Chrysler fan site Allpar.com got its paws on a list that it says depicts Chrysler’s upcoming production plans. If true, this list confirms that many of Chrysler’s refreshed products won’t be hitting the streets until 2010 is nearly over, and that the debuts will come thick and fast. So don’t expect much to improve in the way of sales for Chrysler until at least December. Even then, every other TV ad will have to be for a Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge if the firm hopes to educate the buying public about these re-launches. The chances are good that Chrysler will survive until December, barring any supplier issues, recalls or further sales dips. Come December, when we have seen and driven this new generation of Fiat-refreshed products, we’ll have an idea of Chrysler’s chances of survival until 2013, when the next wave of fully Fiat-developed projects arrive. This should be interesting.

Chrysler once again topped Edmunds’ True Cost Of Incentive index last month, despite failing to significantly improve its sales over February 2009’s miserable showing. The only upside is that Chrysler basically held even with reduced incentives, as the entire industry is spending about 14 percent less on incentives than it did a year ago. Another interesting point of analysis from Edmunds:

Comparing all brands, in February smart spent the least, $341 followed by Scion at $426 per vehicle sold. At the other end of the spectrum, Lincoln spent the most, $5,568, followed by HUMMER at $5,195 per vehicle sold. Relative to their vehicle prices, Saturn and HUMMER spent the most, 14.9 percent and 13.6 percent of sticker price, respectively; while Porsche spent 1.4 and smart spent 2.3 percent.

But Toyota and GM will help carry those numbers up next month, with huge incentive spends planned. Meanwhile, after many automakers found religion about retail sales last year, fleet sales are back in a big way. And they’re no longer seen as something to be ashamed of.

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Toyota and GM have both announced 0% financing on 2010 models, reports Automotive News [sub]. GM will offer the 60-month financing deal on 55 percent of its new models, while Toyota will offer the same terms on its Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Avalon, Yaris, Highlander, RAV4 and Tundra (not including hybrids). According to GM’s Susan Docherty, Toyota’s woes had nothing to do with the decision to offer finance deals, telling AN [sub]:

Obviously, with our hot launch products, we don’t need to put 0 percent financing for 60 months on that. That 0-for-60 will be primarily on products like our pickups. That’s completely in line with what our marketing strategy is. We’re going headstrong into truck month for both Chevrolet and GMC, which is a traditional play that we have normally done during March.

And no wonder: GM’s truck sales were flat in February. According to Automotive News [sub], Toyota will also offer several lease and dealer cash deals which vary from region to region.

Subaru crushed it again this month [via PRNewswire], with the Outback and Forester both breaking 6,000 units of sale and overall sales up 38 percent. Suzuki, not so much [full release here]. Despite a recently-launched (and relatively well-received) C-segment sedan, the Japanese brand managed to sell only 1,375 cars last month. That’s fewer units than the Jeep Compass, and only slightly better than the Dodge Nitro and Buick Lucerne. On their own. Suzuki’s one sick puppy! Details after the jump.

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Chrysler sold exactly 399 more vehicles in February than it did in February of 2009, which would be a respectable performance if the comparison weren’t with one of Chrysler’s worst months on record. GM may be tentatively nosing its way out of the bottom of a sales trough, but Chrysler is treading water at unsustainable levels (CEO Sergio Marchionne has said he “needs” Chrysler to sell 1.1m units in the US this year). Considering that a huge amount of Chrysler’s sales release [PDF format here] is spent detailing the company’s many consumer incentives, Marchionne’s goal of turning ChryCo into a 1.1m-unit, incentive-less juggernaut seems less realistic with every passing month.

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As our recent compact-ish CUV sales snapshot shows, Ford’s Edge has been losing its edge with consumers. And not to better looking cars with better ideas and more talent, but to its older brand-mate, the Escape. In order to keep up with its country cousin, the Edge has been updated for 2011, to offer a more contemporary corporate look, new powertrains and more. Where once only a 3.5 liter V6 (285 hp) was available, a more powerful 3.7 (305 hp) and the first US application of the EcoBoost 2.0 turbo four-cylinder (no stats released yet) are now optional. Where once the “Sport” trim was barely distinguishable, it now gets 22-inch rims and a blacked-out grille. And where standard models once sported ridiculously cheesy chrome grilles, the new 2011 Ford Edge now has an updated, yet equally giant and cheesy chrome grille. Because you can’t win them all.

Given the growth this segment has enjoyed over the last year, it’s more than a little odd to see the Escape taking top honors. After all, it’s received a single refresh since it went on the market in 2000. On the other hand, fleets dug Ford last month. [Please note that the outgoing body-on-frame Kia Sorento sold 3,621 units in January 2009]

GM sold a lot of compact cars in January. Gm also had a high percentage of fleet sales in January. Coincidence? We think not. [Please note: VW Rabbit sales do not include GTI]

Hyundai sales kept on climbing in January, though Kia slowed to just 27 units over its January 2009 sales numbers. Combined, Automotive News [sub] reckons they grew 13 percent to 52,626 units. Hit the jump for numbers.

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Chrysler sales in January of 2009 were “Medusa class” ugly [down nearly 55 percent] in the always-apt words of one Robert Farago, which makes the Pentastar’s January 2010 sales [PDF release here] whatever 8 percent uglier than Medusa class is. The Chrysler brand was down 2 percent, with only the Sebring (+85%, 3,593) and Town & Country (+6%, 4,531) in the black. Jeep fell 8 percent despite growth in Compass (+52%, 1,244) and Grand Cherokee (+6%, 3,311) sales. Dodge was up one percent on strong growth from Avenger (+44%, 3,134), Journey (+55%, 4,790) and Caravan (+34%, 4,298), and the Ram brand fell 25 percent, with Ram pickup volume dropping below 10k units. Fugly? Heinous? Tragic? Pick the adjective you’re most comfortable with.

HUMMER is the big loser of GM’s dead brand version of “The Biggest Loser,” with an epic 2,493 vehicles left on lots after 9 months of “winding down” (not to mention the two plus years with a “for sale” sign stuck on the brand). As this table from GM’s January sales release shows, even Saab has trimmed more inventory since GM announced the cut to four brands last May. HUMMER did beat the Swedes in sales last year, barely, clocking 9,046 units to Saab’s 8,680. But Saab also sold more 9-7x Trollblazers (2,218) than HUMMER sold H2s (1,513). Figure that out. And people wonder why the Chinese government doesn’t want Sichuan Tengzhong to buy this hummer of a brand. [UPDATE: HUMMER’s Communication Director responds after the jump]

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Corporate fleet sales were back with a vengeance last month, as GM admitted that these lower-profit fleet sales made up a full 29 percent of its total sales in January. Those total sales, including the winding-down Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and HUMMER brands were up only 13.6 percent. Core brand sales were up 30 percent in total, but again, most of those gains were in fleet sales, as core brand retail sales gained only 3 percent over GM’s moribund performance in January 2009. Zoinks! Full release in PDF format here, details after the jump.

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craigotron writes:

Sajeev and Steve, I love the idea of your new column. Love it. I made an appearance in Piston Slap with my flash welded PCV valve on my Lexus but actually have been playing with the idea of buying a car for almost a year. I’m a serial test driver (I’ve been on 20+) and have found myself in this scenario which might be a good one for your new feature.

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It’s been a widely-shared opinion among TTAC’s writers for some time that GM should have used its bailout and bankruptcy to cuts its brand portfolio to Chevrolet and Cadillac. We’ve already sussed out the negative side effects of trying to hold onto the Buick-GMC dealer net, the biggest of which is that without Pontiac, Buick is being forced into volume-chasing. With the debut of the Granite “Urban Utility Concept,” we’re seeing the same brand-diluting volume-hunting taking place at the “Professional Grade” brand. GM’s attempt to bring more youth and volume to its GMC brand is starting with a Youtube-heavy, family-oriented marketing campaign, pointing the way for the brand to betray its “Professional Grade” raison d’etre. But GM’s marketing plan for the Gamma (Aveo)-based Granite will be the final nail in the brand’s coffin. Because to save the brand, GM must destroy the brand.

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In 1994, you could buy a base model Saturn for $9995 plus tax, tag and dealer fee. In 2002, you could buy a base model Saturn for $9995 plus tax, tag and dealer fee. In 2010, you may very well be able to buy an entry level Saturn for….
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