Posted on February 1, 2012, at 2:43 pm
 Although January often is the weakest sales month of the year in the US auto market, many automakers posted double-digit sales gains over the same month in 2010, indicating a good beginning for 2012. It appears that total light-vehicle sales might rise by more than 11% over January 2011 and that would translate to a 14.1 million-unit seasaonally adjusted selling rate (SAAR), according to J.D. Power and LMC Automotive analysis.*
All multi-franchise automakers, except for General Motors, posted increases, as did two of four independents—Mazda and Subaru. Fiat-Chrysler and Volkswagen Groups led the January gains with year-over-year increases of 48% and 44%, respectively. Not only did Chrysler Group LLC report stronger sales for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands than a year ago, but the company also said it earned a net profit of $183 million in 2011 vs. a loss of $652 million in the prior year.** VW Group sales in January were bolstered by strong demand for the Passat, now built in Tennessee. Among the independents, Mazda was a star with deliveries soaring 68%. Continue reading ›
Posted on January 30, 2012, at 7:19 am
 Jon Osborn The percentage of new-vehicle buyers in the US market who avoided considering domestic models due to their origin has declined to just 6%—which is a historically low level, according to our 2012 Avoider Study, which includes responses from more than 24,000 owners who registered a new vehicle in May, 2011. At the same time, the study finds that the percentage of buyers who avoided imported models because of their origin has risen to 14% this year.
The lower level of avoidance of US domestic light-vehicle models due to origin reflects a “buy-American” sentiment that surfaced as the economic recession beginning in 2008 led to job losses in the US, which adversely affected major companies, such as the three Detroit automakers. In addition, the quality, dependability and appeal of domestic models has improved during the past several years as well, and this also may be a reason behind declining avoidance of these models. Continue reading ›
Posted on January 30, 2012, at 7:17 am
 Jon Osborn New-vehicle buyers’ perceptions of a vehicle’s reliability have consistently been major reasons for avoiding a particular brand or model, according to J.D. Power research.
Our recent 2012 Avoider Study finds that, among buyers who avoid a specific model due to concerns about quality and reliability, some 43% say they based their avoidance on “the brand’s vehicles, in general, are known to have poor quality/reliability.”
A slightly smaller percentage—38%—based their decision to avoid a brand’s model on ratings and reviews, while an even smaller percentage—14%—relied on prior ownership of that model. Continue reading ›
Posted on January 23, 2012, at 11:30 am
 Jenny Gu Soaring demand for luxury vehicles in China has seen many premium brands make the country their second home. Land Rover may be the next premium brand to begin local production, following on the path taken by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Even automakers without a strong foothold in China are increasingly eyeing the country as a key engine for future growth.
Localized Production is Key to Success in China Market
Automakers need to localize in order to truly establish themselves in this market. As some global automakers and their local partners are busy ramping up production of localized luxury models, many other foreign carmakers are seeking Chinese partners, as is required by the government, to set up new joint ventures. Lexus, Infiniti and Land Rover are among those considering localization in China in the near future.
Localization made slow progress before 2009. Between 2005 and 2009, the number of luxury models produced in China rose from just eight to nine. However, in 2010, the number of luxury models that were locally produced climbed to 11, and is expected to reach 15 by the end of 2012. By 2015, we expect 22 luxury models to be locally built, which will mean that those models will account for 60% of luxury sales, up from 56% in 2009. Continue reading ›
Posted on January 20, 2012, at 12:07 pm
 Vehicle owners in Japan shopping for replacement tires rely on the Internet for information nearly as much as they depend on recommendations from salespeople in tire stores, according to our 2011 Japan Replacement Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study.
In fact, the percentage of owners who rely on the Internet when selecting tires has risen by 10 percentage points during the past 3 years to an average 38% in 2011. During the same period, the percentage of owners who rely on salesperson recommendations has declined by 11 points, to 39%. Continue reading ›
Posted on January 17, 2012, at 7:38 am
 Raffi Festekjian Female new-vehicle owners and younger buyers—those between the ages of 23 and 47 years old—are less likely to choose the same vehicle brand for their next purchase in comparison with males and older owners, according to findings in our 2012 Customer Retention Study. Continue reading ›
Posted on January 14, 2012, at 11:31 am
 Among 33 automotive brands included in our 2012 Customer Retention Study, Hyundai ranks highest among all brands in retaining customers when they buy a new vehicle. The Korean brand improves its retention rate by 4 percentage points from 2010 to 64% in 2012.
Hyundai’s retention rate is primarily driven by loyalty to the Elantra and Sonata models. The non-premium brand’s increased retention rate also is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as the fact that perceptions of the brand’s quality and appeal have continued to improve during the past decade. Continue reading ›
Posted on January 6, 2012, at 12:40 pm
 The US auto market finished 2011 on a robust note in spite of concerns about both the domestic and global economies, as well as significant setbacks to production and inventory levels for two major Japanese automakers following the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Nearly 10% more new cars and light trucks were sold in the US market during the past year in comparison to 2010—12.75 million unit sales in 2011 vs. 11.56 million unit sales in 2010. The final (retail and fleet) sales tally was only slightly stronger than projected by J.D. Power’s Power Information Network® (PIN) and LMC Automotive a few weeks ago in their monthly forecast. Continue reading ›
Posted on December 16, 2011, at 6:22 am
 Tim Dunne China’s automotive market currently offers more than 60 locally produced brands and nearly 20 imported, or foreign, brands. As if that were not enough, we recently learned that several more entrants intend to join the fray. Among them are two new brands developed by Chinese domestic automakers.
The FAW Car Group unveiled the Olney brand in November. The company said that the brand would be targeted at younger consumers. The first Olney car will be priced between 80,000-100,000 RMB ($12,500-$15,600) and is scheduled to launch in March 2012.
Chery Automobile Co. also announced plans in November to launch a new passenger-vehicle brand named Qoros. The brand’s vehicle will be built by Qoros Automotive Co., a 50-50 joint venture between Chery and the Israel Corp., an investment firm based in Israel. The company said it has three passenger-car models under development, the first of which is scheduled to launch in late 2013. Continue reading ›
Posted on December 14, 2011, at 8:47 am
 The introduction of Hyundai’s all-new small car, the Eon, which was previously known by its code HA H800, will heat up the mini car battle in India. The Eon is expected to be a strong challenger to market leader Maruti Suzuki’s Alto. The Eon, an entry-level hatchback aimed at capturing first-time car buyers in India, was developed over 4 years at a cost of INR 9.56 billion (US $181 million).
In order to meet the requirements of car buyers in this growth market, Hyundai Motor’s research and development team in Hyderabad worked with Hyundai’s engineers in South Korea to design and develop the Eon exclusively for India. The result is a model that is stylishly designed and promises fuel economy of 21 kilometers per liter (equivalent to 13.05 miles per liter or about 79.38 miles per gallon)under test conditions. Powered by an 814 cc 3-cylinder gasoline engine, the Eon is also competitively priced from INR 285,309 (US $5,400) for the base model Eon D-Lite to INR 396,262 (US $7,500) for the top-end Sportz version, which has additional features such as keyless entry and a driver air bag. Continue reading ›
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Although January often is the weakest sales month of the year in the US auto market, many automakers posted double-digit sales gains over the same month in 2010, indicating a good beginning for 2012. It appears that total light-vehicle sales might rise by more than 11% over January 2011 and that would translate to a 14.1 million-unit seasaonally adjusted selling rate (SAAR), according to J.D. Power and LMC Automotive analysis.*
