GS69

http://wjbc.com/mitsubishis-us-sales-slip-in-january/

Mitsubishi Motors North America’s sales slipped last month, even as it sold three-dozen all-electric “i” cars and other automakers reported gains from a year ago.

Mitsubishi sold 4,711 vehicles last month, down 17.6 percent from January 2011, the automaker reported Wednesday. The automaker has a manufacturing plant in Normal.

Mitsubishi spokesman Dan Irvin said some of the sales slide is because the automaker has halted production of the Eclipse and Endeavor in Normal. The plant is still making the Galant, but even sales of that vehicle fell by 32 percent in January from a year ago.

“That said, the Outlander Sport is showing an increase (of 5 percent), the Outlander (showed) an increase (of 2.2 percent), and sales through the dealerships have been at historically high levels for the month,” Irvin said. “So it’s kind of been a mixed picture for us in January.”

The 4,711 sales included 36 i vehicles. The all-electric vehicle will be available for customer purchase across the U.S. by summer 2012.

Meanwhile, Chrysler and Ford posted strong sales numbers as the year begins, while GM is recording modest gains.

Chrysler beat analyst expectations with a 44 percent uptick in U.S. sales for January. Experts thought Chrysler would notch a 35 percent increase.

Ford is reporting January sales numbers that show a 7 percent gain, driven by a 60 percent hike in sales of its small Focus model.

General Motors is posting a 6 percent decline in U.S. sales for January compared to its figures last year. The numbers from the nation’s largest automaker weren’t a surprise because GM enticed customers last January with hefty incentives.

GS69

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/01/423...time-best.html

After reaching all-time sales and market share highs in 2011, Kia Motors America's (KMA) steep upward trajectory continued in the first month of 2012 with record January sales of 35,517 units, a 27.8-percent increase over the same period in 2011, and the brand's 17th straight monthly sales record. With popular vehicles such as the U.S.-built[1] Optima midsize sedan and Soul urban passenger vehicle, which led January sales with 8,814 and 8,091 units sold, Kia continues to be one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S.

"Following a year of impressive milestones and historic firsts, including the completion of the most aggressive new product launch cycle in the industry with nine vehicles in less than three years and the $100 million expansion of Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), Kia is well positioned for future growth as we further our efforts to increase brand visibility and awareness," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and KMMG. "With several high-profile marketing initiatives on the horizon and the arrival of fuel efficient products such as the Rio 5-door and sedan that offer class-leading horsepower[2] and deliver up to 40 miles per gallon[3], Kia will continue to attract new customers to our showrooms by offering high-quality cars and CUVs with world-class design, cutting edge technologies and fun-to-drive performance."

GS69

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/01/423...ylink=misearch

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported its best January since 1994 with U.S. sales of 23,996 vehicles, accounting for a huge increase of 68.2 percent versus last year.

Key January sales notes:

Having the right cars on the dealer lots, combined with heavy advertising weights over the holiday season raising shopper awareness, resulted in many Mazda vehicles reporting record sales.
Mazda2 celebrated its best-ever sales month with 3,030 vehicles, accounting for a 532.6 percent increase.
Mazda3 sales of 9,200 vehicles accounted for a 83.4 percent increase over last year and its best-ever January. The new 2012 Mazda3 features Mazda's innovative SKYACTIV-G engine and SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission that achieves up to 40 MPG on the highway, and is a "2012 Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Mazda 6 reported its best month since March 2008 with 4,929 vehicles sold, a 118.3 percent increase over last year.
Mazda CX-7 and CX-9 crossover SUV sales were up 32.6 percent and 1.6 percent respectively with 3,125 CX-7 and 2,087 CX-9 vehicles sold. This marks the best-ever January for both vehicles.

Rounding out January sales for the North American market, Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported its best-ever January, with sales of 2,579 vehicles, accounting for a 14.0 percent increase versus last year. Mazda Canada, Inc. (MCI) sold 3,727 vehicles in January, up 1.0 percent compared to last January.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario; and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

GS69

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

January was a disturbing month for Japanese luxury brands and as the first month of a new year, the prospects don't look very good for 2012.

January 2012:

Mercedes - 20,306

BMW - 16,405

Lexus - 12,274

Audi - 9,354

Cadillac - 8,924

Acura - 8,381

Infiniti - 6,796

Lexus was the only Japanese brand in the top 5, let alone the top 3. Now, you might be thinking that this looks good for Lexus as they effectively lay the smack down on Infiniti an Acura (as they have been doing for a long time now), but the problem is that Audi seems to be handily eating into their market share and Cadillac remains steadily among the leaders, pushing the other two Japanese luxury brands to the absolute back of the pack. There was a time, in the not so distant past, where Infiniti and Acura were well ahead of Audi and occupied a comfortable "Tier 2" status, right behind the big 3. Audi has effectively pulled the rug out from under them and they're scrambling to stay relevant.

All jokes and hatred aside, Acura has struggled with the beak debacle, a poor selling flagship and a product line that has been relatively flat. They just showed two new "production concepts", the ILX and RDX, both of which seem to be more of the same - they're decent, but they aren't going to pull people out of A3s, X3s, C Classes or RXs anytime soon. As Acura openly pursues Tier 2/3, competitors like Audi and even Buick are giving buyers a compelling reason to leave the brand. They recently showed an NSX concept that is ~3 years out, and the new RL will continue with a formula similar to the current car: V6, AWD, relatively midsize and not a true competitor to the S, LS or 7. I hate to say this, but I see Acura tinkering between "irrelevant" and "complacent" for at least the next several years.

Infiniti's position now reminds me of Lexus in 2010, with a mostly aging lineup and a few non-hitters. The G should be close to a replacement in the next year and a half, but the recently launched M has flatlined. The car is too expensive and not particularly attractive. BMW and Mercedes have nothing to worry about here. The EX is old, small and rather pointless. The FX continues to be the red headed step child that nobody loves. The QX is new and continues to sell well, but like most large SUVs, it will probably taper off in the next 6-12 months. One saving grace for Infiniti might be the new JX, but it won't do the job alone. Infiniti needs new products, such as an M Coupe to add emotion to the supposedly sporty Japanese brand, and a CT-esque car to bring in buyers at the bottom end. Redesigned SUVs with a compelling competitive advantage (EX is smaller than a G inside - wtf?) and styling that people can love (FX) would go a long way towards pulling buyers into the showroom. Between Acura and Infiniti, I think Infiniti has a better chance of pulling itself together and moving up, but a lot of that will hinge upon the redesigned G, EX, and FX, and new products.

Lexus is just now emerging from it's aging/aged product lineup and I don't think it will be quick enough to knock BMW and Mercedes from their top spots in the sales race. Why? Both of those companies are spending wildly on incentives and continue to expand their product lines and introduce new models at a rapid pace. The GS has historically never been particularly high volume, and if it meets sales goals of 2,000 a month, that won't be enough to catch the top two by 2013. The new ES comes out later in the year, but there will likely only be 3 months in 2012 where dealers have a decent amount of inventory to sell. The refreshed RX should also debut in late summer, and I'm thinking that might be the ace in the hole that pulls Lexus further away from Audi and closer to Mercedes and BMW. If they sold 1,000 more RXs and 2,000 GSs a month, that would help, but again, may not be enough. The IS continues to age, albeit gracefully, with numbers that dwindle each month and the same goes for the LS. GX and LX are low volume, and the HS should be discontinued soon. I worry about Lexus redesigning all of their sedans in a 2 year timeframe...that is partially what got them into the mess they're in now. I hope that we see a sub-RX suv and a GS coupe, as both would add numbers to the bottom line and interest/emotion across the lineup.

BMW will be launching the new 3 series soon, and the 5 series continues to be popular and successful. X3 has been wonderful and the X1 will land here this year. New 1 series is also on the horizon, so BMW will have plenty of new product to sell. I'd imagine that they will continue to rely on discounts, so this should be another great sales year for BMW.

Mercedes will have a few new products this year, but the refreshed C class continues to be a huge seller and the refreshed GLK is around the corner. New ML just arrived and seems to be doing very well, and the E is always stable and solid. A and B Classes are rumored to come to the U.S. this year, so much like BMW, with new products and incentive spending, Mercedes should have another great year.

Audi will be interesting to watch. They've worked so feverishly to redesign and introduce the A4, A6, A7, A8 and Q5 that their products might not be as exciting in 2012 as they have been previously. The Q3 should arrive at some point, as well as the new A3 which is rumored to come in several new body styles, but the core of their lineup: A4, Q5, A6, will no longer be "new". With 2011 being a landmark year and plans for two new entry level products this year, I think Audi will remain solid and grow consistently, but not as much as they did last year.

Cadillac has the new XTS coming soon, and the ATS following that. CTS and SRX are now a bit older, as is the Escalade, so I think we will see Cadillac remain flat or perhaps grow slightly from 2011 numbers.

Mike and I have both mentioned this before, but quite frankly, it looks bad for Lexus to be the lone Japanese brand at the top and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon. More and more, and especially as Audi continues to make significant progress, people associate premium, luxury and sporty cars with a sense of all things German. Audi seems to have gained at the expense of Infiniti and Acura, which elevates the idea of German luxury and raises eyebrows about premium cars from the land of the rising sun. I think there is time for Infiniti to catch Audi, but they need to act quickly and play their cards right. I see Acura finishing the 2012 sales race behind Infiniti, and I hope to see that gap widen in the future, for Infiniti's sake.

On the flip side, as Cadillac strengthens and Jaguar seeks a resurgence, and Hyundai wants a piece of the cake, the idea of "German luxury" is increasingly challenged, but at this point, none of those companies have staked a claim in the category like the Japanese historically have. I do hope that Infiniti can pull it together, and while I've lost faith in Acura, I do wish them the best.

Guy Legend

Nice post MP, worthy of its own thread discussing the Japanese luxury brands. I agree that having Lexus as the only high seller is bad for Japanese luxury cars in general - people do associate luxury high end cars as European. VW for example while being a more mainstream maker, benefits from having the label as being engineered from Germany. In the US, we don't have many cheap European cars for sale - unlike the numerous offerings from Japanese/American brands. So I think as an aggregate, German cars are automatically put on a higher level than the average car from Japan/US....though I still think Japanese cars are most associated with reliability.

Acura's sales used to be much higher, but the styling really put off a lot of people. The funny thing is that they were criticized (along with Lexus) for not having enough style in their designs....and when trying to remedy that, executed very poorly. I loved the design language of the previous TL - they should have stuck with that kind of Alpha Romeo styling. I also think the have the problem of self cannibilazation of their sedans. The TSX/TL/RL are not a whole lot different in size and power. Why would anyone buy a RL over a TL? I think there's hope in that they realize they took a wrong turn in the styling department (the new cars are toned down). New NSX is on the way - the Japanese need halo sports cars. And Acura seems tp have realized the need to clearly differentiate their sedans - a small ILX, a likely smaller TL the next go around, and a new RL with vastly improved interior demensions. TSX looks to be out. I'll reserve judgement on the next RL....the powertrain seems very interesting, but a lot will depend on styling and presence. I think it would be a gutsy move to drop the RL moniker and bring back the Legend nameplate - a car that resonated with consumers in its time. But that's doubtful.

Infiniti had a lot of momentum not too long ago - much like Audi has now. But I agree in that their problem is an aged line up. Styling also took a step back as well. The previous G and FX were amongst the best looking cars in its class. And while their replacements and subsequent models from Infiniti brought first class interiors, clearly a step was taken back in terms of exterior styling. The M is a great car, but it's too expensive and the styling is polarizing. The good news for Infiniti is that they have a lot in the pipeline and very aggressive sales goals worldwide. JX opens up a new volume segment for them, new G sedan/coupe not too far, a hybrid sports car and sedan. A GT-R based Infiniti is still being considered alongside other halo car proposals and looks likely to come to fruition....but in timeframe of almost 5 years.

Lexus is finally coming out of their funk with a new design philosophy, redesigned cars across the board, etc. They're poised to make a comeback in sales. And I expect Infiniti and Acura to trend upwards as well over the course of the next several years as their new product comes down the line.

spwolf

Main problem with Japanese brands is still availability. So until that improves (2-3 months max), you will not see Lexus going up... same goes for Honda, and probably Infiniti and Acura.

Lexus selling 12k cars has nothing to do with old lineup, it has to do with too low inventories.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

From what I've heard from local dealers, that is not the case at all. Plenty of unsold products on the lot.

In a 50 mile radius of my zip, the following inventory is available:

116 RXs

85 ESs

85 ISs

32 LSs

16 GXs

8 GSs (old model)

Yes, there are some production constraints, but the heart and soul of Lexus - ES, RX, IS - is perfectly fine and healthy with lots of inventory.

Perhaps someone else can chime in on their local availability.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

^To further that:

57 Infiniti Ms

205 Infiniti Gs

52 Infiniti FXs

(just saw that the new JX is starting from $40,450 for FWD and $41,550 for AWD. I think this will be a BIG hit for them )

151 Acura TLs

139 Acura TSXs

92 MDXs

Yeah...plenty of inventory, I'd say.

spwolf

well you need to think intelligently about those numbers.
For instance... RX sells 3x times more than ES... why are their numbers so close?

In complete USA, Lexus has 15k cars in stock, BMW has 32k cars in stock.

From the total numbers, everything but LS is missing full numbers, but especially RX and CT, which have a lot less cars than usual. So yes, there are 5k RX's in the US, but thats 20 day usual supply for RX... they need to have a lot more.

In fact, I just checked Infiniti and Acura, and in the complete US, Infiniti has 20k cars, Acura has 17k cars and Lexus has 15k :-). It was 14k in January too.

SaintNexus

^Are you using Cars.com to come up with these numbers?

If you are, this is what I'm seeing:

BMW: 31,956
Cadillac: 30,215
Mercedes: 24,618
Infiniti: 20,422
Acura: 17,667
Lexus: 16,185
Audi: 12,557

^Just the 7 makes that MP mentioned.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

^ those global or ytd counts?

LexFather

One of the best posts I've read and not just b/c I said it awhile ago and trolls got all mad about it. Its already happening, the balance of luxury power has shifted and its going to be ALL German and this hurts Lexus, Cadillac, everyone not German. Infiniti and Acura have struggled for too long sadly and Audi has completely passed them in prestige and sales of one and almost the other.

I've been spending a lot of time with German cars recently and their cache is more and more appealing. Lexus really needs to produce some coupes or some 4 door coupes and more F products to bump the excitement up FAST.

SaintNexus

If you're asking me, the numbers I have posted are the number of cars available nationwide by each make; according to Cars.com.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Agreed mike, mplexus - excellent post and analysis.

I do feel very bad for how the horrible tsunami affected japan, although as has been said japan was in a product slump anyway. But hopefully lexus is on the way back and infiniti and acura bring it too.