How will new-car dealers and their manufacturing partners reduce bloated inventory on dealer lots? We’ll get a hint this coming weekend, as the Labor Day holiday puts focus on the trifecta of new-vehicle incentive strategies for clearing lots of older models. Right now, dealers are juggling 2018 (reported to be 3.5% of new-vehicle sales last … Continued
Tesla headlined the luxury vehicle story again in the second quarter of 2019 in terms of shopping consideration, consumer perception and ultimately sales, according to the Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch ™ for luxury vehicles. Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch is a consumer perception survey that also weaves in consumer shopping behavior to determine how a … Continued
Four major automakers recently announced they had agreed to voluntarily meet California’s tougher fuel economy standards, while the Environmental Protection Agency attempts to weaken federal fuel economy rules. BMW, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen have said they will increase the fuel economy of their fleets under California rules, which are looser than those proposed by the … Continued
Dealers and automakers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to laying a positive foundation for the nearly 100 new electrified models scheduled to arrive in the U.S. market in the next few years. However, without collaboration between the two groups, clearing up the common misconceptions facing electric vehicles (EV) could delay widespread adoption, … Continued
Americans’ love for pickup trucks swelled in the second quarter, while their desire for SUVs stayed stronger, according to Q2 Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch ™ for non-luxury vehicles. Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch is a consumer perception survey that also weaves in consumer shopping behavior to determine how a brand or model stacks up with … Continued
Toyota reported higher earnings, beating analysts’ forecasts, for the April-June quarter, Q1 in Toyota’s fiscal year that ends March 31, 2020. [The April-June quarter is referenced as Q2 in charts below.] Net income was up at $6.2 billion on higher revenue of $69.5 billion. Global vehicle sales rose to more than 2.3 million vehicles. Sales were … Continued
Wholesale used vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) increased 0.01% month-over-month in July. This brought the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index to 140.5, a 2.6% increase from a year ago. After seeing steady to slightly higher prices in June in weekly Manheim Market Report (MMR) prices, July prices were firm. Three-year-old … Continued
Welcome to a new era of sales reporting. With the Detroit-based automakers—accounting for more than 40% of U.S. auto sales—no longer officially reporting monthly sales numbers, the Cox Automotive Industry Insights team continues to deliver the insights they can. Our July forecast called for sales volumes slightly above year-ago levels thanks to an additional July … Continued
General Motors reports second-quarter financial results before the stock market opens August 1. Wall Street analysts expect lower earnings on lower revenues, though they are hopeful for an upside surprise as GM delivered in Q1. In the U.S., GM sold 744,316 vehicles in Q2, down nearly 2% from the year-ago quarter. Total industry sales for … Continued
Fiat Chrysler reports second-quarter financials July 31 before the U.S. stock market opens. Wall Street analysts expect FCA to post positive earnings, though down from a year ago on lower revenues. In the U.S., FCA’s largest market, the automaker sold 597,685 vehicles, down a scant .5% from last year’s 600,000-plus quarter while total industry sales … Continued
