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Buyers resent low inventories, prices over MSRP, study says

Vehicle inventory low, vehicle transaction prices high, customers fretting … welcome, J.D. Power, to the era of supply and demand. In a recently published survey from one of the auto industryÂ’s top analytical firms, findings show that customers' satisfaction with vehicle purchases in the United States this year has dipped for the first time in 10 years. The 2022 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study found that overall sales satisfaction has dropped to 786 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 789 in 2021. In that year, higher than expected trade-in values softened the effect of new vehicle price increases. But in 2022, on top of trade-in prices shrinking, many dealers elected to charge more than the ManufacturerÂ’s Suggested Retail Price, a factor that did not sit well with buyers. “When dealers charge more than MSRP, particularly with long-term loyal customers, they risk a potential long-term negative effect on customer advocacy and service business," said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power. Satisfaction among buyers who paid more than sticker price is 757, while satisfaction among those who paid the sticker price or less is 850, the Power report said. The lack of dealership inventory was also a customer irritant, J.D. Power found, a point that automakers and their dealers may want to consider. Many have maintained, or considered maintaining, a smaller inventory in the wake of the pandemic, keeping costs down and driving more customers toward factory orders. Regarding those consumers shopping for electric vehicles, the survey said that more than a third of them “failed to get instruction on EV charging before they left the dealership, which notably affects satisfaction.” Said Sutton, “Salespeople donÂ’t need to show gas-powered vehicle buyers how to fill their tank, but they do need to show EV buyers how to charge their vehicle.” There are positives to the Power conclusions, however, especially for Alfa Romeo dealers. The Italian brand ranked highest in customer satisfaction among premium brands with a score of 833, with Porsche a very close second (831) and Lexus (819) third. Alfa is on something of a roll these days, with its compact Tonale crossover due for release in the spring, and a new sports car in the works. Meanwhile, in PowerÂ’s “mainstream brand”” segment, Buick ranked first with a score of 825, followed by Dodge (816) and Subaru (804), all performing higher than the industry average.

Aston Martin applies to trademark 'Vanguard' name

Aston Martin hit up three trademark registration offices in an effort to reserve the name "Vanguard." The automaker from Gaydon sent two requests to the European Union Intellectual Property, one to the Japan Patent Office, and one to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on March 22. CarBuzz discovered the filings and suspects the name could be applied to the carmaker's first battery-electric vehicle. We've no idea if that's correct, but it sounds like a fine guess. Two years ago, then-Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers told Motor Trend the automaker would overhaul its conventional lineup in 2023, launch the luxury automaker's first EVs in 2026, and convert half the lineup to electric cars by 2030. Other reports from last year indicated the brand would offer an electrified version of every model in the range by that year, and launch an EV in 2025. The new Vanquish is expected to arrive in 2025 with a hybrid powertrain, and there were suspicions awhile back that it would offer an electric option. The questions are, is the Vanguard the name for the rumored electric Vanquish? And if Vanguard ends up being used anywhere, and that use is on an EV concept or production car, has the timetable for that car's appearance changed? Filing a trademark often happens in the final year or two before debut. Aston Martin just applied for the DB12 name; we expect that car on the market in less than a year. A similar span separated the Valkyrie, 2001 Vanquish, DBS trademarks from their launches. On the other hand, the Cygnet got trademarked here two years before its launch, the DBX, five. Our guess is that we'll see the EV before the timeline we might have expected in 2021. This is the brand's 110th anniversary year, after all. Between that, the raft of new product on the way, and a stunning start to the Formula 1 season, why not take advantage of the momentum. Company boss Lawrence Stroll might also want to show investors — both those who could inject more money and those who might be trying buy a large share — that the company is ready to ride the alternative energy tide the appropriate way this time, as opposed to its last electric effort, the Aston Martin Rapide E. The electrification is anticipated to commence this year with the arrival of the V8-powered plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Valhalla, and could be bolstered by a mild hybrid system in the updated DB11 thought to be renamed DB12.

This is the Alfa Romeo Tonale compact crossover in official images

Alfa Romeo has unveiled the Tonale concept crossover at the Geneva Motor Show. The carmaker was able to keep the Tonale's name and design secret until yesterday, when images of the stand leaked online; the concept was revealed to be a shapely PHEV in metallic red. The concept will lead to a production vehicle, which will be Alfa Romeo's first CUV. Bared and shown in detail, the Tonale concept looks really good — dare we say, on par with recent Mazdas. It blends Stelvio styling cues into a smaller vehicle, but the concept still manages to look like its own thing, and perhaps even better than the bigger sibling. There are classic Alfa Romeo touches like phone-dial wheels, and the front end has a hint of the SZ and Brera coupes of earlier times. The interior, while largely concept-car-like, brings more Alfa styling to the table. The gauges are housed in traditional bucket shapes visible through the steering wheel, conjoined by a central display. There's a large central screen, underneath which runs a central tunnel covering that looks like muscle fiber, repeated in the door cards. The seats are styled like the racing buckets of a sports car. Alfa Romeo states that electrified power has been used for its own means, instead of Alfa bowing down to accept new standards. "The electrification of Alfa Romeo comes at the service of sportiness and emphasizes the famous 'Mechanics of Emotions' mission of the brand," as Alfa Romeo says. This also means the Tonale's hybrid branding will be discreet instead of obvious. The Tonale ("tonal," in English) is a plug-in hybrid, with a rear-mounted electric motor; however, any definite specifications as to the engine, the electric powertrain or the utilized platform remain unannounced. One detail emerges, though: Earlier, fossil-fuel-only Alfa Romeos have used the "DNA" selector for Dynamic, Natural or Advanced Efficiency modes; now the Dynamic mode has been changed to Dual Power, and the other end is Advance E, for full electric mode. Related Video: