In the meantime, the automotive retail business has been working overtime to reinvent itself. They are hungry for inventory, while production is ramping up under safer conditions along the assembly lines. Used cars are becoming scarce, with some auction facilities laying off personnel. However, the rental car companies are trying to reduce excess fleet in the pall of financial issues due to a reduction in travel.
It came as no surprise that with the plethora of new vehicle reveals in mid-November that one of them ended up striking a chord. It was a subtle reveal, but it resonated with me.
Consider who is doing the unveiling – Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, and Jeep. Three long-awaited new vehicles that represent three iconic model names. Two of which are new generation models. The third is the resurrection of a long-running nameplate.
Other Chinese automakers had their eyes on our market for years. Now, a third company will now enter our market with a lineup of SUVs that should be more aligned with the tastes of our consumer.
Neither of these vehicles register deeply as the one that was revealed on Monday night. There is a significance and meaning to this one. Nine years ago, this was the first vehicle presented to me for publication by a manufacturer. Granted it was the coupe/convertible version of that car, but it still holds a very dear place in my heart and my resume.
To travel for work again. That was a goal fulfilled. Consider what I have gone through since the beginning of May. Or, as I discovered through this site, a couple of months before then. One would expect to recover from expending kidney stones in a couple of weeks. But, I am discovering that the complications from that event extended this by well over a month because my immune system decided to go haywire letting things go beyond my control.
TweetThe long hard road for Hyundai has paid off in their product offering. For example, the Elantra and Sonata lines remain their bread-and-butter. Hyundai has been selling at a mix of commercial/fleet and retail, offering solid value for the money. Their SUV products are growing – mirroring market trends. Hyundai recently announced the end of …
Tweet 2017 Kia Cadenza Limited – All Photos by Randy Stern A Victory & Reseda review of the 2017 Kia Cadenza Luxury can come from the most unlikely sources. It is a flippant statement to make considering that Kia has been presenting us with luxurious products for the past few years. Were they supposed to …
Tweet A typical Wednesday morning at Autobahn Country Club – All Photos by Randy Stern Why is the Midwest Automotive Media Association such an honor to be a member of? A discussion with one of its board members came up with a few reasons. We have a great core group of journalist members – mostly …
Tweet Is there a worse time to build an all new hybrid? Nissan laid the Altima Hybrid to rest in 2011. Despite higher fuel prices than today the Altima Hybrid did not sell well. Nissan, under Carlos Ghosn, has always been able to craft deals with other automotive companies and Nissan’s first hybrid came from …