US SALES

Confirmed: Audi Q2 Arrives in 2016

December 29, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Yet another SUV model line is planned for Audi. At the same time, its best selling Q5 will be replaced by a new model.

Is there a tipping point for SUVs? The segment certainly continues to grow, accounting for approximately 40 percent of all new vehicle purchases in the United States. Mainstream and luxury marques alike continue to add them, filling nearly every hole — real or conceived — in the segment.

New Audi Q2, Updated Q5

Audi, like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, has the segment covered. But Audi still sees room for growth and will introduce an all-new model in 2016, the Q2. In addition, the next generation Audi Q5 will also debut, giving this German luxury brand one of the freshest SUV model lines in the industry.

Audi Q2

Up next: Audi Q2 SUV.

Yesterday, the Audi Group outlined its plans for the coming year with the company’s CEO, Robert Stadler, stating that the automaker will be “continuing with high levels of investment in future technologies to enhance [its] strong position.”

Near-Term Investment Plans

A big chunk of that $3 billion euro investment will come in the form of alternative drive systems, including its first large-series battery-electric vehicle, based on the Audi e-tron Quattro concept. Audi’s already expansive product line will continue to expand and include 60 different vehicles by 2020.

Not much is known about the Audi Q2 although sources such as Autoweek claim that the vehicle is based on the Audi Crosslane Concept, which is based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform. That platform underpins a number of models, including the Volkswagen Golf. The Audi Q2 might be considered a competitor to the Mini Countryman.

Second-Generation Audi Q5

The second-generation Audi Q5 (the brand’s best selling model) will arrive for the 2017 model year, replacing the first-generation SUV after an eight-year model run. A 2013 refresh brought in several changes and added a high-performance SQ5 edition. The Volkswagen’s Group diesel crisis means only gasoline engines are currently available, effectively inhibiting sales.

One issue Audi has been slow to resolve is its USB connectivity or lack thereof. Audi does make it possible to connect your smartphone, but only if your personal product and that cable connect — good luck with that, my iPhone 5 simply has no compatible cable.

Sixth Straight Year of Sales Gains

Despite not offering diesel products over the past several months, Audi has managed to enjoy increased market share. In November, its sales rose by 0.4 percent, but was good enough to record its 59th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases. Through November, US sales are up 11.7 percent, outpacing the industry. At this pace, Audi should enjoy its sixth straight year of sales growth and top 200,000 units for the first time.

Despite the continued gain, Audi will remain in a distant fourth place in 2015 among luxury makes, finishing behind BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, with each marque selling at least 325,000 vehicles per year in the US. New product from Cadillac and Hyundai’s soon to arrive Genesis luxury brand should make things interesting these next few years.

See Also — Crossing Over With the Audi Q3

Audi Q2 photo copyright Audi AG.

December Sales Momentum May Mean Record Sales

December 17, 2015 by admin 1 Comment

2015 is on pace to set a new, all-time sales record in the United States. Retail and fleet light-vehicle sales are coming in strong as the year moves to a close.

December is shaping up as yet another strong month for auto sales. Mild weather across much of the country has been helping as well as continued low interest rates on consumer loans despite a recent, but nominal increase in lending rates. If the sales pace continues unabated, 2015 will go down as the best year ever for US sales, breaking the previous record established in 2000.

Those are the findings of a forecast developed jointly by LMC Automotive and J.D. Power. LMC is a noted supplier of automotive trends and intelligence; J.D. Power is a global marketing services company serving multiple fields, including automotive.

Within Reach: 17.5 Million Units

New light-vehicle sales for the month are expected to be the best we have seen for any month since 2005. That should allow U.S. sales to top 17.5 million units, surpassing the previous 17.4 million units reached in 2000. Retail sales (consumer or non-fleet) are expected to total 14.3 million units, representing the fourth best year in history.

Two more factors are also weighing in this year: December has five selling weekends, the first time since 2012, and will also have 28 selling days, the most since 2009. The selling days include the first few days of the new year as 2015 calendar year sales will include sales made through Jan. 4, 2016.

“As 2015 comes to a close, the industry is expected to post its strongest sales month of the year,” said John Humphrey, senior vice president of the global automotive practice at J.D. Power. “With continued record transaction prices, consumers are on pace to spend more than $44 billion on new vehicles in December and $437 billion on new vehicles in 2015, both record levels.” The previous record of $407 billion in annual consumer expenditure was set in 2014.

Humphrey also addressed the recent 0.25 percent increase in the Federal Reserve’s interest rate stating that it “…should have minimal impact on new-vehicle sales.”

Strong Fleet Sales

Fleet sales have been strong this year and have been making a significant contribution to this year’s sales pace. Data reveals that fleet sales were much stronger than expected in November, accounting for 19.5 percent of all light-duty vehicle sales. This month, that contribution is expected to drop to 18.2 percent.

LMC remains bullish on 2016 U.S. auto sales. The company has forecast 17.8 million total light-duty vehicle units, including 14.6 million retail sales. That forecast aligns with what other experts have been saying.

Stated Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive, “We now have greater confidence that record sales in 2015 will lead to yet another volume record in 2016. The year-over-year growth rate is projected to be one-third of the growth experienced in 2015, but total and retail light-vehicle sales are at a 2% increase in 2016, keeping the expansion going.”

Extensive Research Can Save You Money

For consumers shopping for a new vehicle, extensive research, including visits to dealer websites can save them money. Most new vehicles sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars below the window sticker price with greater savings achieved through aggressive negotiation. Arranging your own financing and taking manufacturer and dealer discounts instead can lower your overall costs.

Honda Beats Nissan With a CR-V Stick

December 16, 2014 by admin 2 Comments

Battling it out for US sales positioning.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance makes for one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, but when it comes to selling new cars in the US, Honda continues to trump Nissan. No Renault models are sold stateside, leaving Japan’s No. 2 manufacturer to battle that country’s third-largest manufacturer for US sales positioning.

Nissan easily outsells Honda globally, but in two markets — Thailand and the United States — Honda is still ahead. Though beating Honda in Thailand may be important, shedding its mostly four-decade deficit to Honda in the US seems like a never-ending quest.

Refreshed Honda CR-V

Unfortunately for Nissan, its attempt to move past Honda and to stand behind Toyota will have to wait another year. The Accord and Civic certainly are having something to do with that, but Honda’s CR-V crossover utility vehicle is what continues to keep Honda positioned just ahead of Nissan.

The Honda CR-V may not be the most spectacular compact crossover utility vehicle, but it is the segment leader, easily outselling the Toyota RAV4, Ford’s Escape and the Nissan Rogue. The CR-V is everything and more than what 300,000 annual buyers want — a highly dependable, five-passenger front- or all-wheel drive model with good fuel economy, competitive utility and strong resale values.

Earlier this year, it appeared that Nissan would finally overtake Honda on the strength of its excellent first quarter sales. However, an updated CR-V arrived later in the year and with it came a strong boost in Honda sales.

The 2015 edition represents a mid product cycle refresh, one that updates the front and rear fascia, brings in a revised engine with 11 percent more torque, and adds several new interior and safety features.

Of the CR-V, Honda called it the “…most significant mid-model cycle refresh in its history.” Essentially, it gave the CR-V a much needed tweaking, buying Honda some time as it readies a new model.

Surging November Sales

The refresh has stoked interest in Honda’s “cute ute” with November sales surging by 37.7 compared with Nov. 2013. Honda sold 32,378 CR-Vs and has already sold 302,650 units through the first 11 months of the year for a 10 percent year-to-date gain over last year.

The comparable Nissan Rogue is seeing even greater sales increases than the Honda CR-V, but at 184,320 units sold through November 2014, it can’t make up the overall brand sales difference alone.

Through November, Honda has sold 1,253,557 units to Nissan’s 1,164,254. Honda not only reversed its 36,000-unit first quarter deficit, but it is now ahead of its Japanese rival by more than 89,000 units during this final sales month of the year.

Temporary Victory, Elusive Rebound

Nissan’s second place to Honda market position hasn’t always been an exercise in futility. In 1995, Nissan outsold Honda for the year, but quickly lost its footing the following year.

This year, Nissan’s sales are up by 12 percent through Nov. to Honda’s 1 percent increase, but it will need both new product and perhaps a Honda slump to enable it to move up once again. That battle is also going on in the premium segment where Honda’s Acura continues to outsell Nissan’s Infiniti division.

2016 Honda HR-V. — This upcoming 2016 HR-V may help Honda keep its distance from Nissan.

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Highlights of August 2014 US Auto Sales

September 3, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

Subaru, Chrysler and Nissan Headline Aug. 2014 US Auto Sales.

US auto sales for August 2014 were robust with some surprises in the mix. Toyota, projected to experience a decline for the month, sold more than 246,000 vehicles last month, moving ahead of the Ford Motor Company for second place behind GM. Ford sales rose by about 1 percent; GM sales fell by nearly 1 percent.

Subaru, Chrysler Keep Streaks Alive

The big news, however, came a bit further down the sales line. Subaru, one of the smaller Japanese automakers, continues to break sales records. In August, Subaru hit a new milestone with 50,246 vehicles sold. Sales for the month were up by 22.3 percent and for the year are up nearly 19 percent. It was also the 33rd consecutive month-over-month increase with the Forester leading the way.

Chrysler sales fell just short of the 200,000 unit mark with 198,379 models sold. Sales rose 20 percent for the month, representing the 53rd consecutive month-over-month sales increase. Jeep (up 49 percent) and Ram (up 33 percent) continue to provide the boost that carries the company. Chrysler brand sales rose by 4 percent based on the new 200 sedan.

“Chrysler Group sales soared 20 percent last month resulting in our strongest August sales in 12 years” said Reid Bigland, Head of U.S. Sales. “Our Jeep brand continued its torrid sales pace recording its best August sales ever and our Ram Truck brand contributed with a massive 39 percent sales increase, both helping Chrysler Group achieve its 53rd-consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth”

The Nissan brand set a record for the month, topping 125,000 units sold for the first time. Together with Infiniti, 134,388 models went out the door. Nissan brand sales were up on the strength of the Altima, Rogue, Sentra and Versa, rising 15.3 percent for the month. Infiniti sales fell by 22.9 percent.

New Models on Deck

Ford and GM sales have been subdued, as both automakers are set to introduce all-new models that should boost volume significantly. GM has a pair of smaller GMC and Chevrolet pickup trucks set for release this fall and claims 28,000 dealer orders for the Chevy Colorado and 14,000 dealer orders for the GMC Canyon, five times the rate the company had anticipated. Ford will be debuting its next generation and aluminum-body F-150 pickup truck by year-end with the 2015 Ford Mustang also on its way.

Toyota sales rose by 6.3 percent, surprising analysts who were expecting a slight drop for the month. “The industry had its best August in over a decade with sales topping 1.5 million vehicles, said Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager. Boosted by standout SUV sales and a record-shattering month for RAV4, Toyota was the number 1 retail manufacturer in August.

Hondas auto sales nearly topped an August record, but fell just short of a record. Still, American Honda sales rose by 0.4 percent on the strength of a record-breaking month of 51,075 Accords sold. The CR-V and Civic both topped 34,000 units as Honda once again relied on its 1-2-3 punch to sustain the brand.

The fundamental strengths of the Honda brand are on full display as the Accord strengthened its position as the best-selling car uniquely driven by retail sales to individual buyers, said Jeff Conrad, Honda Division senior vice president and general manager. Our other core models, Civic, CR-V and Odyssey are also performing well and continue to drive our retail sales leadership in 2014. And the early market response to the redesigned 2015 Fit is a strong indicator of great things to come as supplies improve, added Conrad.

Korean Manufacturers Climb

Hyundai manufacturing is strained to capacity, but the Korean automaker continues to quickly sell everything it produces. Sales finished at 70,003 units, only the second time Hyundai has hit the 70K milestone. Hyundais auto sales rose by 6 percent and are up 2 percent for the year.

Kia was also up for the month, rising by 5.1 percent and is up by nearly 7 percent for the year. Sales of 54,667 units were an August record as the Optima sedan and Soul multipurpose vehicle led the way.

Auto Sales: Best of the Rest

Volkswagen continues to go in the wrong direction as brand sales fell by 12.8 percent. Golf and Golf GTI sales were among the bright spots for the beleaguered brand. Volkswagen needs new product; a refreshed Jetta may not be enough.

Auto sales for other manufacturers were as follows: BMW brand up 11.6 percent, MINI down 21.1 percent for a net increase of 5.4 percent. BMW is on pace to sell more than 300,000 models this year. Mercedes-Benz sales also rose on the strength of a record-breaking 27,192 units sold. M-B sales were up 15 percent; Sprinter sales climbed by 15.6 percent and Smart sales surged by 57.1 percent.

Volvo sales fell by 10.4 percent, Jaguar Land Rover dropped by 14.8 percent and Tesla sales plunged by 17.9 percent. Porsche sales climbed by 36.5 percent. For the month, sales finished up 5.5 percent to 1.586 million units and are on track to approach 17 million units for the year.

Auto sales data based on manufacturer-supplied news.

Highlights of July 2014 US Auto Sales

August 4, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

Chrysler, Subaru, Mitsubishi and Nissan shine.

The car manufacturers couldn’t wait to post July 2014 auto sales data. Chrysler, usually the first out of the gate, reported its numbers in the wee hours of the morning on Aug. 1. A number of other manufacturers also supplied data early, making it possible for analysts to accurately gauge the month’s performance before lunch time on the east coast.

For the month, 1,435,342 light vehicles were sold, up 9.1 percent over the 1,315,194 sold in July 2013, according to Autodata Corp. Year to date, approximately 9.6 million units have been sold, up 5 percent over last year. Looking toward the end of the year, analysts believe that 16.5 million units will be sold, representing quite a turn around from the 10.4 million units sold in 2009 when the country was mired in a deep recession.

Toyota RAV4. — RAV4 sales are helping Toyota stay strong.

Big Six Automakers

Among the Big Six manufacturers (GM, Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Honda and Nissan), Chrysler reported the largest increase as its sales volume rose by 19.7 percent. Nissan is up 12.6 percent for the year and with Honda sales down by 1.3 percent for 2014, there is a chance that Nissan will finally overtake its Japanese rival. If it does, then Nissan will get a huge monkey off of its back — Nissan outsells Honda worldwide, but has always trailed Honda stateside. It is doubtful that Honda will go down without a fight — we may see this conservative manufacturer increase its incentives, especially on its slower moving models.

For Chrysler, July 2014 was the 52nd consecutive month of month-over-month sales increases. More than four years have passed since Chrysler sales have reversed course and it is the Jeep brand that is leading the charge. Indeed, Jeep has broken sales records every month so far this year. The Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and Cherokee are its top models, each averaging approximately 15,000 units sold per month.

Jeep Grand Cherokee — Jeep sales are up by 41 percent through July 2014.

Nissan Moves Forward

Both Nissan Group brands — Nissan and Infiniti — are outperforming the market with Nissan up by 12.5 percent and Infiniti up by 13.1 percent for the year. The Altima, Rogue, Sentra and Versa contribute the lion’s share of sales for Nissan. The all-new Q50 sedan is doing the heavy lifting and is already the best-selling Infiniti model.

Toyota sales are on the rise and the world’s largest automaker by volume continues to narrow the space between it and No. 2 Ford in the US market. Camry sales are up by 8.3 percent according to Good Car Bad Car, selling nearly 40,000 units in July 2014. Toyota is also seeing even larger gains from its compact Corolla and RAV4 models, with each one on pace to enjoy a double-digit increase for the year. The RAV4 was all-new for 2013; the Corolla is all-new for 2014.

“Rising consumer confidence, coupled with momentum in the marketplace, boosted auto sales in July,” said Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager. “Led by an all-time record month for RAV4 and double-digit gains for both Camry and Corolla, Toyota was the number one retail brand.”

Mitsubishi Mirage — Mirage sales are helping Mitsubishi reverse its losses.

Mitsubishi Strikes Back

Mitsubishi has been languishing in the domestic market for many years, but this year it is making a case for staying put as sales are up by 29 percent for the first seven months of the year. July 2014 sales data reveals strong growth from several vehicles including its Outlander and Lancer Evolution models. The tiny Mirage is all-new, providing the bulk of the brand’s lift for the year.

Our year-to-date sales are up by nearly 29 percent over the same period from last year thanks to strong sales of our core models, said Don Swearingen, MMNA Executive Vice President of Sales. This sustained sales momentum is a good indicator for the brand as we begin to launch our 2015 models.

Subaru XV Crosstrek — Subaru’s July 2014 sales broke an all-time record. Again.

July 2014: Record Month for Subaru

The typical Subaru press release goes something like this: “Subaru reports best-ever sales month.” In July 2014, the niche Japanese automaker sold 45,714 units, an all-time record. That represents 32 consecutive months of year-over-year gains, with the Forester and Outback contributing more than half of those sales. Strong growth is also now coming from the Legacy, as the all-new for 2015 edition boosts its sales.

“With the all-new Legacy and Outback models arriving at retailers and most of the model year change over complete, we can expect a very positive end to the year.” said Jeffrey A. Walters, senior vice president of sales for Subaru of America, Inc..

The Ford F-Series remains by far and away the best selling model in America. Through July 2014, sales are up a slight 0.3 percent and may fall in August as the all-new 2015 model is being readied for production. The newest F-150 will feature an aluminum body as well as an optional 2.7-liter, V-6 EcoBoost engine.

Volkswagen CrossBlue Concept — Volkswagen will have to wait two years
before it gets this new crossover.

The Market Through July 2014

GM continues to lead the US market as company sales are up by 3.5 percent for the year, despite a record number of recalls. Ford sales are off by 0.4 percent, but the big news continues to be Volkswagen as its sales continue to fall.

Through July 2014, Volkswagen sales are down by 6.4 percent. An all-new Golf is due in early 2015 while a much-needed midsize SUV does not arrive until late 2016. At least Audi and Porsche continue to do well, helping to lift Volkswagen Group sales overall.

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Photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine except for Mitsubishi Mirage and Volkswagen CrossBlue, manufacturer contributions both.

No Fooling: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo is Toast

April 1, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo: another one bites the dust.

Yesterday, Automotive News reported that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Evo) will be discontinued following the end of its product cycle this year, effectively removing the slim chance that this Japanese automaker had in making a go of it in the United States. It probably is just as well too: Auto Trends placed Mitsubishi on its death watch list some time ago, the latest in a string of smaller Japanese manufacturers that have departed or will soon leave the ultra-competitive US market.

Like Suzuki, Mitsubishi will survive globally, relying on growing Asian sales to bolster its business. But, killing off its most desired model (at least for American buyers) speaks volumes about its commitment stateside.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo

What sets the Evo apart from the every day Lancer is, well, nearly everything. Its $34,995 starting price is double that of the standard Lancer, representing a performance model that competes with the Subaru WRX STI. The Evo is outfitted with all-wheel drive, active yaw control, and has an active center differential, a combination that provides superior steering and handling for this front-wheel drive compact sedan.

Under the hood is a 291-horsepower turbocharged four cylinder engine paired with a dual-clutch sport shift transmission. Recaro bucket seats up front and special exterior touches all around demonstrate that this is no ordinary Lancer. Well, say good-bye to the extraordinary!

Philippines Manufacturing Plant

The Evo news came on the very same day that Mitsubishi announced that it had purchased Fords mothballed plant in Laguna, the Philippines, what will replace an aging factory in Rizal reports Reuters. Production is set to begin in Jan. with 50,000 annually and capacity to push to 100,000 units.

Mitsubishi is second behind only Toyota in Filipino sales volume, one of several markets fueling its estimated 1.11 million annual global sales. Mitsubishi believes that its sales will rise by 29 percent over the next three years as a fleet of new truck- and car-based utility vehicles, and vans hit the market. The automaker has also tapped the Renault-Nissan alliance for joint projects to yield several other new models.

An early Mitsubishi-supplied Plymouth Champ.

Thin US Sales and Profits

In the US, sales continue to tumble with Mitsubishi selling fewer than 50,000 units in 2013. For the first two months of the year, sales are up 1.2 percent in a flat market. Still, the product mix relies heavily on small vehicles and the thinner profit lines that come with it.

Mitsubishi Motors North America was launched in 1981, but its cars were sold stateside for a number of years by the Chrysler Corporation. Indeed, Chrysler began importing its first Mitsubishi model for 1971, under the Dodge Colt moniker. A Plymouth Champ model later joined the line up, replaced a decade later by the Plymouth Colt.

Other earlier Mitsubishi-turned-Chrysler products have included the Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Sapporo, and the Dodge D50 compact pickup truck. That Challenger model had nothing to do with the original nameplate, considered an interloper by performance Dodge Challenger devotees. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo itself arrived in 1992, with no Chrysler counterpart offered.

Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler

Chrysler continued to sell Mitsubishi products into the 1990s. By 2000, the new DaimlerChrysler entity formed an alliance with Mitsubishi that ended in 2005, following a defect scandal that soured the relationship. That move presaged the Daimler-Chrysler divorce a few years later.

Mitsubishi hasn’t announced (yet) that it is pulling out of the US market. Whether it does so this year or next really does not matter. Car shoppers always vote with their wallets and are choosing competing models from Honda, Volkswagen, Kia, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Nissan, and others instead. Small-time Mitsubishi simply cannot survive in the worlds toughest consumer market, something Suzuki, Isuzu and Daihatsu had figured out as well.

Plymouth Champ photo courtesy of dave_7 by way of Wikipedia.

Ford Makes Claim to Best Selling Truck and Car Models

January 7, 2013 by admin 1 Comment

Two winning models for the Blue Oval.

2013 Ford F-150 XLT — For 36 straight years the F-Series reigns supreme.

The Ford Motor Company claims two best selling vehicles: its F-150 pickup truck and its compact Focus car. The former is no surprise as it has been Americas top selling pickup truck for 36 consecutive years. The latter is a best seller too, but not in the United States that distinction belongs to the Toyota Camry. Globally, however, the Ford Focus has supplanted the Toyota Corolla as the best selling vehicle in the world.

Two Winners

For 2012, Ford moved 645,316 units of its F-Series pickup trucks in the U.S. market alone. That number easily outpaced the Chevrolet Silverado. Indeed, with GMC Sierra sales included, Ford still managed to build more large trucks than GM.

On the other end of the vehicle spectrum are Fords small cars including its compact Focus line. US sales for the Ford Focus rose by 40 percent to 245,922 units, but still well behind its segment competitors: the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.

One Ford Policy

Ford Focus That the Focus is even a player is a tribute to company management that decided in 2008 to invoke a One Ford product strategy where similar vehicles are sold globally. That move brought the subcompact Fiesta to the US market followed by the European-designed Focus.

The new Focus replaced an American-designed model that was far different from the European model indeed the class leader that is taking the world by storm right now. By offering a single model across its many markets, Ford has cut costs and improved vehicle quality. North American drivers clearly have taken to the new model.

Polk Data

We don’t have official figures yet proving Fords assertion that the Focus has surged past the Toyota Corolla. Ford is basing its claims on sales numbers through September 2012, pegged at 737,856 units reports AutoExpress. If that pace has held steady then nearly 1 million Focus sales would have been made globally in 2012. R.L. Polk estimates that 966,000 Toyota Corolla models were sold last year reports AOL Autos.

The Ford Motor Company is more profitable today because of its One Ford policy. Some vehicles such as the F-150 and Taurus sedan have limited appeal beyond its home market, but still help Ford round out is vehicle line. Fords strategy is working and once again the blue oval sold more than 2 million new vehicles in the US.

Photos courtesy of the Ford Motor Company.