plus 3, Ford Fusion Narrowly Beats Toyota Prius as Edmunds.com Visitors ... - Consumer Electronics Net

Ford Fusion Narrowly Beats Toyota Prius as Edmunds.com Visitors ... - Consumer Electronics Net
Auto retailer Penske Automotive Group plans to offer 5.75 million ... - San Francisco Examiner
BRIC Auto Markets Offer 'Exceptional' Growth Opportunity and Largely ... - Automotive Industries Online
Provinces see wholesale improvements - Ottawa Sun

Ford Fusion Narrowly Beats Toyota Prius as Edmunds.com Visitors ... - Consumer Electronics Net

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 07:31 AM PST

January 22, 2010 -- SANTA MONICA, Calif., BUSINESS WIRE --

Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, recently announced the results of the Consumers' Favorites hybrid vehicle survey. At the top of the list was the Ford Fusion Hybrid with 26 percent of the votes, closely followed by the Toyota Prius with 23 percent.

'Ford's mid-sized hybrid sedan, which helped boost Ford's overall sales performance in an otherwise dismal 2009, has been praised for its smooth operation, fuel economy, looks and interactive information system that helps drivers modify their behind-the-wheel behavior to increase fuel economy,' according to Edmunds' GreenCarAdvisor.com Senior Editor John O'Dell.

Last week the Fusion Hybrid won the 2010 North American Car of the Year. Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief of Edmunds.com, was one of the 49 journalists on the jury. Recognizing the significance of the vehicle in the marketplace, Brauer recently helped to select it for inclusion in the Edmunds.com long-term test fleet; it is being reported on at http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/Vehicles/2010-ford-fusion-hybrid/

'Coming in second in our survey, the Toyota Prius benefited from its combination of incredible fuel mileage, a spacious cabin and a versatile hatchback body style. The Honda Insight finished a commendable third place; that's rather impressive considering that this practical four-door hatchback was the least expensive candidate on the ballot,' noted Brauer.

The ranking of hybrid cars among Edmunds.com visitors is:

Vehicle and Ranking				Edmunds.com True Market Value price*
1. Ford Fusion Hybrid				$ 27,625
2. Toyota Prius				$ 22,400
3. Honda Insight				$ 19,800
4. Lexus HS 250h				$ 34,200
5. Toyota Highlander Hybrid				$ 34,700
6. Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid				$ 25,555
7. Honda Civic Hybrid				$ 23,650
8. Toyota Camry Hybrid				$ 26,150
9. Saturn VUE Hybrid				$ 28,160
10. Ford Escape Hybrid				$ 29,785

(*Edmunds.com True Market Value^{prices are the national average prices recently paid nationwide, and do not include customer cash incentives. For customized pricing on vehicles of interest, please check http://www.edmunds.com/tmv/index.html.)}

To see the complete list and find out more about the winning vehicles, see Consumers' Favorites: Best Hybrid at Edmunds.com.

Every month Edmunds.com invites consumers to vote on their favorite vehicles in a different category, then publishes the results so that car shoppers can gauge the popularity of the models they are considering. For recommendations and buying advice, please check the Edmunds.com Buying Guides at http://www.edmunds.com/buyingguide/2010/index.html.

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Auto retailer Penske Automotive Group plans to offer 5.75 million ... - San Francisco Examiner

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 10:23 AM PST

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICH. — Penske will offer 5.75 million in common shares of its automotive retail division in a secondary offer, the company said Friday.

Penske Automotive Group Inc. said the offering would not be dilutive to shareholders, but shares slid on Friday.

Founder Roger Penske will not sell any shares he owns personally and is expected to still own 35 percent of Penske Automotive Group's outstanding common shares, the company said.

When the offer is complete, Penske Corp. and Roger Penske are expected to have 52 percent of voting power.

The underwriters of the offering have the option to buy 750,000 shares to cover any overallotments. BofA Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan are the book-running managers for the offering.

Shares of the auto group, based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., fell $1.04, or 6.4 percent, to $15.29 Friday

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BRIC Auto Markets Offer 'Exceptional' Growth Opportunity and Largely ... - Automotive Industries Online

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 12:15 AM PST

Issue: Jan 2010

BRIC Auto Markets Offer 'Exceptional' Growth Opportunity and Largely Untapped Strategic Potential, S

Yet Few Companies Are Ready to Seize the Opportunities by Deeply Localizing Their R&D, Sourcing, Manufacturing, and Sales Operations

by Steve Barclay

For at least the next decade, the future of the automotive industry lies in the BRIC countries. Together, Brazil, Russia, India, and China will account for 30 percent of world auto sales in 2014 -- while also offering significant opportunities for cost-effective R&D, sourcing, and manufacturing, says a new report released today by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Yet, although virtually all multinational automotive OEMs and tier 1 suppliers have set up operations in the BRIC countries, they are not fully capturing those markets' strategic potential because the operations are not deeply localized, says BCG.

Because these countries differ dramatically in market development and local capabilities, as well as in consumer preferences, companies must devise country-specific approaches to localization, as well as strategies that span all four countries, BCG contends.

"Auto companies cannot succeed in these markets by offering one-size-...

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Provinces see wholesale improvements - Ottawa Sun

Posted: 21 Jan 2010 05:55 PM PST

Gains in the automotive products sector in Ontario were the main catalyst for a 3.5% jump in wholesale sales in the province in November.

According to Statistics Canada, $21.7 billion in sales were recorded, making November the most successful month since September 2008.

Nationally, wholesale numbers increased 2.5% in November to $42.4 billion, the fifth increase in six months.

November's solid growth was the result of widespread gains, with six of the seven sectors reporting increased sales.

The automotive products sector contributed the most to the rise in November, followed by the food, beverages and tobacco products sectors.

Sales in the automotive products sector rose 7.8% in November to $7.3 billion, the eighth increase since the beginning of 2009.

Sales in the food, beverages and tobacco products sector increased 2.5%.

Except for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, all Canadian provinces posted increased wholesale sales in November. However, Ontario and Quebec were the main contributors to this growth.

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