to 4,355. But its franchise tally rose 2 percent to 7,871, as a result of adding GMC franchises. The company upped the franchise count of its truck-only brand by 174, or 11 percent, to 1,764. GMC's franchise gains were the largest in absolute and percentage terms among all mainstream brands. GM offset some of those gains by trimming franchises of its other three brands. Both Ford's dealership total of 3,286 and its franchise total of 4,067 were down 2 percent. The Lincoln brand, which Ford has vowed to revitalize, led the drop. Five percent of its franchises disappeared last year. The Ford brand shed only 1 percent of its franchise total. After years of rapid expansion in the United States, Korean siblings Hyundai and Kia cooled last year. Together they added just 14 franchises in 2012, after adding 52 in 2010 and 40 in 2011.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Obituary]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130311/RETAIL07/303119944/obituary]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130311/RETAIL07/303119944/obituary</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Bill Whitaker SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Bill Whitaker, a longtime Buick dealer in St. Paul, Minn., died Feb. 25. He was 88. He founded Whitaker Buick in 1954 and became a dealer at age 30. He retired in the early 1990s, and his son became a dealer. Steve Whitaker moved the store to a suburb, Forest Lake, Minn., in 2006 and added Pontiac and GMC.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Former GM exec Troy Clarke promoted to CEO at Navistar]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130307/OEM02/130309877/former-gm-exec-troy-clarke-promoted-to-ceo-at-navistar]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130307/OEM02/130309877/former-gm-exec-troy-clarke-promoted-to-ceo-at-navistar</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:50:29 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[CHICAGO (Reuters) -- Truck and engine maker Navistar International Corp. today promoted former General Motors executive Troy Clarke from COO to CEO, replacing interim chief executive Lewis Campbell who came out of retirement to lead the company through a rough patch. Campbell, a former Textron ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GM cash for dealers aims to revive NYC area sales]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130304/RETAIL07/303049964/gm-cash-for-dealers-aims-to-revive-nyc-area-sales]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130304/RETAIL07/303049964/gm-cash-for-dealers-aims-to-revive-nyc-area-sales</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[General Motors is spending tens of millions of dollars to buff up its dealership network in metro New York, where its sales badly lag rivals. In recent months, GM agreed to make one-time payments for store improvements to as many as 60 dealers in New York City and surrounding areas, including ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How to succeed by adding brands]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130225/RETAIL07/302259966/how-to-succeed-by-adding-brands]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130225/RETAIL07/302259966/how-to-succeed-by-adding-brands</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Volkswagen Group, bent on becoming the world's largest automaker, has amassed an expansive collection of brands to help put that goal within reach. Chrysler Group keeps adding logos to its dealers' showrooms -- Ram, Fiat, SRT and soon Alfa Romeo. Their moves contrast with those of other automakers, ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Certified used-vehicle sales, Jan.]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/assets/XLS/CA86729219.XLS]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/assets/XLS/CA86729219.XLS</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:57:47 EST]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Chevy restores rwd roar with 415-hp V-8 SS sedan]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130218/OEM03/302189935/chevy-restores-rwd-roar-with-415-hp-v-8-ss-sedan]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130218/OEM03/302189935/chevy-restores-rwd-roar-with-415-hp-v-8-ss-sedan</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- General Motors says the new 2014 Chevrolet SS -- the brand's first V-8 rear-wheel-drive sedan since the 1990s -- will produce 415 hp and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 5 seconds. GM was scheduled to unveil the four-door SS last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, where the ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chevy shoots for rwd glory with 415-hp, V-8 SS performance sedan]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130216/OEM04/130219885/chevy-shoots-for-rwd-glory-with-415-hp-v-8-ss-performance-sedan]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130216/OEM04/130219885/chevy-shoots-for-rwd-glory-with-415-hp-v-8-ss-performance-sedan</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Chevrolet is returning to its roots with the upcoming SS, the brand's first rear-wheel-drive performance sedan since the mid-1990s and a challenger to Chrysler Group's Charger and 300 SRT models. General Motors says the SS will produce 415 horsepower and cover 0 to 60 mph in about 5 seconds. The ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. studying 550,000 Pontiac G6s for bad brake lights]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130213/OEM11/302139788/u-s-studying-550000-pontiac-g6s-for-bad-brake-lights]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130213/OEM11/302139788/u-s-studying-550000-pontiac-g6s-for-bad-brake-lights</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:31:41 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT (Reuters) -- U.S. safety regulators are investigating an estimated 550,000 Pontiac G6 cars because the brake lights may malfunction, raising the chances of an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had received 212 consumer complaints alleging the brake lights ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hiring for FandI? You'd better interview]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130209/RETAIL06/302109997/hiring-for-fi-youd-better-interview]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130209/RETAIL06/302109997/hiring-for-fi-youd-better-interview</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:01:00 EST]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Published in Automotive News , Dec. 10, 2012 Dealers often complain about high turnover in the FandI department and elsewhere. But some dealers can be their own worst enemies, dealership trainer Rebecca Chernek says. Chernek grew up around dealerships. Her father owned John D'Amico Pontiac-Cadillac in Havre De Grace, Md. She started selling cars in the mid-1980s at a Lincoln-Mercury store in Baltimore, and within a few years she moved to FandI. She also was a district manager for JMandA Group before starting Chernek Consulting in Cumming, Ga. Chernek spoke with Special Correspondent Jim Henry. Do FandI managers have to sell cars first? You should know how to sell cars. You should know what the salesperson goes through -- the walkaround, the cleaning off the cars when it rains or snows, everything. In FandI, you have to have empathy in working with that salesperson. If they don't have any experience on the floor, I would want to make sure we're not positioning someone who doesn't have the experience to do that FandI position. Does that sometimes happen? The hiring practices at some dealerships are just horrible. They hire from their gut. You can't hire from your gut. You have to go through an interview process, and not with only one person handling the interview. Candidates have to meet with other people from other parts of the dealership. It's got to be more than just this one guy or gal judging whether this person is going to make the deal in FandI. You can't bring somebody in, stuff them in the box [the FandI office]]]><![CDATA[ and say, "Have at it, see ya later." Can you imagine? Say the customer's credit isn't all that great. You've got to work the banks, but you don't know the banks. It just blows me away.]]></description>
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