Articles - Cheers and Gears

Sales Figure Ticker - April 2013

Wed, 01 May 2013 04:23:10 +0000

By William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
May 1, 2013

Subaru of America, Inc - Up 25.2%
Nissan North America, Inc. - Up 23.2%
Ford Motor Company - Up 17.9%
Porsche Cars North America - Up 17%
Audi of America - Up 14.2%
General Motors Co. - Up 11.4%
Chrysler Group LLC - Up 11%
BMW Group U.S. - Up 8.3%
American Honda - Up 7.4%
Mercedes-Benz USA - Up 4.4%
Hyundai Motor America - Up 2%
Kia Motors America - Flat This Month
Toyota Motor Sales - Down 1.1%
Mazda North American Operations - Down 7.5%
Volvo Cars of North America - Down 7.9%
Volkswagen of America, Inc. - Down 10.3%
Mitsubishi Motors North America - Down 15.5%

Jaguar Land Rover North America -

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Sales Figure Ticker - March 2013

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:47:40 +0000

By William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
April 2, 2013

Porsche Cars North America - Up 41%
Audi of America, Inc - Up 14.4%
Subaru of America, Inc - Up 13.3%
BMW Group U.S. - Up 11.2%
American Honda - Up 7.1%
General Motors - Up 6.4%
Mercedes-Benz USA - Up 6.3%
Ford Motor Company - Up 5.7%
Chrysler Group LLC - Up 5%
Jaguar Land Rover North America - Up 4%
Volkswagen of America, Inc. - Up 3.1%
Nissan North America, Inc. - Up 1%
Toyota Motor Sales - Up 1%
Mazda North American Operations - Down 1.1%
Hyundai Motor America - Down 2%
Kia Motors America - Down 14.6%
Volvo Cars of North America - Down 19.8%
Mitsubishi Motors North America - Down 26%

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Sales Figure Ticker - February 2013

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:52:26 +0000

By William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
March 1, 2013

Porsche Cars North America - Up 31%
Mitsubishi Motors North America - Up 27.8%
Audi of America - Up 27.5%
Mercedes-Benz USA - Up 22.2%
Jaguar Land Rover North America - Up 18%
Subaru of America - Up 11%
Ford Motor Company - Up 9%
General Motors - Up 7.2%
Toyota Motor Sales - Up 4.3%
Chrysler Group LLC - Up 4%
Volkswagen of America - Up 2.9%
Hyundai Motor America - Up 2%
American Honda - Down 2%
BMW Group U.S. - Down 2.2%
Mazda North American Operations - Down 2.8%
Nissan North America - Down 6.6%
Volvo Cars of North America - Down 7.5%
Kia Motors America - Down 7.8%

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Sales Figure Ticker - January 2013

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:16:44 +0000

By William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
February 1, 2013

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. - Up 32%
Jaguar Land Rover North America - Up 24.8
Ford Motor Company - Up 21.8%
Toyota Motor Sales - Up 21.6%
Subaru of America, Inc. - Up 21.3%
Chrysler Group LLC - Up 16%
General Motors - Up 15.9%
American Honda - Up 12.8%
Mercedes-Benz USA - Up 10.7%
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC - Up 9.3%
Audi of America - Up 7.5%
Volkswagen of America - Up 6.7%
Hyundai Motor America - Up 2.4%
BMW Group U.S. - Up 2.3%
Kia Motors America - Up 2.2%
Nissan North America, Inc. - Up 2.0%
Mitsubishi Motors North America - Down 1%
American Suzuki Motor Corporation - Down 1%
Mazda North American Operations - Down 11.2%

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Can You Identify This Gear Shift?

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:11:20 +0000

Can you identify what vehicle this gear shift is from?

This is not a joke. It's from a friend's Facebook account. He says its not photoshopped other than colour and contrast tweaks (he's a pro photographer). Apparently it's from an abandoned vehicle, all he gave me so far is the location. I asked him for more info, I'll let you know.

Sales Figure Ticker - December 2012

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:55:23 +0000

William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
January 3, 2013

Porsche Cars North America - Up 61%
Volkswagen of America - Up 35.4%
BMW of North America - Up 34.8%
American Honda - Up 26.2%
Mazda North American Operations - Up 21.9%
Audi of America - Up 17.3%
Hyundai Motor America - Up 17%
Volvo Cars of North America - Up 15.1%
Toyota Motor Sales - Up 13.2%
Mercedes-Benz USA - Up 12%
Chrysler Group LLC - Up 10%
Subaru of America, Inc - Up 8.8%
General Motors - Up 5%
Ford Motor Company - Up 2%
Nissan North America - Down 1.6%
Kia Motors America - Down 9.7%
Mitsubishi Motors North America - Down 18%
American Suzuki Motor Corporation - Down 24.2%

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Sales Figure Ticker - November 2012

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:40:44 +0000

William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
December 3, 2012

Porsche Cars North America - Up 71%
Subaru of America - Up 59.7%
American Honda - Up 38.9%
BMW Group U.S. - Up 38.8%
Volkswagen of America - Up 29.3%
Volvo Cars of North America - Up 26.8%
Audi of America - Up 24.4%
American Suzuki Motor Corporation - Up 22%
Mazda North American Operations - Up 17.7%
Toyota Motor Sales - Up 17.2%
Mercedes-Benz USA - Up 15.6%
Chrysler Group LLC - Up 14%
Nissan North America - Up 12.9%
Kia Motors America - Up 10.9%
Hyundai Motor America - Up 8%
Ford Motor Company - Up 6%
General Motors - Up 3%
Mitsubishi Motors North America - Down 4.3%
Jaguar Land Rover North America - Down 7%

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

October 2012: Mitsubishi Motors North America

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:13:14 +0000

CYPRESS, Calif., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) today reported October sales of the Outlander Sport were up 17.9 percent compared to the same month in 2011.

Outlander Sport sales were 1,675 for the month, the second highest monthly total ever for the fuel efficient CUV, manufactured in Normal, Illinois.  The monthly total was only exceeded by that of September 2012.  For the January to September year-to-date, Outlander Sport sales are up 7.4 percent.

"We are pleased at the consistent growth of the Outlander Sport, our top seller in the U.S," said MMNA President & CEO Yoichi Yokozawa.  "This demonstrates that customers looking for a fuel-efficient CUV certainly have the Outlander Sport on their shopping list."  For the current 2013 model year, Outlander Sport received numerous new improvements including enhanced exterior styling and interior design features.

Overall Mitsubishi sales were 3,981 units, down 9.1 percent compared to October 2011.  That total however is impacted by models that ended their production in 2011.  Total sales of models currently in production were up 7.0 percent for the month compared to October 2011.

October 2012: American Suzuki

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:10:00 +0000

BREA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) today reported October 2012 sales of 2,023 units, a 5% increase from October 2011. The newly refreshed Grand Vitara contributed to a 64% increase month over month, while SX4 sales remained steady with a 13% growth.

October 2012: Hyundai Motor America

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:06:02 +0000

COSTA MESA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America today announced sales of 50,271 vehicles in October, a four percent total sales decline compared with the same record-setting period a year ago.  Sales are up 8.2 percent through the first 10 months of the year versus 2011.

"October was a somewhat challenging month for us and the industry," said Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of sales.  "It appears industry volume may have temporarily stalled due to a blend of an extremely tight and undecided Presidential race, lingering economic uncertainty tied to 'fiscal cliff' anxiety, and the devastating impact Hurricane Sandy had on our dealers and millions of residents along the Eastern seaboard."

The all-new Azera and the Elantra family continued to gain, with sales up 1,949 percent and 12 percent, respectively, over last October.  The all-new 2013 Santa Fe, recently crowned the "2012 Compact CUV of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), saw sales gains of 16 percent.  Hyundai fleet sales and mix remained low at a 10 percent mix for the month and nine percent year-to-date, among the lowest in the industry.

"The good news is that as we head into the last two months of the year, our Hyundai dealers have improved availability of our three best-selling models -- Sonata, Elantra, and Santa Fe – thanks to the hard work of our U.S. manufacturing team," said John Krafcik, president and CEO. "We'll also continue to work with our dealers in areas impacted by Sandy to ensure vehicles lost to the storm are replaced as quickly as possible."

October 2012: Volvo Cars of North America

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:57:21 +0000

Volvo Announces October Sales

ROCKLEIGH, N.J. (Nov. 1, 2012) - Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, (VCNA) reported U.S. sales of 4,200 units, a 14.3 percent decrease from October 2011. Year-to-date sales are down 2.2 percent over the first ten months of 2011.

The top seller for the month was the XC60 crossover with 1,562 units sold, an 82.1 percent increase from October 2011.

New Volvo buyers benefit from Volvo's Safe + Secure Coverage Plan. A complimentary program, Safe + Secure wraps a comprehensive list of benefits into one package. Specifically, it provides:

5 years/50,000 miles of New Car Warranty
5 years/50,000 miles of Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance
5 years/50,000 miles of Wear and Tear Coverage
5 years/Unlimited miles of Volvo On Call Roadside Assistance.

October 2012: Toyota Motor Sales

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:35:10 +0000

Toyota Motor Sales Reports Increase In October Sales

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 1, 2012 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported October 2012 sales results of 155,242 units, an increase of 15.8 percent compared to the same period last year on both a daily selling rate (DSR) and a raw volume basis.

The Toyota Division posted October total sales of 135,392 units, an increase of 16.8 percent on a DSR basis from October 2011. The Lexus Division reported total sales of 19,850 units, up 9.7 percent.

“Our main focus is on those dealing with the after effects of Hurricane Sandy and supporting the recovery efforts,” said Bob Carter, Toyota senior vice president of automotive operations. “Despite the impact of Sandy, October was a solid month for Toyota and the industry, and we look for the market to remain strong in the months ahead.”

Toyota has announced a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross and other nonprofit organizations to support relief efforts and is taking steps to assist owners affected by the hurricane. Beginning today, Toyota Financial Services (TFS) and Lexus Financial Services will launch a “Customer Outreach” campaign to lease and retail customers who may need to take advantage of payment relief options, including extensions and lease deferred payments, redirecting billing statements, and arranging phone or on-line payments.

In addition, the company will announce a 90-day Deferred First Payment Program designed to assist consumers in the most impacted states with their transportation needs as they work through the recovery process.

Toyota Division
Toyota Division passenger cars recorded combined monthly sales of 77,520 units, up 24.0 percent from October 2011. Car sales were led by Camry and Camry Hybrid with combined sales of 29,926 units. Corolla recorded October sales of 20,949. The Prius family of vehicles posted October sales of 16,774 units.

Toyota Division light trucks recorded October sales of 57,872 units, an increase of 8.3 percent compared to the same month last year. Truck sales were led by the Tacoma mid-size pickup truck and RAV4 compact SUV with monthly sales of 12,191 and 10,936, respectively. Highlander and Highlander Hybrid reported combined monthly sales of 8,909 units, and the Tundra full-size pickup reported sales of 8,086 units.

Scion posted October sales of 5,887 units, up 49 percent over October 2011 largely due to strong sales of the recently introduced FR-S sports car, which posted sales of 1,107 units.

Lexus Division
Lexus reported passenger car sales of 11,647 units, up 15.2 percent from October 2011. The ES 350 entry luxury sedan and the first-ever ES Hybrid led Lexus passenger car sales with combined sales of 5,971 units. The GS mid-size luxury sedan posted sales of 1,521, up 471.8 percent.

Lexus luxury utility vehicles recorded sales of 8,203 units, up 2.8 percent over October 2011. Sales were led by the RX and RX Hybrid luxury utility vehicle, which posted combined October sales of 6,928 units.

TMS Hybrids
TMS posted October hybrid vehicle sales of 24,065, an increase of 69.7 percent compared to the same period last year. Toyota Division posted October sales of 20,273 hybrids, while Lexus Division reported sales of 3,792 hybrids for the month.

October 2012: Subaru of America

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:09:30 +0000

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. today reported 26,119 sales for the month of October, a 30 percent increase over October 2011. The company also announced record breaking annual sales of 271,582 – a 26 percent increase over 2011. This represents a historic high for Subaru of America. Subaru sales for 2012 have surpassed the previous sales record of 266,989 vehicles set just last year. This marks the company's fifth year of sales growth and fourth successive sales record.

Year-to-date sales for Impreza have increased 165 percent over 2011. Year-to-date sales for newly-refreshed Outback and Legacy models have increased 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

"Subaru is celebrating a year of records; we couldn't be more thrilled with our results," said Thomas J. Doll, executive vice president and COO, Subaru of America, Inc. "The year isn't over yet and we expect XV Crosstrek sales will help drive even greater momentum throughout the remainder of the year."

"With strong product and a strong retail network, we are poised to exceed sales of 320,000 vehicles this year," said Bill Cyphers, senior vice president of sales, Subaru of America, Inc.

October 2012: Mercedes-Benz USA

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:01:08 +0000

MONTVALE, N.J., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported record October sales of 23,978 for its Mercedes-Benz models, up 5.9%, delivering a record year-to-date total of 215,596 new vehicles to customers, up 11.9%.

Combined sales of Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles, smart and Sprinter for the month totaled a record for MBUSA overall with sales of 26,642, up 9.0%, bringing the year-to-date total to 240,973 up 15.8%.

"Despite the challenges of a storm of this magnitude and the incredible hardship in the Northeast, our strongest market, we managed to achieve another record month," said Steve Cannon, president and CEO, MBUSA. "We're still optimistic about ending this year with the highest sales in our history."

Mercedes-Benz sales for the month of October were led by the C-, E- and GLK-Class model lines. The sporty C-Class – the gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand on the car side for younger and first-time Mercedes-Benz buyers – took the lead with sales of 7,636, up 7.8%. The 9th generation E-Class followed with sales of 5,265 and MBUSA's restyled compact SUV, the GLK-Class, rounded out the top three with sales of 2,943 up 18.0%. Additionally, the sporty SLK roadster sold 435 vehicles for the month, up 105.2%.

At the high end, the all-new iconic sixth generation 2013 SL roadster – which debuted in showrooms this past spring -- posted sales of 574 yielding an increase of 567.4% and the 28 SLS AMG supercars sold this month made for a 115.4% increase over the same period last year.

On a year-to-date basis, top performers were the C-Class with 65,376, the E-Class with 50,061 and the M-Class with 29,966.

Sales of the high-performance AMG models were up 35.5% for the year at 5,512 compared to the 4,069 vehicles sold over the same time last year.

Sales of the company's BlueTEC diesel models were up 14.2% for the year at 12,142 compared to the 10,630 diesels sold over the same period last year.

The company's smart brand continued twelve consecutive months of sales increases. October sales of 998, were a 205.2% increase over October 2011 (327), bringing the year-to-date volume to 8,309, up 443.8% when compared to the 1,528 vehicles sold by MBUSA last year. When compared to the combined Penske and MBUSA sales year-to-date last year (4,084), sales are up 103.5%.

On the van side, Sprinter had a strong month with 1,666 vehicles sold in October, up 12.2% over last year and up 22.5% on a year-to-date basis.

Separately, through the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned (MBCPO) program, MBUSA sold 6,732 vehicles in October; an increase of 20.8% when compared to October 2011 (sales of 5,571 vehicles). On a year-to-date basis, MBCPO sold 66,318 vehicles, an increase of 5.4% over the comparable period (with sales of 62,929 vehicles).

October 2012: Mazda North American Operations

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:47:31 +0000

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported October U.S. sales of 18,622 vehicles, representing an increase of 1.6 percent versus last year. Year-to-date sales through October are up 8.8 percent (8.4 percent DSR) versus last year, with 228,104 vehicles sold.

Key October sales notes:

Mazda2 celebrated its best-ever October, up 18 percent year-over-year with 1,124 vehicles sold.
Mazda3 also achieved its best October ever with 9,518 vehicles sold, up 34 percent year-over-year. In particular, the SKYACTIV-equipped model represented 81.5 percent of all Mazda3 vehicles sold for the month.
Sales of the all-new 2013 Mazda CX-5 remain hot as it reported 3,778 sales while continuing to be inventory driven, with only 29 days of supply available.
In the U.S., Mazda's total SKYACTIV^® TECHNOLOGY vehicle sales for October (comprised of CX-5 and certain models of Mazda3) account for 61.9 percent of the company's total sales for the month.