Automotive News - April 21, 2008 - (Page 3)

APRIL 21, 2008 • 3 82nd year — No. 6304 UAW targets Malibu plant Production of the hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu is again endangered. UAW Local 31 gave General Motors a five-day strike notice that it will walk out at GM’s Fairfax assembly plant Tuesday, April 22, unless local contract issues are resolved, Local 31 President Jeff Manning said. The UAW local at a GM stamping plant in Grand Rapids, Mich., also sent a strike notification to GM. The Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kan., builds the Malibu sedan. The 2,700 workers there do not have a local contract despite negotiations since GM and the UAW signed a national contract in September. — David Barkholz and Robert Sherefkin Let the tradesmen keep their body-on-frame trucks; before long, other enthusiasts will switch to lighter, more fuel-efficient, carlike models. Rick Kranz rkranz@crain.com LIFESTYLE PICKUPS Sport Trac could shift to a fwd unibody platform. Meanwhile, Chrysler is wrestling with the idea of creating a vehicle platform to be used for cars and pickups. The vehicles, called “lifestyle pickups” by automakers, will have less towing capacity than body-on-frame pickups. Most will drive like cars, with smaller engines and better fuel economy than traditional pickups — some may have hybrid or four-cylinder powertrains. Lifestyle pickups will be able to haul all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, personal watercraft and some boats. But right now no one is certain what a lifestyle pickup will be. Said Frank Klegon, Chrysler LLC’s head of product development: “Everybody is hunting down this formula.” “Is it a smaller body-on-frame? Is it unibody?” asked Klegon during an interview at the Chicago Auto Show in February. “Can it be front-drive? Can it just carry 1,000 pounds? We don’t know yet.” A wave of lifestyle pickups is on the horizon. Traditionally, a pickup has been a bodyon-frame, rear-drive vehicle emphasizing ruggedness and power. But early in the next decade, automakers will develop carlike pickups on unibody platforms shared with front-wheeldrive cars. The switch to unibody pickups will be similar to the switch made by many owners of body-onframe SUVs to lighter, more fuel-efficient, carlike crossovers. Toyota’s A-BAT concept is likely to be the basis for a compact pickup. General Motors could have two unibody pickups on the road in the next decade. Ford’s next-generation Explorer Hyundai will phase out the Tiburon LOS ANGELES — The 2008 model year will be the last for the sporty Hyundai Tiburon two-door hatchback. John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America product development vice president, said the Tiburon will be produced until the new rearwheel-drive Genesis coupe goes on sale next spring. He said the Genesis coupe is not a replacement for the front-wheel-drive Tiburon. “We are seriously looking at a small front-wheel-drive coupe to replace the Tiburon, but I can’t say when that will happen,” Krafcik told Automotive News at a press event here last week. Krafcik said the replacement likely would be similar to the Veloster coupe concept shown at the Seoul auto show in April 2007. The fwd Veloster coupe was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. — Kathy Jackson Co., says research showed that the needs and expectations of some families were not met by body-on-frame pickups. Some buyers wanted a four-door pickup that provided carlike ride and handling, could “accommodate a family during the week in a very comfortable, capable vehicle (and) on the weekends handle personal leisure activities — say, motorcycles or camping equipment,” DaSilva said. The Ridgeline is based on a fwd Honda platform, but the pickup is offered only with awd. But other automakers are thinking about offering fwd unibody pickups. Such pickups were tried more than 25 years ago — and they failed. The short-lived 1982-84 Dodge Rampage and 1980-82 Volkswagen Rabbit pickups were developed on fwd unibody platforms. The small bed and limited payload capacity failed to attract large numbers of buyers. Ditto for the 2003-07 Subaru Baja, which evolved from the Outback. But Tom Rocchio, manager of advanced prodsee PICKUPS, Page 41 Ridgeline set pattern Honda’s unibody Ridgeline pickup is the forerunner of the lifestyle pickup. Lee DaSilva, senior product planner for the Ridgeline at American Honda Motor Chevrolet Montana (sold in Latin America) PICKUP LITE Want enough truck to haul a dirt bike — but not so much truck that it drives like a truck? A unibody, front-drive pickup might fill the bill. Here are some examples. A VW Rabbit pickup from the early 1980s Honda Ridgeline Th!nk will launch U.S. business Th!nk Global, the Oslo, Norway, maker of electric vehicles, is expected to announce today, April 21, in suburban Los Angeles that it is launching operations in the United States. CEO Jan-Olaf Willums is expected to make the announcement during an environmental conference, where Th!nk plans to show its new Th!nk City car. Willums told Automotive News Europe last year that the company was planning to sell a U.S. version of the City. Ford Motor Co. owned Th!nk from mid-1999 until January 2003. Two U.S. companies — A123 Systems Inc., of Watertown, Mass., and EnerDel Inc. of Indianapolis — supply the batteries for the European version of the City. General Electric has invested more than $20 million in A123 and $4 million in Th!nk Global. — Leslie J. Allen Toyota A-BAT concept Autonews.com offers news customization Visitors to our Web site can now filter Automotive News coverage for the news they want most. With MyAutoNews (www.autonews.com/ myautonews), registrants to www.autonews.com can choose among 12 categories and/or enter keywords or phrases to get the news that is most important to them. If visitors want news about labor negotiations, Alan Mulally or Toyota marketing, for example, they have only to type in the name or phrase as one of 20 available “triggers.” If Automotive News online runs a story that contains that trigger, MyAutoNews will immediately deliver the story. MyAutoNews users also can choose to receive an e-mail alert every time Automotive News online publishes a story that matches one of their triggers, or they can elect to receive a daily afternoon roundup e-mail. Veteran lobbyist looks back on decades-long mpg battle Liberatore ends long auto career Harry Stoffer hstoffer@crain.com WASHINGTON — On a night in 1993 when Congress cast key votes to pass the North American Free Trade Agreement, just-retired Chrysler Corp. CEO Lee Iacocca was a guest at the Clinton White House. As a reward for leading a business lobbying campaign for the treaty, Iacocca spent the night in the Lincoln Bedroom. Joining him at the White House was Robert Liberatore, Chrysler’s chief Washington lobbyist. COURTESY BRYCE HARLOW FOUNDATION Former lobbyist Robert Liberatore, center, introduces Dieter Zetsche, left, to Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo. “It was one of his great thrills,” Liberatore said of Iacocca’s visit. “It’s too bad he didn’t stay involved in the public policy world.” Fifteen years later, Liberatore’s recollection is important for several reasons: This presidential campaign year, Democratic candidates — including Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, who was first lady in 1993 — have attacked the watershed U.S. trade deal with Mexico and Canada. Democratic candidates and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the all-but-certain Republican nominee, have condemned the role of lobbyists in shaping national policy. The anecdote offers a reminder see LIBERATORE, Page 42 http://Autonews.com http://www.autonews.com/myautonews http://www.autonews.com http://www.autonews.com/myautonews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - April 21, 2008

Automotive News - April 21, 2008 Reorganization plan gives more muscle to 4 sales-channel execs Hummer plummets, Saturn soars in sales per franchise Chrysler-Nissan: Loads of partnership potential LIFESTYLE PICKUPS Strike averted Friday at GM transmission plant Hyundai to phase out Tiburon Veteran lobbyist looks back on decades-long mpg battle Autonews.com offers news customization GM offers free digital marketing package to dealers Lithia extends vehicle repair warranty to 3 years/50,000 miles With new products, is there life in Saturn? Ford plans $100M-plus F-150 launch Ford broadens its diesel strategy GM pitches its management system to dealers Supplier to help Mahindra offer diesel hybrid Transplants top 40% of N.A. output in March Geely chief: 'We are still an ant' Honda could import cars from China GM redirects efforts to serve emerging markets Beijing showstoppers New Challenger is appetizer for full line in 2009 Last week, I got a glimpse of the future Service contracts: Federal oversight is needed Delphi mess drags on Can't we stop importing oil? Ryan revolutionized this business An editorial glass ceiling? Driving on hydrogen — pros and cons BMW should build even more here Not what New York ordered Magna exec: More suppliers will fail Canada sales off 0.4% in March Bosch pushes crash avoidance Chrysler plans hybrid Dodge Ram Honda engineer is honored by SAE for safety efforts Panel: Diesels may hit 20% of U.S. market by 2020 Automotive News PACE Awards: Night of black ties, trophies, praise PACE Awards honor innovation Truck sales drop 31% in March Honda's new Pilot is bigger, more upscale In China, GM looks to fresh vehicles in 2009 U.S. economic woes hurt shareholder values Judge refuses to toss GMC franchise-award case Dealers Farley: Ford's marketing team is ready to roll Landry: Chrysler's consolidation will spawn service-only stores Profits up at Johnson Controls Hyundai to fix airbag problem GM to build $200 million Brazil plant Convis is CEO of Dana Holding Denso names Katoh CEO Stephen Feinberg speaks! Hogan eyes CEO spot in startup Chrysler reviving its global dreams? How I saved Delphi: A work in progress Tesla Motors' lawsuit: Designer Fisker ripped us off Concert in the key of C-3PO

Automotive News - April 21, 2008

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