Automotive News - October 7, 2013 - 29

OCTOBER 7, 2013 • 29

U.S. light-vehicle sales – continued
Sept.
2013

CT (I)...................................................................
ES (I)...................................................................
GS (I)...................................................................
HS (I)...................................................................
IS (I)....................................................................
LFA (I) .................................................................
LS (I)...................................................................
SC (I)...................................................................
Total Lexus car (I)....................................
GX (I)...................................................................
LX (I)...................................................................
RX (D)...............................................................
RX (I) ................................................................
Total RX ..............................................................
Total Lexus truck (D/I)...............................
Lexus (D) ..............................................
Lexus (I)................................................
Total Lexus ............................................
FR-S (I) ...............................................................
iQ (I)....................................................................
tC (I)....................................................................
xB (I) ...................................................................
xD (I)...................................................................
Total Scion car (I) ....................................
Avalon .................................................................
Camry (D).........................................................
Camry (I) ..........................................................
Total Camry ........................................................
Corolla/Matrix (D).............................................
Corolla (I)..........................................................
Total Corolla/Matrix............................................
Prius (I)...............................................................
Venza...................................................................
Yaris (I) ...............................................................
Total Toyota Division car (D/I) .....................
4Runner (I).........................................................
FJ Cruiser (I).......................................................
Highlander (D)..................................................
Highlander (I) ...................................................
Total Highlander .................................................
Land Cruiser (I) ..................................................
RAV4 (D) ..........................................................
RAV4 (I)............................................................
Total RAV4..........................................................
Sequoia...............................................................
Sienna .................................................................
Tacoma ...............................................................
Tundra.................................................................
Total Toyota Division truck (D/I)...................
Toyota Division (D) ..................................
Toyota Division (I)....................................
Total Toyota Division ................................
Total Toyota Motor Sales car ......................
Total Toyota Motor Sales truck ....................
Toyota Motor Sales (D) .............................
Toyota Motor Sales (I)...............................
TOYOTA MOTOR SALES ..............................
A3 (I)...................................................................
A4/S4 (I) .............................................................
A5/S5 (I) .............................................................
A6/S6 (I) .............................................................
A7/S7 (I) .............................................................
A8/S8 (I) .............................................................
R8 (I)...................................................................
TT (I) ...................................................................
Total Audi car (I) .....................................
allroad (I) ............................................................
Q5 (I)...................................................................
Q7 (I)...................................................................
Total Audi truck (I) ...................................
Total Audi (I) ..........................................
Bentley car (I).........................................
Lamborghini car (I)*.................................
Boxster (I)...........................................................
911 Carrera/Carrera 4 (I) ...................................
Cayman (I)..........................................................
Panamera (I).......................................................
Total Porsche car (I) .................................
Porsche Cayenne truck (I)...........................
Total Porsche (I)......................................
CC (I)...................................................................
Eos (I) .................................................................
Jetta.....................................................................
Beetle...................................................................
Passat..................................................................
Golf/Golf R/GTI (I)..............................................
Total VW division car (D/I) .........................
Routan ................................................................
Tiguan (I) ............................................................
Touareg (I)..........................................................
Total VW division truck (D/I) .......................
VW division (D).......................................
VW division (I)........................................
Total VW division ....................................
Total VW Group car ..................................
Total VW Group truck................................
VW Group of America (D)...........................
VW Group of America (I)............................
VW GROUP OF AMERICA†...........................
30 series (I) ........................................................
40 series (I) ........................................................
60 series (I) ........................................................
70 series (I) ........................................................
80 series (I) ........................................................
Total Volvo car (I) ....................................
XC60 (I)...............................................................
XC90 (I)...............................................................
Total Volvo truck (I)..................................
VOLVO CARS N.A......................................
Domestic car......................................................
Import car ..........................................................
Total U.S. car .......................................
Domestic light truck ..........................................
Import light truck...............................................
Total U.S. light truck ..............................
Total domestic light vehicle ....................
Total import light vehicle .......................
TOTAL U.S. LIGHT VEHICLE .....................

798
4,866
1,231
–
3,201
1
761
–
10,858
753
310
5,284
2,317
7,601
8,664
5,284
14,238
19,522
1,230
287
1,659
1,252
703
5,131
4,514
31,864
7
31,871
20,911
2,340
23,251
15,890
2,193
2,465
80,184
3,218
719
8,314
347
8,661
224
10,976
4,952
15,928
1,014
9,306
11,479
9,071
59,620
109,642
30,162
139,804
96,173
68,284
114,926
49,531
164,457
7
3,357
1,511
1,682
623
544
53
178
7,955
456
3,268
1,386
5,110
13,065
253
46
302
609
311
475
1,697
1,396
3,093
1,437
297
13,309
3,554
7,900
2,127
28,624
232
2,406
658
3,296
24,995
6,925
31,920
38,575
9,802
24,995
23,382
48,377
79
–
1,545
601
152
2,377
1,355
456
1,811
4,188
407,696
158,980
566,676
483,958
86,572
570,530
891,654
245,552
1,137,206

Sept.
2012

9 mos.
2013

1,195
11,440
13,612
6,553
52,076
36,134
1,454
14,255
16,017
8
5
641
2,248
22,060
21,107
4
18
33
558
7,569
4,916
–
–
2
12,020
107,423
92,462
948
7,105
7,720
372
2,953
3,760
5,645
60,380
52,513
1,401
12,899
14,535
7,046
73,279
67,048
8,366
83,337
78,528
5,645
60,380
52,513
14,741
130,380
118,477
20,386
190,760
170,990
1,133
14,767
7,465
683
3,365
6,872
2,186
15,006
18,136
1,799
13,992
15,592
942
6,960
8,425
6,743
54,090
56,490
1,571
53,795
21,673
34,228
318,802
314,642
24
188
146
34,252
318,990
314,788
22,859
225,406
210,924
167
8,141
11,779
23,026
233,547
222,703
18,932
186,756
183,340
4,229
29,187
31,414
1,118
19,254
23,818
83,128
841,529
797,736
4,057
37,273
35,299
1,187
9,750
9,920
10,498
89,945
85,787
429
4,416
4,694
10,927
94,361
90,481
307
2,191
2,074
12,687
104,541
112,679
1,109
55,701
21,488
13,796
160,242
134,167
963
10,059
9,236
8,902
94,331
87,187
12,176
121,772
102,872
9,338
81,821
74,972
61,653
611,800
546,208
117,451
1,129,659
1,051,386
27,330
323,670
292,558
144,781
1,453,329
1,343,944
101,891
1,003,042
946,688
70,019
695,137
624,736
123,096
1,190,039
1,103,899
48,814
508,140
467,525
171,910
1,698,179
1,571,424
806
856
5,750
2,607
26,992
26,398
1,594
14,488
13,005
2,065
15,792
13,909
720
6,027
6,251
551
4,634
3,970
50
600
654
174
1,530
1,686
8,567
70,919
71,623
428
4,121
1,832
2,256
28,599
19,897
1,051
10,772
7,342
3,735
43,492
29,071
12,302
114,411
100,694
239
1,859
1,644
44
414
388
236
3,759
1,599
509
7,498
6,654
15
2,431
444
606
3,948
5,984
1,366
17,636
14,681
1,370
13,913
10,334
2,736
31,549
25,015
1,966
12,426
15,015
399
3,457
5,198
14,750
124,273
127,028
2,622
34,918
21,566
9,500
84,264
83,662
3,250
24,587
32,408
32,487
283,925
284,877
822
1,462
8,246
2,202
23,150
22,854
828
6,296
7,112
3,852
30,908
38,212
27,694
244,917
240,502
8,645
69,916
82,587
36,339
314,833
323,089
42,703
374,753
373,213
8,957
88,313
77,617
27,694
244,917
240,502
23,966
218,149
210,328
51,660
463,066
450,830
206
1,269
2,173
–
–
51
1,577
18,732
17,993
649
6,189
7,757
200
1,401
2,642
2,632
27,591
30,616
1,562
15,441
13,750
783
5,161
7,260
2,345
20,602
21,010
4,977
48,193
51,626
440,291
4,432,838
4,159,779
166,140
1,548,852
1,540,788
606,431 5,981,690 5,700,567
501,937
4,932,732
4,455,922
80,593
858,916
744,172
582,530 5,791,648 5,200,094
942,228 9,365,570 8,615,701
246,733 2,407,768 2,284,960
1,188,961 11,773,338 10,900,661

*Estimate
†Volkswagen AG purchased the remaining 50.1% stake in Porsche AG and became its parent
company on Aug. 1, 2012.
Note: (D) = produced in North America; (I) = imported to U.S.
Source: Automotive News Data Center and company sources

9 mos.
2012

SALES
Lumping Labor Day
with Aug. sales hurt
continued from Page 1

sponsible for Ford’s rising share.
They alone accounted for more
than 1 million of the company’s 1.9
million sales through three quarters
of 2013.
In particular, the Fusion’s sudden
transformation from mid-sized also-ran to a legitimate Toyota Camry
challenger highlights how Ford has
succeeded. Meanwhile, GM is hurrying a refresh of the Chevrolet Malibu in response to tanking sales of
that sedan.
“Ford has taken a few more risks
trying to be more progressive in
terms of style and it’s paid off,” said
Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “Ford just
seems to have the right product in
those key growth segments right
now, and they are going to continue
to close the gap.”

Ford up, GM down
Ford Motor Co. sales increased 6
percent in September, compared
with a 6 percent decline for the rest
of the industry. Overall, auto sales
declined 4 percent for the month.
Automakers’ September results
were hurt by the fact that the busy
Labor Day weekend counted toward
August, and the industry’s seasonally adjusted annualized selling rate
fell to 15.3 million from 16.1 million
the previous month.
GM attributed a portion of its decline to a 27 percent cutback in September fleet sales, while Ford’s fleet
sales rose 8 percent. GM said its retail sales slid 6 percent, which was

SUBARU
Safety push is part
of rebranding effort
continued from Page 4

first ratings of automatic braking
systems because EyeSight detected
a dummy car on the road ahead and
braked the car from 25 mph to a stop
without slamming into it.
The IIHS rating and the eventual
introduction of the next-generation
system should spur U.S. penetration
of EyeSight, said Toshio Masuda,
corporate vice president for product
planning.
“In America, it’s offered only in a
limited number of high-grade versions of some models,” Masuda
said. Americans are still unfamiliar
with what EyeSight is and how it
works, he added. “We’re still in the
stage of explaining the technology.”
Subaru introduced EyeSight to the
United States in August 2012. Today
it is offered in only the Legacy, Outback and Forrester.
By contrast, the system has been
on sale in Japan since 2010 and is offered on every vehicle except Subaru’s BRZ sporty coupe and its line
of Daihatsu-supplied minicars, vehicles with 660cc engines. In Japan,
Subaru has sold 150,000 EyeSightequipped vehicles.
Subaru said the EyeSight camera
system, supplied by Hitachi Automotive Systems, costs around
¥100,000 ($1,020). While selling it
near cost, the company has man-

More sales tables | PAGES 30, 31|

Perspective
How the past 5 Septembers rank
for U.S. light-vehicle sales
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

2012
2013
2011
2010
2009

1,188,961
1,137,206
1,053,815
959,008
746,087

Source: Automotive News Data Center
and company sources

roughly average for the industry.
“We held our own in terms of retail
market share,” Kurt McNeil, GM’s
vice president of U.S. sales operations, told analysts and reporters
during a conference call.
Chevy sales fell 15 percent,
dragged down by a 25 percent decline for the Impala and 51 percent
decline for the Cruze, which had its
worst month since production
reached full speed at the end of 2010.
Dealers said the end of some GM
stair-step incentive programs and a
lack of incentives on the 2014
Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra
pickups hurt demand. Many dealers
have sold most of their 2013 pickups,
which had bigger discounts, and
have a limited mix of 2014 versions.
As October began, GM upped rebates on the 2014 pickups and other
vehicles. It also expanded its employee-pricing program to increase
discounts and include more extended family members. Company officials said both moves were planned
in advance. GM also expanded incentives for members of the military.
Lillie of Gregg Young Chevrolet
said last month was tough, saved for
his dealership only by three days of
strong sales at the end. But he remains confident that GM is in a good

aged to eke wider profit margins as
sales volume grows, Masuda said.
EyeSight is part of a package that
lifts the price of a 2014 Legacy 2.5i
Premium to $26,830 vs. $24,090 for
the base 2.5i Premium. The base
2014 Legacy 2.5i carries a sticker
price of $22,090, including $1,000 for
the optional continuously variable
transmission that is standard in the
2.5i Premium. All prices including
shipping.
The revised EyeSight gets a lengthy
list of improvements.
The revamped stereo camera has a
40 percent wider and longer range of
visibility, improving its scan of potential trouble.
It also enables more sensitive
adaptive cruise control. Because the
camera senses color, it can detect
red brake lights. That allows for better tracking of traffic patterns and a
quicker response when cars ahead
are speeding up or slowing down.
Subaru also has added lane-keeping technology and a lane-departure
prevention function. Both feature
automated steering assist controls
to nudge stray drivers gently back on
course.
The upcoming EyeSight also gets
improved auto-braking power. Today’s system can stop a car before
collision if the speed differential between the Subaru and the car or obstacle ahead is less than 19 mph, the
company says, although IIHS said
the system worked fine at 25 mph.
The new system delivers stopping
power at speed differentials up to 31
mph, the company says.

position for the fourth quarter.
Ford, on the other hand, boosted
its retail share significantly in September, as the only one of the seven
largest automakers to manage higher retail deliveries, according to the
Automotive News Data Center.
Ford’s retail sales rose 5 percent last
month.

‘Balanced portfolio’
“Our balanced portfolio is paying
dividends,” Ken Czubay, Ford vice
president of U.S. marketing, sales
and service, said on a conference
call. “We’re getting the uplift from
the truck business, which is recovering, but we’re getting solid recovery
on the car side also.”
As a result, in three quarters of
2013, the Ford brand narrowly outsold GM’s two mass-market brands,
Chevy and GMC, by 1,278 units. In
2007, Chevy and GMC easily topped
the Ford brand by about 650,000
units. (GM also sold nearly 600,000
Pontiacs and Saturns that year.)
That means GM’s upscale brands,
Cadillac and Buick, are entirely responsible for fending off Ford, which
is struggling to revive Lincoln.
Despite Ford’s progress, George
Magliano, an analyst with IHS Automotive, no longer envisions it overtaking GM on an annual basis,
something he projected during the
recession would happen by 2015.
But he does expect Ford to continue
gaining ground on GM, forecasting
2020 market share of 17 percent for
GM and 15.9 percent for Ford.
He said Ford’s efforts to increase
prices and margins on many of its
top-selling models will come at the
expense of some volume, keeping
GM in first place. c
Mike Colias and Joseph Lichterman
contributed to this report.

Also, a new auto-brake kicks in
when there is a sudden, unintended
acceleration in reverse. This is
geared toward parking-lot fender
benders when a driver thinks the car
is in drive but has mistakenly
slipped it into reverse.
Finally, Subaru throws in a new
hazard avoidance assist system that
determines whether a collision is
possible and then assists the driver
in steering around the obstacle.
The rollout of new safety technologies is part of Subaru’s attempt to rebrand itself as a family-oriented
safety brand and not just an outdoorsy all-wheel-drive specialist.
Part of the challenge will be parlaying safety into sales.
Buyers still cite all-wheel drive and
reliability as their top reasons for
buying a Subaru, ahead of safety, according to Jon Osborn, research director at J.D. Power and Associates.
Across the industry, safety ranks
only in the middle of the most important reasons for choosing a vehicle. Reliability, exterior styling, fuel
economy, price, handling, reputation and brand experience are all
bigger factors in making a purchase,
according to J.D. Power’s 2013 Initial
Quality Study.
“Part of the reason that safety
technologies tend to get less consumer attention is that consumers
expect the vehicles to be safe,” said
John Tews, a J.D. Power spokesman.
“So they tend to migrate toward infotainment technologies and technologies that will help improve fuel
economy.” c
Automotive News - October 7, 2013

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