Category Archives: Sales

Ford says Focus No. 1 in worldwide sales

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Ford says Polk 2012 new vehicle registration data shows the Focus was the world’s best-selling passenger car last year. The company says the Polk data also shows the Ford-F-series pickup, which is sold only in a handful of global markets, was the third best-selling vehicle, behind the Toyota Corolla and Corolla variants, like the Matrix. The Fiesta was the top subcompact with terrestrial buyers.

The folks in Dearborn claim Focus registrations totaled 1,020,410 cars worldwide, which would put the Focus in close contention with the 1965 Chevrolet Impala/Impala Super Sport for the most sales by a single model line in a single year.

China was the key to Focus growth last year. Registrations in the world’s largest new vehicle market were up 51% in 2012 , accounting for more than a quarter of global sales. U.S. Focus sales were up 40% to 242,922, with a 58.3% jump in December to close out a banner year.

In addition to holding the title of world’s best-selling vehicle overall, Polk data also confirm the Ford Fiesta earned the top spot as the best-selling subcompact car globally, with 723,130 registrations last year. Together, registrations of Ford’s small cars – Fiesta and Focus – totaled 1,743,540 vehicles in 2012, according to Polk.

“Focus and Fiesta represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, global marketing, sales and service and Lincoln. “Our global products are resonating with consumers – especially in the best-selling, most competitive segments – with their unique combination of fuel efficiency, high quality, rich content and fun-to-drive personalities. Through One Ford, we’re able to bring economies of scale and fantastic value to customers all around the world.”

“Since its launch in China in late March of last year, Focus sales continue to strengthen, with the car now ranking as the best-selling passenger car in China in 2012 for the first time ever,” Farley said. “With additional manufacturing capacity added last year, we now have a tremendous opportunity to further strengthen our global small car sales in 2013, with sales off to a very strong start already.”

Grain of salt warning: While there is no reason to suspect the numbers aren”t correct, a call to Polk’s PR firm revealed the data was prepared by Polk specifically for Ford and that Polk does not have an official statement confirming the final results of the compilation of new vehicle registrations. It should be noted that other sources, using estimates of sales from over 100 countries, say the Corolla was still the best-selling car, though its sales were negatively impacted by the growing tensions between China and Japan over the Senkaku islands. With the slump in Toyota sales, the Focus was able to pass it to become China’s best-selling car.

2012 GLOBAL TOP 10
Rank Make/Model Sales
1 Ford Focus 1,020,410
2 Toyota Corolla 872,774
3 Ford F-Series 785,630
4 Wuling Sunshine 768,870
5 Toyota Camry 729,793
6 Ford Fiesta 723,130
7 Volkswagen Golf 699,148
8 Chevrolet Cruze 661,325
9 Honda Civic 651,159
10 Honda CR-V 624,98

Fusion fires up Ford sales; Lincoln lags (again)

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The new Ford Fusion is earning its name: it’s red-hot. After a huge increase in sales during February, the mid-size Ford sedan set an all-time sales record in March and has a huge lead in the competition to be the top-selling American-brand car. Year-to-date (YTD sales) are now 26% ahead of the first quarter of 2012 and the Fusion narrowly outsold the Toyota Corolla and easily outpaced the Honda Civic to become the third-best-selling car in the first quarter. It’s been a while since an American-badged car has taken third place in year-to-date (YTD) sales.

The Ford Escape also brought an all-time record to the table with sales up 27.6% last month while the Explorer enjoyed its best sales since the newest generation was released.

While the Focus lost ground in March, with sales down 11.9%, the Ford compact still leads its competition from GM and Chrysler.

Ford Utility sales jumped 15.4% last month with only the Escape and Flex missing their marks.

Ford really needs to do something about the Flex: inside, it’s an incredibly nice vehicle for family travels but Ford can’t give them away with Cracker Jacks. The same is even more true of the Lincoln clone, the MKT.

One detail that bears mentioning: in March, Ford sold more of its Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility than it did of its Taurus-based Police Interceptor sedan. The PI Utility now has a 90-unit lead over the sedan. While this may well be a statistical blip, it may signal a change in police vehicle purchasing. The California Highway Patrol, which has great influence on fleet buyers, is replacing all of its patrol sedans with the Ford PI Utility which offers more space for needed equipment than the existing sedans from Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford.

Sales of America’s favorite vehicle, the F-series pickup were up 16.3%, slightly outpacing the growth of the full-size pickup segment. The big Ford accounted for 29.5% of all Ford brand sales in March, up from 27.1% in the same month last year.

Overall, Ford sales were up 5.5% in March as a 6.9% advance in Ford brand sales was dragged down by a 22.5% decline in Lincoln sales. For the first quarter, total FoMoCo sales are running 11.0% ahead of the January-March period in 2012.

Ford executives recently said the long-awaited MKZ sedan should available in sufficient volumes next month to boost Lincoln’s sagging sales, but questions remain about reviving consumer interest in a car that’s not only four months late, but has been delayed due to a need to ship the cars, which are built in Mexico, into the U.S. for quality checks. Ford can spin that any way they want, but it’s still a red flag to some consumers who will wonder why they weren’t built well enough in the first place.

Ford needs to quit pinning its hopes on the MKZ and take a good look at the MKS, MKX, MKT and Navigator. Most importantly it needs to focus on near-term rejuvenation. Grille changes will help but Lincoln has been way down in the premium pecking order for so long, it is almost to the point of being damaged goods.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY SALES: MARCH 2013 & YTD
Brand/Model Mar-13 Mar-12 Change YTD 2013 YTD 2012 Change
Fiesta 6,728 6,502 3.5% 16,028 15,522 3.3%
Focus 24,929 28,293 -11.9% 61,898 66,043 -6.3%
C-MAX 3,769 0 NEW 9,677 0 NEW
Fusion (All-time record) 30,284 28,562 6.0% 80,558 63,949 26.0%
Taurus 7,003 7,095 -1.3% 16,984 14,871 14.2%
Police Interceptor Sedan 926 28 3207.1% 2,458 28 8678.6%
Mustang 7,688 9,046 -15.0% 17,320 20,133 -14.0%
Crown Victoria 0 481 -100.0% 0 1,672 -100.0%
Ford Cars 81,327 80,007 1.6% 204,923 182,218 12.5%
Escape (all-time record) 28,934 22,679 27.6% 72,983 58,604 24.5%
Edge 12,237 14,058 -13.0% 31,534 32,908 -4.2%
Flex 2,167 3,330 -34.9% 5,444 6,807 -20.0%
Explorer 17,509 13,212 32.5% 48,649 33,618 44.7%
Police Interceptor Utility 1,090 27 3937.0% 2,548 27 9337.0%
Expedition 3,070 3,022 1.6% 7,928 8,422 -5.9%
Ford Utilities 65,007 56,328 15.4% 169,086 140,386 20.4%
F-Series 67,513 58,061 16.3% 168,843 143,827 17.4%
Ranger 0 4,404 -100.0% 0 13,929 -100.0%
E-Series 11,316 12,308 -8.1% 27,639 29,194 -5.3%
Transit Connect 3,655 2,973 22.9% 10,426 7,432 40.3%
Ford Trucks 82,484 77,746 6.1% 206,908 194,382 6.4%
Ford Brand 228,818 214,081 6.9% 580,917 516,986 12.4%
MKZ 2,360 2,932 -19.5% 3,758 7,081 -46.9%
MKS 924 1,689 -45.3% 2,755 3,287 -16.2%
Town Car 0 144 -100.0% 0 439 -100.0%
Lincoln Cars 3,284 4,765 -31.1% 6,513 10,807 -39.7%
MKX 2,354 2,609 -9.8% 6,066 6,427 -5.6%
MKT 571 785 -27.3% 1,493 1,485 0.5%
Navigator 616 644 -4.3% 1,827 2,117 -13.7%
Lincoln Utilities 3,541 4,038 -12.3% 9,386 10,029 -6.4%
Lincoln Brand 6,825 8,803 -22.5% 15,899 20,836 -23.7%
Total Ford Motor Co. 235,643 222,884 5.7% 596,816 537,822 11.0%

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Marchionne misses call; Chrysler sales rise 5%

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Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne dampened some spirits during a shareholders’ meeting last month when he said February sales might mark the end of Chrysler Group’s 35-month streak of consecutive month-over-month sales gains. Model transitions, especially the shift from the discontinued Jeep Liberty to the new, and controversial, Jeep Cherokee, were expected to weigh down gains in sales of other company products.

By the end of the month, Reid Bigland, head of sales for Chrysler Group, told journalists at the New York International Auto Show that the string would remain unbroken and industry watchers agreed, predicting a 3.0% improvement in Chrysler’s results.

When Chrysler released its March sales figures today, both Marchionne and the analysts were shown to have been too pessimistic: total sales were up 5.0%, beating the estimates of all but one of the analysts polled by Bloomberg.

While Chrysler was enjoying its third year of growth and its best sales since December 2007, the Dodge Avenger, Challenger and Dart, along with the Ram pickup, were adding to the celebration with all-time sales records. Challenger sales soared 42.5% while Ram sales jumped 25.5%. The mid-size Avenger brought in 12,439 sales, a 32.9% gain as Dart sales hit 8,091. March records were set by the Fiat 500 and Jeep Compass.

Ram brand was most improved, up 24.5%, while Dodge wasn’t too far behind with a 15.0% gain. Fiat brand sales rose 2.6% in March.

As expected the selldown of the Jeep Liberty in advance of the rollout of the new Cherokee took a heavy toll on Jeep results. Dropping sales of the current Grand Cherokee added to the deficit though sales of the Compass, Patriot and Wrangler were all up for the month. Jeep missed its March 2012 mark by 12.5%.

A sharp decline in sales of the LX sedans dropped Chrysler brand into the red by 2.1%. Sales of the 300 nosedived 22.5%. A 6.8% drop in Town & Country sales contributed to the shortfall, wiping out an 11.3% gain posted by the Chrysler 200.

Combined sales of the Canadian-built LX cars (Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger) were down 0.4% in March, but up 6.9% in the first quarter of 2013.

The Town & Country’s miss, combined with a larger 18.9% plunge in Grand Caravan sales left Chrysler Group U.S. minivan sales down 13.1% for the month and 14.4% for the year.

Car sales were the big factor in Chrysler’s March success. March passenger car deliveries accounted for 36.2% of total sales, up 14.8% from March 2012. For the quarter, passenger car sales claimed a 36.9% share, up 22.2% from the first three months of last year. Truck sales are down slightly, which is entirely attributable to the changes at Jeep. This shift in mix is a major sea change for Chrysler Group, which used to get nearly 80% of its sales from light trucks. It’s also a favorable change, as the company is now better-equipped to deal with changes in consumer buying patterns.

CHRYSLER GROUP SALES: MARCH 2013 & YTD
Model Mar-13 Mar-12 Change YTD 2013 YTD 2012 Change
Fiat 500** 3,807 3,712 2.6% 9,612 8,850 8.6%
FIAT BRAND 3,807 3,712 2.6% 9,612 8,850 8.6%
Chrysler 200 16,593 14,914 11.3% 36,885 31,638 16.6%
Chrysler 300 5,686 7,336 -22.5% 16,034 19,966 -19.7%
Town & Country 11,626 12,476 -6.8% 26,765 27,734 -3.5%
CHRYSLER BRAND 33,905 34,726 -2.4% 79,684 79,338 0.4%
Compass** 5,111 3,987 28.2% 12,003 9,107 31.8%
Patriot 7,420 6,879 7.9% 18,997 15,965 19.0%
Wrangler 12,901 12,557 2.7% 31,846 29,772 7.0%
Liberty 1,408 7,605 -81.5% 4,972 21,799 -77.2%
Grand Cherokee 12,629 14,096 -10.4% 33,133 37,503 -11.7%
JEEP BRAND 39,469 45,124 -12.5% 100,951 114,146 -11.6%
Caliber 0 2,242 -100.0% 45 5,238 -99.1%
Dart* 8,091 0 NEW 22,965 0 NEW
Avenger* 12,439 9,362 32.9% 32,047 21,629 48.2%
Charger 9,386 9,644 -2.7% 26,098 22,505 16.0%
Challenger* 6,132 4,304 42.5% 14,540 10,524 38.2%
Viper 3 0 NEW 4 20 NEW
Journey 7,283 7,659 -4.9% 22,992 18,133 26.8%
Caravan 11,110 13,700 -18.9% 26,490 34,462 -23.1%
Nitro 0 575 Disc. 0 2,665 Disc.
Durango 5,441 4,590 18.5% 13,570 11,046 22.8%
DODGE  BRAND 59,885 52,076 15.0% 158,751 126,222 25.8%
Dakota 0 82 Disc. 0 376 Disc.
Ram Pickup* 33,831 26,960 25.5% 77,594 67,464 15.0%
Cargo Van 709 701 1.1% 1,760 1,655 6.3%
RAM BRAND 34,540 27,743 24.5% 79,354 69,495 14.2%
GRAND TOTAL 171,606 163,381 5.0% 428,352 398,051 7.6%
TOTAL CAR 62,137 51,514 20.6% 158,230 120,370 31.5%
TOTAL TRUCK 109,469 111,867 -2.1% 270,122 277,681 -2.7%
Car Share 36.2% 31.5% 14.8% 36.9% 30.2% 22.2%
*All-time sales record. **March sales record.

Study shows Americans can’t afford new cars

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Financial information website Interest.com has done a study of new vehicle affordability in the U.S. and come up with some results that might be surprising.

Based on median incomes, most Americans can’t really afford much more than an econo-box when it comes to a new car.

Interest.com began with the average transaction price for a new car sale in 2012. According to TrueCar.com, that’s $30,550. They then looked at median incomes, taxes and insurance rates in 25 of America’s largest cities and applied an admittedly conservative formula to determine the most that could be spent.

Interest.com’s formula calls for 20% down, a four-year note at 4.05% interest and a payment of no more than 10% of gross income for the car note, taxes and insurance. The insurance and tax calculations are the reason for some cities with lower incomes being able to afford a higher payment.

Washington tops the list as the only city with a high enough median income to afford that $30,000 car. Folks in Tampa, Florida, on the other hand, are looking at something like a base Ford Fiesta, Sonic LS or a Nissan Versa 1.6 sedan.


New Car Affordability for Median Incomes
City Income Sales Price Payment
Washington, DC $86,680 $31,940 $628
Average 2012 Transaction Price $30,550 $595
San Francisco, CA $71,975 $26,786 $537
Boston, MA $69,455 $26,025 $507
Baltimore, MD $65,463 $24,079 $468
Minneapolis, MN $63,352 $24,042 $470
Seattle, WA $64,085 $22,963 $466
Portland, OR $54,921 $21,985 $397
Denver, CO $59,230 $21,835 $432
San Diego, CA $59,477 $21,781 $433
New York, NY $62,322 $21,464 $431
Philadephia, PA $58,322 $21,069 $419
Chicago, IL $57,267 $20,616 $417
Los Angeles, CA $56,653 $20,385 $410
Sacramento, CA $55,151 $19,965 $397
Dallas, TX $55,246 $19,959 $389
Houston, TX $54,901 $19,811 $386
Milwaukee, WI $50,664 $19,297 $373
Atlanta, GA $52,639 $19,122 $376
St. Louis, MO $51,164 $18,550 $371
Pittsburgh, PA $48,854 $17,298 $340
Phoenix, AZ $50,058 $17,243 $348
San Antonio, TX $48,699 $17,137 $334
Detroit, MI $48,968 $17,093 $332
Miami, FL $45,407 $15,188 $295
Tampa, FL $43,832 $14,516 $282

 

The study doesn’t include factors like rebates, low-or-no-interest financing and leasing, all of which can affect the type of vehicle that is affordable, even on a prudent budget. The authors’ goal is to show what Americans really can afford while meeting their other financial obligations and no stressing their monthly income.

BMW is top-selling luxury brand in 2012

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It came right down to the wire, but BMW pulled out all the stops in December to bring in a total of 37,399 sales for a 2012 total of 281,460 cars and SUVs. The was enough to beat Mercedes-Benz’s December total of 28,145 and 2012 total of 274,134, an all-time record for the folks from Sindelfingen. The margin of 7,326 sales locked up the luxury segment crown for the Bavarians for another year.

It will be interesting to see if the fierce rivalry between the two German automakers will involve some of the questionable tactics used last year when BMW dealers actually registered new cars to bolster the numbers and then sold the cars as demonstrators, used but with the full new car warranty. Mercedes employed similar tactics to beef up its numbers.

Lexus, which had been the king of the hill for many years beginning in the first years of the 21st Century, came in third with a 12-month total of 244,166. Lexus did beat Mercedes’ monthly sales in December by delivering 30,607 cars and trucks.

Cadillac was the top premium brand, placing fourth in December sales but dropping behind Acura to fifth for the year. Actual retail sales of GM’s luxury marque were only slightly ahead of those reported by sixth-place Audi, which set its own all-time record in 2012.

Sales of the S60 and XC60 gave Volvo its best sales year since 2007 as the U.S. once again was the largest market for the Swedish brand.

Porsche sales soared 61.8% in December, sealing the deal for a new all-time sales record as sales of the newest 911 climbed 41.8% in 2012.

Land Rover sales were up, but Jaguar took a slight tumble. Still Jaguar Land Rover’s 2012 results were positive.

PREMIUM BRANDS – DECEMBER & FULL-YEAR SALES
Brand December Brand 2012
BMW 37,399 BMW 281,460
Lexus 30,607 Mercedes-Benz 274,134
Mercedes-Benz 28,145 Lexus 244,166
Cadillac 18,248 Acura 156,216
Acura 16,034 Cadillac 149,782
Audi 14,841 Audi 139,310
Infiniti 12,627 Infiniti 119,877
Lincoln 7,384 Lincoln 82,150
Volvo 6,150 Volvo 68,117
Land Rover 5,174 Land Rover 43,644
Porsche 2,952 Porsche 35,043
Jaguar 1,049 Jaguar 12,011