Is the Automotive Industry Recovering?

The automotive industry degenerated into the poster company for the recession in 2009. Bankrupt and asking the U.S. government for funds, GM and Chrysler seemed to be banking on the impossible. They chose the tactic of emphasizing their problems to Washington while reassuring the public that it can still provide competitive vehicles. Ford evaded this marketing collision by refusing government help, despite losing $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2009.

With these dismal sales and Congressional hearings dominating 2009, do the Big Three have what it takes to boost consumer confidence and sales in 2010? Fourth quarter figures from 2009 suggest that the automakers can recover. Unsurprisingly, Ford made the biggest gains, increasing its total sales by 33.5% in December 2009 compared to sales in December 2008. Chrysler's total sales dipped, but only slightly thanks to a big increase of 30.9% in car sales.

GM was the hardest hit. Yet, its total sales in December only dropped 5.6 from December 2008, hardly a doomsday decrease. At the starting gate of 2010, GM and Ford seem to have their engines revving, so to speak. Ford will upgrade their Ford Focus with lots of cool technologies and the higher-power 2.0L, direct-injected 4.0L engine.

This upscale C-class car features MyFord touch driver interface and an optional rear-view camera park assist camera. Consumers want fuel efficiency without sacrificing power and the Focus's new engine adds 20hp and a 10% fuel consumption reduction. The Ford Taurus has traditionally been a reliable, albeit, tame, stand-by on Ford's lineup. This year, the 2010 Taurus has been spiced up with cool, practical, and affordable technology, so much so, in fact, that it has won the first Edmunds.com Technology Breakthrough Award.

Standard features of this tech-savvy car include 911 Assist and GPS navigation. The new Taurus can also be equipped with collision warning systems, rear-parking sensors, even heat and massaging seats. The 2010 Ford Taurus is an example of the digital cars of the future, with enhanced computers systems.

The Chevy granite is a trendy extended range electric vehicle. Swank french doors make this vehicle eye-catching. The Granite's special design maximizes cargo space. It will come with a 1.4L four-cylinder turbo-charged engine. Set to come into production in 2011, the Granite's unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show showcases GM as a leader in design innovation for the coming decade.

With leading-edge new models, electric vehicles, and fuel-efficiency, Detroit is finally giving U.S. consumers what they're asking for, with enough trendy perks to make us notice. Chicago Chevrolet and Chicago GMC dealers are eager to spread the word. For consumers living in Chicago, bad credit needn't be an issue with the contemporary C-class vehicles soon available. Also in Chicago, used cars are projected to be replenished in the coming year.
Nick Messe is president of Lead Frog LLC. Rogers Auto Group has the most affordable cars in the Chicago land area featuring Chicago Hyundai and other Chicago GMC cars and trucks. Rogers Auto Group is a Chicago bad credit car dealer offering Second Chance auto financing.