The stakes might not be as high as they could be in the Large/Premium segment, but as Kissinger pointed out, things can get nasty because the stakes are so low. And sure enough, by hook or by crook (or fleet sales), we have a tight fight for the vestiges of America’s once-proud large-premium car segment. You won’t find Honda and Toyota dominating this automotive land of the lost, and no sign sign of those troublesome Korean upstarts either (for now). Hell, the Buick Lucerne only missed this chart by a measly 49 units. ‘
But while the Charger’s sales improve as new models hit the lots, America’s other main contenders, the Taurus and LaCrosse, are showing signs of weakness. This old-school segment could well turn into a Mopar playground in the short term, with revitalized 300 and Charger models battling for dominance. But unless they bust out of this segment, and start competing at Impala volume (which hit 18,063 last month, forcing an update to our midsizer chart), they’ll be kings of a small, aging playground.
The Environmental Protection Agency has revised its alternative-fuel conversion regulations for light and heavy-duty vehicles, making it easier for manufacturers to sell conversions that are compliant with clean-air laws. The 186-page ruling provides an exemption from a Clean Air Act prohibition against tampering when converting an engine to run on alternative fuel.
In the past, a manufacturer of alternative-fuel conversion systems was required to certify its products in the same manner that a vehicle manufacturer certified its vehicles — an expensive and difficult process. The new regulations provide a way to comply with clean-air standards through streamlined testing.
In essence, the rule change creates a graded compliance structure, depending on the age of the converted vehicle, making it easier to retrofit older vehicles. Read all about it at the EPA’s website.
Despite the media’s on-again-off-again love affair with the “OMG SMALL CARS ARE TAKING OVER!” storyline, the US-market B-segment isn’t exhibiting many signs of serious competition (at least in comparison to the C- and D-segments). The Versa has ruled the segment largely unchallenged for years, with only the Soul posing anything resembling a serious threat. Former rivals like the Fit, Accent, Yaris and Aveo are getting old and losing momentum, although most have replacements waiting in the wings. A new Versa is about to debut as well, but because it’s based on the smaller, cheaper Micra platform, it may give up the Versa’s value-size advantage. We’re still waiting for American consumers to flock to subcompacts, but maybe they’re just waiting for some serious competition in the segment…
Escape and CR-V swapped spots last month, although Honda’s long-running compact CUV retained the top position in Year-To-Date sales. Toyota’s RAV4 dropped significantly last month compared to March 2010’s incentive-fueled volume binge, and though sales were up compared to the month before, it wasn’t enough to retake third place in the YTD standings from Equinox. The only other model failing to top its year-ago numbers was the Forester, a fact that may indicate a slowdown in Subaru’s strong recession-era sales growth. And though Nissan’s Juke is based on a B-segment platform and offers considerably less utility than the rest of the C-CUVs, it outsold Mazda’s CX-7, earning itself a spot on our chart.
Prices for the Saab 9-5 SportCombi have leaked in Sweden, and according to Autobild, the wagon version actually costs €114 less than the sedan. Whether they’ll make the same offer outside of Sweden isn’t clear… but then neither is anything about Saab’s future. And instead of haranguing the poor Swedes about the questionable financial sense of this decision, let’s just agree that desperate times call for desperate measures. If nothing else, Saab’s wagon-centive sets it apart from the industry’s business-as-usual.
While we wait for more details coming out of the joint Toyota-Microsoft press conference scheduled for a few hours from now, we thought we’d share some of the more recently-released details. A press release notes that the two firms
have forged a strategic partnership and plan to build a global platform for TMC’s next-generation telematics services using the Windows Azure platform. Telematics is the fusing of telecommunications and information technologies in vehicles; it can encompass GPS systems, energy management and other multimedia technologies.
Competition in the compact car segment hasn’t hit the fever pitch of the midsized brawl, but make no mistake, there’s a battle brewing. Toyota’s dominance last month has been reversed, with Honda taking the top spot in March, but Corolla still enjoys a five-digit advantage in Year-To-Date sales. Cruze is the leading candidate to challenge the long-reigning Honda-Toyota dominance in this segment, but it’s got a grip of upstarts breathing down its neck. Within a few months it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Honda-Toyota duopoly toppled in the coming months, just as we’ve seen in the D-Segment. Exciting times..
Last month it seemed like Camry could stay away from the burgeoning knife fight in the midsize segment, but thanks to some aggressive incentives, Nissan was able to record a rare monthly win in the meaty D-Segment. Malibu took a tumble, falling below the Prius’s monthly sales although hybrid sales may have spiked due to quake-related shortage fears and may yet recede depending on how supply interruptions play out. Meanwhile, this segment also has some bearing on the mounting Ford-GM rivalry: while Ford’s Fusion battles with the best-sellers, enjoying a legitimate shot at the annual sales crown, Malibu is falling out of the front pack and into the second tier of competition. Still, with the volatility we’re seeing in this segment, it’s too early to draw any hard-and-fast conclusions.
I been reading TTAC for about a year and really enjoy your column, it’s very informative and fun. I live in Houston and I really enjoy cars. I am still young, not rich, I don’t know much about repairing vehicles, but I would like to learn and make it a hobby.
I am would like to purchase an “older cool vehicle” that I can ride around on the weekends and I would be able to work on it myself, something not expensive and easy to keep up with. I am not looking a long project car that would be sitting on jacks in my garage for years, but something that it’s already running, or just needs a few parts to make it run and more importantly that I can learn to work on it. I would like to spend less than $5K on the car itself, and I am very open to all kinds of vehicles. I really would like an old roaster or small sport car, but I like older trucks too. Whatever the vehicle it is, I think it’s time to start getting my hands greasy.
The evolution of Subaru’s design (if, indeed evolution is the right word) is one of those topics that never ceases to draw the interest of the auto-obsessed. Unlike most mainstream car brands, Subaru created a hard-core fanbase on the strength of its unique greasy bits, specifically its distinctive commitment to boxer engines and AWD. In Subaru’s formative years on the market, wacky and ever-changing designs were something the fans learned to live with.
Now, however, with Subaru breaking into the mass market’s consciousness, its design is gradually becoming more consistent and more mainstream, a trend that this first shot of the 2012 Impreza seems unlikely to roll back. And with 36 highway MPG reportedly on tap for the next Impreza, Subaru is reeling in its fuel economy disadvantage as well. The only question: does each evolution towards consistency and mass appeal continue to alienate that fanbase? And if so, does it matter?
The Tampa, Florida city council tomorrow will consider adopting a contract granting American Traffic Solutions (ATS) the right to issue $158 tickets at intersections. At a meeting last month, half of the council’s members supported installation while the other half opposed — forcing the idea to be reconsidered at the upcoming meeting where a member absent from the last meeting is expected to cast the deciding vote. Opponents suggested the cameras had little to do with safety.
Living with container transit times in your head, you know when the parts pipeline from Japan to overseas locations should run dry. Japan to Europe is about four weeks. And exactly 4 weeks after the tsunami hit in Tohoku, Honda will set its Swindon plant in the UK to max conserve. According to Reuters, Honda will reduce its UK output by half, starting on April 11. Read More >
Paul Nolasco at Toyota sends us a message saying that Toyota has “decided to resume production at the Sagamihara Plant of Central Motor. Production is to start on April 11.”
Why should this impact the Yaris? Please bear with us.
It is too late to reach anyone at Toyota to find out the exact significance of the message. What follows is an educated guess until we can update you with firsthand information. Read More >
Not very unexpectedly, ratings agency Moody’s is looking into taking it’s view of Toyota’s long-term debt down a notch. Usually reliable Reuters says that Moody’s “put its credit rating on Toyota Motor Corp on review for a possible downgrade.” For the obvious reasons, namely disruptions to Toyota’s supply chain from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and subsequent power cuts. Even if bond ratings put you to sleep, you might be interested in Moody’s views on the resumption on normal car production. Read More >
“Toyota will not be resuming vehicle production at most of its plants next week, contrary to what has been reported.”
This was Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco’s answer when we reached him this (Tokyo) morning for a comment on a story that had appeared in The Nikkei [sub] at 2 a.m. last night. (Emphasis ours.) Without quoting sources, the Nikkei had written that “Toyota Motor Corp. has decided to reopen most of its domestic automobile plants as early as next week to start churning out a limited number of models.” This is clearly humbug. The Nikkei has done it again.Read More >
The stakes might not be as high as they could be in the Large/Premium segment, but as Kissinger pointed out, things can get nasty because the stakes are so low. And sure enough, by hook or by crook (or fleet sales), we have a tight fight for the vestiges of America’s once-proud large-premium car segment. You won’t find Honda and Toyota dominating this automotive land of the lost, and no sign sign of those troublesome Korean upstarts either (for now). Hell, the Buick Lucerne only missed this chart by a measly 49 units. ‘
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