WASHINGTON — Ford Motor Co. has agreed to pay $19.2 million to resolve allegations it falsely advertised real-world fuel economy and payload capacity for some hybrids and pickup trucks, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday. The multi-state settlement covers 2013–2014 C-Max hybrids and 2011–2014 Super Duty pickups. In 2013, Ford lowered the advertised fuel
Marketing
Jimmy Car Car” is taking his show on the road. Or rather, the man who still answers to that childhood nickname — Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley — is now doing a show about the road. Farley has taken on podcast hosting in addition to his role leading America’s second-biggest automaker. His weekly show
Audi’s China joint venture, FAW-Volkswagen Sales, apologized for text in an advertisement that allegedly infringed copyright and said it would remove the videos from all company platforms. The JV between VW, Audi and China FAW Group, said in a statement on Sunday that the video was produced by advertising agent M&C Saatchi. Audi has ordered
The troubled, ever-evolving Tokyo Motor Show will rebrand itself yet again in an attempt to breathe life, energy and attendance into Asia’s onetime premier auto expo. When the show returns in 2023, it will open under a “Japan All-Industry” banner, said the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, which has hosted the event since its inception in
DETROIT — It’s no secret what Dodge is about these days. The brand spent the last eight years recasting itself as a youthful purveyor of American muscle, led by its powerful Hellcats and edgy advertising. Focusing on the high-octane realm has supercharged its base of enthusiasts and sparked an active following of millions online. Now,
Most brands mine social media and influencer trends to tap into popular crazes. But Chrysler is using one rising phenomenon as a foil — #VanLife. The hashtag, which is affixed to social content plugging the kind of nomadic lifestyle that has gained traction during the pandemic, serves as the inspiration for a new campaign for
As brands rush to tell consumers about what electric vehicles can offer, Ford Motor Co. is trying to bring “frunk” into the cultural lexicon. “Frunk” is slang for front trunk, or the empty space under the hood where most gasoline-powered vehicles have an engine. The frunk is representative of how the arrival of mainstream EVs
Two ads for the Land Rover Defender have been banned in the United Kingdom over concerns that they could mislead viewers into thinking the vehicles would keep drivers from going over a cliff. The ads showed a Defender parking at the end of a cliff as the vehicle’s backup sensors make a beeping sound. Two
Ford is taking what appears to be a subtle shot at Elon Musk in a new campaign set to get airplay during this weekend’s Kentucky Derby coverage on NBC. The effort from Wieden+Kennedy has blue-collar sensibilities and aims to promote the automaker’s status as a major employer of hourly workers. One ad begins with scenes
As brands rush to tell consumers about what electric vehicles can offer, Ford Motor Co. is trying to bring the “frunk” into the cultural lexicon. Frunk is slang for front trunk, or the empty space in the front hood where the gas-powered cars keep the engine. EVs don’t use internal combustion engines, freeing the space
Detroit used to have an auto show every year, so the legend goes. The show is scheduled to return this September for the first time in more than three and a half years, and the main floor is completely sold out, organizers said last week. At least five active vehicle tracks will be set up
Can a bunch of college students solve some of the most vexing automotive engineering challenges facing the industry? Over the next four years, 15 universities across North America will be competing to engineer the most efficient battery-electric vehicles possible while combining connected and autonomous tech — and keeping them fun to drive for consumers. The
The North American International Auto Show will return to Detroit with a focus on electric vehicles and emerging technology as well as activations including street course ride-alongs on the Grand Prix’s future downtown circuit. There will also be five active tracks inside Huntington Place, whose main show floor is sold out for the reimagined auto
NEW YORK — I showed up at the Auto Forum here, held in the $1.5 billion — with a B — expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and was confronted by a friend: “Are you going to write another death of auto shows column?” I said I would have to see what I
Lincoln Motor Co. may have stumbled onto its next slogan. Oscar-winning actor and brand spokesman Matthew McConaughey was on hand for the reveal of the Lincoln Star concept in Los Angeles last week, conducting an unscripted question-and-answer session with Lincoln President Joy Falotico. Things got a bit philosophical when she asked McConaughey what makes a
NEW YORK — Alfa Romeo is taking its new Tonale crossover on the road. The Italian brand, which is looking for an awareness boost to juice stagnant sales, wants consumers to have a hands-on experience with its first electrified entry ahead of the Tonale’s U.S. release in early 2023. The model will have plug-in hybrid
NEW YORK — The New York International Auto Show is bustling again. It was a long road to get here, and the dire circumstances of two years ago, when COVID-19 forced a sudden hiatus for one of the industry’s premier launch pads, illustrate just how far the show’s journey back has been. The 2020 event
To James Stephens, using dry-erase whiteboards and lifeless posters taped to walls to promote fixed ops services is so yesterday. “A lot of what you see inside dealerships today is very outdated,” says the fixed ops director at Nashville-based Beaman Automotive Group, part of Hudson Automotive Group. But that’s not the case at the four