One of the frequent themes discussed on TTAC is the rising inequality of the mainstream car market in Europe. Since the Great Financial Crisis, Europe’s auto market has not only undergone a severe contraction in terms of volume, but also a radical shift in its composition.
While most states and the United States government offer tax credits to consumers for purchasing an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid, Connecticut instead offers dealers the incentive to sell EVs and PHEVs, a move research group Navigant Research claims could be more effective at bringing about greater adoption of the new technology.
Wednesday marks the 16th anniversary of the Daimler-Chrysler merger. One day prior to this milestone, Fiat Chrysler has unveiled their business plan for the next 5 years. While the industry norm is to keep future product plans, brand strategies and sales targets as a closely guarded secret, FCA took the unusual step of making it all public, with FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne headlining the event (billed as a conference for investors) at an event in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Each of FCA’s brands and subsidiaries was given the chance to present their strategy through 2018, with healthy helpings of new vehicles, future technology and corporate strategy being revealed.
Chrysler’s short-lived and amazingly unsuccessful run at an SRT “brand” is over.
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|
Auto
|
April
2014
|
April
2013
|
%
Change
|
4 mos.
2014
|
4 mos.
2013
|
%
Change
|
|
BMW X5
|
4,393 | 3,444 | +27.6% | 14,153 | 15,335 | -7.7% |
|
BMW X3
|
3,544 | 1,914 | +85.2% | 13,974 | 9,125 | +53.1% |
|
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
|
3,831 | 3,280 | +16.8% | 13,965 | 12,442 | +12.2% |
|
Audi Q5
|
3,293 | 3,241 | +1.6% | 12,067 | 11,437 | +5.5% |
|
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
|
3,144 | 2,702 | +16.4% | 11,415 | 10,212 | +11.8% |
|
BMW X1
|
1,130 | 1,556 | -27.4% | 9,098 | 6,967 | +30.6% |
|
Volkswagen Tiguan
|
1,998 | 2,488 | -19.7% | 8,109 | 10,439 | -22.3% |
|
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
|
2,253 | 2,481 | -9.2% | 7,671 | 10,099 | -24.0% |
|
Porsche Cayenne
|
1,839 | 1,750 | +5.1% | 6,119 | 5,931 | +3.2% |
|
Audi Q7
|
1,462 | 1,183 | +23.6% | 5,551 | 4,084 | +35.9% |
|
Volkswagen Touareg
|
597 | 578 | +3.3% | 2,162 | 3,102 | -30.3% |
|
BMW X6
|
342 | 354 | -3.4% | 1,442 | 1,618 | -10.9% |
|
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
|
274 | 188 | +45.7% | 882 | 800 | +10.3% |
|
—
|
—
|
— | — | — | — | — |
|
Total
|
28,100
|
25,159 | +11.7% | 106,608 | 101,591 | +4.9% |
It’s not as though consumers hadn’t experienced doses of luxury in their SUVs before the Mercedes-Benz ML, Lexus RX, and Lincoln Navigator began pushing an increasingly impressive wave toward shore in the late 90s. But, especially in the enthusiast community, there was some reluctance to accept the notion of such illustrious brands diving head first into a market that was going to demand perfectly balanced compromises. The traditional off-road ability we associated with SUVs couldn’t be thrust overboard in favour of road manners. Or could it?
TTAC commenter Buickman, better known as Jim Dollinger to friends, colleagues and loved ones, was on Autoline Detroit last week to present his plan to save General Motors. Rather than present it in the form of an article, we’re posting Jim’s Autoline segment for your perusal The video should start right at Jim’s segment, but if it doesn’t fast forward to the 42 minute mark. Let us know what you think of the plan.
Strong year-over-year growth in America’s full-size pickup sector was powered by all five major players in April 2014.
General Motors added 6398 sales to the April 2013 Silverado/Sierra total. Chrysler sold 5265 more Ram trucks than at this time one year ago. F-Series sales improved by 4357 units. Toyota added 1941 Tundra sales for the most significant percentage increase, a 23.5% jump.
Currently, there is only one Lexus plant outside of Japan. A Toyota factory in Cambridge, Ontario makes the Lexus RX crossover, while Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant will come online in 2015. Like other Japanese auto makers, Toyota is moving towards a localization of its production facilities, but one thing they won’t be doing is producing Lexus vehicles in China.
Automotive News reports General Motors’ attorney Kenneth Feinberg met with Texas attorney Robert Hilliard at the former’s office within the Beltway to begin preliminary discussions over the claims of the latter’s 300-plus clients affected by the ignition switch recall. During the talk, no agreements were reached regarding compensation, while Hilliard viewing the first meeting as GM’s way of convincing him that it would do “the right thing” by his clients. Feinberg states he is gathering proposals for a compensation program similar to the one he orchestrated for 9/11 victims and victims of other major disasters, and should have a package ready within the next few weeks at the latest.
For five decades, the powerplant of choice for Truck Mountain has been the venerable V8. With powerful V6 engines from Ford, General Motors and Ram being favored for more and more consumers of full-size pickups, however, the V8 could soon find itself occupying a smaller niche along the mountain.
A weakening local economy and increasing purchasing restrictions could put a hamper on automotive sales in China according to the analysts at LMC Automotive.
The Japanese auto market took a hit in sales last month, falling 5.5 percent to 345,226 units as an increased consumption tax of 8 percent took hold in a sign of a slow year in sales.
With a SAAR of 16.2 million (up from 15.2 million in April, 2013), May was a strong month, with sales up 8 percent.
Holden may be losing the Commodore, but the brand will gain three new “premium” offerings, suggesting a possible direction for its famed HSV performance shop.
Detroit Free Press reports the U.S. Treasury lost $11.2 billion in taxpayer money from the rescue of General Motors back in 2008, up from the $10.3 billion estimated after the agency sold its remaining shares back in early December 2013. Part of the final figure came as a write-off of an $826 million “administrative claim,” which was found in a report by the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The overall figure pales in comparison to the $50.2 billion given by both Bush and Obama administrations between 2008 and 2009 to GM as the automaker struggled through its financial crisis at the onset of the Great Recession.
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