July 29, 2016
Mercedes Pulls Ad Challenged by Safety Groups
Mercedes-Benz USA is pulling an ad for the redesigned 2017 E-class sedan after consumer and safety advocates on Wednesday called the spot misleading in its depiction of the vehicle’s driver-assist systems. According to Automotive News, the advocates, including the publisher of Consumer Reports and the Center for Automotive Safety, said the ad overstates the capability of automated-driving functions available on the sedan and asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the automaker. Mercedes spokeswoman Donna Boland told Automotive News Thursday afternoon that the automaker has decided to take the ad out of the E-class campaign rotation because of the claims. “The new 2017 E class is a technological tour de force and is a significant step towards achieving our vision of an accident-free future,” Boland wrote in an email. “We do not want any potential confusion in the marketplace to detract from the giant step forward in vehicle safety the 2017 E class represents.” For more on Mercedes-Benz’s decision to remove an ad over safety concerns, click here.
Volkswagen Passes Toyota as Largest Automaker in 2016's First Half
Volkswagen Group accelerated past Toyota Motor for the title of world's largest automaker for the first half of 2016 despite the German automaker's slumping U.S. sales amid its emissions scandal, reports USA Today. Volkswagen sold 5.12 million vehicles through June, while Toyota said Thursday that it had sold 4.99 million vehicles during that same period. Toyota vehicle sales were down 0.6 percent, compared to the same period a year earlier. VW sales were up 1.5 percent. It's the second straight year that the German automaker claimed the title of world's largest automaker for the first six months, but it remains uncertain whether the company can do so for the full year. In 2015, Volkswagen did the very same thing only to lose the full-year title to Toyota after VW's emissions scandal dented sales in the fourth quarter. The company has admitted to rigging 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide with software to cheat emissions standards. For more on this year’s biggest automaker, click here.
3.4 Million Used-Car Sales Likely for July
Look for used-car sales to finish July near the 3.4 million mark, as forecasts from Edmunds.com and TrueCar each landed in that neighborhood, reports Auto Remarketing. Edmunds estimates July’s used-car sales tally at 3.4 million, resulting in a 38.7 million SAAR. Last month, there were 3.2 million used-car sales, with a resulting SAAR of 38.7 million, the company said. TrueCar projected a possible total of 3,441,581 used sales this month, which would beat year-ago figures by 4 percent. Citing data from the National Automobile Dealers Association, ADESA chief economist Tom Kontos said in a report earlier this month that franchised dealers lifted June used-car sales by 5.3 percent year-over-year. Independents were up 9.1 percent, he said. For more on what to expect from July used-car sales figures, click here.
8 Best City Cars and Ones to Avoid
Navigating the congestion of city streets requires a car that’s nimble enough to dart into openings in snarled traffic and able to show a pothole who’s boss. Urban driving also requires a car with good outward visibility (to easily spot pedestrians) and an origami-like ability to fit into petite parking spots, reports Consumer Reports. Small doesn’t have to mean flimsy. Our tests have shown that small cars don’t have to feel like they were built with materials from a 2-year-old’s pedal car. The vehicles on Consumer Reports’ city cars list are about 10 inches shorter in wheelbase and overall length than vehicles in the next-larger class. But their often ingenious design and efficient use of space means drivers don’t have to endure cramped, spartan interior quarters. Every car on the list is recommended by Consumer Reports. That means they did well in its road tests, with sprightly acceleration and crisp handling that’s rare to find in smaller cars. Click here for more on the best cars for city traffic.
Cars That Won't Be Returning for 2017
Here today, gone tomorrow. Originally written to lament the limited lifespan of us humans, it could just as well apply to our automobiles, some of which overstay their welcomes on dealers’ showrooms each year and are unceremoniously shuffled off into the proverbial sunset. In anticipation of their untimely demise or their overdue farewell – depending on one’s point of view – Forbes has identified 14 mainstream models that won’t be returning for the 2017 model year and are featuring them in the accompanying slideshow and video. Some of the soon-to-be departed rides are being left at the roadside because of slow sales, while others are being renamed as part of a brand restructuring. Some were either the wrong cars for the times in the first place or have since fallen victim to rapidly changing trends and consumer tastes. For more on the cars taking their final bow in 2016, click here.
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Around the Web
5 Things to Say to an Angry Customer [CBT News]
CAFE Standards: The Next Big Political Battle Over Energy [Forbes]
Behold the Mad Genius of the Ferrari-Powered Toyota 86 [Autoblog]
Hyundai: How to Turn a Used Car Into an 80K Luxury Ride [CNN]