Posted on December 5, 2011, at 6:59 am
 This year, overall satisfaction with the new-vehicle sales experience improves by 13 index points to an average of 648 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 635 in 2010, according to results in J.D. Power’s 2011 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, which is based on responses from more than 24,000 buyers and lessees who purchased their new-vehicle in May 2011.
A likely reason for the double-digit increase in satisfaction is that automakers and dealers are upping their investments and renewing their focus on providing buyers with a more satisfying retail experience. All four buyer factors* measured in the new-vehicle purchase process improve this year from 2010.
The most significant gain this year is in delivery process, despite the fact that the average length of time to complete the delivery portion of a new-vehicle sale has increased by four minutes, to an average of 32 minutes. We find that a major reason for the longer delivery process is the high percentage of buyers (88%) who said they received an in-depth demonstration of technology in their new vehicle (including audio, entertainment, navigation and communication systems), which results in more time spent at the dealership. Continue reading ›
Posted on September 28, 2011, at 10:18 am
 Tim Dunne The complicated pas-de-deux carried on between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC)* in China may have gotten just a little more complex.
The two companies, which already operate 10 automotive-related joint ventures together, added an 11th JV company to their stable on Tuesday, September 20. This new JV was entered into specifically to develop electric cars in China. The new electric vehicles (EVs), according to General Motors, will not be based on the proprietary technology developed by GM for its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle, or based on its Sonic small-car platform.
The EVs will be designed at GM’s Pan Asian Technical Center (PATAC) in Shanghai, another GM and SAIC joint venture. Who gets the new electric vehicles—and how they will be branded—was not announced. Continue reading ›
Posted on September 6, 2011, at 10:43 am
Ford remained the best-selling nameplate in August and also the nameplate with the best-selling model in the US market—the F-Series pickup. Ford captured 15.4% of industry sales in August, up from 14.26% a year ago. Brand sales rose 11.7% from August 2010—to 164,843 units.
Chevrolet continued to hold onto the second-highest brand share in . . . Continue Reading Ford Brand and F-Series Still Top-Volume Leaders
Posted on July 21, 2011, at 12:30 am
 Mike Omotoso Recent news reports have indicated that General Motors has decided to sell a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car in the US market. Reportedly, the diesel powertrain will help boost Cruze fuel efficiency to 50 mpg on the highway, based on several wire service reports. In June, Chevrolet sold nearly 25,000 new Cruze compacts with conventional gasoline powertrains, and it was one of the best-selling models in the US market.
GM to Offer Clean Diesel Powertrain
We know that General Motors’ diesel engine will use a common-rail direct-injection system, and it will be a clean diesel. In fact, all diesel passenger cars sold in the United States must be clean diesel, and ultra-low sulfur diesel has been sold across the country since late 2006. As news reports suggest, it will be two or three years before a diesel version of the Cruze can be sold here because it has to be re-engineered to meet US emissions standards. Continue reading ›
Posted on July 18, 2011, at 7:30 am
Through the first half of 2011, new car and light-truck sales in the United States were up 12% from the same six-month period in 2010. Automakers delivered 6.3 million units in the first half compared with 5.6 million units in the first half of 2010.
More light trucks were sold in the first six months this year than in the same period a year ago. Our analysis indicates that the light-truck share of the market in the first half was 50.3%, up from 49.2% a year ago. Although light trucks were more popular, compacts, especially Compact Conventional models, posted a major sales and share gain this year, outpacing last year’s most popular segment in the industry in the first half—Midsize Conventional cars. Continue reading ›
Posted on July 5, 2011, at 3:23 pm
 David Cutting In June, more than 1.05 million new cars and light trucks were sold in the US market, which was up slightly less than 3% from 981,429 unit sales in the same month a year ago (on a selling-day-adjusted basis*). The average annual selling pace (SAAR) in June was 11.4 million units, which was weaker than last month’s 11.7 million-unit SAAR, but stronger than the year-ago pace of 11.1 million units.
Large pickups and the combined compact segments outperformed the industry in June as we projected, and the three Detroit-based automakers captured slightly more than one-half of industry sales (50.16%), mainly due to depleted inventories for two of the major Japanese automakers: Toyota and Honda Groups. On a year-to-date basis, the US market is up 12.1%. Hyundai Group’s impressive 32.5% sales gain through June this year comes at the expense of Toyota (down 4.6%) and Honda (up 1.6%). Continue reading ›
Posted on June 24, 2011, at 5:28 am
 Jon Sundberg Honda captures a total of seven model-level initial quality awards—the most of any brand this year, and the most for the Japanese automaker in any given year—according to results of the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS). Lexus, which receives four model-level awards, is also the brand with the highest-performing model in the industry—the LS. Chevrolet, Ford and Mercedes-Benz receive two awards each, while Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge and Mazda each receive one award. Continue reading ›
Posted on May 19, 2011, at 8:25 am
 Most premium brands had lower retail turn rates* than the industry average during the first four months of 2011, based on our Power Information Network® (PIN) retail transaction data. This year, the Audi brand had the lowest retail turn rate—new vehicles remained an average of only 23 days on dealer lots before being sold—which was even lower than last year’s 34 days, and less than half of the industry average retail turn rate (54 days) during the first four months of 2011. Land Rover had the next lowest turn rate—30 days—down from 35 days in 2010. Lexus followed with a retail turn rate of 36 days, which was up from 29 days in 2010. Continue reading ›
Posted on May 18, 2011, at 10:23 am
 David Cutting BMW, offering 11 models in the US market, currently is the best-selling luxury, or premium, brand through the first four months of 2011, according to data from our Automotive Forecasting division. BMW’s year-to-date sales through April totaled 71,417 units, which was a 10% improvement over last year’s same time period. The German luxury automaker’s 5 Series midsize premium conventional model posted strong gains for the brand this year—sales rose more than 75%, to 15,986 units vs. 9,111 sales a year ago. Also, the redesigned X3 compact premium crossover (CUV) bolstered the brand’s totals with 7,987 unit sales so far this year. Additionally, all of BMW’s CUV models posted gains this year, while the volume-leading 3 Series, which was the best-selling premium model in the US market, posted a 12% sales decline (26,590 unit sales vs. 30,360 unit sales in 2010).
Mercedes-Benz, with a lineup of 15 models in the US new-vehicle market, was very close to its rival BMW, selling just 32 fewer units through the first four months. Mercedes delivered 71,385 premium cars and light trucks in January through April 2011, up 7% from last year’s 66,857 unit deliveries. In addition to being the best-selling luxury brand, the Mercedes C-Class and E-Class passenger cars were among the 10 best-selling luxury models in the United States during this same time frame. The Sprinter van has sold 3,764 units in year-to-date sales, but is not included in the above figures as it is not considered to be a premium model. Continue reading ›
Posted on April 15, 2011, at 6:48 am
 First-quarter light-vehicle sales in the United States were up 18.6% from the same three-month period in 2010, based on our Automotive Forecasting Division analysis. Overall car and light-truck sales advanced to 3.05 million unit sales during the quarter, from 2.5 million units a year ago. Nearly 513,000 more new vehicles were delivered in the quarter than in the first quarter of 2010.
Retail sales led the early 2011 recovery with a 23.0% increase, while fleet sales were up only 4.6%, based on our Power Information Network® (PIN) retail transaction data. Escalating gasoline prices (nationwide average approaching $4.00 per gallon) during the first quarter boosted the Compact segments, which were up 25.4% from the same period a year ago, while the Midsize and Large segments increased only 13.1% and 16.4%, respectively. Continue reading ›
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This year, overall satisfaction with the new-vehicle sales experience improves by 13 index points to an average of 648 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 635 in 2010, according to results in J.D. Power’s 2011 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, which is based on responses from more than 24,000 buyers and lessees who purchased their new-vehicle in May 2011.
