International Brands Gain Even More Momentum in 2006
 |
Special to The Auto Channel
By AIADA Staff
Total
In an historic feat,
Ford, GM, and Chrysler suffered a
disproportionately large amount as their big cash cows – trucks and
SUVs – lost favor among buyers who increasingly had gas prices on
their minds. Combined sales for the
Below is a breakdown of December sales
highlights for international nameplate automakers:
Toyota Motor Sales reported total best-ever year
end sales in 2006 of 2,542,524 vehicles, up 12.9 percent over 2005. For the
month, TMS reported best-ever overall sales, up 16.6 percent over December
2005 to reach 228,322 total units sold.
The Toyota Division recorded best-ever year-end
sales of 2,220,090 units, up 13.8 percent.
TMS calendar-year-to-date hybrid sales totaled
191,742 units. In December, hybrids sales posted 17,883
units.
Luxury Shoppers Looove
Lexus
Lexus retained its crown as the best-selling
luxury brand in
Lexus reported best-ever total year-end sales of
322,434, up 6.8 percent over last year, and all-time best-ever overall
sales month of 37,235 units, up 9.9 percent over the year-ago month. It was
the second consecutive year Lexus posted sales above 300,000
units.
Sales of Lexus passenger cars achieved best-ever
year-end results of 183,037 units, an increase of 21.4 percent. Lexus
passenger car sales reached best-ever overall sales in December of 20,913
units, an increase of 21.6 percent over last year in December. Passenger
car sales were led by the ES 350 luxury sedan with best-ever December sales
of 8,736 units, up 34 percent. The ES 350 luxury sedan reported best-ever
year-end sales of 75,987 units, up 12.8 percent. The IS 250 and IS 350
luxury sport sedans recorded combined best-ever December sales of 5,538
units and combined best-ever year-end sales of 54,267 units, an increase of
244.8 percent. The all-new LS 460 premium luxury sedan reported December
sales of 3,865, an increase of 73 percent, and year-end sales of 19,546
units.
Lexus light trucks reached December sales of
16,322 units and year-end sales of 139,397 units. The RX 350 and RX 400h
enjoyed combined best-ever December sales of 12,779 units and year-end
sales of 108,348 units. The RX 400h luxury hybrid SUV reported sales of
1,981 units for the month.
December, Yearly Sales Up for
Scion
With overall sales of 173,034, Scion was a
significant contributor to the record sales year.
Scion reported December sales of 10,326 units.
The Scion xB urban utility vehicle recorded December sales of 3,330 units
with year-end sales totaling 61,306, an increase of 13.8 percent over 2005.
The tC sports coupe reported December sales of 4,996 units with year-end
sales reaching 79,125 units, an increase of 6.7 percent over
2005.
Honda Group Sales Hit All-Time
High for 10th Year in a Row, Trucks Up on
Year
American Honda’s combined sales hit an
all-time high for the 10th consecutive year and marked the company’s
13th consecutive year-over-year sales increase, with sales from
both Honda and Acura divisions rising 3.5 percent for a total 1,509,358
units. Combined December sales for Honda and Acura totaled 131,778
vehicles, up 3.0 percent for the month based on the daily selling rate.
Combined light truck totals reached an all-time record of 665,408 units
sold, an increase of 6.9 percent.
The Honda Division posted its 13th consecutive
year-over-year sales increase, up 4.8 percent in 2006 to 1,308,135
vehicles.
Civic sales increased 3.0 percent to 316,638.
Civic Hybrid sales are up 21.2 percent to 31,253 for the calendar year and
sales of all Honda hybrid vehicles (Civic Hybrid, Accord Hybrid and
Insight) totaled 37,573 vehicles.
Light-truck sales of 602,123 increased 6.6
percent, setting a fifth consecutive all-time record. Odyssey annual sales
of 177,919 increased 2.4 percent and set an eighth consecutive all-time
record. CR-V annual sales of 170,028 increased 13.6 percent to 170,028.
CR-V December sales of 17,439, up 29.8 percent, set a monthly sales
record.
Acura Breaks 200K for
2nd Year in a Row
The Acura Division posted sales of 201,223 units
for 2006 and broke the 200,000-unit mark for the second consecutive year.
The TSX performance sedan had a record year, up
9.5 percent for a total of 38,035 units sold. Acura light truck sales rose
9.6 percent in 2006 on a sales-weighted basis, to 63,285. Acura posted
record December sales for light trucks of 8,674, up 63.1
percent.
Nissan Group Sales Healthy,
Nissan Car Sales Soar
Combined December sales for Nissan and Infiniti
totaled 91,775 units, a 4.4 percent increase on a daily-sales-rate basis,
when compared with last year’s sales of 91,253 units. For the 2006
calendar year, combined sales for Nissan and Infiniti totaled 1,019,249
units, the brands’ second consecutive year of sales exceeding 1
million units.
For the Nissan Division, December sales reached
78,663 units, up 4.2 percent on a daily-sales-rate basis compared with last
year’s 78,397 units sold. Nissan Division’s total car sales
posted a 31.5 percent increase in December over the prior year, fueled by
sales of the all-new Versa, all-new Sentra and all-new Altima. The Altima
had its best December ever with sales of 24,832 units, up 39.8 percent over
last year, reflecting a strong start for the all-new model. The Murano
posted best-ever yearly sales of 81,362, up 9.6 percent over 2005
totals.
Infiniti Has Best Sales Month
Ever
Sales for Infiniti were up 5.9 percent with
13,112 units sold, marking the best December ever for the division. The
all-new Infiniti G Sedan continues to build strong momentum with total G
sales of 6,544 units in December, marking its best month ever at a 65.5
percent increase over the same month last year. The Infiniti M posted
best-ever calendar year sales with 25,658 units, up 7.3 percent over last
year.
Volkswagen Up for Year, Down
for December
Volkswagen sales grew 4.9 percent in 2006 to
reach a total of 235,140 units. December sales dropped 23.2 percent from
December 2005 for a total of 19,942 units.
Year-to-date, the safe and sporty Jetta and
Passat sedans were up 3.2 and 15 percent, respectively. The New Beetle
coupe ended the year with sales of 18,166 units, up 6.8 percent over
2005.
Audi Sets December and Annual
Records
Audi set all-time sales records for the month of
December and the year, aided by strong sales of the A3, A4, and Audi Q7
models. Audi sold 11,897 vehicles in December, bringing the brand’s
annual total sales to 90,116. Audi’s December 2006 record sales were
34.6 percent ahead of the same month last year. Audi’s yearly sales
rose 8.5 percent over 2005.
The A4/S4 model line, Audi’s largest
selling model in the United States, saw a 1.9 percent increase over the
previous year with 49,862 sales. The A3, introduced in 2005, had an
increase of 49.2 percent. The Audi Q7, introduced in June of 2006, had
sales of 10,003 units for the year.
BMW Still Tops for
Luxury
The BMW Group (BMW and MINI brands combined) had
its best-ever annual sales of 313,603 vehicles, an increase of 2.1 percent
ahead of last year. December sales of 33,417, an all-time monthly high,
were up 16 percent over December 2005.
BMW brand sales were up 3 percent year-to-date
to 274,432 vehicles, and BMW brand sales for the month of December jumped
17 percent for a total of 30,945 vehicles.
Calendar year sales of BMW brand cars were up
9.4 percent over 2005 to 216,343 units. December car sales increased 20
percent to 24,535 cars.
Sales of BMW SUVs rose 7.7 percent for the month
to 6,410 vehicles over the same month last year. Annual sales of BMW SUVs
were down 15 percent to 58,089 vehicles compared to last year.
MINI Up in December, Down for
the Year
MINI USA reported a 1.5 percent increase in
December sales, to 2,472 cars compared to 2,436 cars sold in the same
period a year ago. The division reported annual sales of 39,171
automobiles, a drop of 4 percent, compared to the 40,820 cars reported in
2005, reflecting factory shutdowns for production upgrades and model
changeovers.
Mercedes-Benz Reaches
13th Straight Year of Growth; Diesel Sales Show
Improvement
MBUSA registered December sales of 28,115 units,
boosting the brand to its 13th year of sales increases and the highest
annual volume in its history. For the year, MBUSA sold 248,080 vehicles, a
10.5 percent increase over 2005.
Mercedes-Benz’ new line of increased
mileage SUVs were so well received that the company saw a 67.7 percent jump
in sales of its light trucks as a group (ML-, R-, G-, and GL- Classes) over
2005 for a total of 69,163 units.
Sales at the high-end were equally impressive.
As a group, the S-, SL- and CL-Classes rose by 48.2 percent to 40,660
units. Sales of the S-Class model line nearly doubled in 2006 with a 92.6
percent increase.
Mercedes-Benz’ diesel lineup, including
both CDI and BLUETEC models, grew from 4,299 units in 2005 to 6,941 units
in 2006, amounting to a 61.5 percent increase.
For December, MBUSA sold 28,115 vehicles,
marking the second-highest sales month in MBUSA history – second only
to December 2005. The top-of-the-line vehicles – the S-Class sedan
and CL-Class coupe – each recorded impressive gains in sales volume
for the month. Sales of the ninth generation S-Class rose 56.2 percent to
2,987 units, and the CL- Class jumped 77 percent to 347 units.The sales
volume leader for the month, the E-Class model line, gained 12.3 percent
with 7,116 units sold compared to December 2005.
Kia Just Shy of 300,000
Units
Kia registered its thirteenth consecutive year
of sales increases and its best month ever in December. Year-to-date sales
for the company in 2006 totaled 294,302 units, 6.7-percent ahead of the
record sales pace set in 2005.
The Kia Spectra sold more than 70,000 units in
2006, totaling 72,557. Both the Kia Sorento and Kia Sedona models sold more
than 50,000 units in 2006, totaling 57,018 and 50,672 units, respectively.
December was the best month ever for sales for the company, up 60 percent
for a total of 30,004 units.
Hyundai Hits 455K Plus for the
Year
Hyundai’s sales in December reached 37,365
units, and for the year the company hit sales of 455,520 units, marking its
eighth consecutive year-over-year sales increase. Year-end sales were
bolstered by strong December demand for the all-new 2007 Accent and the
all-new 2007 Santa Fe, up 66 percent and 121 percent,
respectively.
Porsche Hits Third Consecutive
Sales Record
Porsche’s 2006 sales marked the third
consecutive record-breaking sales year for the company, as it reached
36,095 units sold, an increase of 7 percent over 2005.
Porsche’s sport car models led the way
with an overall increase in sales of 30 percent in 2006. The mid-engine
sports cars, Boxster and Cayman, totaled 12,163 for 2006, an increase of 46
percent. 911 sales set an all-time record with a 2006 total of 12,702.
In December, Porsche car sales remained
relatively flat, with just 2,850 units sold. For the year, Porsche also set
another consecutive record in the United States, with sales of 34,227 cars,
up 7 percent from 2005.
Volvo Has Slow
Year
Volvo sales in December dropped 6.2 percent to
8,542 units. For the year, sales were down 6.3 percent in the
U.S.
Jaguar Continues to
Struggle
Jaguar continued to struggle in 2006, with
sales in December dropping 36.5 percent and sales on the year down 32
percent to 20,683 units. The XK was the only bright spot in December, up
253.8 percent for a total of 460 vehicles. The S-Type eked out the X-Type
to be the year’s best-selling vehicle for the brand at 5,875
units.
Land Rover Is a Bright
Spot
Land Rover was the only Ford brand to post
higher sales in 2006. Land Rover’s full year sales rose 3.5 percent
for a total of 47,774 units, setting a new calendar year sales record.
The Range Rover Sport was the best-selling model
for the brand, up 79.6 percent for a total of 18,757 units. It was followed
by the LR3 with 16,930 units sold.
December sales were down 13 percent for a total
of 6,014 units.
Mazda Up 4
Percent
Mazda’s calendar year-end sales reached
268,786 units, a 4 percent increase over calendar year 2005. The automaker
finished the year well with December sales totaling 19,912 vehicles, up 3.9
percent over December 2005.
Mazda’s all-new CX-7 crossover SUV
recorded 3,421 units sold in December. MAZDA3 and MAZDA5 both recorded
their best-ever December sales months. MAZDA3 ended the month with 7,096
units sold, up 3 percent over last year, and the MAZDA5 reached 1,131 units
sold, up 9.7 percent over 2005. And sales of the MAZDA6 jumped 23 percent
in December.
Subaru Surpasses
200K
Subaru sold 200,703 units in 2006, exceeding the
famed 200,000 unit milestone and achieving its fourth consecutive sales
record. Subaru also recorded its highest-ever monthly sales in December,
exceeding 20,000 units for the first time, with 20,613 units for the
month.
Subaru Legacy recorded sales of 84,442 units, of
which the Subaru Outback posted 59,262 units for 2006. Subaru Forester
posted sales of 51,258 units for the year, while Subaru Baja recorded 5,241
units. Subaru’s B9 Tribeca sales for 2006 totaled 18,614 units, up 26
percent from the previous year. The greatest increase of any car line came
from the Impreza that posted another all-time sales record for the brand
with a gain of 22 percent totaling 41,148 units for the year.
December 2006 sales were the highest-ever
recorded monthly total for Subaru, totaling 20,613 units and up three
percent from December 2005. Subaru B9 Tribeca posted 1,582 units for the
month. Subaru Legacy recorded an eight percent gain with unit sales of
9,021, while Outback accounted for 6,735 units for the month. Subaru
Forester recorded 5,242 units up one percent from the previous December,
while Baja posted 394 units for the month. Subaru Impreza was up 38 percent
from the same period last year, posting a strong 4,374 units in
December.
Suzuki Soars Above
100K
Suzuki posted annual sales above 100,000 units
for the first time in the company’s 21-year history in the U.S., with
sales up 23 percent for a total of 100,990 units.
Suzuki sales in 2006 were led by the Grand
Vitara and the Forenza family of vehicles – both seeing significant
gains for the year. Sales of the Grand Vitara continued to rise with a 212
percent increase in sales from 2005.
Mitsubishi Still Hanging in
There
Mitsubishi’s December sales rose 2.5
percent from last year to a total 9,910 units. Mitsubishi’s North
American CEO Hiroshi Harunari credits the all-new fuel-efficient Outlander
crossover SUV for the rise in sales. Outlander sales hit 2,108 units, up
225.8 percent from last December and marked the best month for Outlander
sales since February 2004.
The Eclipse Spyder closed at 604 units, more
than ten times its sales total from last December. The Eclipse coupe
continued its strong performance reaching 1,625 units, finishing at 26,385
for the year, the best calendar year of sales for Eclipse since
2003.
Isuzu’s Downward
Slope
Isuzu’s sales continued their fall in
December, reaching a meager 637 total units. Total sales for the year
dropped from 12,177 in 2005 to 8,614 in 2006. The Ascender remains the
automaker’s best-selling vehicle at 4,857 units for the year.
The following chart details the December sales
data from International nameplate automakers:
| Brand | Dec 2006 | Dec 2005 | %Chng | 2006 CYTD | 2005 CYTD | %Chng |
| Acura |
19,056 |
18,621 |
2.3% |
201,223 |
209,610 |
-4.0% |
| Audi |
11,897 |
8,842 |
34.6% |
90,116 |
83,066 |
8.5% |
| Bentley |
653 |
579 |
12.8% |
3,857 |
3,654 |
5.6% |
| BMW |
30,945 |
26,464 |
16.9% |
274,432 |
266,200 |
3.1% |
| Ferrari |
175 |
90 |
94.4% |
1,517 |
1,477 |
2.7% |
| Honda |
112,722 |
114,179 |
-1.3% |
1,308,135 |
1,252,862 |
4.4% |
| Hyundai |
37,365 |
43,021 |
-13.1% |
455,520 |
455,012 |
0.1% |
| Infiniti |
13,112 |
12,856 |
2.0% |
121,146 |
136,401 |
-11.2% |
| Isuzu |
637 |
839 |
-24.1% |
8,614 |
12,177 |
-29.3% |
| Jaguar |
1,553 |
2,445 |
-36.5% |
20,683 |
30,424 |
-32.0% |
| Kia |
30,004 |
18,767 |
59.9% |
294,301 |
275,851 |
6.7% |
| Land Rover |
6,014 |
6,913 |
-13.0% |
47,774 |
46,175 |
3.5% |
| Lexus |
37,235 |
35,186 |
5.8% |
322,434 |
302,895 |
6.5% |
| Maserati |
158 |
121 |
30.6% |
2,104 |
2,008 |
4.8% |
| Maybach [est] |
15 |
20 |
-25.0% |
180 |
240 |
-25.0% |
| Mazda |
19,912 |
19,156 |
3.9% |
268,786 |
258,339 |
4.0% |
| Mercedes-Benz |
28,130 |
31,207 |
-9.9% |
247,973 |
224,249 |
10.6% |
| Mini |
2,472 |
2,436 |
1.5% |
39,171 |
40,820 |
-4.0% |
| Mitsubishi |
9,910 |
9,673 |
2.5% |
118,558 |
123,995 |
-4.4% |
| Nissan |
78,663 |
78,397 |
0.3% |
898,103 |
940,269 |
-4.5% |
| Porsche |
2,850 |
2,861 |
-0.4% |
34,227 |
31,933 |
7.2% |
| Rolls Royce [est] |
30 |
20 |
50.0% |
360 |
240 |
50.0% |
| Saab |
3,535 |
2,766 |
27.8% |
36,349 |
38,343 |
-5.2% |
| Subaru |
20,613 |
19,919 |
3.5% |
200,699 |
196,002 |
2.4% |
| Suzuki |
7,317 |
6,662 |
9.8% |
100,990 |
82,101 |
23.0% |
| Toyota |
191,087 |
168,093 |
13.7% |
2,220,090 |
1,957,400 |
13.4% |
| Volkswagen |
19,942 |
25,956 |
-23.2% |
235,140 |
224,195 |
4.9% |
| Volvo |
8,542 |
9,111 |
-6.2% |
116,071 |
123,874 |
-6.3% |
| Total Sales |
694,544
|
665,200 |
4.4% |
7,668,553
|
7,319,812 |
4.8% |
Source: AutoData Corp.
Chart:
AIADA
