Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[May 2013: Coming Up Roses Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/03/may-2013-coming-up-roses-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/03/may-2013-coming-up-roses-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/03/may-2013-coming-up-roses-edition/#commentsFiled under:

Nissan, Ford, Chrysler Lead Gains, Subaru Sets All-Time Record



April showers sure do have May sales flowering this year. The numbers for last month are in, and generally speaking, the US market was strong with most automakers reporting higher sales than a year ago. Of those that were in the red, most were only down in the single-digit percent range, and Mitsubishi is a mainstay near the bottom these days thanks to a number of models that left production in the last year. The only surprising poor performance was Infiniti, which reported sales for May down 25.42 percent to 7,899 units sold.

All of the companies we follow reported sales gain in May, led by Nissan North America (+24.69 percent/114,457 sales), Ford Motor Company (+14.02 percent/246,585 sales) and Chrysler Group (+11.03 percent/166,596 sales). General Motors and Toyota Motors Sales also managed to maintain their green ratings with the US automaker posting an increase of 3.11 percent on sales of 252,894 units and Japan's juggernaut rising 2.45 percent on 207,952 units sold.

Of individual brands, Cadillac rose to the top with a 39.88-percent sales increase, all thanks to new sales from the ATS and XTS masking a 41-percent slide in CTS sales. Subaru, no stranger to the top of our table, reported a 34.21-percent sales increase, which set a new monthly record for the brand.

We noticed some interesting items at the model level as well, including the Volkswagen GTI selling 1,284 units, which comes surprisingly close to outselling the standard Golf at 1,593 sold. Speaking of VW, the Passat, Motor Trend's Car of the Year last year, was outsold by the Dodge Avenger: 10,691 to 10,267. The Ford F-Series was up 30.6 percent to 71,604 sold, which is more than twice what the Honda Accord sold (33,218). Scion FR-S sales of 1,937 are nearly triple those of the Subaru BRZ (679), and we're not sure why Honda has to be so cruel by continuing to report each month that the S2000 has sold zero units.




*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 26 selling days in May 2013 and 26 selling days in May 2012, so there is no difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

May 2013: Coming Up Roses Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numbersmay 2013may 2013 auto salesMon, 03 Jun 2013 15:50:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20597294/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/06/03/may-2013-coming-up-roses-edition/20597294/article-detail.xml 20597294 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/06/bythenumberscutart012213_thumbnail.png http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/06/bythenumberscutart012213.png <![CDATA[Strong auto sales predicted for Memorial Day weekend [w/poll]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/24/strong-auto-sales-predicted-for-memorial-day-weekend-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/24/strong-auto-sales-predicted-for-memorial-day-weekend-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/24/strong-auto-sales-predicted-for-memorial-day-weekend-w-poll/#commentsFiled under:

GMC pickups lined up at dealership

Generally speaking, holiday weekends are always good for auto sales, but the Detroit Free Press says that dealers are expecting to do exceptionally well during this year's three-day Memorial Day weekend. Even better, forecasts have 2013 new-car sales being the best the industry has seen since 2002 - predictions are hovering between 15 million and 16 million units for the year.

Leading this rebound is the fact that construction and home-building industries are picking back up, which is an especially good sign for truck sales. The article points out that truck buyers tend to fare particularly well during Memorial Day weekend, as prices are usually discounted around 20 percent. The final bit of good news in the story - for the industry - is that this year's average price of newly purchased vehicles is $28,921, which is not only up from last year, but also the highest total ever for the month of May.

View Poll

Strong auto sales predicted for Memorial Day weekend [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 May 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salescar buyingcar salesmemorial daymemorial day weekendFri, 24 May 2013 18:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20582841/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/05/24/strong-auto-sales-predicted-for-memorial-day-weekend-w-poll/20582841/article-detail.xml 20582841 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/gmc-pickups-at-dealership_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/gmc-pickups-at-dealership.jpg <![CDATA[Car sales in Europe up for first time in 19 months]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/20/car-sales-in-europe-up-for-first-time-in-19-months/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/20/car-sales-in-europe-up-for-first-time-in-19-months/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/20/car-sales-in-europe-up-for-first-time-in-19-months/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Volkswagen factory's famous cylindrical car elevator garage

Automotive News reports the European automotive market has posted first gain in 19 months. Germany and Spain helped push the swell thanks to higher-than-average consumer confidence, though the EU saw registrations jump two percent overall compared to the prior year. In April, buyers took home 1.08 million new vehicles, up from 1.06 million during the same month in 2012. Analysts are hoping the news is the first sign of a legitimate recovery for a region that has suffered some of the slowest auto sales in 20 years. Even so, the market continues to suffer - four-month sales are down 7 percent to 4.18 million units.

Peugeot-Citroen saw its sales fall off by 10 percent last month. Ford and General Motors both posted declines of 0.6 percent and four percent respectively, with Chevrolet suffering through a 28-percent decline last month. There were winners in the region, however. Mercedes-Benz sales increased by 13 percent while Volkswagen registrations jumped by around 9 percent. Sales were particularly strong in the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany.

Car sales in Europe up for first time in 19 months originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salescar saleschevroleteueuropeeuropean unioneuropean car salesfordgeneral motorsmercedes-benzsalesvwMon, 20 May 2013 14:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20575189/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/05/20/car-sales-in-europe-up-for-first-time-in-19-months/20575189/article-detail.xml 20575189 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/vw-factory-car-elevator-garage_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/vw-factory-car-elevator-garage.jpg <![CDATA[April 2013: Showers Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/01/april-2013-showers-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/01/april-2013-showers-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/01/april-2013-showers-edition/#commentsFiled under:

Ford And Nissan Make Big Gains, Toyota Falls



Unlike the month of March, when automakers left and right were breaking monthly sales records despite having one fewer selling day, April 2013 was a month when some brands couldn't even beat their year-over-year sales numbers despite being spotted an extra selling day compared to April 2012.

The Honda Accord won this month's round of midsize sedan sales.

Some of the winners from March, though, kept on winning in April. Of the high-volume brands, Nissan posted the biggest YoY gain of 24.62 positive, while Ford, which deals in volumes more than twice the size of Nissan, moved its needle in a positive direction by an impressive 17.77 percent. Nissan can credit the popularity of its Altima (up 35.4 percent to 21,991) and Pathfinder (up 423.5 percent to 6,473) for the bump. Ford, meanwhile, was firing on all of its cylinders, with the Escape up 52 percent to 25,826 units sold and Fusion up 23.7 percent to 26,722.

Speaking of midsize sedans, the Honda Accord won this month's round, with April sales of 33,528 compared to the Toyota Camry at 31,710, the aforementioned Fusion at 26,722, and Nissan Altima at 21,991.

Lincoln also appears high up in our April table, thanks entirely to the MKZ, which is finally filling up dealer lots after having its initial production and quality woes sorted. Ford's luxury brand saw sales up 20.72 percent to 7,615 total on the back of the MKZ's 115.4-percent sales increase to 4,012 units.

Of the automakers reporting declining sales, we're most surprised to see both Toyota (-1.51 percent) and Chrysler (-12.68) among them. Toyota saw sales decline for three of its top-selling models (Corolla -6.1 percent, Camry -17.3 percent and Prius -24.1 percent), which couldn't be offset by the brand's new RAV4 posting a 17.1-percent increase to 18,541 units sold in April. Chrysler, meanwhile, only has three models, and while sales of the 200 and Town & Country were largely flat, the 300 saw sales fall 47 percent to 4,120 units.



*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in April 2013 and 24 selling days in April 2012, so there is a difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

April 2013: Showers Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 May 2013 15:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>april 2013auto industryauto salesby the numbersfeaturedWed, 01 May 2013 15:48:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20554960/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/05/01/april-2013-showers-edition/20554960/article-detail.xml 20554960 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/bythenumberscutart012213_thumbnail.png http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/05/bythenumberscutart012213.png <![CDATA[Subcompact car sales in a funk despite high gas prices]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/15/subcompact-car-sales-in-a-funk-despite-high-gas-prices/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/15/subcompact-car-sales-in-a-funk-despite-high-gas-prices/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/15/subcompact-car-sales-in-a-funk-despite-high-gas-prices/#commentsFiled under: , ,

2013 Mazda2 - metallic green, front three-quarter view

When gas prices rise, knee-jerk consumerism means that sales of small cars increase in lockstep, right? Well, sometimes - but that's not always the case. Ward's Auto reports that sales of subcompact car sales in America are off despite fuel prices pushing and holding at $3.50 to $4.00 a gallon across the country. According to the report, the "Lower Small" segment has seen a 2.6-percent sales decline since October, while fuel prices have been on the rise. Despite their comparatively thirsty appetite for fuel, the industry publication notes that sales of large crossovers are up a whopping 61 percent over the same time period.

Part of the sales stories may center on the boom/bust cycle that comes as a result of new or aging models in each segment - the full-size CUV segment has received a raft of new models, including the refreshed Lambda triplets from General Motors, the Nissan Pathfinder and even derivatives like the new Sport model in the Ford Explorer family. Yet it isn't as if America's subcompact segment is stagnant - as Ward's points out, most of the players are two years old or less.

Sales losers in the first quarter of the year include the Mazda2 (pictured - down 51.9 percent), Toyota Yaris (-27.9 percent) and Hyundai Accent (-24.7), though other models including the Kia Rio and Chevrolet Sonic slipped as well. Conversely, the Nissan Versa and Ford Fiesta held their own, registering sales up 11.6 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.

Part of subcompacts' sales problem may be due to the fact that those same automakers offer larger compact models whose fuel economy figures are comparable to that of their smaller counterparts. Further, pricing differences may not amount to all that much between the models - particularly in leasing situations where compact cars' typically command higher residual values.

Subcompact car sales in a funk despite high gas prices originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 mazda22013 toyota yarisauto salescar salesmazdasubcompactsubcompact carstoyotatoyota yarisMon, 15 Apr 2013 09:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20539108/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/04/15/subcompact-car-sales-in-a-funk-despite-high-gas-prices/20539108/article-detail.xml 20539108 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/04/628-2013-mazda-mazda2_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/04/628-2013-mazda-mazda2.jpg <![CDATA[X1, 3 Series power BMW back into global luxury autos sales lead]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/14/x1-3-series-power-bmw-back-into-global-luxury-autos-sales-lead/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/14/x1-3-series-power-bmw-back-into-global-luxury-autos-sales-lead/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/14/x1-3-series-power-bmw-back-into-global-luxury-autos-sales-lead/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

BMW X1

BMW managed to eke ahead of Audi for the global luxury sales crown in February. According to Bloomberg, BMW saw deliveries swell by 7 percent in February, besting the 3.2 percent jump enjoyed by Audi and giving BMW a 407-unit delivery lead over its rival last month. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, continued to falter, with the brand selling some 37,229 fewer machines than BMW, whose factories are running at full capacity to keep up with demand. Models like the X1 (shown above) enjoyed a sales increase of 40 percent in February while the company's bread-and-butter 3 Series jumped by 26 percent.

Mercedes-Benz hopes to stem its continued market share loss with the addition of the entry-level CLA sedan to its portfolio in April. The company is set to roll out an updated version of its cash-cow E-Class at the same time, and a new-generation S-Class will follow along shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the company is increasing production to meet demand for its A and B-Class models.

X1, 3 Series power BMW back into global luxury autos sales lead originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 bmw 3 series2013 bmw x12014 mercedes-benz e-classaudiauto salesbmwcar salese-classe-klasseglobal luxury salesluxury carmercedes-benzx1Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20498947/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/03/14/x1-3-series-power-bmw-back-into-global-luxury-autos-sales-lead/20498947/article-detail.xml 20498947 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/bmw-x1-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/bmw-x1-628.jpg <![CDATA[February 2013: No Leap Day Edition [UPDATE]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/01/february-2013-no-leap-day-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/01/february-2013-no-leap-day-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/01/february-2013-no-leap-day-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,



Last year was a Leap Year, and February 2012 indeed offered automakers an extra day of selling cars compared to the 24 trips around the sun we took last month. Nevertheless, the US auto industry took full advantage of the days they were given and posted a solid month of sales in February 2013.

Among major automakers, Ford Motor Company (+9.33 percent) and General Motors (+7.17 percent) were the leaders, while Toyota Motor Company (+4.34) and Chrysler Group (+4.11 thanks to a +30.33-percent performance by Dodge) managed to stay positive. Nissan North America, however, fared less well, reporting a drop in year-over-year sales of -6.65 percent.

Among brands, we see many luxury marques near the top, including Bentley (+42.86 percent), Porsche (+30.53 percent), Audi (+27.77 percent), Mercedes-Benz (+23.05 percent), Cadillac (+20.34 percent) and Land Rover (+19.97 percent). If taken as a sign of a recovering economy, then the wealthier among us appear to be leading the way.

You might not be surprised to see Lincoln at the very bottom of the sales pile.

Perhaps more notable are the brands that didn't do so well in February. Kia (-7.84 percent) has rarely been seen in the red, and even trumpeted a new sales record for January last month. The rare dip is unusual for the Korean automaker, having increased sales four years in a row and experiencing only one month of declining sales last year in December. Likewise, Jeep (-16.48 percent) and Nissan (-7.18 percent) manage to avoid the crimson club most months, but not last month.

You might not be surprised to see Lincoln at the very bottom of the sales performance pile, having reported a large decline of -29.35 percent. Don't blame the new MKZ just yet, as production has still not yet ramped up to the levels of its predecessor. Lincoln sold 945 new MKZs in February, down 62.0 percent from the year prior, but up 47.9 percent month-over-month.

UPDATE: Honda inadvertently published incorrect numbers earlier in the day. Those numbers have now been updated reflecting the accurate sales data for Honda, Acura and Honda America.

UPDATE 2: Numbers corrected for Volkswagen, Infiniti and Acura.



*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 24 selling days in February 2013 and 25 selling days in February 2012, so there is a difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

February 2013: No Leap Day Edition [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numbersfeaturedfebruary 2013 auto salesFri, 01 Mar 2013 17:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20485444/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/03/01/february-2013-no-leap-day-edition/20485444/article-detail.xml 20485444 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/bythenumberscutart012213_thumbnail.png http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/03/bythenumberscutart012213.png <![CDATA[Robust pickup, sedan sales expected to power 2013 sales gains]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/05/robust-pickup-sedan-sales-expected-to-power-2013-sales-gains/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/05/robust-pickup-sedan-sales-expected-to-power-2013-sales-gains/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/05/robust-pickup-sedan-sales-expected-to-power-2013-sales-gains/#commentsFiled under: , ,

2013 Ford F-150 Limited - front three-quarter view

We're only a month into the 2013 calendar year, but with January's strong sales continuing the momentum from 2012, some are already predicting that this year will be the best sales year since start of the recession. According to Automotive News, the two main vehicle segments expected to drive sales in 2013 are full-size pickup trucks and family sedans.

January saw monthly sales top one million units for the first time since 2008, and these figures have led analysts to peg their annual sales projections between 15 million and 15.5 million total units in the US, fed by increased sedan and truck sales to the tune of 19 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

These projections are undoubtedly bolstered by a batch of important new midsize cars hitting the market like the redesigned Fusion, Altima and Accord and new trucks like the refreshed Ram 1500 and Ford F-150, but there will also be plenty of new offerings in both segments this year, including the all-new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, the updated 2014 Toyota Tundra and smaller-volume cars like the 2014 Mazda6.

Robust pickup, sedan sales expected to power 2013 sales gains originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 new car salesauto salescar salestruck salesvehicle salesTue, 05 Feb 2013 18:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20448564/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/02/05/robust-pickup-sedan-sales-expected-to-power-2013-sales-gains/20448564/article-detail.xml 20448564 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/2013-ford-f-150-limited-quick-spin---01-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/2013-ford-f-150-limited-quick-spin---01-opt.jpg <![CDATA[January 2013: We've Got A New Graphic Edition!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/01/january-2013-weve-got-a-new-graphic-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/01/january-2013-weve-got-a-new-graphic-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/01/january-2013-weve-got-a-new-graphic-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,



Is there anything else to discuss this month besides the fact that By the Numbers has a new graphic? Since sometime in 2006, I've dutifully collected this monthly sales data and published it in table form for your perusal, and I've always accompanied the data and my analysis of it with that funny little graphic of a green car going up (or down) a red hill. I've no idea where I found it, probably a Google image search, and have resisted changing it for so long partly on account of laziness, but also an obstinate will to maintain consistency. That will, good people, has been broken, and for the better I think, based on the lovely new graphic you see above these words.

On to the numbers, which for the most part were pleasantly high across the industry. American brands lead the way with Cadillac posting a 46.97-percent surge in sales and Dodge a 37.43-percent jump. Lexus and Buick were also up over 30 percent in January.

Of the big brands selling close to or over 100,000 units per month, Toyota took top honors with a rise in sales of 26.05 percent, though not far behind was Ford with a 23.35-percent lift. Chrysler appeared in the teens at 17.56 percent, while Honda (12.74 percent) and Chevrolet (10.85 percent) each reported healthy increases, as well.

Nissan, however, showed a mere 1.76-percent rise in the raw number of vehicles it sold last month. When converted to the change in the Daily Average Sales rate, that number falls to -2.31 percent. Other surprises at the bottom of the list include Hyundai (2.39/-1.71 percent), Kia (2.21/-1.88 percent) and BMW (0.66/-3.37 percent), while Jeep and Mazda both sold fewer models last month than the year before no matter which column you look at.

The rest of the numbers are below, and you can view more from the past in our By the Numbers archive.



*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in January 2013 and 24 selling days in January 2012, so there is a difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

January 2013: We've Got A New Graphic Edition! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numberscar salesfeaturedjanuary 2013january 2013 auto salesjanuary 2013 car salesFri, 01 Feb 2013 17:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20446517/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/02/01/january-2013-weve-got-a-new-graphic-edition/20446517/article-detail.xml 20446517 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/bythenumberscutart012213_thumbnail.png http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/02/bythenumberscutart012213.png <![CDATA[The good news and the bad news about December car sales]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/06/the-good-news-and-the-bad-news-about-december-car-sales/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/06/the-good-news-and-the-bad-news-about-december-car-sales/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/06/the-good-news-and-the-bad-news-about-december-car-sales/#commentsFiled under: ,


The holiday season saw Santa leave some nice gifts for the industry.

Pop the champagne, don't spare the caviar. The New Year has begun with a bang. Or, more precisely, the old year ended with one, December car sales delivering a much-needed boost to an auto industry still feeling the cold chill of its worst downturn since the Great Depression.

And the last-minute push past partisan gridlock that avoided an economic meltdown (can we all now abandon last year's tired cliché, "fiscal cliff"?) suggests that 2013 will maintain momentum. By most estimates, we'll see new vehicle sales surge somewhere into the low to mid-15 million range this year, and a new forecast by RL Polk predicts we could be looking at volumes of 16 million by mid-decade.

That's great news. At least it should be if you work for an automotive company or supplier or have some auto shares in your stock portfolio. If you're a car buyer, well, the story might not be so bright. Here's why it all depends on where you are in the consumer food chain.

Let's look at it from the industry perspective for a moment. The holiday season saw Santa leave some nice gifts for the industry. A long line of brands, including Nissan, Audi, Porsche, Subaru, Hyundai and Jeep, set all-time records last year. Bankrupt barely three years earlier, Chrysler Group wrapped up a string of 33 consecutive monthly sales gains.

While Toyota could claim Camry as the best-selling passenger car in the US, Ford could counter with the world's number one seller in the form of the Ford Focus, while the F-Series again topped the overall US sales chart. And Ford's Blue Oval was the only brand to top the 2 million mark in the US last year.

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading The good news and the bad news about December car sales

The good news and the bad news about December car sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto productionauto salescar salesdecemberdecember car salesSun, 06 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20417399/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/01/06/the-good-news-and-the-bad-news-about-december-car-sales/20417399/article-detail.xml 20417399 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/big-sale_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/big-sale.jpg <![CDATA[Why upset car dealers are trying to find a way around Google]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/02/why-upset-car-dealers-are-trying-to-find-a-way-around-google/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/02/why-upset-car-dealers-are-trying-to-find-a-way-around-google/http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/02/why-upset-car-dealers-are-trying-to-find-a-way-around-google/#commentsFiled under: ,



Google is always trying new things, and everyone knows that new things don't always work out. But the search engine company's location on the Internet roadmap is a natural lure to its hundreds of millions visitors, so even when not-so-popular Google projects don't work out - like Wave and Buzz, for instance - or get entirely reworked, like Google Sync, it can affect a lot of people and businesses.

In August 2012, Google's social media portal Google+ (think of it as Google's version of Facebook) purged thousands of reviews left on the Google+ pages of car dealerships and changed the algorithm for how reviews are rated. According to Automotive News, one dealer saw 300 published reviews drop to just 11, another lost 145 reviews, yet another dealer had 400 reviews go "poof" over the course of two days. Google never truly explained its actions, noting that its efforts to remove all "spammy" reviews, like those solicited from customers and written at the dealership, for instance, would mean perfectly legitimate reviews might also be eliminated. That sent hundreds of dealers - especially those who had gone from positive to negative overall ratings - immediately on the hunt for another way to get reviews.

Five months later, dealers are still searching, with sites like DealerRater.com, Cars.com, DriverSide.com among the top destinations. The key to finding a supplement to Google+ is ensuring that third-party-site reviews get the prominence they need. A dealership's Google+ page will show reviews from other sites and it's possible to get them to show up in Google search results, but it's more complex than when everything was in one place, and right now, there's still the need to rebuild the goodwill that the purged positive reviews were creating. The power of positive reviews is continually evident in the amount of increased traffic online and in the store, so it's something dealers can't walk away from. Which takes us back to Google's location on the Internet road map: It means dealers could have a long walk ahead.

Why upset car dealers are trying to find a way around Google originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2013 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salescar dealerscar salesdealer ratingsdealerrater.comdealershipgooglegoogle plusgoogle+review sitesWed, 02 Jan 2013 18:27:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20414473/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2013/01/02/why-upset-car-dealers-are-trying-to-find-a-way-around-google/20414473/article-detail.xml 20414473 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/luxury-car-dealer-lot_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/luxury-car-dealer-lot.jpg <![CDATA[November 2012: Storm Surge Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/03/november-2012-storm-surge-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/03/november-2012-storm-surge-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/03/november-2012-storm-surge-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pent-Up Demand Lifts Many Automakers

Practically nothing good came of Superstorm Sandy, which made landfall in late October. Along with destroying infrastructure and throwing into turmoil the lives of countless people who never thought their home would go toe-to-toe with a hurricane, Sandy also suppressed auto sales that month. But what Sandy taketh away, pent-up demand for the freedom of personal transport giveth back, as evidenced by the strong month of automobile sales in the US during the month of November.

While low-volume brands like Fiat, Porsche and Smart lead our list, they're followed closely by a number or brands with a bit bigger audience that performed remarkably well. Subaru reported sales up nearly 60 percent to 28,206 units, while BMW saw a 45-percent to 21,213 units. No brand, however, can match the jump in raw number of vehicles sold that Honda reported, the Japanese automaker seeing sales rise 41 percent 104,224 units, a lift of 30,208 units compared to November 2011. Dodge (+32 percent) and Volkswagen (+29 percent) also reported healthy gains, while Toyota added 20,474 sales for an increase of 17 percent.

As for the domestics, Chrysler Group reported a respectable 14 percent rise in sales thanks to the performance of Dodge, which more than offset a 3-percent decline at Jeep. Ford Motor Company posted a 6.5-percent increase, while General Motors reported a 3.4-percent increase thanks to strong numbers from Buick (+22 percent) and Cadillac (+30 percent).

Lastly, we noticed one stand-out performer in this month's sales numbers, and that's the 2012 Honda Civic. Sales of the Civic were up 75.5 percent to 30,075 units, a number that beat the very-difficult-to-dethrone best-selling Camry's 28,765 units. We point this out because reception of the redesigned 2012 Civic was initially less-than-stellar, which led Honda to hastily revise the 2013 model with mechanical and styling tweaks that recent sales suggest, perhaps, weren't necessary, at least this soon.



*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in November 2012 and 25 selling days in November 2011, so there is no difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

November 2012: Storm Surge Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numbersfeaturednovember 2012november 2012 auto salesMon, 03 Dec 2012 16:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20393166/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/12/03/november-2012-storm-surge-edition/20393166/article-detail.xml 20393166 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/12/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/12/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg <![CDATA[Redesigns that worked and flopped determined by new Cars.com index]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/15/redesigns-that-worked-and-flopped-determined-by-new-cars-com-ind/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/15/redesigns-that-worked-and-flopped-determined-by-new-cars-com-ind/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/15/redesigns-that-worked-and-flopped-determined-by-new-cars-com-ind/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



The 2013 Ford Fusion is probably the latest, greatest example of a completely redesigned car that has evoked widespread calls of "Look at that!" Above its buzzworthy looks, though, Ford will be concerned about how the 2013 Fusion sells and by how much - if at all - it beats sales of the previous version. Cars.com has run the sales numbers on 61 models that have been redesigned in the past four years, ranking them as Winners, Underperformers and Losers depending on how a new-generation model is selling compared to the one it replaces.

The rankings are sorted by sales class - small, medium and large sellers - so that the success of a niche sports car is weighted differently than the success of a popular midsize car. Compared to a four-year sales average for redesigned cars in each class, Winners were those who outsold the average, Underperformers didn't make the average but did outperform the previous year's (hence, the previous car's) sales, while Losers couldn't do any better anywhere.

Among the most recently introduced winners were the Toyota Camry and the Honda CR-V. The Camry beat the Four-Year Category Average Redesign Increase for large sellers by 2.2 percent, the CR-V managed 0.2 percent. Underperformers included the Audi A6/S6 which, even though it has outsold the previous generation by 58 percent, still isn't getting near the small seller category average of 79.2 percent. The new Hyundai Accent is also considered an underperformer, the new model boosting sales by 5.5 percent - nowhere near the 61.5 percent of the medium seller category average. The only Loser listed in the chart is the Honda Civic, taking one last thrashing before the "honed" 2013 redesign gets a chance to right the ship.

As for that Fusion, the 2013 model has strong numbers to follow: the 2010 Fusion was a huge winner, putting up a 55.1-percent increase in the large seller category, beating the average by 33 percent. It only trailed the redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata shown above, which pasted the average by 42.5 percent. You can find a few more of the ranked models in Cars.com's chart by heading over to their website.

Redesigns that worked and flopped determined by new Cars.com index originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accentauto salescamrycar salesciviccr-vcrvfordfusionhondahyundairedesignsonatastudytoyotaThu, 15 Nov 2012 15:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20380117/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/11/15/redesigns-that-worked-and-flopped-determined-by-new-cars-com-ind/20380117/article-detail.xml 20380117 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/hyundasonatacars_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/hyundasonatacars.jpg <![CDATA[GM, Ford sales increase sharply in China as country turns away from Japanese brands]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/06/gm-ford-sales-increase-sharply-in-china-as-country-turns-away-f/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/06/gm-ford-sales-increase-sharply-in-china-as-country-turns-away-f/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/06/gm-ford-sales-increase-sharply-in-china-as-country-turns-away-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Toyota Beijing dealership with salesmen out front

American automakers that conduct business in China have benefited from growing anti-Japanese sentiments among Chinese buyers, as most recent sales numbers indicate. According to Automotive News, a territorial dispute over uninhabited islands have resulted in Chinese consumers rejecting vehicles from Toyota, Honda and Nissan in increasing numbers.

Meanwhile, sales of General Motors cars and minivans in its largest market grew 14 percent in October, to 251,812. Ford moved 60,518 units in China, representing a 48-percent increase in sales compared to the same month a year ago.

Meanwhile, Toyota, Honda and Nissan sales have all taken nosedives. Toyota reported that its sales fell 44 percent last month, following a 49-percent drop in September. The latter two companies both announced their worst month-to-month decline in sales, dating back to 2007 for Honda and 2008 for Nissan.

Still yet to be announced are Volkswagen sales in China. The German automaker has been battling GM for the top sales spot in China this year, and it outsold GM last quarter for the first time in eight years. When we last checked in on the two companies, GM had a slight year-to-date lead of 77,000 units.

GM, Ford sales increase sharply in China as country turns away from Japanese brands originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salescar salesfordgeneral motorsgmhondanissansenkakutoyotaTue, 06 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20371929/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/11/06/gm-ford-sales-increase-sharply-in-china-as-country-turns-away-f/20371929/article-detail.xml 20371929 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/toyota-beijing-dealer_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/toyota-beijing-dealer.jpg <![CDATA[October 2012: Brewing Storm Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/01/october-2012-brewing-storm-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/01/october-2012-brewing-storm-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/11/01/october-2012-brewing-storm-edition/#commentsFiled under:

Hurricane Sandy's Effect Will Be Delayed

All that's left of Hurricane Sandy, which slammed into the Eastern US this week, is some rain showers and gusts of wind, but the effect of this storm-of-the-century will be felt by those in its path for months to come. Likewise, Sandy made landfall at the tail end of October, which means its effect on new vehicle sales for the month was minimal. However, despite the fact you can't see Sandy's influence in the numbers below, we suspect that next month those Atlantic winds will be impossible to ignore.

Nevertheless, Sandy didn't do too much to shuffle the order of automakers at the top of our sales list. Of the major brands, Subaru, Volkswagen and Dodge were all up over 20 percent compared to October of last year, whereas Toyota Motor Company and Chrysler Group led the way for major automakers with increases of 15.81 and 10.19 percent, respectively. General Motors posted a respectable increase of 4.75 percent, while Ford barely managed to remain positive with sales growth of just 0.39 percent.

Indeed, sales of Ford vehicles were about even, but the Lincoln brand fell 15.4 percent, its whole lineup having been outsold for the month by the Chevrolet Sonic alone.

Also down was Nissan North America, some 3.23 percent. This despite a positive performance by Infiniti (up 27.62 percent) and the newly redesigned Altima selling well.




*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 26 selling days in October 2012 versus 26 selling days in October 2011, so there is no difference between the change in monthly sales volume and the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

October 2012: Brewing Storm Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numbershurricane sandyoctober 2012Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20368297/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/11/01/october-2012-brewing-storm-edition/20368297/article-detail.xml 20368297 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/11/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg <![CDATA[VW Up! says "What closed market?" by recording 3,000 Japanese orders in 3 weeks]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/26/vw-up-says-what-closed-market-by-recording-3-000-japanese-or/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/26/vw-up-says-what-closed-market-by-recording-3-000-japanese-or/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/26/vw-up-says-what-closed-market-by-recording-3-000-japanese-or/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

2012 Volkswagen Up! two-door hatchback - red, front three-quarter view

The initial prognosis for the Volkswagen Up! in Japan is going the same direction as the name of the car: three weeks after launch, 3,000 orders have been placed in Nippon. That beats Ford's sales total for the entire year and is almost a month's worth of BMW imports. Posting those numbers, Japan's Nikkei newspaper says the Up! "may beat the Golf subcompact to become the German automaker's most successful new-car launch in Japan."

The backdrop to this is that European and US automaker groups have been protesting what they see as barriers to the Japanese auto market, with many wary of entering into free trade agreements with the island nation. To put some numbers to it, VW led the table for share of the import market through September of this year, with 18 percent and 41,971 cars sold. That, however, is in a market expected to be worth 4.3 million cars this year, which would put VW at 1.3 percent of the total if the numbers before the Up! range's launch held steady. It's a vertiginous drop after VW, though. Audi, in fifth for yearly sales, has 18,356, while Fiat, in tenth, has 4,353. And those numbers are way up, with the top ten automakers save for Nissan posting meaty double-digit gains over last year. The Europeans are also wary of what has happened on The Continent after a free trade agreement with Korea has given a huge boost to Korean imports.

As far as VW Japan is concerned, it has no concerns. With Up! pricing competitive with the Japan-only kei-car segment, a VW rep told the Asahi Shimbun that their offering will "squarely challenge the small-car market" and that even if "the barrier against imported cars is lowered, we will still have opportunities." The German company wants to more than double its annual sales there to 110,000 cars by 2018. The Up! is giving it a good start.

VW Up! says "What closed market?" by recording 3,000 Japanese orders in 3 weeks originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 volkswagen upauto salescar salesjapanjapan auto salesprotectionismupvolkswagenvwFri, 26 Oct 2012 14:16:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20360135/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/10/26/vw-up-says-what-closed-market-by-recording-3-000-japanese-or/20360135/article-detail.xml 20360135 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/vwupjapan_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/vwupjapan.jpg <![CDATA[The importance of luxury SUV and crossover sales explained]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/11/the-importance-of-luxury-suv-and-crossover-sales-explained/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/11/the-importance-of-luxury-suv-and-crossover-sales-explained/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/11/the-importance-of-luxury-suv-and-crossover-sales-explained/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

2013 Infiniti JX35 - front three-quarter view

When we see a vehicle like a Lamborghini Urus or the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, we may at first scratch our heads, wondering why an automaker would take this route. When the accountants see these vehicles, they see one thing: dollar signs. No matter what angle you come at it from, SUVs and crossovers are cash cows for carmakers, especially luxury brands. It's a truth that Kicking Tires laid bare in a recent article.

One shining example given highlights this phenomenon by way of recent sales figures by Infiniti. September deliveries of the JX fullsize crossover shown above represented 24 percent of Infiniti's sales. In fact, Infiniti's four crossovers (FX, QX, and don't forget the EX) accounted for 39 percent of the Japanese luxury brand's sales. 10 years ago, the brand sold only one SUV, the QX4. In a four-model lineup, the gussied-up Nissan Pathfinder SUV accounted for a fifth of its sales in 2002. Fast-forward to the present, and Infiniti "truck" sales in 2012 were up 63.3 percent, while car sales were up just 2.5 percent.

The article goes on to point out similar trends based on the proliferation of the X3 and X1 in BMW's lineup, Acura's crossovers making up half of its sales in September and how the Cayenne outsold the rest of the Porsche lineup combined. There are a lot more sales facts and figures if you read through to the article, but the gist of it is: luxury SUVs and crossovers sell big, and they can float a brand's sales when other vehicles are not moving off the lot.

Even so, judging by today's earlier Automotive News Europe report, it appears that even luxury SUVs aren't immune from sales pressures - the aforementioned Lamborghini and Bentley SUVs may be delayed due to Europe's tortured new car market.

The importance of luxury SUV and crossover sales explained originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 infiniti jx35auto salescar salescrossover salesinfinitijxjx35luxury crossoverluxury suvsuv salesThu, 11 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20345371/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/10/11/the-importance-of-luxury-suv-and-crossover-sales-explained/20345371/article-detail.xml 20345371 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/2013-infiniti-jx35-review_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/06/2013-infiniti-jx35-review.jpg <![CDATA[September 2012: A Return To Normalcy Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/02/september-2012-a-return-to-normalcy-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/02/september-2012-a-return-to-normalcy-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/02/september-2012-a-return-to-normalcy-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Toyota, VW, Honda Up Big Again, But Not As Much

As has been the case for a few months now, the same three brands led the month with the largest sales increases among major automakers: Toyota, Volkswagen and Honda. They have swapped positions on the podium each time, but each is a medalist again this month in the industry-wide sales race.

Toyota sales were up 42.33 percent in September compared to the same month last year, though that increase is lower than the prior month's gain of 47.5 percent. Likewise, Volkswagen was up 34.41 last month - far from the 62.54 gain it enjoyed in August. Honda's increase also dropped sharply month-over-month, from 57.88 percent in August to 29.33 percent last month. This could signal a return to normalcy for Japan's two biggest automakers, whose sales have appeared inflated compared with last year's numbers that were affected by that country's natural disasters and resulting production problems.

Our own domestic automakers are likewise seeing a return normalcy that doesn't include them posting double-digit sales gain every month. Well, except for Chrysler, whose portfolio of brands did exit September with a gain of 11.55 percent. General Motors, however, barely remained positive with a small 1.5-percent increase and Ford dipped slightly into the red with a decrease of 0.13 percent.

Ford did enjoy some good news with the performance of its new Escape, which racked up 23,148 sales in September, enough to lead its segment. Early signs suggest that those who were worried that the slicker, costlier new Escape couldn't replicate the popularity of the last generation's boxy bravado needn't have - at least for the moment. The Chevrolet Cruze also appears to have captured its segment's sales crown for the month of September with 25,787 sales. The mid-size sedan segment, which has heated up with a number of new totally redesigned models, was easily won by the Toyota Camry with 34,252 sales.



*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 25 selling days in September 2012 versus 25 selling days in September 2011, so the change in monthly sales volume will be the same as the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

September 2012: A Return To Normalcy Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesby the numbersfeaturedseptember 2012Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:45:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20339663/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/10/02/september-2012-a-return-to-normalcy-edition/20339663/article-detail.xml 20339663 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg <![CDATA[September sales forecasted to increase 11 percent]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/#commentsFiled under: ,

Toyota dealership with balloon

Despite a spike in gasoline prices, car sales are on track to continue their stable growth, and this September could end up being the best September since 2007.

Gas prices usually put a complete damper on car sales, especially bigger trucks and SUVs. The uptick in sales this month could mean the economy is getting stronger, says industry tracker TrueCar.com, which issued the sales estimate earlier this week. But, like most economic forecast figures these days, the numbers don't paint a perfectly clear picture of what's going on.

TrueCar is forecasting a 10.5-percent increase in sales for September to 1,163,000 units, which translates to a Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate (SAAR) of 14.6 million new car sales for the year, up from 13.1 million last September and 14.5 million in August 2012. Nevertheless, TrueCar forecasts that September sales will still be down about 9.5 percent compared with August.

Kelley Blue Book, which also tracks industry sales, says that the dip from August to September doesn't mean the economy is getting weaker - it's just a natural fluctuation in monthly car sales. Consumer demand is slowly picking up, it said. So don't expect sales figures to skyrocket any time soon.

"Even though the lack of big movements in car sales makes for less attractive headlines, the stable growth in sales is a positive for the industry," said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Market Intelligence for TrueCar.

September sales forecasted to increase 11 percent originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salescar salesjesse toprakkelley blue booksaarseptember 2012truecartruecar.comFri, 28 Sep 2012 08:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20335005/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/09/28/september-sales-forecasted-to-increase-11-percent/20335005/article-detail.xml 20335005 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/144071503-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/144071503-opt.jpg <![CDATA[August 2012: Big Jumps Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/04/august-2012-big-jumps-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/04/august-2012-big-jumps-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/04/august-2012-big-jumps-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota Post Big Gains

If you want evidence that the economy is on the mend, look no further than the string of positive monthly sales reports coming from the auto industry this year. August continues the trend with the vast majority of brands and companies reporting improved sales numbers compared to the same month last year, Volkswagen (+62.54 percent), Honda (+57.88 percent) and Toyota (+47.5 percent) leading the way for major manufacturers.

Honda and Toyota's big gains are easy to explain. Just repeat the line we've been using all summer about these two Japanese giants enjoying the fruits of restored production capacity following last year's onslaught of natural disasters in their home region. Volkswagen's big jump, however, is harder to explain, and looks to be consolidated mostly in the Passat model line where sales jumped from just 314 last August (before the midsize sedan was redesigned) to 10,090 last month. Smaller sales gains from the Golf, Jetta, Beetle, Tiguan and Touareg also contributed.

Another individual model that jumped out at us while compiling the numbers is the Ford Escape. The all-new 2013 Escape is a big departure in both style and content compared to the last generation, which sold very well even into its waning months. We've been curious to know if consumers would embrace the new Escape's slicker shape and higher price. The answer is a resounding yes based on last month's sales of the new model, which totaled 28,188 units, a 36.8-percent improvement compared to last August and a number high enough to make the new Escape one of the industry's best selling models overall last month.

Check out how the entire auto industry did in the monthly sales chart below, and visit our By the Numbers section to see all past months.



*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 27 selling days in August 2012 versus 26 selling days in August 2011, so the change in monthly sales volume will be different than the change in average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company. Also, brands are combined and reported as companies only if their sales figures are released jointly.

August 2012: Big Jumps Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto salesauto sales august 2012by the numbershondatoyotavolkswagenTue, 04 Sep 2012 17:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20316030/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/09/04/august-2012-big-jumps-edition/20316030/article-detail.xml 20316030 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/uphill-car-1325715318_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/09/uphill-car-1325715318.jpg -1 2