VenSeattle

Rio, Amanti and Sedona Post Double Digit Increases

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA) today
announced October sales of 15,483 units with year-to-date sales of 243,571
units. Kia Rio, Amanti and Sedona vehicles all posted double digit
increases compared with the previous month. Sorento, awarded a top ranking
in the AutoPacific 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards and 2008 Ideal Vehicle
Awards, posted a 2.5-percent increase over the same month last year with
3,101 units sold.

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm
of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a
complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the
United States. For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record
U.S. sales. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value,
high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on
producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline
"The Power to Surprise."

Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA."
Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is
available at its Web site - http://www.kia.com. For media information,
including photography, visit http://www.kiamedia.com.

                              MONTH OF OCTOBER           YEAR-TO-DATE
    Model                     2008         2007        2008         2007
    Rio                      2,291        2,939       32,620       27,869
    Spectra                  3,265        5,898       62,180       61,444
    Optima                   1,672        3,084       42,450       34,105
    Amanti                     199          202        3,005        5,259
    Sportage                 1,371        4,334       29,224       40,484
    Sorento                  3,101        3,025       23,737       32,712
    Sedona                   1,863        2,952       22,721       34,777
    Rondo                    1,514        2,751       26,194       20,578
    Borrego                    207          n/a        1,440          n/a

    Total                   15,483       25,185      243,571      257,228

Because the Chinese won't have Saturn there selling almost the same car. So the Chinese get to have their cake and eat it too.

Thanks. I'm not trying to be dense, but won't the Chinese have Opel selling the Insignia while Buick is offering nearly the same vehicle? or will Opel not sell the Insignia in China?

Or... does this have to do with Saturn and Buick eventually sharing showrooms in the US?

The plan is not to sell the Buick Regal in the North America because the North American market is getting the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. The Buick Regal is just a rebadge of the Opel Insignia. All three of those cars are based on GME's Epsilon II platform.

Why does it make sense to sell the Buick Regal and Buick LaCrosse side by side in China, but consider them as overlap within the Buick line-up in the US market?

Saturn will be getting a version of the Opel Insignia in North America, so Buick will not sell the the Buick Regal in North America, as they are pretty much the same car.

So, even though Saturn is getting a "version of the Insignia" it must not be that much different than the Insignia itself if it would overlap the Buick "version of the Insignia"... correct?

Oh well, maybe we still have a chance at a Delta II Buick in the US.

3.0 or 3.6?

Considering I already have 240hp and a heavier car, I doubt the 3.0 will feel under powered... However, I have no objection to a 290hp AWD LaCrosse either. I do like the dual exhaust on the 3.6l.

I'll need to check out packaging and pricing and weigh the pros & cons of each. I've got time.

I think I can pretty much guarantee what my next car will be... :AH-HA_wink:

I get my HP, AWD, HID, LEDs, Leather wrapped dash, and HUD!!!!!

Woo hoo!

Judging from spy pics we've seen of the upcoming 2010 Buick LaCrosse, General Motors may have a winner on its hands, even if it is getting delayed. If specs from GM Inside News are accurate, Buick's new midsize sedan will have significant new powertrains, too. The big news comes from an all-new 3.0L, direct-inject V6 engine based on the larger 3.6L VVT powerplant that the General uses now. The small-displacement V6 packs some serious punch at 250 hp, and will be mated to the automaker's new 6T70 six-speed transmission for improved efficiency. The new 3.0L engine is likely to achieve a significant fuel economy gain over the 3.6, with highway economy estimated at close to 30 mpg. The new LaCrosse will also feature the same 3.6L powerplant that underpins the Chevy Traverse, with direct injection and an estimated 290 hp.

Other details about the new LaCrosse include HID headlamps, a heads-up display, rear view camera and all-wheel-drive. We haven't received any details on the AWD system, but we're guessing it will be the same unit that currently drives all four wheels of the new Saab 9-3X. We're looking forward to getting more details on the Buick LaCrosse, and when we do, you'll be the first to know.

The Enclave is a premium product relative to it's sister Lambdas......Buick is not a premium brand.

That wasn't my argument. I was talking about the Enclave... not Buick itself...

However, you're incorrect. Buick is a "premium" brand.

Buick's current portfolio "price range" is similar to Lincoln, Acura, SAAB, and Volvo. ($25k-$45k)

Buick is not a mainstream brand. Buick is not and entry-level brand. Buick is not a Luxury brand in the US. Internationally, Buick is a luxury brand. The Enclave and the next Gen LaCrosse will be sold in the US and China relatively unchanged. We'll see how the market accepts the new LaCrosse and go from there.

I don't think GM's attempt at the market repositioning of Buick is a mistake. Buick can not continue to allow the market to believe they only make retirement cars. Buick can not continue to be compared to Hondas or Toyotas. Buick should not overlap Chevrolet. That's Saturn and Pontiac. It takes time to change public perception. Public perception is changing gradually at Buick. China's success and the Enclave's success indicate this. The drop in buyer's age indicates this.

Notice that the Buick Enclave starting price less than $5,000 than the Lexus, and has managed to place 2nd in premium CUV sales. That's called success.

Lexus RX350 Base MSRP: $37,700

Buick Enclave Base MSRP: $33,220

You're only fooling yourself if you think the Lexus RX350 is a premium/luxury CUV and the Buick Enclave isn't.

The Lucerne starts $8,000 less than an ES, and they sell them to rental fleets and it still is behind the ES this year.

As pointed out:

Lexus ES Jan-Sept'08: 50,642

Buick Lucerne Jan-Sept'08: 43,839

Approx 13% of Lucerne sales have gone to fleet. That's not a high percentage. There are other premium brands with higher numbers... including several direct import competitors to the Lucerne.

Even still a loaded Enclave is about $45,000 which is the same as a Nissan Armada LE (base), and I don't consider the Nissan a luxury suv.

By that definition, none of the Enclave competitors listed below should be considered luxury CUVs either - Base Prices -

Lincoln MKX - $35,840

Volvo XC90 - $36,210

Lexus RX - $37,700

Cadillac SRX - $38,105

VW Touareg - $39,300

Acura MDX - $40,195

The Enclave overlaps the pricing of all the CUVs listed above and competes directly with them.

The Pilot is not an Enclave competitor. The Pilot competes with the Traverse. The MDX competes with the Enclave.

CTS and ES are the same size and price, although the drive train and ride firmness difference attracts different types of buyers. But my point was the CTS at $34,000 sells about 6,000 units a month. If the LaCrosse is $34,000 (like some here think it will be) how will they sell the same volume the CTS does? This car is no threat to Lexus, just as the old and ugly Lexus RX still crushes the Enclave in sales.

Buick is going after the Avalon, Sable and Azera (if it is still around) with this car. And there is nothing wrong with that, just don't tell me a $27,000 Buick is as good as a $37,000 Lexus.

If the 4-year old Lucerne can beat the ES in sales during this traumatic climate, then why can't a brand new Buick sedan?

Sept'08 sales:

Buick Lucerne - 6,239

Nissan Maxima - 4,996

Chrysler 300 - 4,287

Lexus ES350 - 4,042

Toyota Avalon - 3,404

Acura TL - 3,017

Lincoln MKS - 1,814

Hyundai Genesis - 1,029

Mercury Sable - 783

Volvo S80 - 578

Hyundai Azera - 483

Kia Amanti - 163

Lucerne is less than 7k for the year to match the ES as well:

Lexus ES Jan-Sept'08: 50,642

Buick Lucerne Jan-Sept'08: 43,839

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for your Enclave comment...

Enclave Sept'08 sales: 5,171

Lexus RX Sept'08 sales: 4,639

RX sales have regularly trumped everything in its class, but the Enclave has exceeded expectations as a newcomer in the Luxury SUV/CUV market and beats just about everything else in the market:

2008 YTD sales:

Lexus RX - 63,219

Buick Enclave - 36,900

Acura MDX - 36,888

Mercedes ML - 25,498

BMW X5 - 24,663

Lincoln MKX - 23,977

Volvo XC90 - 15,292

Cadillac SRX - 12,863

Infiniti FX - 10,176

Audi Q7 - 10,107

VW Touareg - 5,477

The Enclave have been a GREAT success for Buick by any measurement. You're DELUSIONAL to believe anything else.

The info I read stated that LWB Eps II would underpin the next Malibu (Or somehow the next Malibu would grow) and as a result make the cars redundant again (just like they are now) and that started the thinking about Chi.

Another school of thought is that Chevy will get an Alpha sedan as well. If I were a betting man, I'd go with Impala for that IF it happens.

Then again, this is all just chatter, so who knows.

I think the way it all fell into place was like this:

Fairfax, KS

*Chevrolet Malibu continue until 2011

*Chevrolet large 4-door notchback beginning in 2010 (Impala on LWB Epsilon II/Epsilon +) This Impala is for the US market only.

Detroit Hamtramck, Mich.

*Global Epsilon Chevrolet beginning in 2012 (NG Malibu on SWB Epsilon II) This Malibu would be sold globally.

-------------------------------

However, W-Platform production of the Impala has been extended from 2012 to '13. It's possible the W-Platform Impala will turn into "Classic" or "Caprice" and carry on as a budget/fleet large car once the Epsilon II Impala arrives in/around 2010.

Here's what I was thinking of...

Word out of Frankfurt from the Financial Times Deutschland is that BMW is in talks to sell engines and transmissions to both General Motors and Fiat. All three companies have declined to officially comment.

The news is interesting, but not surprising. You may recall that GM has been selling transmissions to BMW for well over a decade for use in various 3 Series and 5 Series models (the current BMW 328i automatic uses a 6-speed GM 6L45 unit). So far, however, all have been automatic transmissions.

Speculating about the details, our tipster suggests that BMW may be helping GM with their SMG-style transmission program. As for the engines? It is possible that BMW could be selling its 4.4L V8 for the Cadillac line or lending GM a twin-turbo to compete with Ford's twin-turbo direct-injected V6?

Didn't we see this coming? Didn't we all speculate this to be the reason behind GM's decision to cancel the Northstar V8 replacement (UV8)?

BMW, the Munich-based German automaker, is reportedly in discussion with other automakers -- rivals in some cases -- to sell their engines and transmissions. Klaus Draeger, BMW's head of development, told Auto Motor und Sport that the automaker is in advanced talks with Mercedes-Benz about licensing engines to its Stuttgart-based competitor.

Specifics have not been announced, but one likely candidate would be BMW's new V-12, set to debut in the new 7 Series and baby Rolls-Royce sedan. Mercedes would drop it under the hood of their flagship S-Class and Maybach. There was no mention about the possibility of BMW's twin-turbo inline-six finding itself under the hood of a Mercedes (while BMW continues to refine their award-winning inline-six powerplant, Mercedes dropped their popular straight-six in the mid-1990's and replaced it with a V6), but Draeger did hint that other automakers have approached the company about diesel engine technology. Engine and transmission sharing isn't uncommon in the industry, but such a move would be a first for the two companies, each longstanding rivals with products selling in the identical segments.

Interesting... I wonder if GM has considered using the Lambda platform for large FWD/AWD cars? It's their largest FWD platform..

IIRC, the original idea for the Chi platform was to use Lambda as the G-Platform successor. I could see FOG's idea of modifying Epsilon II to resurrect Chi.

But, I believe the LWB Epsilon II (or Epsilon +) has already been officially selected as the platform for the next Impala.

It doesn't save money, they probably cut staff or cut back on the car in the development process trying to save money, and now it isn't ready.

It's only a delay in unveiling the production version... I don't see anything indicating production has been delayed. The LaCrosse still goes into production in February'09. I think it's better for GM to "unveil" the production vehicle closer to launch. Isn’t that something we've been criticizing GM for not doing???

Come on guys... can't have it both ways.

Is it raining there today?

The weather this week has been cool in the NW but great, otherwise. Sun has been out for the past several days. Couldn't have asked for better!

Twenty nine again? :AH-HA_wink: Make it a good one!

Yep Yep... I no longer have B-Days... they're called anniversaries now :AH-HA_wink:

Thanks guys! Just got back home... Took a train trip and went to a B&B for a while to reduce stress and relax. We definitely enjoyed ourselves.

Just by coincidence, I looked at Buick's press releases and one of them discussed a new LEED-certified dealership in Highland Township, Michigan. Guess what? It's the same dealership design as the one in Vancouver WA:

Link to Press Release

Michigan Family Spends Millions on 'Green' GM Dealership

In addition to its "green" materials, the new LaFontaine store features a boutique, a café, and a hair and nail salon for its customers and employees. Children can stay entertained in a video-monitored play area, which includes painted murals and a new Xbox 360 video game system.

Sounds pretty good to me! Maybe this is a sign of things to come?

Europeans will get another premium compact car not bound for U.S. shores and this time it comes courtesy of Lexus. The automaker is targeting the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, vehicles that its rivals have offered in the United States market. Lexus, though, only plans the vehicle for markets outside the U.S. where sales of smaller cars outpace their larger siblings. Apparently, Lexus has set a goal to sell 150,000 vehicles in Europe by 2015 and believes the new model is necessary to meet that number. At this point, we have no idea what platform the compact car would be based on, but Toyota certainly has a number of options, most notably the Auris, which is offered in the European market in hatchback form. There is also the possibility that the new entry-level Lexus could be based on an upcoming small hybrid model from Toyota that would slot beneath the Prius, a version of which the automaker plans to debut in the Lexus line.

Baby boomers are nervously trying to navigate their nest eggs to a safe port in a stormy sea of wild stock market swings, falling home values and a weakening job market. It can take years for nest eggs to recover from heavy investment losses. But time is something baby boomers -- the oldest of whom turned 62 this year -- just don't have enough of.

Here are the problems near-retirees now face and what (if anything) baby boomers can do to cope.

Stock market declines

Retirement accounts have lost $1.6 trillion, or 18.3% of their value, in the last year, according to the Urban Institute. The Congressional Budget Office puts the loss at $2 trillion in the last 15 months.

Individual 401(k) participants' average losses ranged from 7.2% to 11.2% in the first nine months of 2008, according to an Employee Benefit Research Institute analysis. These losses disproportionately affect baby boomers because they have less time to recover before retirement.

But pulling your money out of the stock market isn't the answer if you want to have enough cash to finance 30 years of retirement.

"The goal should always be to have a balanced portfolio that reflects the time horizon and taste for risk of the household," says Mauricio Soto, a research associate at the Urban Institute.

The typical retirement account for a worker age 50 or older has 50% of its assets in stocks, the Urban Institute found. "The common advice is for households to reduce their exposure to stocks as they approach retirement," says Soto.

As always, it's still important to contribute at least enough to your 401(k) to take advantage of your employer's match.

Falling home prices

Older adults were major beneficiaries of the housing boom. Between 1998 and 2006, the inflation-adjusted median home equity for adults age 55 and older increased by 42%. But now baby boomers are feeling the pinch of housing declines.

The average home price fell 3.9% between January 2007 and May 2008, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight says. In 20 select metropolitan areas, prices fell 16.7% over that period.

Most seniors don't tap their home equity to finance retirement, but it can be an option when times are tight. If all homeowners ages 62 and older took out reverse annuity mortgages and chose a lifetime annuity option, their median annual retirement income would increase by 18%, based on 2006 home values, the Urban Institute found.

A 10% decline in home prices would reduce this gain to 16%.

But reverse mortgages also have high costs -- about 18% of the loan value for a 62-year-old -- which needs to be repaid, plus interest, if a senior wants to move.

Deteriorating job prospects

The easiest solution to declining 401(k) balances and falling homes values is to work longer. Working one additional year typically increases annual retirement income by 9%. But contracting credit markets could weaken the labor market, thus limiting employment opportunities for older adults.

The economy lost 159,000 payroll jobs in September, after losing 73,000 jobs in August.

"Retailers have been hit hard over the past year, and more older people work in retail than anywhere else, says Richard Johnson, principal research associate for the Urban Institute. "So many older people with limited skills could find themselves out of work."

Job loss typically comes unexpectedly, and if you do manage to find a new job, it's likely to pay less than your old one. Highly educated workers should fare slightly better.

"Going forward, the economy will add some jobs for college graduates with technical specialties in finance, health care, education and engineering," predicts Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Business and former chief economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission.

"However, for high school graduates without specialized technical skills or training and for college graduates with only liberal arts diplomas, jobs offering good pay and benefits remain tough to find," Morici adds. "For those workers, who compose about half the working population, the quality of jobs continues to spiral downward."

So there's no better time to go back to school and make sure your skills are up to date.

Many baby boomers would like to scale back to part-time work, start a business or take an extended break from the work force instead of retiring completely. But opportunities to try these creative forms of retirement could become scarcer.

In 2006, 37% of employed men and 22% of employed women ages 65 to 69 worked for themselves, but the effect of the credit crunch could mean it will become more difficult to start and sustain small businesses.

It may be a good time to hold on to the job you have now. "Lots of people in their 50s and 60s experiment with retirement, find out they don't like it or can't afford it, and then go back to work," says Johnson. "If they try that these days, many won't be able to find new jobs."

As more older Americans have to work full time to pay for living expenses, part-time and flexible work arrangements may also be harder to find.

"People need to think carefully before they retire from their full-time jobs," says Johnson. "Because the part-time retirement jobs may be drying up."

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp is exploring the sale of ACDelco, its global aftermarket parts business, to raise cash, the No. 1 automaker said on Wednesday.

GM, which also has its Hummer all-SUV brand and a manufacturing center in Strasbourg, France, on the auction block, has retained Merrill Lynch to assist in the potential sale of ACDelco.

In July, the automaker laid out a plan to boost its liquidity by $15 billion by end of 2009. The plan included costs cutting and sales of assets that are expected to raise $2 billion to $4 billion.

ACDelco, which provides light-duty maintenance and repair parts for both GM and non-GM vehicles, is based in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and has about 600 employees worldwide.

GM is also in talks with Cerberus Capital Management, which owns Chrysler LLC, about combining the two automakers at a time when both are struggling to survive a deep downturn in sales and shore up cash.




General Motors (NYSE:GM) announced today that it is exploring a potential sale of ACDelco, its global independent aftermarket parts business, a brand of GM Service & Parts Operations. A sale is expected to promote more rapid growth of ACDelco globally.

As the company announced in July, GM is undertaking a number of initiatives to bolster its liquidity position by approximately $15 billion through year-end 2009, including the sale of assets which are expected to generate approximately $2-4 billion of liquidity. In addition to the ACDelco business, GM previously announced it is exploring the potential sale of its Hummer brand and its technical and manufacturing center in Strasbourg, France.

ACDelco provides light-duty maintenance and repair parts and associated services for both GM and non-GM vehicles in more than 100 countries. Part of GM Service & Parts Operations, ACDelco is headquartered in Grand Blanc, MI, with approximately 600 employees worldwide.

GM has retained Merrill Lynch to assist in this initiative.

About ACDelco

With over 100 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket industry, ACDelco is a global leader in automotive replacement parts and related services. Products include maintenance parts commonly replaced during the lifetime of a vehicle (e.g., batteries, oil filters, air filters, wiper blades, shocks and brakes), as well as repair parts (e.g., alternators, radiators, chassis and heating/cooling components).

ACDelco is among the world’s best known comprehensive All Makes, All Models providers, featuring high quality auto parts for both GM and non-GM vehicles and services, with the brand’s “genuine OE” reputation signifying high quality replacement parts, support and training in the automotive aftermarket. In the United States, ACDelco offers 37 full product lines with over 100,000 part numbers, comprised of both GM original equipment and All Makes, All Models product.

WOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) - The chief executive of Volkswagen AG warned Wednesday that the auto industry faces a difficult business climate next year, but added that his company — Europe's biggest carmaker — still expects to reach this year's goals.

"The world economy is going through tough times," Martin Winterkorn said on Wednesday. "We don't know the full impact on our business yet, but VW is doing better than the competition so far."

Winterkorn added that "2009 will be difficult for the entire industry."

He made the remarks during a meeting with civic and business leaders from Chattanooga, Tenn., where the company plans to open a new manufacturing plant in 2011.

The visit to Germany, led by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, is part of an effort to persuade auto parts suppliers to locate production facilities near the new plant, which is projected to cost about $1 billion and employ more than 2,000 people.

Speaking about the Chattanooga plant, Winterkorn said "I'm confident we'll build another great example of German and American partnership."

Volkswagen's brands include VW, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Seat and Skoda. Winterkorn reiterated that Volkswagen expects to surpass the 6.2 million cars it sold in 2007, which was an increase in sales of 4 percent on the previous year.

Earlier this month, European automakers and several European units of their American competitors announced plans to cut production and jobs because of flagging demand from customers rattled by uncertainty amid the global financial crisis.

BMW AG, Daimler AG, General Motors Corp. subsidiary Adam Opel AG and the German unit of Ford Motor Co. all announced production cutbacks. GM said its other subsidiaries in Europe were also affected. Italy's Fiat and Renault of France likewise said they would curtail production.

Volkswagen, however, has managed to avoid such a move, as has its Audi subsidiary, although its Spanish-based Seat unit planned to produce 13,000 fewer cars by stopping assembly lines at three plants for a week.

Volkswagen announces its third-quarter results on Oct. 30 and analysts expect it to report a profit on the back of solid sales and because it is less exposed to the U.S. market than its competitors.

The company saw its second-quarter net profit rise 35 percent to 1.6 billion euros ($2.11 billion) on sales of 29.5 billion euros ($38.89 billion), pushed up by improved demand in India, Russia and China.

Shares of Volkswagen were up more than 3 percent to 250.13 euros ($329.77) on Wednesday even though the DAX index was down 3.6 percent.

The Chrysler rumormill is running at full steam for obvious reasons, and the latest talk surrounds Chrysler and its $3 billion Phoenix V6 engine program. Word on the street is that the project has been canceled, which makes abundant sense if in fact a Chrysler merger is imminent. If a deal to merge Chrysler with either General Motors or Renault/Nissan materializes, both potential mates have V6 engines that are vastly superior to anything nestled under the hood of a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep. Why would either automaker want to spend $3 billion for something it already has?

There seems to be little doubt among analysts that Chrysler will merge with another automaker, and the only question at this point is whether it will be GM, Renault/Nissan or some mixture of the two. Continuing to spend money on projects like a new V6 engine or a new dual clutch transmission doesn't make much sense at this point, especially since Chrysler's suitors already have or are working on these technologies. Thanks for the tip, Jason!