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Hey everyone,
Quick question for the dealers out there.
With MLK Day coming up (one of the biggest sales days of the year), are you running anything different on Monday, or changing how the store shows up?
If you’ve got a tactic, promo, or staffing plan worth sharing, let us know!
Always curious what’s working on the ground.
— CDG
First time reading a CDG Newsletter?
Welcome to The Weekly, a roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week.
U.S. auto sales end 2025 higher, but growth is uneven across brands
U.S. new-vehicle sales finished 2025 up 4%, but growth was concentrated among a handful of mainstream brands.
Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, and GM captured most of the volume gains, while Rivian, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Mazda fell further behind.
Big picture: The results signal where demand is consolidating heading into 2026, favoring hybrids, SUVs, and value-priced models over premium EVs.
McGovern Automotive Group ends auto technician retention woes
McGovern Automotive Group has made progress on technician retention after a $1.6 million investment in a structured pay and training program.
The program ties bonuses to tenure, certifications, and multimedia inspection performance, with top technicians earning up to $20,000 annually in incentives.
Bottom line: This approach has helped stabilize a workforce of roughly 690 techs, cut turnover to about 23%, and drive double-digit growth in fixed-ops revenue.
A quick word from our partner
Identity Fraud is hurting auto dealers.
Experian Automotive found that nearly 90% of dealers are concerned about rising fraud, with 75% reporting a measurable impact on their operations.
In the past year, 85% have suspected or confirmed fraud cases, primarily due to income fabrication and forged documents.
The fix?
Experian Automotive's Fraud Protect.
Fraud Protect quickly and easily validates customer identities and documents with zero disruption to your sales flow or the consumer journey.
84 out of 100 dealership websites are basically "invisible" to AI search
A new study finds most dealership websites are failing at AI search, making them effectively invisible when shoppers ask tools like ChatGPT for dealer recommendations.
Savvy Dealer tested 100 dealer sites and found 84% scored a D or worse, with nearly half actively blocking AI crawlers altogether.
Zooming out: As AI becomes a starting point for car shopping, dealers that don’t fix access and structured data risk disappearing from the next generation of search.
Lower-priced new cars return as Jeep Cherokee, Chevy Bolt hit dealer lots
Lower-priced new vehicles are finally showing back up on dealer lots, led by the return of the Jeep Cherokee and the Chevy Bolt.
Jeep’s redesigned Cherokee starts around $35K with a hybrid powertrain, while Chevy’s revived Bolt undercuts nearly every EV on the market at $28,595.
What we’re watching: Together, the models give dealers fresh ammo to re-engage buyers who’ve been priced out during years of margin-first strategy.
Preston Automotive GM credits new tech with speedier, seamless sales closings
Preston Automotive Group is speeding up deals and smoothing the buying process by shifting customer-facing steps to iPads and AutoFi.
How it works: Buyers can review numbers, submit information, and make decisions ahead of arrival, cutting down friction on delivery day.
And so far, this approach has driven a sharp lift in performance, with PVR climbing from roughly $1,600 to $2,100 per car in just three months.
Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?
Presented by:
Covideo Contest Finalists Revealed, Sita on Videos Driving Performance
Featured guests:
Margaret Henney, Vice President of Marketing at Covideo
Nino Sita, General Manager at Lindsay CDJR
