Automotive News - February 4, 2008 - (Page 90) 90 • FEBRUARY 4, 2008 Bush makes his final pitch for vehicles of the future Harry Stoffer hstoffer@crain.com Wake-up call for drowsy drivers President Bush called for more federal research into advanced batteries and renewable fuels. Bush also asked Congress to approve free trade agreements, including one negotiated with South Korea. It is popular with import-brand automakers and dealers, eager for more tariff-free products to sell. Bush also endorsed an international agreement to “slow, stop and eventually reverse” the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere — provided developing countries, such as China and India, are included. c TOKYO — Drivers who doze be- company declined to say what modhind the wheel of a Toyota could els or when, Toyota Motor Corp. is soon get a rude awakening. launching the redesigned Toyota’s latest safety Crown, an upmarket innovation consedan, for the dostantly monitors mestic audience for signs of sleep in next month. the driver’s eyes The safety sysand issues a prompt tem also issues a warning if the eyewarning if the drilids get too droopy. The system calculates the distance ver is not facing A camera watch- between upper and lower eyelids. forward properly. es the driver’s eyes, The technology and an image processing computer follows a similar system shown by Niscalculates the proper distance be- san Motor Co., in which an onboard tween the upper and lower eyelids. robot monitors the driver for signs of The system will soon be offered in fatigue, inebriation or road rage. some models for Japan. While the — Hans Greimel WASHINGTON — President Bush last week called for more federal research into advanced batteries and renewable fuels to power “the cars and trucks of the future.” The line, in Bush’s seventh and final State of the Union address, was an echo of the president’s pledge last year to reduce oil consumption 20 percent in 10 years. The pledge helped set the stage for congressional approval of a new energy law that raises fuel economy standards 40 percent by 2020 and dramati- cally increases the amount of alternative fuels to be produced by 2022. In his 2003 speech Bush vowed to put the United States on a path to convert to hydrogen as the main vehicle fuel. His reference this year to batteries and alternative fuels was not the only matter of interest to the auto industry. Bush also asked Congress to make permanent tax cuts enacted in his first term. They include a phase-out of the estate tax by 2010, a top issue for automobile dealers. If a permanent repeal, or compromise, is not enacted before 2011, the estate tax comes back in full force. Working to fix your Profitability? Don’t tinker around, use a different tool Sale/Leaseback Financing. B o ot h 2349W The 2009 Corolla S starts at $16,980, including shipping. Aquire New Franchises The 2009 Matrix S starts at $18,920, including shipping. Pay Down Your Floorplan ’09 Corolla starts at $15,910; new Matrix begins at $16,850 LOS ANGELES — Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. has announced prices for its 2009 Corolla and Matrix small cars and a special-edition 2008 FJ Cruiser SUV. The new Corolla and Matrix begin arriving at dealerships this month. The 2009 Corolla comes in Standard, LE, XLE, S and XRS trim packages. Base prices range from $15,910 for the Standard version to $20,610 for the base Corolla XRS, including shipping. Base prices, including shipping, for the 2009 Matrix are $16,850 for the Standard version, $18,920 for the Matrix S and $21,320 for the XRS. Toyota’s FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Special Edition debuts this month. Toyota expects to build 3,200 units. The Trail Teams edition offers off-road features including Bilstein shocks, 16-inch alloy wheels with rugged tires and a rear differential lock. The special package is $4,755 more than the $24,410 base price of the 4.0liter V-6 FJ Cruiser with six-speed manual transmission. It is $5,110 more than the $24,820 base of the FJ Cruiser with a six-speed automatic transmission combined with the 4.0liter V-6. c Buyout Your Partners Spirit Finance Corporation Sale/Leaseback professionals are available to help you with your financing needs. Contact April or Mary now or visit them at NADA booth #2349W April Ronchetti Little 480.216.8380 alittle@spiritfinance.com Mary Fedewa 1.800.708.6496 auto@spiritfinance.com GM’s Henderson: We’re not largest DETROIT — Debate continues in some quarters over whether General Motors or Toyota Motor Corp. is the world’s top-selling automaker. But GM’s CFO acknowledges that, from a financial perspective, GM Henderson: Focus is not No. 1. on finances. “I don’t spend too much of my time trying to figure who’s the world’s largest automaker,” Fritz Henderson told members of the Automotive Press Association last week. “I just know this: In terms of what we have to do — profits, cash flow, market cap — we’re not the world’s largest automaker,” he said. “That’s what I’m spending 100 percent of my time trying to figure out.” GM reported that it sold 9.37 million vehicles in 2007. Several media outlets said GM had barely edged Toyota to remain No. 1 in global sales. But Automotive News calculated that GM sold 8.9 million vehicles in 2007, vs. 9.37 million for Toyota. The Automotive News figure excludes 516,435 Wuling vehicles sold in China. GM does not own a majority of the company that makes Wuling vehicles. — Leslie J. Allen 480.606.0820 14631 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 www.spiritf inance.com http://www.spiritfinance.com http://www.spiritfinance.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.