Mercedes-Benz Tops Secret Shopper Study of U.S. Dealers

Mercedes-Benz dealers were number one for customer treatment in the US according to an independent study by survey company Pied Piper. The California-based company hired 3,524 “secret shoppers” and sent them to US dealerships in order to determine how their salesmen were performing in anything from explaining a car’s features to closing a deal.

This is the third year in a row that Mercedes-Benz, which looks set to top the sales charts this year in the luxury segment, has topped Pied Piper’s study.

The German firm was followed by Jaguar and Lexus dealers, who tied in second place. According to the survey, Toyota and Chrysler’s Ram sales representatives were ranked the best among mass-market carmakers, while Mitsubishi and Suzuki finished at the bottom, as did Lincoln in the luxury segment.

According to CEO of Pied Piper, Fran O’Hagen, in general the brands that scored the poorest were those with the worst sales per dealership. O’Hagen added that’s easy to explain, as these brands cannot retain competent salesmen for a long time.

He also commented that reduced staff has had a negative impact in customer satisfaction now that sales are on the rise again and dealers don’t have the necessary staff to cover their needs.

However, as O’Hagen pointed out, the secret of success in this particular business is not really a secret at all. Good dealerships focus on a customer’s needs, get to know them and ask a few questions about their driving habits – and that takes skill and time.

The “secret”, according to O'Hagen, is to "think not like a salesman, but as a customer".

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New Suzuki Swift gets a Diesel Option

If you want to be successful in Europe, diesel options are a must for any carmaker, even more so in the mainstream segments. Following the launch the gasoline powered versions of the new generation of the Swift last summer, Suzuki has now added a diesel option to the supermini’s range. The Swift DDiS features a revised 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine rated at 75-horsepower and 190Nm (80 lb-ft) at 1,750rpm.
The Euro 5 emissions diesel unit is matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox and it allows the new Swift to complete the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 12.7 seconds en route to a top speed of 103 mph (166 km/h). Suzuki says it offers an 8 per cent improvement in fuel consumption and produces 9 per cent lower tailpipe emissions than the 1.3-litre diesel it replaces at 67.3mpg UK (equal to 56 mpg US or 4.2 lt/100 km) and 109g/km of CO2 respectively.
In Britain, the Swift DDiS is available from £12,890 as a five door model in SZ3 trim specification, which includes air conditioning, seven airbags, 16 inch alloy wheels, USB port and heated electric door mirrors as standard.

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Suzuki r3 mpv concept 2011

Machine Suzuki R3 MPV Concept аrе connected tο a five-speed manual transmission. Maruti Suzuki hаѕ announced thаt thе assembly version οf thе MPV Suzuki Concept R3 іѕ аƖѕο out thеrе within thе Indian market іn concerning 2 years.
espite іtѕ compact size, futuristic concept models ɡеt tο accommodate аѕ several six passengers іn 3 rows οf seats. Suzuki doesn’t unharness additional details concerning R3, hοwеνеr іt’s bееn speculated thаt thе model іѕ аƖѕο thе assembly version οf thе essential іԁеаѕ inside shut.


Suzuki R3 MPV Concept currently comes frοm nеw delhi (india) within thе auto expo. India became  puller many οf υѕ аѕ automobile manufacturers selected thе ѕhοw tο unveil a range οf models concept аnԁ  production designed bу thе domestic market іn mind. Maruti Suzuki tο require blankets frοm R3, Compact Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) іѕ written within thе company’s analysis аnԁ Development Department іn India. R3 Suzuki Concept front aspect features a lightweight MPV high intensity thаt contrasts wіth LED accents conjointly seem οn thе rear aspect οf thе automobile.




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Suzuki Kizashi concept 2011

Suzuki’s stand at this month’s 2011 New York International Auto Show will feature two brand new concepts cars, both based on the Kizashi sedan. In the Japanese automaker’s own words, the first study will be a “stylish and socially-conscious sedan propelled by a newly-developed advanced powertrain”, while the second concept will be a “wildly-schemed and amped up homage to Suzuki’s iconic motorcycle heritage”.

To put it more simply, the first car will most likely be a hybrid version of the Kizashi given that during the presentation of the sedan model in 2009, Suzuki officials had revealed plans to a add a fuel efficient hybrid variant to the lineup “in the very near future”. As for the second Kizashi concept, it will be custom tuned model with numerous styling cues inspired from the company’s motorcycle division.

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