December 2010 and Year End Auto Sales: Lexus #1 for the 11th year in a row!
01-05-11, 09:10 AM
#32
Lexus #1 for 11th Straight Year
Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus outsold Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s BMW and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz last month, helping the Japanese brand secure the top spot in U.S. luxury auto sales for the 11th straight year.
Lexus sold 27,560 cars and sport-utility vehicles in December in the U.S. and 229,329 for 2010, the Toyota City, Japan-based automaker said yesterday in a statement. The brand’s sales fell 3.5% in December from a year earlier while rising 6.2% for all of 2010.
The Lexus annual lead over BMW shrank to 9,216, less than half the 19,473 gap in 2009. Mercedes’s U.S. sales increased 14% last year, leaving the Stuttgart, Germany-based automaker’s brand in 3rd.
“It was a bit of a roller coaster” for Lexus last year, said Jesse Toprak, an analyst at TrueCar.com, a website that tracks auto sales. “They certainly got impacted negatively by the lingering recall news for Toyota, and we’ve also seen BMW and Benz being more aggressive when it came to incentive spending and marketing.”
Among other luxury brands, General Motors Co.’s Cadillac boosted deliveries 35% for the year, while the Audi brand of Wolfsburg, Germany-based Volkswagen AG sold more than 100,000 vehicles in the U.S. for the 1st time.
“The availability of credit and the availability of leasing mechanisms have certainly helped the entire industry,” Kurt McNeil, Detroit-based GM’s vice president of sales for Cadillac, said in an interview.
Large Sedans
Demand for large luxury sedans rebounded in 2010, Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America Inc., said in a telephone interview.
“We knew that during 2009, when that segment contracted so sharply, that the people who buy those cars still had the money to do so,” de Nysschen said. “It was just not seen as the right thing to do in the social dynamic that was experiencing harsh economic times.”
BMW’s U.S. sales rose 16% to 23,280 for December and 12% to 220,113 for the year, according to a statement from the Munich-based automaker. Mercedes reported U.S. sales of 20,090 last month, up 0.3%, and 216,448 for the year.
The results exclude Daimler’s Sprinter vans and Smart cars and BMW’s Mini brand, which aren’t luxury vehicles.
Mercedes had moved within about 2,700 sales of Lexus after the 3rd quarter, a period in which it outsold BMW.
‘Aggressive Lease Deals’
Mercedes had “very aggressive lease deals,” including about $300 a month for a C-Class sedan, Toprak said.
“It basically brought in all of these consumers who otherwise didn’t even think about leasing a Benz,” he said.
Lexus more than doubled incentive spending in the 4th quarter from a year earlier, while Mercedes reduced such expenses 6.4% and BMW’s fell 37%, according to Santa Monica, California-based TrueCar.
Lexus’s incentive increase last month was at a rate comparable to previous years in December, when it holds its main clearance sale, Mark Templin, Toyota’s U.S. group vice president for the brand, said on a conference call.
“It was never our goal to be No. 1, but we’re proud to be there,” he said.
BMW’s 4th-quarter sales benefited from the arrival of the all-wheel-drive 5 Series sedan, Jim O’Donnell, head of the automaker’s U.S. unit, said in a telephone interview. The December gain for the redesigned 5 Series was 29%.
‘Two-Horse Race’
BMW now has the revamped X3 sport-utility vehicle reaching showrooms, which with the new 6 Series and a full lineup for the 5 Series gives the automaker a shot at overtaking Lexus in 2011, O’Donnell said.
“It will be a 2-horse race this year and it will be between Lexus and ourselves,” he said. Mercedes “missed a big opportunity” in not passing BMW in 2010 “given the product cycle,” O’Donnell said.
Audi sales climbed 23% to 101,629 vehicles for the year and 17% to 10,546 in December, de Nysschen said. Porsche SE, the Stuttgart-based automaker merging with Volkswagen, said its U.S. sales increased 21% to 2,567 in December and 29% to 25,320 for the year.
GM’s Cadillac reported a 13% gain to 16,718 last month, for annual sales of 146,925. The full-year growth came at the expense of Lexus, particularly the Toyota brand’s RX SUV, McNeil said. Sales of Cadillac’s SRX more than doubled in 2010.
“SRX continues to even exceed our expectations,” he said. “We had our best month ever in the month of December for SRX.”
Lincoln, Acura
Ford Motor Co., based in Dearborn, Michigan, sold 8,060 Lincoln luxury vehicles in December, a 23% drop from a year earlier. For the year, Lincoln sales rose 3.6% to 85,828.
Honda Motor Co., based in Tokyo, reported Acura-brand sales of 15,489 for December, a 46% increase, and 133,606 for the year, up 26%.
Deliveries of Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti line rose 37% to 12,502 vehicles in December and 28% to 103,411 for the year, according to a statement from the Yokohama, Japan-based company.
Tata Motors Ltd., based in Mumbai, reported gains for Land Rover deliveries of 2.8% to 3,695 for last month and 21% to 31,864 vehicles for the year. Sales for its Jaguar brand fell 5.2% to 1,180 in December and rose 12% to 13,340 for all of 2010.
--With assistance from Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles. Editors: John Lear, Elizabeth Wollman
To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Higgins in Southfield, Michigan at thiggins21@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jamie Butters at jbutters@bloomberg.net
To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Higgins in Southfield, Michigan at thiggins21@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jamie Butters at jbutters@bloomberg.net
01-05-11, 09:56 AM
#33
I still think the sales crown for 2011 is anyone's best bet, but I think BMW will probably clench it.
New X3, 5 Series is still hot, 6 Series, and perhaps the new 3 series at the end of the year.
Mercedes has the refreshed C, C Coupe, new ML I think, plus possible A and B classes.
Lexus has the CT, and perhaps the new ES. Can't get clarification on that one but with the new Camry coming this spring, the ES should be right behind.
New X3, 5 Series is still hot, 6 Series, and perhaps the new 3 series at the end of the year.
Mercedes has the refreshed C, C Coupe, new ML I think, plus possible A and B classes.
Lexus has the CT, and perhaps the new ES. Can't get clarification on that one but with the new Camry coming this spring, the ES should be right behind.
01-05-11, 11:53 AM
#34
Top 10 of the Month
1. Ford F-Series (includes Super Duty) 54,888
2. Chevrolet Silverado (includes Heavy Duty) 42,518
3. Honda Accord (includes Crosstour, Coupe) 32,381
4. Toyota Camry (includes Hybrid) 31,223 327,804
5. Honda Civic (includes Coupe, Hybrid) 28,263
6. Ram Pickup (includes Heavy Duty) 23,241
7. Honda CR-V 23,125
8. Nissan Altima (includes Coupe, Hybrid) 23,016
9. Ford Fusion (includes Hybrid) 22,629
10. Toyota Corolla (includes Matrix) 22,058
01-05-11, 12:53 PM
#35
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1. Ford F-Series (includes Super Duty) 54,888
2. Chevrolet Silverado (includes Heavy Duty) 42,518
3. Honda Accord (includes Crosstour, Coupe) 32,381
4. Toyota Camry (includes Hybrid) 31,223 327,804
5. Honda Civic (includes Coupe, Hybrid) 28,263
6. Ram Pickup (includes Heavy Duty) 23,241
7. Honda CR-V 23,125
8. Nissan Altima (includes Coupe, Hybrid) 23,016
9. Ford Fusion (includes Hybrid) 22,629
10. Toyota Corolla (includes Matrix) 22,058
01-05-11, 12:58 PM
#36
Either way, both nameplates have their own benefits. Accord has Crossover and Coupe sale, Camry has fleet. The Accord still sells to the mass even though it's not the prettiest thing. The Camry will jump back up though when the new model debuts and they're cleaning out the current gen.
01-05-11, 01:59 PM
#37
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I still think the sales crown for 2011 is anyone's best bet, but I think BMW will probably clench it.
New X3, 5 Series is still hot, 6 Series, and perhaps the new 3 series at the end of the year.
Mercedes has the refreshed C, C Coupe, new ML I think, plus possible A and B classes.
Lexus has the CT, and perhaps the new ES. Can't get clarification on that one but with the new Camry coming this spring, the ES should be right behind.
New X3, 5 Series is still hot, 6 Series, and perhaps the new 3 series at the end of the year.
Mercedes has the refreshed C, C Coupe, new ML I think, plus possible A and B classes.
Lexus has the CT, and perhaps the new ES. Can't get clarification on that one but with the new Camry coming this spring, the ES should be right behind.
.The X3 exists in a small market, I don't see sales increasing much. If new 3 and 6 come at the end of this year, there will be a temporary sales drop as inventory levels go down and the model changeover occurs. No such thing will happen with the CT for example, since it is a new addition to the Lexus lineup. The CT will have an immediate impact on Lexus sales.
I still think Lexus will get the crown in 2011, but it will be a very small margin. 2012 though should be a comfortable win for Lexus with the amount of models they will have coming.
01-05-11, 02:15 PM
#38
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I would think that Lexus needs to watch Mercedes more than it does BMW. MB has a lot refreshed models and new models coming out this year and next, so they seem to have a lot of steam.
That said, these two years will be big for Lexus as they get the newly refreshed sedans.
That said, these two years will be big for Lexus as they get the newly refreshed sedans.
01-05-11, 03:41 PM
#39
The same thing was said about 2010 and BMW probably winning .
The X3 exists in a small market, I don't see sales increasing much. If new 3 and 6 come at the end of this year, there will be a temporary sales drop as inventory levels go down and the model changeover occurs. No such thing will happen with the CT for example, since it is a new addition to the Lexus lineup. The CT will have an immediate impact on Lexus sales.
I still think Lexus will get the crown in 2011, but it will be a very small margin. 2012 though should be a comfortable win for Lexus with the amount of models they will have coming.
.The X3 exists in a small market, I don't see sales increasing much. If new 3 and 6 come at the end of this year, there will be a temporary sales drop as inventory levels go down and the model changeover occurs. No such thing will happen with the CT for example, since it is a new addition to the Lexus lineup. The CT will have an immediate impact on Lexus sales.
I still think Lexus will get the crown in 2011, but it will be a very small margin. 2012 though should be a comfortable win for Lexus with the amount of models they will have coming.
I also forgot to mention the X1. I think that comes in 2011 too?
01-05-11, 07:26 PM
#40
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Good Japanese numbers. amazing how much bigger Toyota is than everyone, its quite staggering! Look at the last paragraph
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...d82c618d05.5e1
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...d82c618d05.5e1
Japan new car sales see first rise in seven years
By Shingo Ito (AFP) – 20 hours ago
TOKYO — A popular government subsidy aimed at boosting Japan's car makers helped the sector record its first annual gain in new sales for seven years, an industry group said Wednesday.
However December sales tumbled almost a third year-on-year as the subsidies, introduced by the government in the aftermath of the global downturn, came to an end in September.
The number of new cars, trucks and buses excluding mini vehicles sold in the country last year came to 3,229,716 units, up 10.6 percent from 2,921,085 the previous year, according to the Japanese Automobile Dealers Association.
Toyota's Prius petrol-electric hybrid car, low on greenhouse gas emissions, has been Japan's top-selling car for about one and a half years.
In 2010 the world's biggest automaker sold more than 315,000 units of the Prius in Japan, making it the best-selling car in the country for a single year, a record set by the company's Corolla in 1990.
The association said the sector's gain in 2010 was mainly due to a popular subsidy to encourage motorists to buy eco-friendly cars, which lifted demand and tempered the crippling effects of the financial crisis.
But last month new vehicle sales dropped 28.3 percent from a year earlier to 179,666, the fourth straight month with a year-on-year drop. Sales have fallen every month since the end of the subsidies, the association said.
The end of the scheme dealt a blow to automakers, which were already struggling to cope with the yen's strength against other major currencies, forcing them to scale back production.
A strong yen erodes exporters' incomes when repatriated while making their products more expensive and less competitive abroad.
But Shigeru Matsumura, auto analyst at SMBC Friend Securities, said the sector should recover from the end of the subsidies as the world emerges from the downturn and overseas demand picks up.
"The negative impact of an end to the incentives is subsiding gradually as Japanese carmakers are trying to stimulate market sentiment by introducing new models from now on," Mutsumura told AFP.
"We forecast the sales decline will hit bottom in the January-March quarter and then be on course for moderate recovery. But the pace of recovery fully depends on Japan's macroeconomic conditions.
"Japanese carmakers are expecting to show strong performance overseas thanks to growing auto demand in emerging economies, notably China, and an expected recovery in North America," Mutsumura added.
For 2010, Toyota was the market leader in Japan with 1,531,722 units sold, up 13.8 percent on the previous year, plus 33,365 vehicles of its Lexus brand sold in the country. Next came Nissan with 499,252 vehicles sold, Honda with 486,774 and Mazda with 173,802.
By Shingo Ito (AFP) – 20 hours ago
TOKYO — A popular government subsidy aimed at boosting Japan's car makers helped the sector record its first annual gain in new sales for seven years, an industry group said Wednesday.
However December sales tumbled almost a third year-on-year as the subsidies, introduced by the government in the aftermath of the global downturn, came to an end in September.
The number of new cars, trucks and buses excluding mini vehicles sold in the country last year came to 3,229,716 units, up 10.6 percent from 2,921,085 the previous year, according to the Japanese Automobile Dealers Association.
Toyota's Prius petrol-electric hybrid car, low on greenhouse gas emissions, has been Japan's top-selling car for about one and a half years.
In 2010 the world's biggest automaker sold more than 315,000 units of the Prius in Japan, making it the best-selling car in the country for a single year, a record set by the company's Corolla in 1990.
The association said the sector's gain in 2010 was mainly due to a popular subsidy to encourage motorists to buy eco-friendly cars, which lifted demand and tempered the crippling effects of the financial crisis.
But last month new vehicle sales dropped 28.3 percent from a year earlier to 179,666, the fourth straight month with a year-on-year drop. Sales have fallen every month since the end of the subsidies, the association said.
The end of the scheme dealt a blow to automakers, which were already struggling to cope with the yen's strength against other major currencies, forcing them to scale back production.
A strong yen erodes exporters' incomes when repatriated while making their products more expensive and less competitive abroad.
But Shigeru Matsumura, auto analyst at SMBC Friend Securities, said the sector should recover from the end of the subsidies as the world emerges from the downturn and overseas demand picks up.
"The negative impact of an end to the incentives is subsiding gradually as Japanese carmakers are trying to stimulate market sentiment by introducing new models from now on," Mutsumura told AFP.
"We forecast the sales decline will hit bottom in the January-March quarter and then be on course for moderate recovery. But the pace of recovery fully depends on Japan's macroeconomic conditions.
"Japanese carmakers are expecting to show strong performance overseas thanks to growing auto demand in emerging economies, notably China, and an expected recovery in North America," Mutsumura added.
For 2010, Toyota was the market leader in Japan with 1,531,722 units sold, up 13.8 percent on the previous year, plus 33,365 vehicles of its Lexus brand sold in the country. Next came Nissan with 499,252 vehicles sold, Honda with 486,774 and Mazda with 173,802.
.
01-05-11, 07:54 PM
#42
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In contrast Toyota sells well in home (Japan) and in America.Toyota-1,531,722
Nissan-499,252
Honda-486,774
Prius!!-315,000
Mazda- 173,802
Lexus- 33,365
Infiniti-0 doesn't exist
Acura-0 doesn't exist
As a matter of fact I thought Honda was 2nd biggest in Japan but it seems Nissan passed them? Is this normal or unusual?
The volume difference is staggering!
01-05-11, 08:42 PM
#43
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Its clear that Nissan/Honda are damn near American companies selling way more here than in their own home. They don't sell well in Japan. In contrast Toyota sells well in home (Japan) and in America.
Toyota-1,531,722
Nissan-499,252
Honda-486,774
Prius!!-315,000
Mazda- 173,802
Lexus- 33,365
Infiniti-0 doesn't exist
Acura-0 doesn't exist
As a matter of fact I thought Honda was 2nd biggest in Japan but it seems Nissan passed them? Is this normal or unusual?
The volume difference is staggering!
In contrast Toyota sells well in home (Japan) and in America.Toyota-1,531,722
Nissan-499,252
Honda-486,774
Prius!!-315,000
Mazda- 173,802
Lexus- 33,365
Infiniti-0 doesn't exist
Acura-0 doesn't exist
As a matter of fact I thought Honda was 2nd biggest in Japan but it seems Nissan passed them? Is this normal or unusual?
The volume difference is staggering!
Honda used to be 2nd biggest in Japan but Nissan overtook them a year or two ago. To be honest, this is actually normal. The reverse (when Honda was #2 was unusual). Historically, I believe Nissan was usually #2 in the Japanese market, and Honda was usually #3. A few years back Honda took over the #2 spot, but they lost the spot and Nissan is back at #2.
01-06-11, 06:30 AM
#44
Mazda
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported December 2010 sales of 21,479, up 17.7% versus December 2009 while year-to-date 2010 sales came in at 229,566, up 10.5% versus 2009. There were 27 selling days in December 2010 compared to 28 in December 2009, and 308 selling days in 2010 compared to 310 in 2009.
"Coming into this year, we were hopeful that the economy and industry would begin to show signs of recovery following a tumultuous 2009, so we're extremely pleased to close out 2010 on a positive note," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. "Gains in consumer confidence and the fact that we've remained true to our brand were all factors in building sales momentum this year that we believe will lead to an even brighter 2011 for Mazda."
Sales of Mazda's CX-7 and CX-9 crossover SUVs were strong all year and December was no exception. In fact, CX-7 reported its best December since 2007 with sales of 3,413 vehicles, up 32.4% while CX-9 celebrated its best month ever with 3,292 vehicles, up 24.8%. Combined crossover SUV sales for 2010 were up 38.3% versus last year with a total of 57,696 vehicles and were a near 50-50 split between CX-7 (28,788) and CX-9 (28,908).
While sales of Mazda's crossover SUVs were hot, sales of the volume-selling Mazda3 remained even hotter. Mazda3 reported its best December since 2007 with sales of 9,023 vehicles, up 13.1% versus last year. This also boosts Mazda3's year-to-date sales to 106,353, up 10.2% versus 2009.
The Mazda6 sport sedan zoomed to a strong finish as it also recorded its best December since 2007 with 3,415 vehicles sold, up 31.5%. On the year, sales of Mazda6 rose 2.3% with a total of 35,662 vehicles sold.
Rounding out the North American market, Mazda Canada, Inc. (MCI) reported its best December ever with sales of 5,218 vehicles, up 22.0%, the largest increase of any carmaker in Canada. Overall sales for 2010 rose by 7.0% with 78,662 vehicles sold and Mazda's market share increased from 5.0 to 5.1%.
Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) celebrated its best sales month ever in December with a total of 3,336 vehicles, up 7.0%. 2010 also marks MMdM's best calendar year ever with 25,116 vehicles sold, up 33.0% versus 2009.
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in the United States in 2010, 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.
01-06-11, 09:04 AM
#45
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Okay this is up to Nov data but interesting figures for BMW to read. I will continue searching for year end data.
http://theglobalherald.com/bmw-group...for-2010/8092/
http://theglobalherald.com/bmw-group...for-2010/8092/
BMW Group to Hit 1.4 million Units Target for 2010
BMW Group sold 129,014 units of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles in November 2010 compared to 107,718 in the same period for the previous year. This represents an increase in sales of 19.8%.
A total of 1,319,827 vehicles (up 13.5% on the previous year’s 1,162,559) were delivered to customers in the first eleven months of 2010, already exceeding the total sales volume for 2009 (1,286,310 vehicles) by the end of November.
Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing said:
BMW Group sold 129,014 units of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles in November 2010 compared to 107,718 in the same period for the previous year. This represents an increase in sales of 19.8%.
A total of 1,319,827 vehicles (up 13.5% on the previous year’s 1,162,559) were delivered to customers in the first eleven months of 2010, already exceeding the total sales volume for 2009 (1,286,310 vehicles) by the end of November.
Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Sales and Marketing said:
“The BMW Group is well on its way to reaching its target of more than 1.4 million units for this year. Thanks to our ongoing product offensive, we are outperforming the market and were able to expand our market share worldwide once again in November. As we do so, we continue to aim for a good balance between our sales in Europe, the Americas and Asia.”
The country breakdown for sales in November is as follows:- Germany: sales up 29.6%. Total of 25,156 new vehicle registrations (previous year 19,409)
- USA: sales up 25.2%. Total of 22,883 vehicles (previous year 18,272)
- China: sales up 104.3%. Total 17,302 vehicles
- South Korea: sales up 89.8%. Total 1,860 vehicles
- South Africa: sales up 32.3%. Total 2,094 vehicles
- Japan: sales up 15.4%. Total 3,330 vehicles
- Italy: sales up 13%. Total 6,410 units.