Today's News
Today's News - February 1, 2012
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**KBB in the News**
Chrysler U.S. sales rise 44% on Jeep, sedan
Chrysler, Nissan exceed January sales estimates, Ford misses
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/53421211-79/sales-percent-analysts-average.html.csp
Auction Genius taps KBB for values
http://www.autoremarketing.com/technology/auction-genius-taps-kbb-values
Matthew Broderick reprises his role as Ferris Bueller for Super Bowl day in the new CR-V commercial
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/01/31/prweb9156505.DTL
**KBB Expert Analysis**
Chrysler Must Produce New, Exciting Products to Maintain Solid Footing
- Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst of automotive insights, Kelley Blue Book
Chrysler posted a net income of $225 million for the fourth quarter of 2011, which is a remarkable improvement from the $199 million loss posted in the fourth quarter of 2010. For all of 2011, Chrysler reported $183 million in net income compared to a $652 million loss in 2010. This truly marks the re-emergence of Chrysler as a legitimate contender in a very competitive market. Chrysler improved sales in the U.S. by 28 percent in 2011, significantly outpacing the 10 percent improvement in overall industry sales. The Jeep brand was a big winner for Chrysler both domestically and globally, while the 200, Durango and Ram Pickup also heavily contributed to Chrysler’s turnaround. Chrysler can attribute their strong performance in 2011 to the strong redesigns and introductions that have arrived under the stewardship of Fiat, something that was sorely lacking while Cerberus was in control of the company. Under the direction of Cerberus, the company primarily focused on cost cutting, and as a result, new product introductions were practically non-existent. This led Chrysler to lose traction as the rest of the industry forged ahead through the financial turmoil that began in 2008, culminating into Chrysler’s bankruptcy and the introduction of Fiat to lead the company into the future.
After a strong 2011, we can see that Chrysler’s future looks bright. In fact, Chrysler already posted very strong numbers for January 2012, reporting a 44 percent year-over-year increase in sales; their twenty-second consecutive monthly improvement. Although Chrysler has been consistently posting sales gains of 20 percent or more during the past several months, we believe that their momentum will likely slow after March 2012. Sales of the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Durango, key contributors to the brands sales growth, didn’t begin to accelerate until March 2011, making year-over-year comparisons look strong for the brand. Chrysler’s sales growth should begin to settle in the next few months, but we could see a surge later in the year once the Dodge Dart begins to hit showrooms. Chrysler has not had a competitive offering in the compact segment since the Dodge Neon and with the expectation for continued strong sales growth for the segment, the Dodge Dart can’t arrive soon enough. Chrysler appears to be on solid footing for the time being, but they will have to continue to introduce new and exciting products in the years ahead to remain above water in today’s ultra-competitive sales environment.
**Top News**
Chrysler posts $225M in Q4 net income, finishes 2011 with a profit
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120201/OEM/120209997/1424
Chrysler earns first annual profit in more than a decade
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-chrysler-profit-0120131,0,7414901.story
Chrysler: From bankruptcy to profit in 2 years
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/01/news/companies/chrysler_earnings/index.htm
GM sales down 6 percent; Chrysler jumps 44 percent, Ford 7 percent
Chrysler, VW post sales gains of 44 percent or more
Fiat forecasts profit surge this year on strength of Chrysler auto demand
Honda earnings drop 41 percent on Thai floods
Floods deliver a 3rd quarter setback for Honda
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/02/floods-deliver-a-3rd-quarter-setback-for-honda/
**OEM/Vehicle News**
Volt sales fall in January
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120201/AUTO01/202010410/1148/auto01/Volt-sales-fall-January
VW to hike Passat output in Tenn., add 200 jobs
Honda to invest $98 million at its Ohio plant
Hyundai reveals details of its hybrid lifetime battery guarantee
Next Volkswagen infotainment system to use capacitive touchscreens, proximity sensors
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/01/next-volkswagen-infotainment-system-to-use-capacitive-touchscree/
GM debuts green label on Chevrolets, first with 2012 Sonics
Tesla teaser reveals Model X
http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/02/tesla-teaser-reveals-model-x/
2013 Audi RS4 Avant headed to Geneva
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/01/2013-audi-rs4-avant-headed-to-geneva/
Ford showing new B-Max mini-minivan for Europe
**Dealer/Industry News**
AutoTrader execs to share how transparency can boost consideration for dealers
U.S. lawmakers, unions press Obama on China auto parts
Obama praises U.S. automakers at DC auto show
**Ad/Media/Marketing News**
See the spot: VW’s much-anticipated Beetle ad is one for the dogs
Lexus joins traffic jam of companies releasing ads before Super Bowl
Toyota has ‘Camry effect’ on Super Bowl
Leno, Seinfeld want Acura’s NSX
Cars to star in many Super Bowl ads
http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/story/2012-01-31/super-bowl-car-ads/52908314/1
Super Bowl game plan: The right keywords
Mercedes-Benz names veteran Glaser to U.S. marketing post
http://www.autonews.com/article/20120201/OEM02/120209992/1286
Twitter to roll out more brand pages for paying advertisers that have committed $25k
http://adage.com/article/digital/twitter-roll-brand-pages-paying-advertisers/232381/
LinkedIn revenue boosted by stronger ad programs
How to monetize mobile traffic
http://mobilemarketer.gravitymail.com/cp/359238Cf3a6f97926b2b0f07764f8a9ee0928ba
***Want even more news from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com? Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook
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