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Archive for the ‘Automotive News’ Category

The Honda CRZ is an impressive car in the line-up of Honda, and the abbreviation CRZ, refers to Compact Renaissance Zero. It is a hybrid gasoline electric automobile, which was planned and developed for production by the Japanese automaker Honda. The body style of the car is hatchback. Initially CRZ was released as a concept car by CEO of Honda Takeo Fukui on 23rd of October, 2007 at the Tokyo Auto Show held in 2007. Later on, Fukui announced that a production model is under progress and the car is meant to be incredibly efficient, cheap and sporty. Honda CRZ was first produced in America at the Detroit North American International Auto Show held in 2008. It uses the Integrated Motor Assist System of Honda.

Two hybrid concept cars were introduced after the production of CRZ. One is Honda Remix, which was released at the Los Angeles Motor Show held in 2006. The other one was the Honda Small Hybrid Sports, which was released at the Geneva Motor Show held in 2007. The CRZ with four seats is considered as the spiritual heir to the second generation of Honda CRX in both design and name.

According to the reports of Automotive News Europe, Honda plans to flatten the production of CRZ in the year 2009 or 2010, initially in Europe, before elaborating the distribution and production to other nations of the world. The approximate cost of the Honda CRZ is 25,000 Euros and primarily pitched to the markets of Europe. The cost of the car will be 28,000 Euros along with higher trim models. Due to the importance of Honda CRZ on the continent of Europe, Mark Turner of Honda UK says that there will be a lot of influence by Europe on the final stage of design of the car.

Many reports made by Edmunds inside-line suggest that the arrival of Honda CRZ in North America will be after the launch of Honda Insight in the early times of 2009, which is a hybrid vehicle with five doors. Confirmation about the production of Honda CRZ was granted at the 2008 end of the year speech, which was given by Takeo Fukui. From the speech the production of CRZ will be started by the end of the year 2010. After the production of the car, it will become a model which provides a new value of the joy of driving, which can be provided only by a hybrid vehicle.

Automotive direct mail is one of the most commonly read types of direct mail. In fact, an article by DM News cites a survey showing that 73% of car buyers respond to direct mail.

Why do so many auto dealers and manufactures use direct mail marketing?

1. Direct Mail is Cost-Effective

Automotive direct mail campaigns can be shaped around any marketing budget. Direct mail can be as simple as a 4″ x 6″ postcard, or as complex as multi-part letter kit. The smart automotive marketer can use the more affordable pieces for lead generation, while reserving the more expensive pieces for current or past customers.

Automotive direct mail is also cost-effective due to volume factors. Most direct mail companies offer price breaks with increased volume. Under such a system, the more you mail the more you save. Automotive direct mail volumes can be easily scaled up or down to coincide with budget cycles or limitations.

Then there’s the ROI factor:

When used effectively, direct mail marketing can yield a favorable ROI. It has for decades, and it will for many more years. Sure, direct mail strategies have changed with advances in technology, the Internet, etc. But the fact remains that automotive direct mail produces results. Why else would the vast majority of auto manufacturers use direct mail?

2. Direct Mail is Flexible

Automotive direct mail can support any marketing goal. Whether it’s a lead generation program for potential customers, or a service reminder to existing customers, automotive direct mail can produce results. Here are some of the most common uses for automotive direct mail marketing:

New model announcements Lead generation campaigns Customer rewards / loyalty programs Inventory updates Service reminders

These are some of the most common uses for automotive direct mail, but they are by far not the only ways to use the medium. Forward-thinking automotive companies are finding new ways to use direct mail every day. Direct mail is a dynamic, versatile marketing tool.

3. Direct Mail is Measurable

Direct mail is one of the most measurable of all marketing channels. Once you have a response-tracking mechanism in place (like special 800 numbers, web page tracking, or business-reply cards), the rest is simple math. With television or radio advertising, you have no way of knowing how many people saw your ad, even if you can count responses.

Conclusion

Automotive direct mail can be an effective marketing tool, but it requires a good deal of research and planning. We hope this resource has increased your knowledge of automotive direct mail, and we wish you well in your direct mail marketing endeavors.

* You may republish this article online if you retain the author’s byline and the active hyperlinks below. Copyright 2007, Brandon Cornett.

When Toyota launched its Scion brand five years ago, it was received with critical acclaim. Geared toward serving the youth market, the boxy and compact Scions were an instant hit, attracting a fresh group of buyers for the ever expanding Toyota Motor Corporation.

Fast forward five years and the Scion picture has changed dramatically. A temporary spike in May and June sales followed a seventeen-month dip, but when July 2008 rolled around sales began to drop yet again. With a fleet full of economical, low cost models the question to be asked is this: what is dragging down Scion?

Well, in a recent interview that appeared in Automotive News, featuring Scion’s former corporate manager, Brian Bolain, several missteps over the past few years have conspired to sully the Scion image. Namely, Bolain shared a few clues:

Scion was marketed as a youth brand, aimed at 18-24 year old drivers. Youth trends change almost over night, making it difficult for Scion to keep up with what the current crop of young motorists prefers to drive.
Young people aren’t the only ones attracted to the Scion brand including members of the senior set who like the size and standard equipment offered on the various Scion models. Nothing is more of a turn off for young drivers to see their grandparents enjoying the same rides that appeal to them. Over a three month period earlier this year the average age of the Scion xD buyer increased from 37 to 42, likely as a result of higher gas prices driving older drivers to smaller, more economical cars.
The latest models are bigger. The last few years has seen the release of somewhat bigger and heavier Scions, not the types of vehicles youth want. On the other hand, the sporty tC still interests young people with the average buyer’s age being just 24.

In response to the brand’s slow ebb, Toyota is considering building a fourth model, perhaps a hybrid or small SUV. Interestingly, the Toyota brand is about to introduce a five-door version of its subcompact Yaris, a car that will appeal to the Scion set and shift buyers from Scion to Toyota.

Regardless of what path Toyota chooses for Scion, the brand’s setback is a startling reminder that even the world’s largest volume automaker can also stumble especially when it seeks to balance multiple brands. Could this be shades of General Motors?

The most important thing when selling a car is that you should not fabricate any information about the car you are selling. There are state laws against selling “lemon cars” and the person who is making the purchase could bring successful litigation against you if they feel they have been ripped off.

One key thing that you can tell from time to time is the mileage changing on a car. You can simply tell how much the seller has used the car during the selling period, by just looking at the miles. The Odometer verification forms that are correctly filled out should eliminate this problem. You will also need your VIN or Vehicle Identification Number to complete the sale. In case you were wondering, lemon laws actually cover used cars in most states. The American Bar Association rates California’s lemon laws as some of the strongest in the nation.

You also want to make sure the buyer knows the sales tax rate in your state so they don’t feel like they are being overcharged for the vehicle. Once they know that you have figured the sales tax rate into the price, they should be comfortable with the sale. Of course there are some states like New Hampshire that has no sales tax to even worry about. A lot of people even migrate over to New Hampshire just to buy cars as a way of saving money.

There are also laws regarding the age of the tires of a car that is being sold. So if you are selling a car, make sure that the tires are up to date with the standards of the consumer advocacy groups if you can. Some new laws have come out in places like Washington D.C. however that limits the number of cars you can actually have on your property. Although this law may reduce the chance of theft, it may cut down on the amount of commerce there.

Make sure that the buyer also knows how many hours they can use the car if you allow them to take it for a test drive. This sort of statute can actually vary from state to state as well. Make sure you have properly transferred the title once the sale is complete, and keep all the proper documents. Mainly these laws are made so that the paperwork is always there in case there is confusion about the history of a car in the future. All states have different laws, so be sure to check before you sell or a buy a car.

Seems no car company is interested in picking up General Motors’ declining brand, Hummer. With sales dropping nearly 50% in the past quarters, no wonder there are not many holding companies that are willing to step up to the plate and save the brand.

Hummer has proven it’s strength in the new and up-coming Yuppie market, however increasing fuel prices caused a significant drop in it’s sales. GM using the Hummer name after the success of it’s H1 series, which has been used for decades as the flagship of the Army, built out the brand to offer more economical versions of it’s H1. The H2, H3 and H3 SUT were born.

Built on the same platform as the GMC Yukon, it shares a large number of components with the fairly popular SUV. The body and overall exterior styling offer the unique boxy look that distinguishes the brand. As reported, Indian jeep manufacturer Mahindra has dropped out of the running for the brand, as has the Russian SUV manufacturer that was slightly interested in it.

The kicker came when even the Chinese cancelled negotiations on the brand. China Car News reports that Changfeng dropped out of negotiations for the brand, when they concluded that the average fuel consumption for the Hummer brand was too great for the Chinese market. Changfeng in the meantime has changed it’s tune and announced it was never interested in the brand to begin with, however interest was clearly shown, as it’s management team visited the Hummer assembly plant.

Whomever picks up the brand will have access to widespread technologies available in Chevy’s truck line, such as it’s Vortec engine line, it’s OnStar system and it’s sophisticated dealer network.

Why pay someone to do something for us that we could easily do ourselves? Changing the oil in our cars is just one way for people to roll up their sleeves and rely on themselves to complete a job. However, you must dispose of the oil properly when you’re finished changing it.

The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendment of 1984 made it necessary for individuals to find new ways to dispose of their automobile oil It’s not safe to simply put the oil in the garbage or pour it into the garden. Oil contains heavy metals and toxins, as well as the contaminants that can be picked up while running through the car’s system. Should this oil leak into the earth or find its way to a water source, people and animals alike, can be affected.

After you have removed the oil from your car, take great care not to spill any on the ground. It’s a good idea to use a drop cloth or unfolded newspapers under your oil collection pan. Now that the dirty oil is removed from your car, you can prepare to discard it. Modern conventional wisdom suggests that you take it to a service station to be recycled. This is kindest to Mother Nature-motor oil can be used over and over again, when recycled properly.

First, pour the oil into a clean plastic container with a lid which screws on securely, taking measures against accidental spillage. The container you choose needs to be new. Don’t reuse old food containers or any other packaging that might contain residue from that container’s previous use-this makes it harder for the oil to be recycled into a useable substance.

If you aren’t able to go to the service station right away, be sure to label the container clearly, with large lettering. Place the container in an out-of-the-way spot, such as high on a shelf in your garage, to keep curious fingers, and possibly paws, out of it. Then transport the oil to the station as soon as your schedule allows.

Taking proper care of your motor oil isn’t just a good idea-it’s the law, and it helps protect our environment as well. It only takes a few extra minutes of your time, and you can’t buy the kind of peace of mind that comes from doing the right thing.