Kia Reveals Revamped 2023 Soul
The small vehicle market in the U.S. is demanding. Buyers expect good looks, impressive technology and top-line safety features at a lower price point than their bigger siblings. The small vehicle segment is a tough one, but the 2023 Kia Soul is a strong competitor. At least one automaker is listening — if the 2023 Kia Soul is any indication. The subcompact more famous for being piloted by hamsters than people at one time is still one of the South Korean automaker’s better sellers because it offers an interest package at a compelling price and, to that end, it appears little has changed for the 2023 model, reports The Detroit Bureau. “The Soul defined a whole new segment of small cars when it first entered the Kia lineup and it continues into the 2023 model year with as much fun, practicality and style as ever,” said Steve Center, COO & EVP, Kia America, in a statement. “The basic form remains, which is what more than 75,000 happy Soul owners loved so much about the funky runabout last year, representing a nearly 5 percent increase over sales in 2020…” Click here to learn more about the revamped 2023 Soul.
Dealers Should Prep as Buyers Focus on Mainstream EVs
Some dealers suggest they are not as “all in” on the transition to battery-electric vehicles as industry leaders suggest. Wards reports analysts contend that dealers can adapt and sway customers to green offerings without too much struggle. A few morsels from the upcoming J.D. Power Electric Vehicle Considerations study underscore the growth of customer interest in BEVs. The top three BEVs shoppers consider all come from “mainstream” automakers. Tesla’s failure to rank that high is a change from previous years, Elizabeth Krear, vice president-Electric Vehicle Practice, J.D. Power, tells Wards. “We’re on an exponential curve right now. Tesla started selling cars just over 10 years ago, and that’s a short time in the grand scheme of things,” Krear says. “But now is the time where we have so much product in the mainstream. I think the ecosystem is beginning to feel it at a much faster speed.” While BEV purchases account for only about 5 percent of the market, dealers who invest in training front-line staff to answer questions about electric offerings and provide test drives, have good chances of boosting that rate. Click here for the full story.
Public Dealership Groups Grow Digital Sales, Create New Online Tools
Executives leading the nation's major public dealership groups said last month that those companies continue to advance their digital auto sales, with some selling thousands of vehicles through their own branded platforms and others rolling out new tools to more customers. Automotive News reports Group 1 Automotive Inc. disclosed during a first-quarter earnings call that it sold 5,800 vehicles in the U.S. through its AcceleRide platform from January through March, a tally that made up 9.6 percent of the group's total U.S. retail sales. Asbury Automotive Group Inc. shared that its Clicklane tool handled more than 5,600 vehicle sales in the first three months of this year — with March being the best month in Clicklane's history. Lithia Motors Inc.'s Driveway platform handled 3,100 vehicle transactions in March alone, achieving what CEO Bryan DeBoer described as an annual run rate of 37,000 transactions. Sonic Automotive Inc., meanwhile, introduced an e-commerce platform for its EchoPark used-vehicle-only business during the first quarter, and that platform now covers 80 percent of national consumer traffic to EchoPark's website, Sonic CEO David Smith said on the retailer's earnings call. Click here for the full story.
All 2023 Volvos Will Have Hybrid or Fully Electric Powertrains
Volvo will only sell electrified cars in the US beginning with the 2023 model year, the automaker confirmed. "Electrified" means that in addition to EVs, Volvo will continue to offer gas-powered cars, but they'll all either have mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology. Roadshow reports they already sampled some of Volvo's new mild-hybrid offerings that wear B4, B5 and B6 engine designations, depending on output. These cars have 48-volt technology that smooths out the engine's start/stop operation and adds supplemental electric boost while slightly improving overall fuel economy. Volvo will continue to offer plug-in hybrid powertrains, as well. In fact, these T8 Recharge models recently received a power boost, in addition to increased electric-only driving range. In addition to the standard hybrid drivetrains, Volvo will expand its new Google-powered infotainment system to its entire lineup. This means all Volvos will have the ability to receive over-the-air software updates. Click here for the full story.
5 Things That Car Salespeople Should Address in EV Walkarounds
The jury is still out about how long it will take for electric vehicles to capture the majority of car sales. But as electric vehicle adoption begins to grow, it’s becoming clear that the sales process looks a little different than trying to make the sale on an ICE vehicle. EV shoppers tend to be even more informed about features and specs, but buying a model that contains a new powertrain still needs some assurances before they pull the trigger. Even for EVs, an in-person shopping experience is preferred, but it looks different. CBT News came up with five things that should be addressed in EV walkarounds for electric cars. They’ve already been extensively researched: The average car shopper spends more than 12 hours researching vehicles prior to purchase. That number may be high for an ICE powertrain buyer, but EV shoppers spend more time online discovering features and benefits prior to contacting the seller. It’s safe to assume that these purchasers, although skewing more technical than the average shopper, are spending more time shopping because the tech is still new to them, and they’re trying to be thorough. Click here to learn the rest.
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These are the Most Fun Cars Under $15,000 [Jalopnik]
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