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JAB00 01-06-2015 09:02 AM

The TLX numbers are where the 4G TL was around the same time in its initial release. Those numbers aren't great. The RLX sales are just ghastly. What a colossal failure.

iforyou 01-06-2015 11:42 AM


Originally Posted by JAB00 (Post 15288917)
The TLX numbers are where the 4G TL was around the same time in its initial release. Those numbers aren't great. The RLX sales are just ghastly. What a colossal failure.

Stop sale due to ZF issue.

The late 2008 figures of TL includes both 3G TL and 4G TL. I believe the 3G TL was very successful and was still going strong in its final year.

Joneill44 01-06-2015 03:43 PM

Its crazy looking at the YOY chart and realizing if Acura didn't have the MDX they would be in the shitter

Edit: It accounts for 40% of their sales

iforyou 01-06-2015 05:08 PM


Originally Posted by Joneill44 (Post 15289528)
Its crazy looking at the YOY chart and realizing if Acura didn't have the MDX they would be in the shitter

Edit: It accounts for 40% of their sales

The RDX and MDX = 2/3 of the sales.

I think a big part of that is because the for the most part of 2014, Acura was phasing out the TL and TSX, while the TLX had a delay and stop sale order. We are talking about 17000 units of TL and TSX in 2014 as opposed to well over 40000 units in 2013. And obviously the ILX and RLX had been disappointing thus far.

I'd imagine 2015 will be a better year for Acura. Hopefully they will have most of the TLX issues ironed out and no longer limited by production. The 2016 ILX also looks promising for what its price. The RLX will continue its struggles.

I can see,

TLX: 50000 units
ILX: 25000 units

oonowindoo 01-06-2015 05:35 PM

Or

The market will balance itself and TLX #s will go down and ILX #s will go up.

AZuser 01-06-2015 07:35 PM


Originally Posted by iforyou (Post 15289628)
I can see,

TLX: 50000 units
ILX: 25000 units

I agree with you on TLX units, though I'd put the number slightly lower at 47,000-48,000 per year.

But do you really see Acura selling 25,000 ILX's a year in the U.S.? They sold 20,430 in 2013 and 17,854 in 2014. With the improvements, I think sales will hold at around 20,000 a year.

Have they even announced ILX prices yet? If there's a big bump, that could affect sales. 2.sl0w ILX with tech already MSRP's for $32,670. That's $305 more than a base TLX (MSRP: $32,365). With all the new upgrades they're putting in (new engine, transmission, headlights, tech, etc), I can see a 2.4 DCT ILX with tech MSRP for around $33,500.

AZuser 01-06-2015 09:27 PM


Originally Posted by iforyou (Post 15289628)
The RDX and MDX = 2/3 of the sales.

:nod:

2014 sales break down

164,352 Acura sold. 110,468 were trucks.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...d3b277f6ab.jpg

iforyou 01-07-2015 01:45 PM

Yea, for the TLX, probably 50000 units, +/-5000? All competitors are strong, and there are many of them, I don't see the sales going any higher than that. It also doesn't help that the TLX only comes in a few variants/packages/options. Look at the 3 series, it has several gasoline engine choices and diesel choices; it comes in sedan, wagon, and GT, you have different lines to pick from, etc. Heck, you can get one for just over $30k, or go for the $60k+ one.

For the ILX, I think the volume heavily depends on the price range. It's true that right now, the ILX tech is just a bit more expensive than the base TLX. I don't think it will be wise for Acura to jack up the MSRP by too much. I'm not sure about the US market, but last year, my sister was looking at an ILX in Canada, and the discount was at $5k. I think all Acura needs to do is offer less incentive to the new ILX. There's no need to increase the MSRP by a whole lot.

AZuser 01-07-2015 03:08 PM


Originally Posted by iforyou (Post 15290580)
For the ILX, I think the volume heavily depends on the price range. It's true that right now, the ILX tech is just a bit more expensive than the base TLX. I don't think it will be wise for Acura to jack up the MSRP by too much. I'm not sure about the US market, but last year, my sister was looking at an ILX in Canada, and the discount was at $5k. I think all Acura needs to do is offer less incentive to the new ILX. There's no need to increase the MSRP by a whole lot.

Even if they kept pricing where it's at now, do you realistically see ILX sales jumping 40% from 2014 numbers (17,854) to 25,000 a year? Even a 25% sales increase to 22,300 is optimistic.

iforyou 01-07-2015 05:36 PM

I can't say for sure of course, but I think the upgrades very substantial. It's almost like a full on FMC.

The current ILX is just not very desirable at all. It's hard to come up with even one good reason to buy it. And things got worse by 2014 when there's the new A3 and new CLA.

The new ILX OTOH is vastly improved in pretty much every area. There are legitimate reasons to choose it over an A3 1.8T, CLA, Verano, etc.

I guess we will see, may be I'm just being too optimistic...I'd also like to see some road tests too. The above is just assuming the car drives better, is much faster, and is quieter.

AZuser 01-09-2015 12:13 AM

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/car-br...184749617.html


Car brands that are hottest (and coldest) heading into 2015

Automakers hit the gas in 2014, with the momentum likely to continue during the next 12 months. Total sales last year reached 16.5 million, the best since 2006. Forecasting firm IHS Automotive expects sales to hit 16.9 million vehicles in 2015, as a combination of job and wage growth, low gas prices and a generally stronger economy lures more buyers to showrooms.

Competition among automakers is always intense, with manufacturers constantly jostling for even slight gains in market share. To gauge which brands are the pace setters in 2015, I analyzed sales and pricing data from car-research firm KBB.com. Several brands, including Jeep, Ram Lincoln, Audi, Nissan and BMW, had great sales numbers in 2014 -- but average transaction prices were either flat for the year or lower than in 2013. That suggests sales were driven by discounts, at least in part.

The real winners are brands able to increase both their sales and prices, which shows that buyers are willing to pay top dollar for models they consider worth a premium. Overall sales in 2014 were up 5.9%, with the average transaction price up 3.2%.

The hottest brands -- Here are seven brands with sales and price increases that were both above the industry average in 2014:
Subaru: Sales in 2014: up 21%; average transaction prices: up 7.1%. Subaru’s all-wheel-drive crossovers are in the sweet spot of the market right now, as buyers prefer rugged vehicles with the comfort of a sedan but the higher perch of an SUV.

Buick: Sales: up 11%; prices: up 6.1%. This sleeper brand has finally assembled a modest lineup of entry-luxury vehicles buyers like.

GMC: Sales: up 11.3%; prices: up 5.1%. This General Motors (GM) division benefited from strong sales of big SUVs toward the end of the year, as gas prices plunged.

Kia: Sales: up 8.4%; prices: up 3.5%. The Optima sedan and Sportage crossover are big winners for this Korean carmaker.

Mazda: Sales: up 7.7%; prices: up 6.1%. New versions of the Mazda 3 economy car and the Mazda 6 sedan kept sales humming in 2014. A new version of the beloved Miata roadster will materialize in the fall, and while sales will be limited, it will enhance Mazda’s reputation for sportiness.

Mercedes-Benz: Sales: up 6.5%; prices: up 5.1%. Mercedes was the only luxury make with sales and prices that rose by more than the industry average in 2014, which shows the strength of the brand from the entry-level CLA all the way up to S Class models priced well over $100,000.

The coldest brands -- Here are eight brands that disappointed in 2014, with sales growth and price changes that were both below the industry average in 2014:
Mini: Sales: down 15.6%; prices: up 1.1%. Mini struggled with old models in 2014, but a new Cooper for 2015 should reinvigorate sales. Mini excels at designing many appealing variants of a single platform, so watch for the rollout of numerous Cooper cousins during the next few years.

Scion: Sales: down 15.1%; prices: up 1.1%. You’d probably have trouble naming a single Scion model, and that’s the problem—Toyota’s budget brand just hasn’t generated much buzz.

Volkswagen: Sales: down 10%; prices: down 0.1%. VW has big growth plans but a shortage of new models has depressed sales. A new Golf lineup for 2015 will draw more buyers, but VW won’t have new crossovers and SUVs in showrooms until 2016 at the earliest.

Infiniti: Sales: up 0.8%; prices: up 0.1%. Nissan’s luxury brand renamed most of its models for 2014, with all vehicles now beginning with the letter Q. The old G37 sedan, for instance, is now the Q40. Buyers may have found the realignment qonfusing and opted for other brands they felt more familiar with.

Honda: Sales: up 1%; prices: up 1.6%. This usually reliable brand reported record U.S. sales in 2014, but sales growth was meager due to an unusually large number of recalls related to air bags manufactured by Takata, and other problems.

Acura: Sales: up 1.5%; prices: down 0.6%. Honda hopes the new TLX sedan, introduced last summer, will help reenergize a luxury division that can’t seem to catch up with Lexus, BMW or Audi.


Chrysler: Sales: up 2.1%; prices: down 3.5%. Chrysler finally got a new 200 sedan last year, but the division’s entire lineup consists of just three vehicles, and some analysts think parent firm FCA (formerly Fiat-Chrysler) might retire the whole brand. If so, FCA’s five other U.S. divisions—Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat and Alfa Romeo—ought to be plenty.


SSFTSX 01-10-2015 03:57 PM


Originally Posted by AZuser (Post 15289798)
I agree with you on TLX units, though I'd put the number slightly lower at 47,000-48,000 per year.

But do you really see Acura selling 25,000 ILX's a year in the U.S.? They sold 20,430 in 2013 and 17,854 in 2014. With the improvements, I think sales will hold at around 20,000 a year.

Have they even announced ILX prices yet? If there's a big bump, that could affect sales. 2.sl0w ILX with tech already MSRP's for $32,670. That's $305 more than a base TLX (MSRP: $32,365). With all the new upgrades they're putting in (new engine, transmission, headlights, tech, etc), I can see a 2.4 DCT ILX with tech MSRP for around $33,500.

ILX has A-spec 18inch rim, catlina blue pearl, red dials, spoiler model also etc. that's above the tech. TLX 4cylinder does not come with 18inch. I think ILX is very competitive product even if they price A-Spec at $35k. I wouldnot be surprised it compeletey cannibalize TLX sales.
there is RDX MMC will further erode TLX V6 sales. I don't see TLX maintaining those sales.

oonowindoo 01-12-2015 01:05 AM

:rofl:

wow something has changed.

Legend2TL 01-15-2015 08:14 PM

Honda: This will be our year
 
Honda: This will be our year - Fortune


The automaker has declared 2015 “The year of Honda,” after 2014 left it wanting. Here’s the company’s roadmap to get back on track.

By more than one measure, 2014 is a year the Honda Motor Co. would prefer to forget or to obscure, reflected in a roundabout way by its grand slogan for 2015, “The Year of Honda.”

It will be a year when the automaker begins selling its first airplane, the HA-420 Hondajet for general aviation, as well as a new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the FCV. Honda will return to the Formula One circuit with a new race car. The cherry on top may be Acura NSX, a gas-electric hybrid supercar that will be built and sold in low volume.

Honda hopes NSX will burnish its reputational halo for technical expertise. The automaker also wants NSX to help boost Acura’s brand image as a maker of premium cars and trucks. Last year, Honda’s U.S. sales rose 1% against a market that increased by 5.9% – resulting a loss of market share, most importantly, lost ground against its two main rivals, Toyota and Nissan.

As a brand, Acura sold 167,843 cars and trucks last year, a 1.5% increase. Lexus, Toyota’s premium brand, was up 13.7%; BMW was up 9.8%, Audi was up 15.2% and Mercedes-Benz was up 6.5% in a U.S. market that was very favorable for luxury vehicle manufacturers.

On January the U.S. government levied a $70 million fine on Honda for failing to disclose, as required, more than 1,700 deaths and injuries in its vehicles to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA).

“We have resolved this matter and will move forward to build on the important actions Honda has already taken to address our past shortcomings in early warning reporting,” said Rick Schostek, Honda executive vice president, in a statement. “We continue to fully cooperate with NHTSA to achieve greater transparency and to further enhance our reporting practices.”

Fortunately for Honda, it benefits from a deep reservoir of customer goodwill and loyalty in the U.S., as well as a reputation for building high-quality vehicles that are rated highly by objective third parties for their low cost of ownership. The reservoir was drained somewhat by a product defect controversy resulting from airbag deployments that scattered shrapnel on its victims.

Honda has recalled more than 10 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix a potentially fatal defect in air bags made by Japanese supplier, Takata. The air bag inflators can rupture after a crash and injure occupants with shards of metal. Honda has confirmed three deaths and 48 injuries in connection with such incidents.

Investors have noticed Honda’s troubles. The automaker was one of the very few worldwide to avoid deep losses during the global financial crisis. Still, its common shares are down 17.2% over the past year, while the Nikkei 225 Index is up 7.4% and Toyota Motor shares are up 19.5%.

A Honda executive privately attributed much of its troubles on “bad luck,” as opposed to shoddy business practices or deliberate misbehavior on anyone’s part. Perhaps. The company’s leadership is certain to check, double-check and lock down its systems and processes to ensure the level sinks no lower on its reservoir of good will.

oonowindoo 01-16-2015 11:29 AM

wow the #s are shocking...

Legend2TL 01-19-2015 08:34 AM

Acura exec drops the chalupa, runs for the border Accavitti's Taco Bell munchies a so
 
Acura exec drops the chalupa, runs for the border
Accavitti's Taco Bell munchies a source of inspiration


http://www.autonews.com/article/2015...44/acura-exec-
drops-the-chalupa-runs-for-the-border

Amusing source of inspiration
:spit:


TOKYO -- Acura boss Mike Accavitti let a case of the Mexican munchies get the better of him when he conceded Taco Bell was a source of marketing inspiration for his luxury auto marque.

Speaking during a retail marketing panel at the Automotive News World Congress last week, the Bruce Willis doppelganger was asked where he looked to brainstorm new ideas on selling cars.

Outside the industry of course, and Accavatti wasted no time in blurting out his secret go-to guiding light: “Taco Bell!”

“The whole breakfast thing?” a confused moderator asked.

Realizing he may have just dropped the chalupa, Accavatti pivoted with a “just kidding” and this quick mea culpa:

“I always look at … the retail guys, the people who are making the purchasing decisions, like right now,” he said, snapping his fingers in lickety-split fashion. “I wasn’t even hungry. I saw a Taco Bell ad, and gee, I wanted to go to Taco Bell now.”

It may be a long stretch from nachos to the NSX.

But no doubt, plenty of auto buffs will have a similarly Pavlovian reflex to Acura’s sexy new supercar.

TSX69 01-20-2015 08:14 AM

AutoNews
 

Suffering flat sales and a vanilla reputation, Acura is determined to reassert itself as a luxury performance brand and Acura dealers are looking to benefit.

"The plan was to get our core set of models down: the entry-level ILX and then the TLX and the RLX, as well as the MDX and RDX and then from that point, to have derivatives," said John Connelly, owner of Acura Columbus in Dublin, Ohio, and chairman of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board.

Sales of Acura's crossovers -- mainly the 3-row MDX and smaller RDX -- rose 13 percent last year, but Acura's car sales continued to drop, down 15 percent in 2014, making Acura a mere spectator amid a small surge in the luxury market.

That may turn around this year. The TLX midsize sedan -- launched in August to replace two outgoing sedans, the TL and TSX -- finished 2014 No. 3 in Acura's five-vehicle lineup, behind the MDX and RDX. Early this year, Acura plans to launch the redesigned 2016 ILX, hoping to boost disappointing sales of the Honda Civic derivative introduced in 2012.

"Luxury sales are supposed to increase 15 percent by 2018," Connelly said. "We need to capture that. Sales for 2014, while good, have remained fairly flat. We need to see the same increase that Audi saw this year [a 15 percent increase in 2014]. Acura needs to realize that in 2015."

The NSX halo car is on the way, too. A production version was shown this month at the Detroit auto show.

"You have your core and then you have to have your fun, sporty, eye-catching cars, so that's what we need to have," Connelly said. "It helps bring cachet to the brand. It helps break through."

ttribe 01-20-2015 10:17 AM

^^^[sigh] Does this mean they are shooting for "Tier 1" again?

iforyou 01-20-2015 12:20 PM


Originally Posted by ttribe (Post 15305250)
^^^[sigh] Does this mean they are shooting for "Tier 1" again?

John Connelly, owner of Acura Columbus in Dublin, Ohio, and chairman of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board.

lol he's a dealership owner/chairman of dealerships....I don't know how much "power" he has over what Acura actually does...

neuronbob 01-20-2015 01:13 PM


Originally Posted by Legend2TL (Post 15303838)
Acura exec drops the chalupa, runs for the border
Accavitti's Taco Bell munchies a source of inspiration


http://www.autonews.com/article/2015...44/acura-exec-
drops-the-chalupa-runs-for-the-border

Amusing source of inspiration
:spit:

Jeez. That wasn't even funny, just sad.

Yo quiero Acura? *SIGH*

ttribe 01-20-2015 02:40 PM


Originally Posted by iforyou (Post 15305543)
John Connelly, owner of Acura Columbus in Dublin, Ohio, and chairman of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board.

lol he's a dealership owner/chairman of dealerships....I don't know how much "power" he has over what Acura actually does...

Presumably, he's a little more connected than you and I though, right? Perhaps he has insights we don't?

Legend2TL 01-20-2015 03:33 PM


Originally Posted by iforyou (Post 15305543)
John Connelly, owner of Acura Columbus in Dublin, Ohio, and chairman of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board.

lol he's a dealership owner/chairman of dealerships....I don't know how much "power" he has over what Acura actually does...


Originally Posted by ttribe (Post 15305813)
Presumably, he's a little more connected than you and I though, right? Perhaps he has insights we don't?

They probably do have very much more than us.

The US Honda and Acura dealers revolted in the 90's and basically forced Honda to make the 1G Ody, and rebadge Mitsubishi's into the Passport and SLX. The lack of minivans and SUV's was a very sore subject between Honda of America and the dealership.

Those were a stopgap until new US designed 2G Ody (US slide doors), Pilot/MDX and RDX/CRV chassis which were great successes. Only the Ridgeline has not been a sales success.

vybzkartel 01-20-2015 03:56 PM


Originally Posted by Legend2TL (Post 15305901)
The US Honda and Acura dealers revolted in the 90's and basically forced Honda to make the 1G Ody, and rebadge Mitsubishi's into the Passport and SLX.

Isuzu.

Legend2TL 01-20-2015 05:37 PM

^ my bad, brain fade :tomato:

iforyou 01-20-2015 05:52 PM


Originally Posted by ttribe (Post 15305813)
Presumably, he's a little more connected than you and I though, right? Perhaps he has insights we don't?

Ya, I think he'd know more than us..and have more influence on things. I'm just wondering, is that enough.....

ttribe 01-20-2015 06:21 PM


Originally Posted by iforyou (Post 15306088)
Ya, I think he'd know more than us..and have more influence on things. I'm just wondering, is that enough.....

:shrug: Dunno, but I hope someone in a decision making role is listening.

Allen- 01-20-2015 11:21 PM

Just noticed on the latest NSX promo video the tagline at the end read: Acura - Precision Crafted Performance.

Any word on whether they are going back to that and dropping the "Advance" tagline?

On the Acura website, "Advance" has been removed from below the name in the top left corner of the layout.

RPhilMan1 01-21-2015 09:14 AM


Originally Posted by Allen- (Post 15306469)
Just noticed on the latest NSX promo video the tagline at the end read: Acura - Precision Crafted Performance.

It all makes sense now. Acura is on PCP.

TSX69 01-21-2015 10:48 AM

AutoNews
 

Fresh off launching the NSX sports car, executives at Honda Motor Co.'s struggling Acura premium marque are already considering other new entries, such as a coupe and a compact crossover, as part of the brand's quickening revival plan.

Erik Berkman, head of the U.S.-based Acura Business Planning Office, formed last year to rethink the lineup and stoke stagnating sales, said entering new segments could help.

"The opportunity for us would be to maybe add another arrow in the quiver, another model in the lineup," Berkman said at the Detroit auto show after Acura introduced the sexy new NSX supercar. "If you were to look at our competitors, maybe you would find some categories that we're not representing."

He cited a coupe and a compact crossover as white spaces and said there might be room for an upmarket spinoff of the HR-V, the Honda-brand compact crossover riding on the Fit platform.

"We're thinking about many things," Berkman said.

The hitch: Executives will have to pick their battles carefully as they pitch new projects to bosses at Honda's headquarters in Tokyo.

If the brand were getting more volume, maybe it would make sense to invest in new models. But not a single nameplate in the brand's 5-vehicle lineup is selling even close to 100,000 units a year.

In 2014, Acura's U.S. sales rose 1% to 167,843 units. It was bracketed in the standings by Cadillac, down 6% at 170,750, and Infiniti, up 1% to 117,330.

"We're not going to try to shotgun a whole bunch of categories at once," Berkman said. "We're going to go step by step."

Acura's U.S. r&d center in Ohio has matured to the point that it can independently develop a sophisticated car such as the NSX. But it still depends on drivetrains engineered in Japan.

A limited international reach for the brand, which relies almost exclusively on the U.S. for sales, also may pinch resources.

The NSX introduction may give Acura more clout.

"We've got some capability, but what we don't necessarily have is enough absolute resources to do every program that's on the books," Berkman said. "Again, we have to pick and choose from a resource standpoint what's the next best thing to do."

iforyou 01-21-2015 12:27 PM


Originally Posted by Allen- (Post 15306469)
Just noticed on the latest NSX promo video the tagline at the end read: Acura - Precision Crafted Performance.

Any word on whether they are going back to that and dropping the "Advance" tagline?

On the Acura website, "Advance" has been removed from below the name in the top left corner of the layout.

My understanding is that Acura will be more independent - further away from being controlled by Honda of Japan. Erik Berkman is one of the leaders and his vision is more performance-oriented. I think this sort of explains why they are going back to Precision crafted performance.

Obviously it's still early days. We probably won't see the results until several years down the road.

Nabooly 01-22-2015 11:25 AM


Originally Posted by TSX69 (Post 15306843)
[FONT="Georgia"] [COLOR="Olive"]

He cited a coupe and a compact crossover as white spaces and said there might be room for an upmarket spinoff of the HR-V, the Honda-brand compact crossover riding on the Fit platform.

Another crossover? Is that what they need right now? Coupe definitely, but they've got the RDX and MDX already. Is that something they should really be investing the brand in?

NBP04TL4ME 01-22-2015 11:32 AM


Originally Posted by Nabooly (Post 15308274)
Another crossover? Is that what they need right now? Coupe definitely, but they've got the RDX and MDX already. Is that something they should really be investing the brand in?

Relatively short money to move the HR-V upscale to Acura and if they feel there is a need or potential to garner more sales with another model in the lineup.....................:2cents:

iforyou 01-22-2015 12:20 PM


Originally Posted by Nabooly (Post 15308274)
Another crossover? Is that what they need right now? Coupe definitely, but they've got the RDX and MDX already. Is that something they should really be investing the brand in?

I don't mind them adding a smaller crossover as long as they also build a coupe.

oonowindoo 01-22-2015 09:56 PM


Originally Posted by iforyou (Post 15308388)
I don't mind them adding a smaller crossover as long as they also build a coupe.

and we all know they are going to build the crossover and forget about the coupe.

Nabooly 01-23-2015 10:04 AM


Originally Posted by oonowindoo (Post 15309142)
and we all know they are going to build the crossover and forget about the coupe.

Exactly, they'll bring out the HR-V and delay the coupe for 2 years. I'm not sure, but isn't the RDX already a nice and small crossover? I had one as a loaner and it is the perfect size small crossover.

Anyway, if they do bring out an HR-V variant let's hope they do it right instead of civicifying it like the original ILX.

TacoBello 01-23-2015 12:40 PM


Originally Posted by Nabooly (Post 15309543)
Exactly, they'll bring out the HR-V and delay the coupe for 2 years. I'm not sure, but isn't the RDX already a nice and small crossover? I had one as a loaner and it is the perfect size small crossover.

Anyway, if they do bring out an HR-V variant let's hope they do it right instead of civicifying it like the original ILX.

Yeah, I agree. What's the HR-V going to be, a Honda Fit on a jacked up suspension and AWD? The RDX is plenty small...

I can't believe they're adding another SUV to the mix. I know, I know, it's Acura's bread and butter, but common... Give us a coupe or roadster already!!

dom 01-23-2015 12:52 PM

X1, Q3, Encore and GLA is why they're doing this.

TSX69 01-30-2015 10:46 AM

AutoNews
 
Acura dealers envision a turnaround now that the brand has cemented its 5-vehicle lineup and has another model, the NSX supercar, on the way. Though sales for Acura's trucks rose 13% through December, with the 3-row MDX utility vehicle the brand's volume leader, car sales fell 15% over the same period, underscoring the brand's vanilla image in the luxury segment.

That should change with the introduction last August of the sporty TLX midsize sedan, which replaced the TL and TSX, and the arrival early this year of the redesigned ILX entry-level sedan, whose styling and new powertrain should boost weak sales since its 2012 introduction. The new sedans and the continued popularity of the MDX and smaller RDX will help Acura capture share as the luxury market grows over the next 3 years.

Next, dealers want to see Acura add flair with sporty, eye-catching derivatives of its core lineup, according to John Connelly, 43, chairman of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board and president of Acura Columbus in Dublin, Ohio. He spoke with Staff Reporter Jaclyn Trop.
Q. How was 2014 for Acura dealers?

A. It's fantastic the amount of new product we've received. We're selling sedans, and the MDX and the RDX have been performing well. Acura dealers are very excited.

What major issues do Acura dealers face?

We want to keep selling more cars and increase our volume. Just getting a steady supply of sedans and the redesigned ILX is going to be a big boost to our lineup.

What's missing in the product lineup?

The plan was to get our core set of models down -- the entry-level ILX and then the TLX and the RLX, as well as the MDX and RDX, and then from that point, to have derivatives. We would like to see a coupe derivative, convertibles, appearance packages. You have your core, and then you have to have your fun, sporty, eye-catching cars, so that's what we need to have. It helps bring cachet to the brand. It helps break through. Those models may not be high volume, but they capture the imagination of customers. A good coupe off the ILX could attract millennials and tuners, for example. We also need more all-wheel-drive vehicles.

What do you hope to accomplish as chairman of the dealer council?

What I'm looking for is for dealers to be able to work with the manufacturer, to have the same plan and the same vision. Luxury sales are supposed to increase 15% by 2018. We need to capture that. Sales for 2014, while good, have remained fairly flat. We need to see the same increase [15%] that Audi saw in 2014. Acura needs to realize that in 2015.

The quarterly Blue Sky report showed that Acura and Cadillac profits are consistently low among luxury dealers. What are Acura dealers doing about this?

We need to show consistency and that we have what consumers want. But it took time for Acura to retool and to get a set lineup of vehicles. I'm really anticipating that the introduction of the NSX will bring a cachet to the brand. We've done exceptionally well with our trucks.

Are they making money on new-car sales?

Yes. Our new-car business has been strong. Profitability for all of our dealers is up year over year. The TLX has been great, and the MDX and RDX have been great as far as holding their value.

What are Acura dealers doing to make sure they get their share of service business?

The factory has done a good job revamping their service marketing for us. Acura's program is called Accelerated Service. There's such a large percentage of customer-pay business that is oil changes, and we need to respond to that and compete with all the independents to be able to offer people no-appointment, under-an-hour oil changes with a car wash.

The good news for Acura dealers is that the customer-pay repair order numbers are up from 2013. With more targeted service marketing, we're providing a better avenue for customers to come in.


Are dealers satisfied with Acura Financial Services' programs to support their finance and insurance office?

We want more support to be able to lease cars and to get a good rate on that. That's super important. That's what we're asking from Acura Financial. They have introduced some e-contracting, which is a whole suite of services to become paperless. We want to become paperless at our stores to get people in and out quicker. They have been working on modernizing all of their systems, so I've been looking forward to doing everything electronically.

What does the factory need to do to help dealers sell more vehicles?

Product is always No. 1. If you can get a product that people want with the right styling and the right price, you're going to be fine.

The TLX was priced great, and I think that's why it took off. You can really kill the launch of a vehicle if it's not priced correctly. With marketing, it's such a cluttered landscape, and Acura has a tough time getting its voice heard, so you have to be selective with the marketing dollars that you do have. Digital has been helpful.

Are you happy with what Honda is doing to support certified pre-owned sales?

We've asked for better interest rates on them and different promotions -- a CPO summer sale, a winter sale. Focus on the marketing, help us advertise our certified pre-owned cars. The reason for the decline was a change in the way that the cars were evaluated. The new checklist just came out [in December]. They completely revised it based upon the wants of the dealers to provide a more seamless way to get our cars certified.

How are Acura dealerships being affected by the rising tide of off-lease vehicles and lower used-car prices?

It's geographic. Each dealership is different. You need to watch your inventory closer. You can't overpay for trades because with used-car prices going down, you don't want to be putting too much into the trade. If used-car prices go down too much, you need to rely on the factory to give you incentives on new cars to make sure that those keep selling.


AZuser 01-30-2015 01:26 PM


Originally Posted by oonowindoo (Post 15309142)
and we all know they are going to build the crossover and forget about the coupe.

:nod: They're going to build what sells and brings in the money. What type of Acuras sell best with best margins? Trucks


Originally Posted by AZuser (Post 15289896)
:nod:

2014 sales break down

164,352 Acura sold. 110,468 were trucks.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/acurazi...d3b277f6ab.jpg


AZuser 02-03-2015 08:52 AM

American Honda Kicks Off 2015 with Record January Sales - Sales - Honda News

American Honda Kicks Off 2015 with Record January Sales

Feb 3, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif.
  • American Honda and the Honda Division set new January records as Fit, CR-V and Pilot top prior monthly records with double digit percentage gains over January 2014
  • Both the Honda and Acura Brands set new light truck sales records for January
  • Acura posts best January since 2007 as MDX and RDX set new monthly records

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today reported a new January record on Honda and Acura vehicle sales of 102,184 units, an increase of 11.5 percent versus January 2014. Overall AHM light trucks led sales gains for both brands and set a January record, increasing 25.2 percent on sales of 52,169 vehicles. The Honda brand set a January record, up 11.6 percent for the month while recording sales of 90,202 vehicles. The Acura brand posted sales of 11,982 units in January, increasing 10.7 percent over the same period last year.

Honda

2015 began on a strong note for the Honda Division with record monthly sales for the brand, its light trucks and three key models, CR-V, Fit and Pilot.
  • CR-V continued to build on its leadership as 2014's undisputed best-selling SUV in America, as the Honda's top-selling model in January with record monthly sales of 23,211 units, up 27.3 percent.
  • Fit continued to bring record numbers of new buyers to the Honda brand, setting a new January record, up an amazing 85.8 percent with 5,802 vehicles sold in January.
  • Pilot nearly doubled January 2014 sales while setting a new monthly record with 12,315 sold, up 97.9 percent.
  • Accord sales of 21,011 vehicles grew by 2.0 percent in January
  • Led by record CR-V and Pilot sales, Honda Division light truck sales surged to a new record of 44,271 units, up 27.7 percent.

"The new year is off to a strong start with three core models selling at record pace, and this is only the beginning," said Jeff Conrad, Honda division senior vice president and general manager. "With an all-new HR-V crossover coming in a few months, an all-new Pilot debuting at the Chicago Auto Show next week and more big news on the horizon, this is going to be an epic year for Honda."

Acura

The Acura Division posted its best January sales result since 2007 on the strength of record sales of the MDX and RDX and another strong showing from the all-new TLX performance luxury sedan.
  • MDX set its second consecutive January sales record on sales of 4,381 vehicles, up 3.3 percent. It was the brand's best-selling vehicle in January.
  • RDX set its third consecutive January sales record, up 28.8 percent with sales of 3,517 vehicles for the month.
  • The all-new TLX sold 2,892 vehicles in its first January, easily besting the combined sales of its two predecessors in January 2014 by 27.9 percent. (Acura TL and TSX combined to sell 2,261 vehicles in January 2014.)

"With a major mid-cycle refresh for the ILX gateway model on the way, it's great to begin the year with such strong sales," said Mike Accavitti, Acura division senior vice president and general manager. "MDX and RDX are packing a stronger 1-2 punch than ever to create new energy and momentum for the Acura brand that we look forward to carrying through 2015."


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