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Mar/27 - Kia compact coupe, hatchback go turbo Kia compact coupe, hatchback go turbo
Kia just revealed its hot Forte coupe at the New York auto show, following on the heels of the hatchback introduction at the Chicago show in February. AutoPacific research shows that small, turbocharged sporty cars are among those most favored by young car buyers. Could these new Forte versions be young consumer favorites?

Feb/24 - Family car demand grows behind better deals, fuel economy Family car demand grows behind better deals, fuel economy
Nearly one in six new cars sold in 2012 came from "family cars," a large part due to six redesigns for 2012 or 2013: Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Volkswagen Passat. According to AutoPacific's Ed Kim, "All things being equal, the American consumer will tend to go for the largest vehicle they can get into. So when a "family car" is getting highway fuel economy that's well into the 30s or high 30s, there's no reason to downsize.

Feb/23 - GM puts engineers, cars on the fast track GM puts engineers, cars on the fast track
Mark Reuss, General Motors' North America president, is seeding the automaker's racing operations with engineers who spend time helping Chevy and Cadillac racing teams, and then rotate back into product development. AutoPacific's Dave Sullivan agrees with this approach saying GM needs people who aren't wedded to traditional long-term product development cycles. "They need people who can address issues in more rapid fashion than they have in the past."

Feb/20 - Do Recalls Affect Sales? Do Recalls Affect Sales?
Recalls in 2012 were up 4.5% over 2011, yet new-car sales increased 13.4%, reaching the highest annual total since 2007. More than half of those recalls came from Toyota (5.3 million) and Honda (3.4 million), but sales at both automakers combined for a hefty 25.6% increase. AutoPacific's Ed Kim comments on the long-term image of reliability and quality that keeps Toyota and Honda customers coming back, despite the recalls.

Jan/31 - AutoPacific Forecasts Healthy, Profitable Year for Automakers AutoPacific Forecasts Healthy, Profitable Year for Automakers
AutoPacific today officially announced its forecast for 2013 U.S. light vehicle sales. Predicting about a 700,000 unit increase over 2012, AutoPacific forecasts a year-end total of 15.1M units. “Many automakers have right-sized their manufacturing to be profitable at a total light vehicle industry size of 15M annual sales,” said Ed Kim, AutoPacific’s Vice President of Industry Analysis. “With 2013 expected to hit this level of sales, the year should prove to be a healthy and profitable one for many automakers.”