Auto Trends

Domestic US car sales numbers are in and the information is downright ugly. For the first time in more than fifteen years, monthly sales dropped below one million units, a far cry from the heady days of 2000 when sales pushed past 1.5 million units some months.

An ongoing economic downturn highlighted by a credit industry that has seized up is behind much of the losses for the month, with every major retailer seeing double-digit losses. Unless federal intervention takes place soon, October could be a repeat of September’s drubbing.

In most months there are winners and losers when it comes to retail sales, but for September 2008 we have losers and a long list of automotive manufacturers who got creamed. Thanks to information supplied by Autodata, we can share with you how each company did and sum up with what the future holds.

Going Down, Down, Down In September 2008

General Motors: -15.6
Ford Motor Company: -34.5
Chrysler: -32.8
Toyota: -32.3
Honda: -24.0
Nissan: -36.8
Volkswagen: -8.2
Mitsubishi: -39.0
Mazda: -35.6
Hyundai: -25.4
BMW: -25.8
Mercedes: -16.4
Subaru: -11.9
Kia: -27.8
Isuzu: -54.3
Suzuki: -46.6
Jaguar: -31.6
Porsche: -44.8

For the remainder of 2008, sales will likely be much lower than average, but should begin to gain ground once credit markets recover. Economic uncertainty – currently in abundance – will keep sales down despite year end bargains and other incentives.

When Will We See A Recovery?

Going forward, it could take until next summer before recovery takes shape, with sales returning to normal by Spring 2010.

Perhaps the one bright light for domestic automakers is that the president recently signed legislation which creates a $25 billion loan package for the industry. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, and domestic auto suppliers will be able to borrow money at low interest rates and have twenty-five years to repay their loans. Combine these loans with new product offerings coming forth and the domestic automotive industry just may be able to survive one of the worst crises in decades.

The Ford Motor Company recently received some good news that they’re certain to brag about a lot in the coming months. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a private group funded by the nation’s insurance companies, has named several Ford models as top safety picks for the year.

Leading the way are the Ford Flex and Fusion, Lincoln MKS, and the Mercury Milan, beating out Honda for the most “Top Safety Picks” amongst 2009 models. In addition, the IIHS has recognized Ford as having more 5-star government crash test ratings than any other automaker.

Class Leading New Vehicle Safety

“Leading the industry in ‘Top Safety Picks’ is great news, because IIHS tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers are increasingly relying on them when choosing a new vehicle,” said Susan Cischke, Ford’s group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.

The IIHS doesn’t dispense these awards freely, requiring that vehicles earn the top “good” ratings in the institutes’ high-speed front and side crash tests, and a rear crash test simulation that evaluates seat and head restraints. Since 2007, the IIHS has added a new requirement one that requires vehicles to offer electronic stability control.

“Flex and MKS are built on a platform that has a tremendous safety heritage – one that it shares with the 2009 Ford Taurus, rated America’s safest full-size car,” said Steve Kozak, Ford’s chief engineer for safety systems. “And Fusion and Milan prove that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package.”

Safety Packed Features

In addition to electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes, standard safety features on Flex, MKS, Fusion and Milan include:

Six Standard Air Bags and Ford’s Personal Safety System®: Safety features include six air bags (dual-stage driver and front-passenger air bags, thorax side air bags for front-seat occupants and side-impact air curtains), safety belt pretensioners, seat weight-sensing system for the front passenger seat and crash-severity sensing.

Ford’s BeltMinder®, a safety belt reminder technology for the driver and front passenger that takes over after the initial safety belt reminder stops chiming.
LATCH: The Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren system provides convenient mounting points for compatible child seats.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System: This system warns a driver if one or more tires are underinflated. An active pressure sensor with a radio transmitter is mounted inside each tire. A receiver in the vehicle monitors each transmitter, and if tire pressure is not within specific limits, it will activate a visual warning light.

Other key safety features on select models include:

Adaptive Collapsible Steering Column – In an impact, the column will collapse, dependent on the weight and belted status of the driver.

Safety Canopy® – Ford’s exclusive side impact protection system features side curtain air bags that help protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side impact crashes.

“Safety is a top purchase consideration, second only to fuel efficiency, so the top safety ratings and competitive fuel economy of Flex, MKS, Fusion and Milan are a winning combination,” said Michael Crowley, North America car and crossover marketing manager, Ford Motor Company.

Rare Good News For Ford

The IIHS report is good news for Ford in a year when the automaker continues to experience record losses and where domestic auto sales are down by 17% for the year. When the market does recover, Ford will be able to tout the many safety features found across its model line, features which are a proven hit with savvy and safety smart shoppers.

(Source: Ford Motor Company)