September 10, 2015
For Maine Dealer, Making Friends is a Snap
About five years ago, the Darling's dealership group in Maine dispatched a photographer to a Toby Keith concert to coax showgoers into having their photos taken next to a company banner. According to Automotive News, the low-key promotion was a relative success for Bangor-based Darling's, which sells vehicles from Chevrolet, Nissan, Honda, Jeep, Audi, and nine other brands across six dealerships in Maine. Hundreds of people agreed to provide their email addresses in exchange for the promise of a free concert photo. That led to a contest that awarded $100 Visa gift cards to the most "liked" photos on Darling's Facebook pages. The next year, Darling's marketers decided to expand the idea. Staffers built two large photo booths for use at concerts and other events. Click here to see them. Today, the booths are hauled to events all over southeast Maine, from marathons and Halloween parties to high school gatherings. More than 15,000 prospective customers have happily turned over their email addresses and logged on to Darling's dealership Facebook sites to see their photos. "We've seen the value of being out in the community and talking to people," said Matt Smith, Darling's marketing director. For more on how they’ve done it, click here.
All New Hyundai Elantra Revealed in Korea
After thoroughly teasing the next-generation Elantra, Hyundai is finally unveiling its latest sedan for the South Korean market (where it's called the "Avante"). While the names might be different, expect the revised model to look just like this for the North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. According to Auto Blog, the powertrain range might be tweaked when crossing the Pacific. Hyundai is reworking the swoopy Fluidic Sculpture design language into a sleeker, simpler shape for the latest Elantra, and the company calls the new direction "Modern Premium." Up front, there's a big hexagonal grill to grab attention, and it's matched with squinting headlights on each side. The roof now simply flows back elegantly to the trunk, and the sides are left largely unadorned beyond an understated crease along the shoulders. At the rear, narrowing taillights stretch horizontally across the trunk. Also, while the upgraded styling is meant to make the Elantra look low and wide, the dimensions grow less than an inch in length and width. Drivers get added security from a safety suite that includes autonomous emergency braking, high beam assist, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert. For more details, including powertrain possibilities, click here.
Jaguar Confronts Poor Quality Rap with New Cars, Long Warranties
It’s not often auto executives speak frankly about their brand’s history of making “bad cars.” But the chiefs at Jaguar — now under new management — know they have a dubious legacy to overcome. The historically British brand, now owned by Indian giant Tata, had become known for building beautiful machines that never quite ran right, with high maintenance costs and low resale value. Now, the LA Times reports, the brand is addressing that problem head on, with price cuts, perks and long-term warranties. “The times of bad cars are over,” said Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America. “This is the next generation of Jaguar. But we need customer confidence to get there.” Jaguar on Thursday announced last week an aggressive campaign to persuade prospective buyers to give Jaguar another look. The company has turned expensive options into standard equipment on many models, lowered prices on many vehicles and added extended warranties, while also introducing two new entry-level vehicles that it hopes will expand its reach to younger, more mainstream consumers. A 2016 Jaguar XF, for example, will start at $52,895 — 9 percent lower than the comparable 2015 model. For more on Jaguar’s plans, click here.
Last Chance: 2016's Discontinued Cars
If there’s anything constant in the new-car business it’s change. A few vehicle lines are discontinued at the end of each model year, usually because of a lack of buyer interest and/or changing consumer tastes. Sometimes a vehicle is dropped altogether, while in other cases it’s essentially redesigned and renamed to give the line a second chance, especially if the prior version was plagued by poor reviews and/or dubious performance/reliability issues. And, according to Forbes, some models, like overworked auto executives, simply take a break. For example, the subcompact Mitsubishi Mirage and the midsize Infiniti Q60 luxury sports coupe/convertible will be taking 2016 off, ostensibly to give dealers an extended chance to sell down their existing inventories, but are scheduled to return for 2017 as fully redesigned models. For a slideshow of 10 cars and trucks being dropped from their respective automakers’ lineups for 2016, click here. Bargain hunters should take note that it should be easy to obtain any of these vehicles at deep discounts, as dealers should be willing to ride themselves of any excess inventory. However, they should also be aware that discontinued models do suffer a bit in terms of resale value. For the full list of discontinued vehicles, click here.
Can New Toyota Prius Retain Its Spot Atop the Hybrid Heap?
The Toyota Prius is the world's best-selling hybrid-electric vehicle and has routinely been one of the top sellers in green-minded markets like California and Japan. But Toyota's launch of an all-new version for 2016 at a time of cheap gas prices could dent its popularity, industry experts warn. NBC reports that the market has been flooded with high-mileage hybrid competitors since the Toyota Prius was last redesigned in 2009. Meanwhile, sales of battery-based vehicles in general have been plunging. That explains why Toyota is downplaying fuel economy and emphasizing the style and handling of the new Prius. Click here to see it. The new model "has a certain presence to it that will appeal to a broader range of buyers," Bill Fay, general manager of the Toyota brand in the U.S., said following the unveiling of the fourth-generation Prius Tuesday night in Las Vegas. The new hybrid is longer, wider, lower and a bit roomier. It has a new double-wishbone suspension and a lower center of gravity that should give it more sporty handling. That said, there was general agreement among those attending the preview that the new Prius is less visually distinctive and more mainstream than the first three generations. For more on the new Prius, click here.
Around the Web
Vegan Car Shoppers Try to Steer Clear of Leather [Detroit News]
The New Audi R8 LMS GT3 Race Car Can Be Yours For Only $400,000 [Jalopnik]
Honda Project 2&4 Concept Blurs the Lines Between Motorcycle and Car [Automobile Mag]
5 Scary Things About Electric Vehicle Sales in August [Autos Cheat Sheet]