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April 2008 Vehicles Sales

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Old 05-01-08 | 05:55 PM
  #31  
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Default Kia Motors America Announces Record April Sales

IRVINE, Calif., May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA) today
announced its best sales month ever with record April sales of 30,066
units, a 15.6-percent increase over the same period last year, and
year-to-date sales of 98,280 total units.

Kia's April growth was led by Spectra and Optima, up 4.8 percent and
89.3 percent respectively over the previous month. Rondo sales increased
118.3 percent over the same period last year with 2,583 unit sales. Rio and
Spectra continue their strong showing with 4,052 and 8,406 units sold
respectively, with increases of 23.6 and 16.7 percent.

"As consumers are looking to further stretch their dollar in the midst
of rising gasoline prices and a downward sliding economy, we are pleased to
see Kia's fuel-efficient and dynamic product line continue to appeal to new
car buyers," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia
Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "Kia's value-packed Rio and Spectra
models continue to outpace last year's sales and Rondo's strong showing
position KMA for another successful sales effort this year."

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm
of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a
complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the
United States. For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record
U.S. sales. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value,
high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on
producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline
"The Power to Surprise."

Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA."
Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is
available at its Web site -- http://www.kia.com. For media information,
including photography, visit http://www.kiamedia.com.
Code:
               MONTH OF APRIL                           YEAR-TO-DATE

     Model     2008      2007                          2008        2007
     Rio       4,052    3,279                         13,150      9,588
     Spectra   8,406    7,203                         26,419      21,696
     Optima    4,550    4,538                         13,746      13,963
     Amanti      235      528                            791       3,266
     Sportage  3,960    3,695                         13,746      15,410
     Sorento   2,991    2,883                          7,612      12,962
     Sedona    3,289    2,698                         10,580      18,622
     Rondo     2,583    1,183                         12,236       4,103

     Total     30,066   26,007                        98,280      99,610
SOURCE Kia Motors America
Old 05-01-08 | 08:07 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by carguy101
Any info on the hybrid-only model from Lexus?

When is it coming?

Will it be a crossover or a sedan?

Will it use a 4 cyl. engine or a V6?
We have nill info sorry.
Old 05-01-08 | 08:52 PM
  #33  
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I agree, Lexus does need to come out with the New RX real soon the old one is just getting let's just say "OLD".
Old 05-01-08 | 09:10 PM
  #34  
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That "old" RX is still best selling in class and has held up marvelously well over the years.

The RX 400h hybrid luxury utility vehicle reported sales of 1,624 units for the month, up eight percent over the year ago month.
Old 05-01-08 | 10:23 PM
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Subaru and Kia both had good months!

I have to say I am pretty much clueless about the Kia line-up - I can't visualize the models from the names Rio, Spectra, Optima, Amanti, Sportage, Sorento, Sedona, Rondo... I know Amanti is the ugly one though.
Old 05-01-08 | 10:29 PM
  #36  
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Lexus is down 10% for the year but still leads with 89k sales. BMW is right behind with 85k
Old 05-01-08 | 10:39 PM
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Originally Posted by bruce van
Looks like BMW is doing very, very well despite the harsh economic climate.
They keep bringing out new models which is helping...

It doesn't surprise me that Lexus is not doing well. I'm sorry but their current line of cars is just plain boring. Nothing really excites me. The LS is boring compared to its European counterparts and that is the flagship vehicle. I was driving behind one the other day and it did nothing for me. I think Lexus is getting a little too comfortable and needs a good kick in the pants to make their vehicles more interesting.
I agree completely. But not only that, they've just slacked off on features. GS has a cassette player and no iPod integration option, give me a break. LX570 has a ridiculous 3rd row seat setup that eats a lot of room and doesn't fold flat. GX is old. RX is still a great vehicle but old now. ES is good for what it is intended to be. IS is decent but rear seat room is a joke and where the hell's the coupe? SC is ancient with no performance. LS is a very nice vehicle but has insufficient ordering flexibility and exterior bumpers and sides are too plain. The whole Lexus line needs a better voice recognition system. The IS-F is neat but somehow just sticks out like an incongruous sore thumb to the rest of the line. The hybrid sedans have less trunk space than a Civic.

I'm sure, unlike Acura though, they will turn it around soon.
Old 05-01-08 | 11:57 PM
  #38  
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Toyota sales overall did not drop much at all, based on daily selling rate and Toyota sales were UP based on the total sales this April compared to last year in April.

Corolla sales are back up to where they should be, and Corolla sales will only continue to increase. Production for the new Corolla continues to be ramped up. Even now, many Toyota dealers still have waiting lists for the new Corolla.

Yes, the sales drop for Lexus does look dissapointing, but keep in mind Lexus was the sales leader in the segment last year and during such tough economic times it would be impossible for Lexus to maintain such sales volume. Apart from brand prestige, the only other reason why Benz and BMW are doing well is because of the generous incentives they offer, and the amazing lease deals BMW in particular offers. Lexus does not really offer much of that. If Lexus had amazing lease deals going on nationwide, then sales would be MUCH better.

Another very strong month for the Yaris, Prius, and Camry. Scion sales are increasing an an awesome pace. Great to see how solid IS sales continue to be. The G35 sedan had a BIG drop in sales, and the IS outsold it by quite a margin. RX sales continue to be very strong despite the economy. No other vehicle in the luxury segment even comes close to RX sales.

Interesting that Honda had a technical difficulty. I'm interested in seeing Honda's sales, so lets hope they come out soon.

The American Big Three all had big sales drops, especially GM on a pure volume basis (non-daily selling rate). Based on the daily selling rate, their sales were down even more. Toyota sales generally stood their ground compared to last year, which means for April Toyota's marketshare increased. In a down market Toyota is doing very well, as are most of the Japanese automakers.

Originally Posted by carguy101
Lexus down 11% for the year so far. More than I thought.

Is the RX the only model that is getting a redesign in calendar year 2009? If so, even though the RX is a volume product, I don't see Lexus sales improving much in 2009 either.

Also, I read somewhere that they are killing off the GX. Is this true?
The RX is getting a redesign, the IS is getting updated which includes the addition of the IS coupe and convertible, and the GX is rumoured to be getting a redesign. Also, the all-new hybrid-only Lexus model debuts in 2009, so overall Lexus will have plenty of new product for 2009.

Originally Posted by XeroK00L
Lexus needs to push out the new RX faster. They're getting a bit too slow with the new model releases recently.

Also, BMW's 26,735 vs. Lexus's 23,350 marks the first month in many years that Lexus loses the sales crown. The margin the 5-series is leading is quite astounding.
As opposed to releasing models quickly and at the cost of quality? No thanks; let Toyota take it's time, I'd much rather them go slowly and keep quality at a high level. Plus, it's not like RX sales are greatly down or anything.

Originally Posted by GS69

The Corolla #s seem a bit off. w/ compact cars w/ small engines in style, I would have thought that the new Corolla would be flying off lots.
Production is still not fully ramped. Looking at Toyota's April results, North American production for the Corolla was lower this April compared to last year in April. Corollas ARE flying off the lots; many dealers have waiting lists for them.
Old 05-02-08 | 08:48 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by TRDFantasy
Toyota sales overall did not drop much at all, based on daily selling rate and Toyota sales were UP based on the total sales this April compared to last year in April.

Corolla sales are back up to where they should be, and Corolla sales will only continue to increase. Production for the new Corolla continues to be ramped up. Even now, many Toyota dealers still have waiting lists for the new Corolla.

Yes, the sales drop for Lexus does look dissapointing, but keep in mind Lexus was the sales leader in the segment last year and during such tough economic times it would be impossible for Lexus to maintain such sales volume. Apart from brand prestige, the only other reason why Benz and BMW are doing well is because of the generous incentives they offer, and the amazing lease deals BMW in particular offers. Lexus does not really offer much of that. If Lexus had amazing lease deals going on nationwide, then sales would be MUCH better.

Another very strong month for the Yaris, Prius, and Camry. Scion sales are increasing an an awesome pace. Great to see how solid IS sales continue to be. The G35 sedan had a BIG drop in sales, and the IS outsold it by quite a margin. RX sales continue to be very strong despite the economy. No other vehicle in the luxury segment even comes close to RX sales.

Interesting that Honda had a technical difficulty. I'm interested in seeing Honda's sales, so lets hope they come out soon.

The American Big Three all had big sales drops, especially GM on a pure volume basis (non-daily selling rate). Based on the daily selling rate, their sales were down even more. Toyota sales generally stood their ground compared to last year, which means for April Toyota's marketshare increased. In a down market Toyota is doing very well, as are most of the Japanese automakers.



The RX is getting a redesign, the IS is getting updated which includes the addition of the IS coupe and convertible, and the GX is rumoured to be getting a redesign. Also, the all-new hybrid-only Lexus model debuts in 2009, so overall Lexus will have plenty of new product for 2009.



As opposed to releasing models quickly and at the cost of quality? No thanks; let Toyota take it's time, I'd much rather them go slowly and keep quality at a high level. Plus, it's not like RX sales are greatly down or anything.



Production is still not fully ramped. Looking at Toyota's April results, North American production for the Corolla was lower this April compared to last year in April. Corollas ARE flying off the lots; many dealers have waiting lists for them.
Are you basing your Corolla and Camry view on the spreadsheet posted here in this thread?

If so it is not just Honda that has a technical difficulty.

The sheet shows negative growth for Camry and Corolla yet the vehicle sales numbers are offered as higher than prior year same month.

(( COROLLA 32,435 32,289 -7.3 99,482 120,484 -18.2
(( CAMRY 40,016 37,911 -2.6

Computers do not make such mistakes and I have seen spreadsheet errors like this numerous times. I am prone to catch such things due to having to oversee my own business P&L statements for years, used to drive the bookeeper nuts that I'd spot things so quickly.

Either they have the real monthly sales volume manually transposed or something else is going on.

I believe the Lexus sales will continue to be down as a result of unresolved quality issues.
Old 05-02-08 | 09:44 AM
  #40  
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Default General Motors

GM April 2008 Sales: Down 16.3%

GM Reports 260,922 Deliveries in April


(Monthly comparison percentages are sales day-adjusted unless noted.)

Retail Car Sales Up 6 Percent
Chevrolet Car Retail Sales Up 24 Percent Led By a 147 Percent Increase in Malibu, 17 Percent Rise in Cobalt, 13 Percent Increase in Aveo and 8 Percent Hike in Impala Sales
Pontiac Retail Car Sales Up 6 Percent With a 39 Percent Increase in Vibe, 3 Percent Climb in G5 and G6 Sales
Buick Retail Trucks Up 32 Percent Led By 4,000 Enclave Crossover Sales

More DETAILS : http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayS...=3&docid=45430
.
Old 05-02-08 | 09:54 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by ES350Bob
Are you basing your Corolla and Camry view on the spreadsheet posted here in this thread?

If so it is not just Honda that has a technical difficulty.

The sheet shows negative growth for Camry and Corolla yet the vehicle sales numbers are offered as higher than prior year same month.

(( COROLLA 32,435 32,289 -7.3 99,482 120,484 -18.2
(( CAMRY 40,016 37,911 -2.6

Computers do not make such mistakes and I have seen spreadsheet errors like this numerous times. I am prone to catch such things due to having to oversee my own business P&L statements for years, used to drive the bookeeper nuts that I'd spot things so quickly.

Either they have the real monthly sales volume manually transposed or something else is going on.

I believe the Lexus sales will continue to be down as a result of unresolved quality issues.
The "negative" growth is based on daily selling rate, because this April there were 2 more selling days than April last year. In the end, it doesn`t really matter since there are always 365 days in a year.

Camry sales are still UP this year, and they are UP in April on a purely volume basis.

Corolla sales, as I mentioned are right now limited mainly by supply. Did you notice the part in the spreadsheet where it shows North American Corolla production?

* NORTH AMERICAN BUILT VEHICLES
COROLLA 26,749 28,352

This April less Corollas were built than last year in April.

Toyota sold 32,435 Corollas this April, yet only 26,749 were built in North America. That clearly shows supply was limited, and that Toyota was forced to import roughly 6,000 Corollas last month.

Think whatever you want about Lexus, but the fact is Lexus offers the least incentives and deals out of any luxury brand. In such a troubled economy, incentives and deals matter a lot to people, including in the luxury segment. Sales are down mainly due to the lack of nationwide incentive programs and lease deals.

How about the "unresolved" quality of Acura, BMW, Mercedes, Audi? It's really quite silly how you continue to criticize and target only Lexus with regards to quality problems, while ignoring the fact that Lexus still continues to offer some of the best quality in the luxury market.
Old 05-02-08 | 11:02 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by ES350Bob
Are you basing your Corolla and Camry view on the spreadsheet posted here in this thread?

If so it is not just Honda that has a technical difficulty.

The sheet shows negative growth for Camry and Corolla yet the vehicle sales numbers are offered as higher than prior year same month.

(( COROLLA 32,435 32,289 -7.3 99,482 120,484 -18.2
(( CAMRY 40,016 37,911 -2.6

Computers do not make such mistakes and I have seen spreadsheet errors like this numerous times. I am prone to catch such things due to having to oversee my own business P&L statements for years, used to drive the bookeeper nuts that I'd spot things so quickly.

Either they have the real monthly sales volume manually transposed or something else is going on.

I believe the Lexus sales will continue to be down as a result of unresolved quality issues.
You must be new to our monthly sales report threads as this has been discussed for numerous times. Toyota is known for reporting percentage increase/decrease based on DSR (daily selling rate), which is the total monthly volume divided by the number of selling days, which presumably makes for a better representation of "how strong" the sales is in a given month. As you can see, there are reportedly 26 selling days in April this year as opposed to 24 selling days in April last year. With a higher divisor the DSR is therefore lower.
Old 05-02-08 | 11:37 AM
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Originally Posted by TRDFantasy

* NORTH AMERICAN BUILT VEHICLES
COROLLA 26,749 28,352

This April less Corollas were built than last year in April.
I don't think you understand what Toyota means by 26,749 "North American Built Vehicles". The 26,749 figure means that Toyota sold 26,749 Corollas that were built at some point in time in North America. It does not mean that 26,749 Corollas were built in North America in April.
Old 05-02-08 | 11:50 AM
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Originally Posted by carguy101
I don't think you understand what Toyota means by 26,749 "North American Built Vehicles". The 26,749 figure means that Toyota sold 26,749 Corollas that were built at some point in time in North America. It does not mean that 26,749 Corollas were built in North America in April.
Perhaps, but it is still an indication production is down compared to last year and not *yet* fully ramped up. Do you really think Toyota wants to be importing thousands of Corollas every month? It's in Toyota's best interest to build most of the Corollas locally that it sells here in North America. It reduces costs. As you can certainly see from the sales results, Toyota was forced to import almost 20% of Corollas sold in April in the US.
Old 05-02-08 | 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by XeroK00L
You must be new to our monthly sales report threads as this has been discussed for numerous times. Toyota is known for reporting percentage increase/decrease based on DSR (daily selling rate), which is the total monthly volume divided by the number of selling days, which presumably makes for a better representation of "how strong" the sales is in a given month. As you can see, there are reportedly 26 selling days in April this year as opposed to 24 selling days in April last year. With a higher divisor the DSR is therefore lower.
Thank you zero for explaining that to me, I missed the DSR discussions.



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