Canadian Automakers scramble to lure customers

We all know how difficult the Canadian auto industry has been over the last few months. Our Canadian automakers are feeling the pinch and are trying to do everything they need to in order to get new car buyers buying from their dealerships.

In a report by the Ottawa Citizen, there are descriptions of what a number of Canadian automakers are doing to get buyers in their showrooms.

• Hyundai Motor Co.' s unique program that offers to buy back the cars from their customers who lose their jobs unexpectedly. The program has been available to automotive customers in Canada since 2000 and has allowed customers to return more than $23 million worth of vehicles.
• Ford Motor Co. of Canada is calling on Ottawa to implement a vehicle scrappage program that offers consumers a significant incentive to trade in their older, high-polluting vehicles.
• Ford will also offer people who test drive their vehicles but decide to buy from the competition a yet-undisclosed amount of money. It will also offer compensation to those who do buy Ford and the program is aimed at reducing the gap between perception and the reality of the brand.
• Stephen Beatty, managing director of Toyota Canada Inc., said two things will entice buyers: quality cars at a good price, and cars that "wow" you with new technology or design.

These are just some of the incentive programs in place here in Canada. I'm not sure which is best but I like what Stephen Beatty said from Toyota Canada, "Seldom can you discount your way to success. You have to add value, not necessarily cut prices."

[Source: Ottawa Citizen]