PURCHASING NEWS

Pool Vehicles

2003 Final Order
Due Dates
AND 2004 MY
Startup Dates

2003 Model Year
Fleet Programs

Issue 305– March 10, 2003

EnviroFleet; ARI's Environmental Fleet Technology Newsletter

GM's OnStar for 2003

For additional information go to
http://www.OnStar.com

Final Order Due Date Reminder

The following 2003 models, options and/or paint colors have final order due dates scheduled during the remainder of March:

Model/Equipment/Color	Final Order Due Date
DaimlerChrysler
Sebring/Stratus Coupe	3/14/03
Ram Van	3/14/03
Ford
Windstar Silver Frost paint	3/24/03
Windstar Estate Green paint	3/24/03
F-Series Light Duty (SuperCrew only)	3/28/03
GM
S-10/Sonoma Crew Cabs w/Special Equipment	3/18/03
Blazer w/Special Equipment	3/18/03
Trailblazer w/Special Equipment	3/25/03
Envoy/Envoy XL w/Special Equipment	3/25/03
Subaru
Forester	3/28/03
Toyota
Avalon	3/13/03
Prius	3/13/03

Please submit final orders to ARI at least three business days prior to the due date.

Manufacturers may change final order due dates without notice.

GM to Cut Back Buick Fleet Sales

Automotive News reports that GM is planning to reduce its Fleet allocation for the Buick Regal and Century models this April.

The automaker said it needs the production capacity for the all-new 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, which will be built at the Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant – the plant that currently builds the Regal and Century.

Pete Ternes, a spokesman for Buick, said that about 50,000 Regal and Century sedans were sold to Fleet last year, which represents approximately 25 percent of total sales in the U.S. While overall sales of the two models will decline due to the Fleet cut-back, profits will not suffer because the models will continue to be sold on the more profitable retail market, said Ternes.

A redesigned Buick Regal is being planned for the 2005 Model Year; at that time the Century model is expected to be discontinued.

Mercury Introduces All-New Monterey Minivan

2004 Mercury Monterey

For the 2004 Model Year, Mercury is replacing the Villager minivan with an all-new minivan model called Monterey. The new minivan, which goes into production this August, is one of 65 new models that Ford Motor Company will introduce over the next five years.

Monterey will offer a forward and reverse object-sensing system rather than rear sensing only. The system uses sensors in the front and rear bumpers that detect objects in front of and behind the vehicle and assist in gauging distances while parking.

The system works through the use of ultrasonic range finders fitted to the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle. These sensors form a detection zone as wide as the vehicle. A microprocessor monitors the sensors and emits audible beeps during slow parking to help the driver park the vehicle. The system is deactivated and activated with a button on the center console.

A standard folding third-row seat can be stored in a floor "well", freeing space and creating a completely flat load floor. When the seat is not folded into the floor, the well can be used for additional storage.

For easy access to the third row, the second row seats are easily moved out of the way with one pull of a lever. Standard dual captain's chairs have a fold-and-tumble feature. When occupied, they are fore/aft and rake adjustable for comfort. For maximum cargo capacity, they can be removed without tools.

First introduced on the Lincoln Navigator, Monterey features optional heated and cooled front leather seats. The driver or passenger can direct heated or cooled air through the seat cushion and back.

A premium audio system with 140 watts of power and in-dash six-disc CD changer is available, as is a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

Monterey safety features include a Safety Canopy™ curtain air-bag system, a reinforced structure designed for offset frontal impacts, an advanced restraint system, three-point safety belts, head rests in all seating positions and a low tire-pressure monitoring system. Other safety features include Ford's BeltMinder^TM system, AdvanceTrac^TM stability enhancement system and four-wheel disc brakes with Panic Assist.

Monterey comes with a standard 4.2-liter V-6 engine and a specially tuned suspension.

Ford will begin accepting Fleet orders for the new model on May 12, 2003. It will be produced at Ford's Oakville Assembly Plant.

GM Offers Spring Break Bonus Cash

For a limited time, GM is offering a $1,000 Spring Break incentive on all 2002/2003 Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and GMC passenger cars and light duty truck models. To be eligible for the program, the end-user must have a GM Fleet Account Number.

The program period for the $1,000 Spring Break Fleet Customer Bonus Cash is from March 1, 2003 through March 31, 2003.

This special incentive is compatible with the Fleet Purchase Program for both factory orders and stock purchases. It is not compatible with Competitive Assistance Programs (CAPS).

The $1,000 Spring Break bonus is not an off-invoice credit. It will be paid as an open account credit upon application.

OnStar Availability Expands

Through its seventh year of operation, OnStar's safety, security and information service continues to grow throughout the U.S. and Canada. OnStar will be available on 11 additional vehicles in the 2003 calendar year and will offer its services on over 60 models from seven different auto manufacturers including Acura, Audi, Isuzu, Subaru, Volkswagon and GM. OnStar services are also available in select Lexus models under the "Lexus Links" name.

ACURA
• CL
• TL
• RL

AUDI
• A4
• A6
• A8
• Allroad

ISUZU
• Ascender

LEXUS LINK
• LS 430
• SC 430
• LX 470
• GX 470
• RX 330

SUBARU
• Outback H-6 – 3.0 LL Bean Edition Wagon
• Outback H-6 – 3.0 VDC Sedan and Wagon

VOLKSWAGEN*
• New Beetle
• Golf
• Getta
• Passat

BUICK
• Century
• LeSabre
• Park Avenue
• Regal
• Rendezvous

CADILLAC
• DeVille
• Seville
• Escalade
• Escalade EXT
• CTS

CHEVROLET
• Avalanche
• Cavalier
• Express
• Impala
• Monte Carlo
• Silverado
• Suburban
• Tahoe
• Trailblazer
• Trailblazer EXT
• Venture

GMC
• Envoy
• Envoy XL
• Savana
• Sierra
• Sierra Denali
• Denali
• Denali XL
• Yukon
• Yukon XL

HUMMER
• H2

OLDSMOBILE
• Aurora
• Bravada
• Silhouette

PONTIAC
• Aztek
• Bonneville
• Grand Prix
• Montana
• Sunfire

SAAB
• 9-3
• 9-5

SATURN
• L-Serie
• ION
• VUE

* 2004 MY vehicles with start of production in summer 2003

New in 2003 calendar year

For more information about OnStar visit the online edition of the ARI Purchasing News at www.arifleet.com, or you can go directly to the OnStar website at www.onstar.com.

Ford Realigns Product Development

Ford Motor Company recently announced a realignment of its North America product development organization into four platform groups that will be responsible for sets of common vehicles. Previously, product development was organized around five brand-oriented groups.

Ford says that the changes will result in increased new-product introductions as well as significant cost savings, quality improvements and quicker overall product development time.

The changes involve more flexible vehicle platforms as well as increased commonality and standardization of components and processes. Ford hopes this will help the company achieve a 10 percent annual product development productivity improvement and a 25 percent reduction in the number of platforms in North America by 2010.

Ford's North America product development will be organized into four platform groups:

Small FWD/RWD: Focus, Mustang, Freestar, Monterey, new Mercury SUV and next-generation Lincoln cars
Medium/Large FWD/AWD: Taurus, Five Hundred, Freestyle, Mercury Montego and all-new Ford, Mercury and Lincoln cars
SUVs and Body-on-Frame: Escape, Escape Hybrid, Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac, Expedition, Excursion, Crown Victoria, new Mercury small SUV, Mountaineer, Grand Marquis, Aviator, Navigator, Town Car, LS and all-new Ford SUVs
Pickup Trucks and Commercial Vehicles: Ranger, F-Series and E-Series

By moving to more flexible, common platforms, Ford aims to introduce new, derivative products at lower cost in the future – including several all-new Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products not yet announced. In addition, these actions are expected to reduce product development times by approximately 25 percent.

The new flexible manufacturing system will also allow the company to respond more quickly to changing customer demand with faster changeover at a significant cost-savings, the automaker said. For example, the all-new, next-generation flexible manufacturing system in assembly operations is expected to save $1.5 billion to $2 billion during the next decade because of standardized processes and components.

Ford's new Dearborn Truck Plant at the Rouge Center in Dearborn, Mich., will be the most flexible plant – with the capability of producing nine models off three platforms. The other North American assembly plants will be able to produce eight models off two platforms. According to Ford, approximately half of the company's body shops, final assembly and chassis areas will be flexible by mid-decade, with 75 percent of the plants flexible by about 2010.

SAAB Debuts All-New 2004 9-3 Convertible

2004 Saab 9-3 Convertible

At the Geneva Motor Show, Saab revealed the all-new 2004 9-3 Convertible, a car that the automaker calls "the biggest advance Saab has made in nearly 20 years of designing four-seater, four-season soft tops".

The "one-touch" soft-top operation requires no manual involvement beyond pressing a button. The roof is hydraulically-powered, with automatic self-latching to the header rail, and deploys fully in 20 seconds while the engine is running. This is partly achieved by the Convertible's tonneau, which has a two-step cycle, being completely raised horizontally and then moved rearwards, parallel to the top of the trunk.

Raising the roof automatically raises the capacity of the trunk. The CargoSET (Self-Expanding Trunk) directly links the soft-top's rearmost hinge mechanism to the flexible, "accordion" storage well in the trunk. When the roof is in position, the well is fully retracted, releasing useful storage space.

In addition to its functional qualities, Saab said the new Swedish soft-top offers an improved driving experience by incorporating the chassis dynamics of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan. The new Convertible also includes a supplementary "ring of steel" reinforcement linking the front, rear and side structures, helping to compensate for the loss of structural rigidity due to the absence of a roof, which also improves handling and crash impact resistance.

Compared to its predecessor, the new car gains 2.0 inches in overall width and the wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer. Despite reduced front and rear overhangs, the overall length of 182.5 inches remains the same as the previous model.

The all-aluminum, four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine, configured for 175- or 210-hp, is 33 pounds lighter than its predecessor and is quieter and more compact. Two manual transmissions are available, depending on the engine. A five-speed manual is standard with the 175-hp 2.0t engine. A new, compact 6-speed manual gearbox is standard on the 210-hp 2.0T models. A new "smart" five-speed automatic transmission is optional and it includes Saab Sentronic, a sequential manual gear shift that adapts to both the driver and road conditions.

A series of new structural and occupant protection measures improve crash worthiness. Safety features for front seats include new seatbelts integrated into the seat frames, adaptive dual front airbags, two-stage side-impact airbags designed to offer protection for both the torso and the head, and Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), proven to be effective in helping to prevent neck injury during rear-end collisions.

In the event of a rollover, the new Convertible has an active protection system, DynaCage, that combines pop-up rear roll bars, front seatbelt pre-tensioning and substantial reinforcement of the A-pillars to help provide an integrated protection system.

The new Saab 9-3 Convertible will be built in a dedicated new production facility in Austria, and will reach the US market in the fall of 2003 as a 2004 model.

Nissan Releases Sketch of All-New 2004 Pathfinder Armada

2004 Nissan Pathfinder Armada

Nissan is expanding its lineup of sport utility vehicles with the addition of the all-new Pathfinder Armada.

The new V8-powered, eight-passenger full-size SUV, which will be unveiled at the New York International Auto Show in April, goes on sale this fall as a 2004 model.

It will be assembled at Nissan's new $1.4 billion plant in Canton, Mississippi.

Download Feature News Word Document

Purchasing News Home

Pool Vehicle Inventory

CARS
Year	Make	Cyl	Model	Dr	Location	Invoice	Ref #
02	Buick	6	LeSabre Custom	4	Phoenix, AR	$22,683	03441

TRUCKS
Year	Make	Cyl	Model	Location	Invoice	Ref #
02	Chevrolet	8	3500 HD Chassis Cab	Grand Island, NE	$25,686	Multiple
03	Chevrolet	6	Astro Passenger Van	Raleigh, NC	$21,524	22050
03	Chevrolet	6	Astro Passenger Van	Cincinnati, OH	$21,527	22052
03	Dodge	6	Caravan SE Passenger Van	Mechanicsville, PA	$22,256	21399
03	Dodge	6	Caravan SE Passenger Van	Eastpointe, MI	$20,462	23085
03	Dodge	6	Caravan SE Passenger Van	Belford, NJ	$20,462	23088
03	Dodge	6	Caravan SE Passenger Van	Rockaway, NJ	$19,071	23093
03	Dodge	8	RAM 1500 Quad Cab	Moline, IL	$25,922	11772
03	Dodge	8	B350 Maxivan Cargo	Gastonia, NC	22,780	83040X
03	Ford	6	Ranger 4x4 Super Cab	Smyrna, GA	$18,421	21285
03	Ford	8	F150 Super Cab 4x2	Scottsdale, AZ	$21,261	30412
03	Ford	8	E250 Cargo Van	Multiple Locations	$30,310	Multiple
03	Ford	8	E350 SD Cargo Van	Las Vegas, NV	$20,815	Multiple
When a "stock purchase" is desired, you may consider using a vehicle from the ARI "pool" to save money and time. Call your ARI representative for details!

Download Pool Vehicles Word Document