Suzuki

Suzuki As Independent As Ever, VW Discovering

By Peter Nunn October 13, 2011

When the mighty Volkswagen Group acquired 19.9 percent of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp. in late 2009, it looked like the start of a well-conceived, entirely complimentary auto-industry tie-up: Suzuki, barely known in many regions yet an expert in developing inexpensive subcompact cars, would help VW penetrate third-world markets, particularly India, where Suzuki has a dominant position. Volkswagen could learn about how to make cars more inexpensively and leverage some of Suzuki’s existing low-cost production bases. And VW’s strong presence in China could help Suzuki gain a foothold in that fast-developing market, while VW shared its technology with the smaller more

December Provides Industry-Stirring Finish to 2010

By Michelle Krebs January 5, 2011

By Dale Buss, Michelle Krebs, and Bill Visnic Last month showed up for automakers like a luxury sedan wrapped in a huge red bow in one of the many holiday-sales promotions that have dominated TV advertising for weeks. In fact, propelled by seasonal promotions and by the momentum of an increasingly sturdy industry recovery, U.S. automakers sold about 2.2 million vehicles in December, for a 12.48 million Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of sales, the highest rate for any month of the year. In fact, except for the Cash for Clunker-juiced August 2009, it was the highest monthly SAAR since more

Industry Sees 2010 as Prelude to Even Better 2011

By Michelle Krebs January 4, 2011

By Dale Buss, Michelle Krebs and Bill Visnic Don't look now, but U.S. automakers may be counting on a stronger-than-expected finish to 2010 to launch a stronger-than-hoped-for beginning to the new year. Industry-wide U.S. sales reached about 11.5 million units, automakers reported on Tuesday, up 11 percent from 2009 sales of about 10.4 million units. That final tally was about what auto executives were predicting throughout 2010. But their confidence grew during a particularly robust fourth quarter, when the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of sales (SAAR) actually exceeded 12 million units in each month. This means that the American more

November Sales Uptick Feeds Industry Expectations

By AutoObserver Staff December 1, 2010

Holiday spirits are bright across most of the U.S. auto industry this week after carmakers posted November sales about 18 percent higher than a year earlier, and at a strengthening seasonally adjusted annual rate sales pace of about 12.2 million units for the second consecutive month. more

Major Makers Report Encouraging Sales for October

By AutoObserver Staff November 3, 2010

Traditionally, October is a relatively uneventful month in the U.S. automotive calendar, stuck between the new-model excitement of September and retailers' typical end-of-the-year push for sales. That's why major American automakers were just fine with industry-wide October sales of 949,644 units. Though they were about flat with September's sales, October results improved by 14 percent over October 2009 sales of 763,050 units, representing yet another increment of year-over-year improvement in a market that now is sustaining a modest but firm recovery. October sales, always the third lowest month for unit sales, clocked at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) more

New Models Drive Luxury Sales in October; Momentum Continues for Others

By Michelle Krebs November 2, 2010

 October sales reports began rolling in Tuesday and, as predicted, the rate of sales could be the highest of the year.  The Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) of sales is forecasted by Edmunds.com to be close to 12 million units. "However," cautioned Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com's director of industry analysis, "the actual sales volume will be low. October probably will be the third lowest month for actual unit sales, behind January and February." And that's typical. Edmunds.com's analysis of sales trends from 2002 through 2009 shows October traditionally is the third worst month of the year; January is the worst, November more

August Sales Portray an Auto Industry Going 'Sideways'

By AutoObserver Staff September 1, 2010

U.S. auto sales have entered a period where treading water is the best the industry can hope for as American consumers deal with sobering economic realities and grim expectations. August sales results underscored that trend, coming in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 11.5 million units, solidly within the narrow range of the last few months - and consistent with previous expectations for the rest of the year and 2010 as a whole. more

Higher July Auto Sales Leave Industry in Strange Territory

By AutoObserver Staff August 4, 2010

By Dale Buss, Michelle Krebs and Marti Benedetti The U.S. auto market has entered something of a twilight zone with the release of July's numbers, which showed an overall sales increase of about 5 percent compared with July 2009. "Dealers told us that they saw buying customers, not tire-kickers," said Albert "Al" Castignetti, vice president and general manager of the Nissan Division of Nissan USA, which saw a 15-percent gain for July. "They needed a car, and they were credit-worthy. So why strange? more

Weakness in June Auto Sales Stokes Fears of Slowing Recovery

By Michelle Krebs July 2, 2010

  Auto executives across the country were trying to avoid saying so on Thursday, but clearly there is new fear afoot in the industry that the happy "moderate" recovery in the American market may be deteriorating into something much less cheery - like a potential second-half stagnation or even slide. U.S. auto sales in June totaled about 983,000 units, a 15-percent increase over June 2009 sales. That translated into a Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate( SAAR) of sales of just 11.1 million light vehicles, ahead of June 2009's lowly 10.6 million. more