The economy in every way has pushed automakers to brow beat themselves to conger up ideas to be more competitive. Pushing the envelope from the style, fuel efficiency and technology. In one sense its beneficial for consumers, another sense the competition is fierce between automakers to lure in that buyer. I relish in the thought of companies throwing out their bells and whistles, to me, it’s about time. GM, the world’s largest automaker, is changing their OnStar options. They have reconsidered their leading technology options to now compete with Ford’s Sync. Ford has Sync that is similar to OnStar but not as profound. GM has realized Ford’s Sync is slowly stealing consumers one by one. Ford’s sales show that, that they have an awesome product as well. Cincinnati  Dealers revel in the fact that their models have consumers talking, that you do not have to buy GM’s models to get that technology. Options, is what consumers love, well and their money too. This is one of the things that Peoria Volkswagen just do not have.

To compete with Ford, OnStar might offer a few free services. OnStar might be offering information and entertainment services that can link so a consumer’s smartphone. OnStar will be testing the voice to text services and change the emergency response system. Expanding services from the emergency response thus allowing different alerts to activate OnStar. Further studies will show ways to use it out of the vehicle. OnStar is basically finding their niche like Siruis Radio, you can unplug it and take it anywhere. In June, Google and OnStar will join forces and have an option of sending directions to your vehicles. If you map a route out online you will be able to send the turn by turn to your vehicle. It saves time, to the consumers, in the end.

GM traveling down the right path for competition. This definitely grabs the reins once again. GM needs everything little boost they can get to start the profit margin back, making sure the government is paid and all of their debts. If GM succeeds in the restructuring and turns the company completely around, what a statement that will be. The only question will be, did they learn their lesson this time?

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With import spots like Hyundai Kia Green Bay popping up across the nation, the competition in the automotive industry is tighter and more fierce than ever.  You can visit your local Volkswagen Dealer to check out some German auto styles; the Passat and Jetta are hugely popular in the United States.  And while Saturn sales in the United States are not doing the best they ever have, you can still get your car taken care of at Jersey City Saturn Service.  For those of you who are trying to solely support the American economy, you should familiarize yourself with the American auto makers; General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford.  What is interesting is the brands that our Baby Boomer generation might be familiar with and recognize as All-American (Mercury, Lincoln, Cadillac) still retain their All-American founding; now they are subsidiaries of the three auto giants that call America home base.

General Motors, aka GM, originated in 1908 and its headquarters are in Detroit.  GM currently does business on a global scale with its products sold in 34 countries.  It is interesting to note though that it has business partnerships in 140 countries.  You may recognize some of the GM brands and be interested to know that they are all part of the family; in alphabetical order, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling.

Chrysler is officially known as Chrysler Group LLC, and is composed of Chrysler and Fiat.  Under the Chrysler umbrella consumers will find Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles.  Under the Fiat umbrella you will find Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia, and Maserati.

Ford Motor Company is based out of Dearborn, Michigan.  Their vehicles are manufactured and produced on six continents, and there are 80 manufacturing plants globally.  Under the Ford umbrella are the brand names Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Volvo.

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Domestic automakers such as Ford and GM are still suffering poor public perception even though a recent study by J.D. Power showed that both Ford and GM’s most recent models are high quality automobiles, which can be found at Cincinnati Used Cars dealers. Repair shops like Sarasota Auto Body have seen fewer new domestic cars because of better manufacturing and technology.  Lincoln was ranked second in the study for improving their brand and Buick was ranked third also for improvements.

Although both GM and Ford’s latest models have taken great strides in design and technological improvement, consumers have been slow to catch on.  Sales have steadily rose for models such as the 2010 Mustang and 2010 Camaro. But, it still remains to be seen whether more consumers will begin to view other Ford and GM models in a more positive light.

However public perception of domestic automakers is improving.  In a poll conducted by the Associated Press, 38 percent of Americans felt that domestic cars were the best cars available, as opposed to 33 percent who felt that foreign cars were the best available.  That was a major improvement from a 2006 poll in which 46 percent of Americans preferred foreign cars and only 29 percent preferred domestic cars.

Part of the reason why domestic perception is rising is because of Toyota’s recent highly publicized dangerous problems with accelerators sticking in certain models.  However, Toyota performed well in the J.D. Power study, with Toyota owners as a whole reporting few problems.  The brand won more segment awards than any other brand in 2010 as well.

Some of the brands with the poorest public perception in the study were Cadillac, Mercury, Hyundai, and Lincoln.  The study said that these brands were “avoided at relatively high rates due to customer concerns about reliability.”  Improvements in public perception of domestic brands is likely to take time, as most industry PR experts believe that consumer opinions sometimes do not change very quickly for the better.

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OnStar gives security, safety and convenience to your driving experience.  OnStar is a feature that comes equipped with certain makes and models and  its available on more than fifty GM models. OnStar provides a service of detailed diagnostic information on your vehicle that  you can view online, driving directions, hands free calling and theft deterrent.  OnStar has state-the-art technology with knowledgeable advisors giving you peace of mind with every call.   This is a feature with modern day advantages.  Its quick, accurate and clear when you push the button or call.   OnStar is a very dependable service.

You can select  different plans to suit your needs from OnStar.  The Safe and Sound plan gives automotive crash, emergency services, crisis assistance, stolen vehicle assistance, remote door unlock, roadside assistance, remote horn and lights, OnStar vehicle diagnostics and hands free calling.  The Directions and Connections plan has everything that Safe and Sound does but also carries the turn by turn navigation.

It comes in many various vehicles that range from 2010 Chevy Traverse, Camaro, Avalanche, Cobalt, Equinox, Aveo and the Malibu.  The 2010 Buick Enclave, Lacrosse and Lacerne.  Also the 2010 Pontiac Vibe, Gmc, Saturn, Hummer H2 and H3, Saab and Cadillac Sts, Cts, Dts, Escalade and Srx.  No matter what walk of life you come from or what vehicle you need to fit your family’s life style, there is a vehicle to meet your demand with OnStar in it.

Living in the mountains or out in remote areas OnStar can definitely assist you if you happen to have a run in with deers or bad weather conditions.  Out near Rocky Mount is perfect for having OnStar as a security feature, with the small town and tree filled area, having peace of mind with OnStar you will achieve that.  Or if you are in Jersey City or even New York City having turn by turn navigation will surely to get to your key point location on time with out the stress of not knowing where the  hard to find offices are.  When those important meetings are at stake in the business capital of the U.S. navigating New York City streets can be a little intimidating.  But OnStar is with you every turn you need to take, which can take the focus off of what you don’t know and let you focus on what you do know.

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It comes up with a revolutionary new car that satisfies the hybrid-savvy and the eco-friendly. This new car will be called the Chevy Volt. With a time-released date of reaching show-rooms in 2011 it is clear that Chevy has all intentions toward gearing up their game and gaining their reputation back. The Chevy Volt seems to be their ticket back through the VIP door, so they hope.

Some will reject this ticket however, and instead settle for Cincinnati used car auctions and other companies that have not dropped their safety-net and hit the bankruptcy rock bottom. Such as Ford who still continues to offer their best-selling Ford F-150 as the bait for its loyal customers. The reality of selling cars, especially through a big company, is your company must have the reputation and trust to stand behind its name.

In attempts to gain back all their confused former customers it has been agreed that perhaps with the Chevy Volt they will gain them back, and more thanks to the eco-friendly nature and stylish-appealing design that has everyone talking and even more wanting. Wall Street Journal has even commented that it believe the Chevy Volt will dwarf anything that Toyota has to offer as well as associating the car as a major boost for the down-fallen GM company.

Will the Chevy Volt solve all of the problems of the healing GM? Perhaps, perhaps not. The mystery will not elude us long.

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The report also stated some other interesting things involving the auto industry. Apparently the Treasury Department has spent $24.8 billion of its estimated $25 billion it would spend on the auto industry. That money included $1.5 billion going to ChryslerFinancial, $4 billion to Chrysler, $6 billion towards GMAC, and $13.4 billion for GM. The Obama administration also plans to set aside $1.25 billion for customers purchasing vehicles that include warranties, in the event that GM or Chrysler goes under.

This entire bailout is pretty controversial, and many people are divided on what the right path is for the United States. Here in New Jersey, many dealers are uncertain of the future. Cincinnati Ford F-150s have recently seen a slight increase in sales, while Ohio Ford dealers have seen a decrease. Cincinnati Chevy dealers are reporting the same kind of trends, and fear of uncertainty. One thing is for sure, it is going to be an interesting future for the auto industry.

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In a press conference on April 17th, GM CEO Fritz Henderson attempted to clarify some of the speculation surrounding possible decisions being made by General Motors. As of right now, there has been no official decision on whether or not GM will declare bankruptcy on June 1st. Since there has been no decision yet, GM has been pursuing a dual-strategy that will be able to be implemented in both situations (with bankruptcy, or no bankruptcy). The official decision on whether or not GM will declare bankruptcy will be declared on June 1st, Henderson said.

In addition to this, Henderson dictated that GM is attempting to pursue what they call a “four-core brand strategy”. This strategy includes GM’s plan to keep Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC brands. The Pontiac brand will also be included in this plan, though only as a niche brand. The reasoning behind this originates largely from the fact that some of the vehicles that GM is most excited about are of the Buick brand. Also, Henderson stated that GM still views both GMC and Buick as very profitable brands for General Motors.

There are plans to sacrifice some of GM’s famous brands, however. The most highly publicized decision includes the sale of the notorious Hummer brand SUV. It’s expected that three purchasers will submit their final bids on the Hummer within the next week. By the end of April or May, there should be a concrete decision on the fate of the Hummer. Infiniti dealerships based out of New Jersey we had the chance to talk with stated their feeling for the fate of the Hummer, mentioning it was “…sad to see such a historical vehicle slip out of GM’s hands”.

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However, this apparently wasn’t enough. As a result, General Motors has already closed 200 dealership locations this year alone. With a June 1st deadline to completely restructure their business, General Motors has been speeding up the approximate timetable for closing over 1,700 dealerships. Among the car models that are being threatened by this plan, is the famous “Hummer” model. According to a GM spokesperson, however, there are many potentially interested investors that may help finance the continued production of the Hummer model. Even so, a spin-off of the Hummer brand to investors may not actually happen, which would halt production of this notorious SUV model.

US officials have been providing constant pressure on General Motors, which many people are now speculating will result in a bankruptcy filing by GM. It’s estimated that only 4,100 General Motors dealerships will remain after GM’s five-year dealership closing plan has finished. However, government officials are now pushing for an even more extreme financial move by GM, which needs to be concluded by June 1st, 2009. Already, GM is speculating that the closing of the Saturn and Hummer brands will provide a good portion of the financial cuts that they need to meet the standards of US officials. For additional financial planning, GM is also preparing to do away with possible financial payouts when closing divisions, which cost GM over $1 billion dollars when the Oldsmobile division was closed. We talked briefly with a few New Jersey Hyundai dealerships, and they seem optomistic about this plan increasing their sales. Time will tell.

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