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<title><![CDATA[RSS for Maybach]]></title>
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<title><![CDATA[Canada light-vehicle sales by nameplate, May and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130610/DATACENTER/130619992/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-may-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130610/DATACENTER/130619992/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-may-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:21:41 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Canada light-vehicle sales by make, May and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130610/DATACENTER/130619993/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-make-may-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130610/DATACENTER/130619993/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-make-may-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:19:32 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. light-vehicle sales by nameplate, May and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/DATACENTER/130609975/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-may-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/DATACENTER/130609975/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-may-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:44:28 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. total vehicle sales by make, May and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/DATACENTER/130609976/u-s-total-vehicle-sales-by-make-may-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/DATACENTER/130609976/u-s-total-vehicle-sales-by-make-may-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:42:30 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. car sales, May and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/DATACENTER/130609977/u-s-car-sales-may-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/DATACENTER/130609977/u-s-car-sales-may-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:34:21 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[LaNeve envisions Lincoln brand as 'warm' luxury]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/OEM02/306039983/laneve-envisions-lincoln-brand-as-warm-luxury]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130603/OEM02/306039983/laneve-envisions-lincoln-brand-as-warm-luxury</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[DETROIT -- A decade ago, Mark LaNeve was general manager of a beleaguered brand called Cadillac, working hard on its rebirth. These days LaNeve is across town working on the rebirth of the brand that was once Cadillac's great American rival but has recently fallen on hard times itself: Lincoln. But ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[A tech triumph for the S class?]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130520/OEM06/305209955/a-tech-triumph-for-the-s-class]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130520/OEM06/305209955/a-tech-triumph-for-the-s-class</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 20 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[HAMBURG, Germany -- With a technology-rich S-class redesign arriving this fall and several derivatives to be added by 2015, Mercedes-Benz aims to boost stalled sales of its flagship. Still, Mercedes executives do not expect the new S class unveiled here last week to approach the peak volume of the ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Mercedes makes new S class leaner, greener]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130515/ANE/130519921/mercedes-makes-new-s-class-leaner-greener]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130515/ANE/130519921/mercedes-makes-new-s-class-leaner-greener</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 15 May 2013 17:50:59 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[HAMBURG -- The new Mercedes-Benz S class is 100kg lighter than the model it will replace and its greenest variant will emit less CO2 than a Smart ForTwo. The brand's flagship sedan also has six eyes (cameras) and six ears (radar sensors) that allow it to see and hear enough to drive itself at speeds up to 60kph. "It may sound like Frankenstein, but it's considerably better looking," Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche said during the S-class launch here on Wednesday. Mercedes hopes that the S-class's powertrain, technology and safety upgrades will help it remain the world's top-selling upper-premium sedan, a title Mercedes says the car has had for eight consecutive years. Money-maker The automaker also hopes the S class will help Mercedes meet Zetsche's goal of regaining the No. 1 spot in global luxury cars sales by the end of the decade. BMW passed Mercedes for No. 1 in 2005 and Audi pushed the Stuttgart-based automaker to third place in 2011. Mercedes also trails its rivals financially. While Mercedes achieved an operating margin of 7.1 percent last year, BMW's margin was 10.9 percent and Audi's was 11 percent. In October, Zetsche scrapped mid-term margin targets that were supposed to be achieved in 2013, and last month said his revised full-year guidance from February would also not be met. The disappointing results mean that even more will be expected of the S class, which analysts estimate makes Mercedes double-digit returns on each model sold, although the true figure is a closely guarded secret. "We invested massively in the new S-class ... more Mercedes than an S class isn't possible," Zetsche said. Tech center The S class has traditionally served as the showcase for Mercedes parent Daimler's latest technology, including safety features that the automaker helped pioneer. The S class that debuted in 1978 was the first car in the world to offer ABS, for example. Daimler says that the new S-class's 6-D technology dubbed Intelligent Drive will be standard. The system uses six cameras and six radar sensors and a proprietary algorithm to give the vehicle "eyes and ears" that cover 360 degrees. This helps the car automatically adjust its handling to the street surface and anticipates the direction of movement of other cars as well as cyclists and pedestrians. The new S class goes on sale in Europe starting in July at an after-tax base price of 79,790 euros in Germany. The new-generation S350 BlueTEC diesel will cost about 3,330 euros more than the previous-generation model with the same powertrain. Super-low CO2 While the new and old versions each are powered by a V-6 with 258 hp, the new model's CO2 emissions decrease to a low of 148 grams per kilometer from 164g/km and fuel consumption improves to a top rating of 5.0 liters per 100km from 6.2l/100km. Later, Mercedes will offer even more fuel-efficient versions of the S class. The S300 BlueTec diesel hybrid will consume as little at 4.4l/100km and emit 115g/km of CO2 and the S500 plug-in hybrid will offer fuel consumption of around 3.0l/100km and CO2 emission of less than 75g/km, Mercedes said. By comparison, the two-seat Smart ForTwo diesel's best CO2 result is 86g/km. Said Mercedes randd chief Thomas Weber: "These figures prove that the S class is our most important pacesetter on the road to zero-emissions driving." Six body styles The new S-class, which is the sixth-generation of car, also will take on an even more important role now that it will also replace Daimler's failed Maybach ultra-luxury brand at top of the company's pyramid. Zetsche revealed in November 2011 that the Maybach brand would be discontinued and replaced by new S-class body styles, which are set to grow to six with the new generation from three (the sedan, a long-wheelbase sedan and coupe). A larger and longer S class, widely expected to be called the Pullman, will compete head on with Rolls-Royce and Bentley for the hearts of the super rich. The S class is a critical product launch for a company struggling to make a dent in the lead that rivals BMW and Audi enjoy in sales and profit. "Image-wise the S class is the vehicle that most personifies Mercedes-Benz. If they get it wrong, it could damage the brand and all the vehicles under it," said Christoph Stuermer, research director at IHS Automotive in Frankfurt. "Three generations ago (in 1991) they screwed up the S-class and it nearly put the company on the brink, that's how important a role it plays." Reuters contributed to this report]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Revamped Mercedes S class strives to set new luxury mark]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130515/OEM04/130519930/revamped-mercedes-s-class-strives-to-set-new-luxury-mark]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130515/OEM04/130519930/revamped-mercedes-s-class-strives-to-set-new-luxury-mark</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[HAMBURG, Germany -- Mercedes-Benz is heralding the redesigned 2014 S class as a flagship that will set new benchmarks for luxury sedans with its packaging of technology, safety gear and opulence. Mercedes-Benz executives vow the latest sedan will fortify the brand's credentials as it strives to recapture the world's luxury sales crown since falling to No. 3 behind BMW and Audi. "Rather than being about safety or aesthetics, power or efficiency, comfort or dynamism, our aspirations were 'the best or nothing' in every respect," said Dieter Zetsche, CEO of parent company Daimler AG. "No car stands for the Mercedes-Benz brand promise more than the S class." The 2014 S class goes on sale in the United States in September. It was introduced today by American singer Alicia Keys before more than 750 international journalists at the customer delivery center for the Airbus A380, Europe's largest passenger airplane. Only the S-class sedan variants with a short and long wheelbase have been unveiled. The United States will receive the long wheelbase. In coming years, the latest S class is expected to be marketed in several new body styles including a stretched wheelbase to replace the Maybach, which was axed because of slow sales, and a convertible. Mercedes said it sold 65,128 S-class sedans worldwide in 2012, down from 68,969 in 2011. The new S class is especially aimed at China , where the luxury market continues to grow, though at a slower pace, and where Mercedes has fallen further behind leader Audi and second-place BMW. Mercedes forfeited the global luxury sales title to BMW in 2005, and fell to third place behind Audi in 2011. Zetsche has vowed to recapture the title by the end of decade. Modern styling Bidding to enhance fuel economy, Mercedes has increased the amount of lightweight materials used in the construction of the new S-class . The entire outer skin, including the roof, is now made out of aluminum, while the internal structure uses a higher percentage of hot formed multigauge steel. It will also emit less CO2 than a Smart ForTwo , Mercedes says. S-class styling hasn't been radically changed but the shape is more modern. The car's width grows by an inch for a slight improvement in interior room . The wheelbase and length are unchanged from the current model. The sedan has a larger and more upright grille. The biggest visible change is the new integrated taillights. Mercedes-Benz says the S class will be the world's first car to use LED technology throughout the exterior and interior, meaning there are no light bulbs. Overall, it has nearly 500 light-emitting diodes inside and out, including 300 for the interior. By switching to LEDs, Mercedes says it has lowered the intensity of the brake lights at night or when the car is stopped at traffic lights "out of consideration for any road users behind." The S class also has a new generation of driver-assistance packages, with 30 features, that have been combined into what Mercedes-Benz calls Intelligent Drive. Eleven of the 30 features are new or significantly enhanced for 2014. They include systems to help prevent collisions, a pedestrian-recognition feature and lane-keeping, parking, distance-control and night-vision assistance. Some are optional and others are standard. Details about U.S. packages are undisclosed. Intelligent Drive In an interview last month, Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Steve Cannon said the Intelligent Drive features are "a milestone step along this road of accident-free driving." "If you look out into the future, autonomous driving is what everyone is talking about and we think there are steps along the way," Cannon said. "The S class will be another step." Standard technology features include: An upgraded mbrace2 communications and navigation system Interior LED light features with an optional seven colors Two 12.3-inch high-resolution screens and a new instrument cluster Optional equipment includes: A "magic body control" feature that uses stereo cameras to scan the road and adjust the suspension dampening automatically to individual or multiple wheels New seat massagers with a hot-stone feature A heated steering wheel, front and rear armrests and rear seats. The package also includes rear power and memory seats An air balance package that filters and adds fragrance to the air through the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system Initially, the United States will get the S550 with a 4.7-liter V-8 direct-injection twin-turbo engine that generates 455 hp and 516 pounds-feet of torque. The all-wheel-drive S550 4Matic and S63 high-performance AMG models go on sale in November. Hybrid and diesel models will be launched in 2014. Mercedes-Benz says it has sold more than 500,000 units of the current-generation S class since worldwide sales begin September 2005. In the United States, the average S-class buyer is 61 with an annual income of $371,000. About 76 percent of the buyers are male and 83 percent are married, Mercedes-Benz USA says. While the U.S. market for large, premium sedans has declined in recent years, it remains a symbolic battlefield for luxury brands. U.S. sales of the S class totaled 11,794 last year, down 4 percent from the prior year. BMW sold 11,098 7-series sedans in the United States last year, down 2 percent from 2011. And U.S. sales of the Lexus LS totaled 8,345 last year, down 13 percent from the previous year. Sales of the S class in the United States during the past decade hit a high of 30,886 units in 2006. Lexus LS volume peaked at 35,226 cars in 2007 and deliveries of the BMW 7 series hit a high of 20,473 units in 2003, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Pricing on the new S class will be announced closer to launch. The current S550 has a base price of $95,905, including shipping.]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[New Mercedes S class strives to set new luxury mark]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130515/ANE/130519928/new-mercedes-s-class-strives-to-set-new-luxury-mark]]></link>
<guid>http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130515/ANE/130519928/new-mercedes-s-class-strives-to-set-new-luxury-mark</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 15 May 2013 13:58:29 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[HAMBURG -- Mercedes-Benz is heralding its latest-generation S class as a flagship that will set new benchmarks for luxury sedans with its packaging of technology, safety gear and opulence. Global sales of the S class are modest but Mercedes executives say the new model will fortify the brand's credentials as it strives to recapture the world's luxury sales crown since falling to No. 3 behind BMW and Audi. "Rather than being about safety or aesthetics, power or efficiency, comfort or dynamism, our aspirations were 'the best or nothing' in every respect," said Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes car unit and its parent company Daimler. "No car stands for the Mercedes-Benz brand promise more than the S class." The S class was introduced here today to more than 500 international journalists at the final assembly plant of the Airbus A380, Europe's largest passenger airplane. European S-class sales start in July at a starting price of 79,790 euros with tax in Germany. At launch, the S class will be offered with a choice of three different powertrains: gasoline, diesel and gasoline-electric hybrid, sales and marketing boss Joachim Schmidt said on the sidelines of the event. U.S. sales start in September. Schmidt said that U.S. pricing will be announced ahead of the cars launch there. In coming years, the S class is expected to be marketed in six new body styles that will arrive over the next three years, Schmidt said without elaborating. Those body styles include a stretched wheelbase to replace the Maybach, which was axed because of slow sales, and a convertible. Mercedes said it sold 65,128 S-class sedans worldwide in 2012, down from 68,969 in 2011. The new S class is especially aimed at China, where 51 percent of all S-class units were sold last year and where the luxury market continues to grow, though at a slower pace. Mercedes needs a boost in China as it ranks third in premium-car sales behind leader Audi and second-place BMW. Mercedes forfeited the global luxury sales title to BMW in 2005, and fell to third place behind Audi in 2011. Zetsche has vowed to recapture the title by the end of decade. Modern styling S-class styling hasn't been radically changed but the shape is more modern. The car's slightly wider for a slight improvement in interior room. The wheelbase and length are unchanged from the current model. The sedan has a larger and more upright grille. The biggest visible change is the new integrated taillights. Mercedes says the S class will be the world's first car to use LED technology throughout the exterior and interior, meaning there are no light bulbs. Overall, it has 500 light-emitting diodes inside and out, including 300 for the interior. By switching to LEDs, Mercedes says it has lowered the intensity of the brake lights at night or when the car is stopped at traffic lights "out of consideration for any road users behind." The S class also has a new generation of driver-assistance packages, with 30 features, that have been combined into what Mercedes-Benz calls Intelligent Drive. Eleven of the 30 features are new or significantly enhanced. They include systems to help prevent collisions, a pedestrian-recognition feature and lane-keeping, parking, distance-control and night-vision assistance. Some are optional and others are standard. Mercedes says it has sold more than 500,000 units of the current-generation S class since worldwide sales begin September 2005. Douglas A. Bolduc contributed to this report]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Canada light-vehicle sales by nameplate, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130508/DATACENTER/130519991/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130508/DATACENTER/130519991/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 08 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Canada light-vehicle sales by make, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130508/DATACENTER/130519990/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-make-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130508/DATACENTER/130519990/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-make-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 08 May 2013 00:01:00 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. total vehicle sales by make, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/DATACENTER/130509966/u-s-total-vehicle-sales-by-make-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/DATACENTER/130509966/u-s-total-vehicle-sales-by-make-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 May 2013 18:43:18 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. light-vehicle sales by nameplate, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/DATACENTER/130509967/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/DATACENTER/130509967/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 May 2013 18:41:20 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. car sales, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/DATACENTER/130509968/u-s-car-sales-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130501/DATACENTER/130509968/u-s-car-sales-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 May 2013 18:06:13 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Canada light-vehicle sales by nameplate, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130409/DATACENTER/130409877/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130409/DATACENTER/130409877/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:14:44 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Canada light-vehicle sales by make, April and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130409/DATACENTER/130409878/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-make-april-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130409/DATACENTER/130409878/canada-light-vehicle-sales-by-make-april-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:12:50 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. car sales, March and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130402/DATACENTER/130409964/u-s-car-sales-march-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130402/DATACENTER/130409964/u-s-car-sales-march-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:18:11 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description/>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. light-vehicle sales by nameplate, March and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130402/DATACENTER/130409967/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-march-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130402/DATACENTER/130409967/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-march-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:47:19 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description/>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. total vehicle sales by make, March and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130402/DATACENTER/130409968/u-s-total-vehicle-sales-by-make-march-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130402/DATACENTER/130409968/u-s-total-vehicle-sales-by-make-march-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:45:32 EDT]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA['Cadillac deserves better,' says ad veteran Gary Topolewski]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130313/BLOG06/130319963/cadillac-deserves-better-says-ad-veteran-gary-topolewski]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130313/BLOG06/130319963/cadillac-deserves-better-says-ad-veteran-gary-topolewski</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:03:15 EDT]]></pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[Detroit advertising industry veteran Gary Topolewski knows a little something about Cadillac's advertising, which appears to be on the verge landing at Campbell Ewald. Topolewski is credited with helping revive the General Motors luxury car brand with Led Zeppelin-pumping television commercials in ...]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Dealer Census - 2012]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130311/DATACENTER/130319994/dealer-census-2012]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130311/DATACENTER/130319994/dealer-census-2012</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:40:35 EDT]]></pubDate>
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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[U.S. light-vehicle sales by nameplate, Feb. and YTD]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://www.autonews.com/article/20130301/DATACENTER/130309961/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-feb-ytd]]></link>
<guid>http://www.autonews.com/article/20130301/DATACENTER/130309961/u-s-light-vehicle-sales-by-nameplate-feb-ytd</guid>
<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:21:58 EST]]></pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. total vehicle sales by make, Feb. and YTD]]></title>
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<pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:16:16 EST]]></pubDate>
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