Car Buyers Want Connectivity and Fuel Efficiency When you're buying a new car, what do you want? Are you looking for the lowest environmental impact or the fastest, strongest engine. Do you want tons of technological toys, or would you prefer to keep things basic? These questions are surprisingly important to automakers and car dealers alike, which is why industry professionals are paying close attention to a recently released report from J.D. Power and Associates. .
The report looked at the level of interest potential auto owners have for specific features both before and after the pricing of their dream vehicle has been announced, and, according to the responses they received, the folks at J.D. Power say that most shoppers want good fuel economy, and an interface that will allow them to connect their smartphones to the onboard infotainment systems. Further down the list were specific connectivity requests, like wifi, and voice recognition that actually functions. .
In a statement released by the company, J.D. Powers and Associates executive director of global automotive, Mike Van Nieuwkuyk, said that this information gives automakers the ability to gain a "competitive advantage" by working closely with smartphone technology and application developers in order to deliver a seamless in-vehicle experience that encompasses everything from GPS functionality to music, weather, and search tools.
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GM to Incorporate AT&T 4G LTE into 2015 VehiclesEarly Monday morning, General Motors shared the news of its new partnership with telecom company AT&T - a partnership that will result in most new vehicles having support for 4G LTE mobile broadband built in by the end of 2014.
NHTSA Considers Two New Crash TestsSlightly more than two years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) put stricter crash tests into force, and now it's contemplating the addition of two more tests to its already-rigorous battery of safety evaluations.
Lincoln Stages Comeback in Time for ChristmasJust in time for Christmas, Lincoln is staging a comeback. .
You wouldn't know it from last month's Los Angeles Auto Show, where the Lincoln contingent was displaying restored classics from the brand's heyday, as opposed to all the fancy-schmancy new models brought by every other automaker, but Lincoln is actually aggressively rebranding itself.
Clean Diesel Vehicle Sales on Track to Outpace Hybrids, Report SaysMany people in the United States are anti-diesel, either because they think it smells bad, or because they associate it with tractors, generators and commercial trucks, and forget that there are many cars that run on the fuel, which is actually more efficient and produces fewer toxic emissions than normal gasoline.
End of the Line for Jeep Liberty SUVThursday, August 16, 2012 will see the end of an era for Jeep, as Chrysler Group ends its eleven-year production run of the Jeep Liberty SUV. .
Chrysler has assured industry experts and off-roading aficionados alike that the Liberty will have a successor, destined to go into production in the spring of 2013, and based on that model-year's Dodge Dart platform.
Ford C-Max Hybrid Now Available for Pre-OrderHybrid lovers who are committed to buying American cars have something new to celebrate: Ford Motor Company announced on Thursday that it is now taking orders for their C-Max Hybrid car.
Audi Announces Plans to Build Cars in Mexico. If you had to name the country which had the second greatest amount of auto industry investment in 2011, which country would you pick? Here's a clue: It's not the US or Canada, but it is in North America.
Datsun ReturnsEarlier this month, the Japanese news service Nikkei reported that the Datsun brand may be returning.
Datsun, which is part of the Nissan automotive family, was originally dropped from production in 1986.
Subaru Primed for Record Sales YearAs inventory levels begin to approach a more normal level nearly a year after the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami, there is great news from Subaru of America.
BMW ActiveHybrid 3 Helps Improve Fuel EfficiencyAs more and more states are cracking down on the use of mobile devices behind the wheel, and as on-board GPS systems become standard amenities in our cars, it shouldn't come as a surprise that automakers are finding new ways to use the map data technology driving those devices.
Salaried Ford Employees to Receive Raises and Bonuses This YearGreat news from Ford this week: according to a letter that was shared by the Detroit Free Press the financial outlook from the iconic American carmaker has improved enough that the company is reinstating merit-based raises and bonuses for salaried employees for the first time since 2008.
GM Considers Solution for Combustive VOLT BatteryTwo people close to the situation at General Motors Co. shared with Reuters on Tuesday that the automaker is coming closer to a collection of proposed solutions to a problem with the Chevrolet Volt battery pack that could result in a fire igniting days after a crash occurs.
