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NextGear Capital Partners with Manheim to Enhance its Flex Pricing Program

ATLANTA (Feb. 10, 2022) – To further improve cash flow for independent dealers to invest back into their businesses, NextGear Capital is introducing a new element to Flex Pricing, a floor plan program that offers .01% principal reduction per period and fewer fees. Now, Flex Pricing will offer additional payment deferments on vehicles purchased from … Continued

Auto Credit Availability Improves in January as Rates Start Moving Higher

Access to auto credit expanded in January according to the Dealertrack Credit Availability Index for all types of auto loans. The All Loans Index increased 0.4% to 102.0 in January, reflecting that auto credit was easier to get in the month compared to December. Access was looser by 7.6% year over year and compared to … Continued

New-Vehicle Prices Retreat From Record Highs But Remain Well Above MSRP, According to Kelley Blue Book

New-vehicle average transaction prices (ATPs) decreased to $46,404 in January 2022, according to new data released today by Kelley Blue Book, after reaching a record high in December 2021. Prices fell 1.8% ($839) month over month mostly due to fewer luxury vehicles being sold in January, but prices remain elevated compared to one year ago, up 12.5% … Continued

January Fleet Sales Fall 48% Month Over Month

Manufacturers continue to prioritize retail over fleet, with sales into large fleets falling 48% month over month in January to 97,707 units. JANUARY 2022 FLEET SALES Combined sales into large rental, commercial, and government buyers were down 36% year over year in January. Sales into commercial increased 4% year over year. Sales into rental declined … Continued

Wholesale Prices Stable in January but See Seasonal Decline

Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) were essentially unchanged in January compared to December. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index increased slightly to 236.3, which was a 45.0% increase from a year ago. The non-adjusted price change in January was a decline of 0.9% compared to December, leaving the unadjusted … Continued

Cox Automotive Launches vAuto ProfitTime GPS with the Industry’s First Multichannel Inventory Sourcing System

ATLANTA, Feb. 7, 2022 – Cox Automotive, an innovative provider of vAuto inventory management technology, tools and business intelligence, today announced its latest innovation, vAuto ProfitTime’s Global Acquisition, the industry’s first multichannel acquisition system to help dealers optimize their inventory sourcing from non-traditional channels.  “Acquiring inventory is the No. 1 challenge facing dealers today, and will be … Continued

Auto Market Weekly Summary

The January employment picture was much brighter than expected, as the omicron wave of COVID-19 failed to make a major dent in the tight job market. Job creation, wage growth and workforce participation gained as jobless claims fell. New-vehicle sales were down 10% in January. The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of sales improved to … Continued

Q4 2021 Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch Non-Luxury Report: New Products Lift Ford to Most-Shopped Brand, Beating Toyota

Hot new products and more plentiful inventory pushed the Ford brand to No. 1 in shopping consideration in the fourth quarter of 2021, a spot Toyota had held for nearly four years straight, according to the Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch Report for non-luxury vehicles.   The Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch Report™ is a consumer perception … Continued

EV Sales Are Poised To Increase in 2022, Electric Pickup Trucks Will Certainly Help

I participated in a panel discussion titled Electric Vehicle Strategies: Driving Mass Market Uptake earlier this week at the BloombergNEF Summit in San Francisco. Bloomberg set the stage of the discussion by stating that policy mandates and subsidies characterized the first phase in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, but now organic consumer demand is … Continued

Cox Automotive Auto Market Report: February 1st

The video below is part of a biweekly Auto Market Report series focusing on data and insights that provide a holistic view of the auto industry. Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke leads our effort to translate data and trends into actionable insights. Download this week’s presentation.