The word on the street is that the automotive sector is off to a banner year and little will hold back the automaker that has the wares available to the buyer. Well, that is of course if you had done the hard work and actually have something desirable in the first place.
While we are only one month into the year we can already see who has their work cut out for them in the 2012 premium sector.
Take a hard look at these numbers here to see what I mean.
| | Sales | % Gain |
| Mercedes-Benz | 20,306 | 23.83% |
| BMW | 16,405 | 3.14% |
| Lexus | 12,274 | -4.55% |
| Audi | 9,354 | 19.73% |
| Acura | 8,381 | 5.27% |
| Infiniti | 6,796 | -8.22% |
Mercedes holds an early lead over BMW with Lexus and an aging lineup trailing the front runners. Audi with a flurry of new vehicles overtook Infiniti in 2010, and has now surpassed Acura for a solid fourth place.
Really? Audi in fourth place? Maybe the most concerning fact is that Audi is a little over 2,500 vehicles ahead of Infiniti for the year, but is also is only a scant 2,900 vehicles behind Lexus! If it weren’t for the fact that Lexus wasn’t planning an onslaught of its own in 2012, they too could easily be in the sights of the German automaker within 2 years. A scary thought for the Japanese automaker.
But what is it going to take come out of top? Lexus clearly says they want to. But to do so would require each and every new model to be a hit. Acura might as well be wandering lost in the woods being even further behind than Lexus in bringing models to market. Infiniti? Who knows what they are thinking, nothing revolutionary here, and sometimes the new models aren’t even evolutionary.
The Japanese simply have sat on their laurels for way too long. Compound that with the recent shortages created by the natural disasters in their homeland, and they have forced many buyers into the waiting arms of the Germans. After all, if you wanted something better looking and more refined, then the Germans were the ticket. Loyalty is out, but trendy is in. The biggest question is will they still be in love when it comes to buy again?
Who will come out on top in 2012, BMW or Mercedes? Will Lexus finally turn the boat around? Can Acura find a following from someone? Will Infiniti ever get a clue and actually innovate? Can Audi keep up the magic for the third year in a row?
Give it your best shot!