Factory-fit Ford Ranger and Everest accessories to reduce wait times Zainal Abidin, 20/12/2025 Ford has doubled down on its efforts to reduce delivery delays in Australia by establishing a new ‘vehicle personalization centre’ in Thailand, where popular genuine accessories will be ‘factory fitted’ within two days of a Ranger or Everest rolling off the nearby production line.The center will initially offer two variants of the stylish canopy, a commercial canopy and a manual roller shutter before expanding its operation down the track with more accessories and responsibility for future special-edition Ford Ranger and Everest models.Ford Australia says fitting accessories immediately after a vehicle rolls off the production line will reduce delivery times on its two most popular models by avoiding frequent time-sapping dealer installations and making better use of idle time before shipping.The center is being run in collaboration with Ford’s F-150 remanufacturing partner RMA Automotive and is located near the port where the vehicles depart for Australia, meaning the accessories can essentially be installed en route to the docks.“The new vehicle personalization center (VPC) is the next step at giving our customers the customized vehicles they want, straight out of the box,” said Ford International Markets Group vehicle personalization director, Michael Karageorgiou.“The VPC will complement the Ford … Continue Reading
Honda HR-V facelift accessories revealed Zainal Abidin, 19/12/2025 The updates made to the Honda HR-V have been relatively subtle. However, the company goes all out when it comes to accessories and personalization.The HR-V is known as the Vezel in its home market of Japan, where Honda is offering a wide variety of accessories that customers can mix and match to suit their tastes. At the same time, four style packages were also revealed for Japanese buyers.OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:Report: SMC will no longer push through with PAREXMitsubishi Montero Sport gets one last facelift before all-new model arrivesPHOTO BY Honda The first model on the list is the Urban Style. It adds a new grille with a chrome surround, along with a deeper front apron, prominent side skirts, and rear bumper kit. Also included in the package is a larger tailgate spoiler, foglight garnishes, and C-pillar trims, finished in body color and chrome.PHOTO BY Honda CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓Moving to the Sports Style, it takes a page from the Urban Style with its kits and accessories. However, instead of being body colored, these are all finished in gloss black. On top of those, this package includes a set… Continue Reading
China poses growing threat to US auto industry Zainal Abidin, 18/12/2025 A BYD Seagull small electric car is on display during the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesDETROIT — Chinese automakers pose a growing threat to their American counterparts — even without selling directly to consumers in the US market.Sales of China-made vehicles are rising at notable rates in Asia, Europe and other countries outside those continents. China recently reported exports of more than 5 million vehicles in 2023, topping Japan to become the top country for car exports in the world.That volume from well-established, government-owned companies like SAIC and Dongfeng, as well as newer players like BYD, Nio and others, has catapulted China from the sixth ranking to the top seed since 2020. It comes amid declining US vehicle exports as companies such as u.s General Motors have cut international operations. US auto exports in 2022, the most recent data available, were down 25% from their peak in 2016, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis.America — fourth globally in vehicle exports prior to 2020 — ranked sixth in the world last year, falling behind No. 5 Mexico, No.… Continue Reading
Mercedes leans in on lower-priced models to drive sales Zainal Abidin, 17/12/2025 Mercedes leans in on lower-priced models to drive sales | Automotive NewsSkip to main contentNEWSOPINIONDATA CENTERVIDEOSEVENTS & AWARDSJOBSResource Center +MOREAdvertiseLeading Women NetworkPodcastsWebinarsIn the Driver’s SeatPublishing PartnersAPCO HOLDINGS: Strategies for handling new F&I dynamicsAPCO Holdings: Connected cars create new challenges and opportunities in F&IAPCO Holdings: The Wild Ride into the Future of F&IAllstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectivenessAlly All Ears Podcast Episodes | The next evolution in virtual F&IAlly All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profitsAlly All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging timesAlly All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchasing processAlly All Ears podcast: Tips for maintaining sales and F&I momentum in a higher-interest rate environmentAlly and APCO: Adjusting to the changing F&I landscapeAlly: All Ears Podcast : EVs & the service department of The futureAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealership and inventory against weather-related eventsAlly: All Ears Podcast Protecting your dealerships against cyber-attacksAlly: All Ears Podcast | AI and its impact… Continue Reading
Bentley delays electric vehicle rollout Zainal Abidin, 16/12/2025 Bentley will delay the launch of its first pure electric vehicles (EV) by a year, and now plans on having an electric-only range by 2033, instead of the earlier target of 2030.Speaking at a press conference after announcing the brand’s 2023 results, Adrian Hallmark, Bentley CEO, told press including Automotive News Europe and Autocarit’s now planning on introducing its first EV towards the end of 2026 with deliveries starting in 2027.The original Beyond 100 plan announced back in 2020 called for Bentley’s first EV to be launched in 2025. This would then be followed by a further four EVs, with one being launched per year until 2030, at which point the brand would become electric only.Those subsequent EVs have been delayed too, and Bentley doesn’t expect to do without internal combustion engines until 2033 now.According to Mr Hallmark, the company’s first EV will be an “incremental model” built at its factory in Crewe, UK. Introducing a new model with no direct predecessor is less of a “gamble” and there’s less pressure on the car.With its reset targets, Mr Hallmark claimed Bentley’s electric development budget and timelines were now “locked and loaded”.Mr Hallmark said… Continue Reading
Firefighter injured while battling massive fire at Queens auto repair shop Zainal Abidin, 15/12/2025 WOODSIDE, Queens (WABC) — One firefighter was injured while battling a massive fire at a Queens auto repair shop that authorities say is being looked at as “potentially suspicious.”Officials say flames broke out just after 10:30 pm Wednesday at MS Auto Repairs.Battalion Chief Dennis Crichton said fire crews saw “fire through the roof, fire through the entire length” of the business of 34th Avenue.Officials say tires and other flammable materials inside the shop fueled the three-alarm fire.ALSO READ | Flight forced to return to New York City’s JFK Airport due to loose horsesA 747 cargo plane carrying a horse had to dump 20 tons of fuel and return to JFK after the horse escaped its crate inside the plane.“Because it is an auto garage and an auto repair shop, there is acetylene and there is definitely compressed gas, it really posed no danger because we were far enough away from the building, but definitely things exploded in there,” one fire official said .After five hours, the blaze was put under control from the outside, authorities said.One firefighter was treated for minor injuries.Authorities say no one appeared to be in the business… Continue Reading
How to make sure the used car you’re buying is ready to hit the road before you shell out the cash Zainal Abidin, 14/12/2025 HOUSTON – Is the used vehicle you’re buying ready to hit the road?One Houston police sergeant says many times it’s not, and the person buying it has no idea. In some cases, there could be inspection issues or maybe the vehicle is salvageable.That sergeant says buying a vehicle that’s not as advertised not only creates issues for the official buyer, but also law enforcement who could be focusing on more serious crimes. He says that in many cases the issues could be avoided.Last Thursday, we introduced you to Rafael Perro, who paid cash for tax title and license for this 2009 Subaru Forester from Reliable Cash Cars on Highway 249. He still hasn’t been able to register it a year and a half later, because the DMV said he was missing necessary paperwork.The sergeant who works the traffic enforcement division saw our story and ran the paper tag the dealer gave Perro. He found out it wasn’t legit, because the vehicle had not been inspected since 2019. Perro bought the vehicle in 2022. To issue a paper plate, the vehicle had to have been inspected within the past 6 months.The sergeant told us about two… Continue Reading
Maker of Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles to follow California’s strict emissions standards Zainal Abidin, 13/12/2025 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Stellantis, one of the largest automakers in the world, agreed Tuesday to comply with California’s vehicle emissions standards that are the toughest in the nation and require zero-emission and plug-in hybrid vehicles to make up 68% of new light -duty vehicle sales by 2030.The move by the company that makes vehicles for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep was seen as a boost to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s ambitious policies to curb global warming. The Biden administration restored the state’s authority to set its own tailpipe pollution standards for cars in 2022 after former President Donald Trump‘s decision to revoke California’s authority to set its own limits on auto emissions. It was one of Trump’s most high-profile actions to roll back environmental rules he considered too burdensome on businesses.Stellantis now joins four big automakers — Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW – that agreed to follow California’s rules in 2019. The Trump administration then launched an antitrust investigation of those companies, but eventually closed it after failing to find any wrongdoing.Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares called Tuesday’s agreement “a win-win solution that is good for the customer and good for the planet” in a statement.… Continue Reading
Manufacturers’ Perspectives: The Aftermarket in 2024 Zainal Abidin, 12/12/2025 A new year brings new growth opportunities, and according to several parts manufacturers, 2024 is showing positive signs. Vehicle miles driven is up, which means cars need more maintenance—that means replacement parts. The average price of new cars has increased, meaning drivers will be holding onto their vehicles longer. With the average vehicle age at 12 years, opportunities for replacement part sales and tweaking the coverage, ordering and distribution of them abound for manufacturers and all stakeholders in the automotive aftermarket.With these tailwinds, we asked parts manufacturers in the automotive aftermarket to give us an update on certain aspects of their businesses and what they’re expecting for 2024 and beyond.Gary Nix, President, AP Emissions TechnologiesAMN: What are your thoughts on the aftermarket business environment for 2024?Nix: Overall, the aftermarket business environment will likely continue to be challenging but also full of opportunities. We are extremely optimistic at AP Emissions about our industry in 2024 and feel like we are well-positioned for growth. Rising vehicle age and VIO counts are all factors that are favorable to our business. With the average age of vehicles now over 12 years old, we are seeing multiple exhaust and converter… Continue Reading
‘For Sale’ sign jokingly placed on Charlotte County deputy vehicle Zainal Abidin, 11/12/2025 ‘For Sale’ sign jokingly placed on Charlotte County deputy vehicle GET IT ON G E Q I Q O N … Continue Reading