After December’s fairly healthy sales volume, I didn’t expect a whole lot for January, but I was pleasantly surprised that over 815,000 new vehicles were sold.  This is a big bump over January of 2010, which saw sales of only 699,000 new vehicles.

Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, and Toyota saw big increases over 2010′s January sales, while GMC, Hyundai and Nissan had smaller – but still notable – increases.  Meanwhile, Lexus and Mazda saw significant declines, which is somewhat puzzling, but hopefully just a speed bump for each company.

With 815,000 vehicles sold in January, I am predicting 12.5-13 million new vehicle sales this year.  I’m trying to be conservative, given the 11.5-million new vehicle sales for the US in 2010.  That’s an increase of 8.5% to 13%, for those of you keeping track at home.

Lots of new 2012 model year vehicles are expected to make their debuts this year, so the market could surprise me and do better than I expect, but I doubt it, based on what I’ve seen in the last 2 years.

by John Suit

Related posts:

1. February 2011 Sales and Analysis
2. Sales Figures: January, 2010
3. Sales Figures: September, 2010

Show Press Release

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s): JEEP / LIBERTY 2008 Manufacturer: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC Mfr’s Report Date: NOV 03, 2010 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 10V550000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

Potential Number of Units Affected: 16229

Summary: CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES. THE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTORS THAT CONTAIN EXCESS ADHESIVE THAT MAY ALLOW FOR WATER INTRUSION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN INTERMITTENT AND EVENTUALLY INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATION.

Consequence: A FAILING OR INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM WILL REDUCE A DRIVER¿S VISIBILITY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Notes: CHRYSLER SAFETY RECALL NO. K24. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

by John Suit

Source: NHTSA

Related posts:

1. Recall: 2009-2010 Chrysler/Dodge/Jeeps being recalled over Brake failure?
2. Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty get Premium Editions
3. Older Jeep Grand Cherokee under investigation for gas tank problem

Grand Cherokee Overland Summit

Chrysler announced this week that two of its Jeep vehicles would be getting “premium” editions, going on sale in the next month or so.  The first is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit, which packs a lot of goodies into one trim level.  The second is the Jeep Liberty Jet, which adds an upscale appearance to Jeep’s smaller, but fully capable off-roader.  Follow the jump for the details, pictures and press release.

Grand Cherokee Overland Summit Interior

Designed to fulfill the wishes of Jeep buyers looking for more luxury, the Grand Cherokee Overland Summit features real burl wood trim on the doors, steering wheel, dashboard and other places.  Berber floor mats cushion the soles of your feet, while you’re sitting on uniquely-covered heated and cooled seats which feature Nappa leather.  Outside, the GCOS features a unique front end and 20″ polished aluminum wheels, to set it apart from its more pedestrian brethren.  The GCOS will also feature adaptive cruise control, blind spot, rear cross-path and frontal collision warning systems.

Pricing for the GCOS will start at $42,495 for 4×2 models and $45,995 for 4×4 versions, not including the $780 destination charge.

Jeep Liberty Jet

The “Jet” package will be an option package on top of Sport and Limited trim levels of the 2011 Jeep Liberty, and contains mostly appearance-related upgrades.  Four colors will be available, including, “Bright Silver, Dark Charcoal, Brilliant Black and Blackberry.”  In addition to the requisite unique body work all around, the Liberty Jet gets special badging and 20″ polished aluminum wheels.

Inside, the Liberty Jet gets a 9-speaker sound system and a few other upgrades and options.  Mostly though, it’s an outside appearance package, albeit one consumers apparently asked for.  The Jet package will retail for $1,499 on top of Sport models and $995 on top of Limited models.

From Chrysler’s press release, they say consumers asked for the trim levels, so it’ll be interesting to see how many Grand Cherokee and Liberty vehicles roll off the assembly line with these option packages added on.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit Edition

Jeep Liberty Jet Edition

Show Press Release

by John Suit

Source: Chrysler

Related posts:

1. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee tackles the Rubicon
2. Rebuilding a Legend: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
3. Older Jeep Grand Cherokee under investigation for gas tank problem

I’ve listed the following ten vehicles in alphabetical order by manufacturer.  Let me know what you think in the Forums! (INSERT LINK TO FORUM TOPIC HERE)

Buick Regal

The Buick Regal brings back a tarnished nameplate for the semi-luxury GM brand, using the German engineering of GM’s Opel subsidiary.  By designing the Opel to be more modular, including swapping headlights, taillights and badges, the Regal is a good example of badge engineering, a strategy that hasn’t worked out well for it, Chrysler or Ford.  That’s not to say it’s a bad move for General Motors, since it injects some distinctly European flair into the traditionally stodgy domestic brand.  With rave reviews, the new Regal is off to a good sales start, and works well as Buick’s entry-level car.  For the 2011 model year, Buick will only be offering the CXL trim, with base and Turbo models, starting at $26,995 and $29,495, respectively.  For 2012, the lineup will grow to three trim levels, and production will move from Europe to Canada.  It’s a game-changer for Buick, which needs to bring its average buyer age down a good ways to stay in business.

Cadillac CTS Coupe / Wagon (plus V variants)

For Cadillac to really be the “New Standard of the World,” as their advertising would suggest, they need to compete head-to-head with the likes of BMW and Mercedes.  Taking the CTS sedan’s solid structure and sales and adding coupe and wagon variants goes a long way towards accomplishing this goal.  Expanding the CTS lineup is Cadillac’s first shot across BMW’s bow, and with all three body types containing the amenities and style BMW buyers are looking for, it should hit its mark.  By offering performance-oriented V models, Cadillac is banking on the success of its CTS-V sedan to steal buyers of BMW’s M3 and Mercedes’ C63 AMG.

Chevrolet Volt (also notable: Chevrolet Cruze)

Finally, a mass-market electric car is coming to market.  While it may not be electric-only, the range-extending gas engine should dispel range anxiety – the fear of running out of juice before returning to a charging station.  With government subsidies, the Volt will be starting at around $33,000, but plan on spending another $2,000 or so to charge your Volt in less than 10 hours.  The Volt is competing directly with the Nissan Leaf in the media, even though the Leaf is electric-only.  By sharing its underpinnings with Chevrolet’s upcoming Cruze, GM could design the powertrain and other components separately, which saves the beleaguered automaker untold millions in development money.  It also allowed the General to up its game in the small car segment, where the existing Cobalt has been a non-starter.

Ford Fiesta (also notable: Mazda Mazda2)

With the success of BMW’s Mini and the price of gas, some Americans have started to embrace the truly small car.  The only hurdle left is convincing buyers who have a hard time putting $20,000 into a small car when for a few thousand dollars more, you can get a much larger one.  The trick Ford is using is its SYNC infotainment system and high quality materials, fit and finish, as well as other amenities normally found in larger cars, such as heated leather seats.  The Fiesta also re-starts Ford’s global car initiative, which stalled when redesigns of its Focus weren’t brought to the US from Europe, where the Focus is a much more popular car.  Furthermore, even though Ford sold its controlling interest in Mazda, the two companies are still working together, including the platform that both the Fiesta and Mazda’s Mazda2 ride on.  The Mazda2 promises to be a more fun to drive car, even while the Mazda is cheaper and has less options available.

Hyundai Sonata

After the initial success of the Genesis sedan and coupe, Hyundai is continuing its roll by revamping the  Sonata mid-sized sedan.  Already on sale, the Korean automaker has already moved a significant amount of metal, and for good reasons.  Better-equipped, better materials, and three models to suit a bevy of tastes means the Sonata is really earning its place as Hyundai’s bread and butter car.  Initially, only one model is available, in several trim levels, staring at around $20,000, but soon we’ll see the Hybrid and Turbo models debuting.  Offering class-leading fuel economy, the Sonata is Hyundai’s first attack at upcoming CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements.

Jaguar XJ

Jaguar’s styling seemingly hasn’t changed in decades, but the XF sedan which debuted in 2008 started a design revolution for the English brand.  The XJ continues that, and brings Jaguar into the 21st century style-wise.  The new XJ also brings Jaguar’s electronics up to speed, to compete with Audi, BMW and Mercedes.  As long as the trick electronics hold up, Jaguar could have a hit on its hands, bringing the automaker back into the limelight of luxury cars.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

As I’ve written before, Jeep is rebuilding a legend with the 2011 Grand Cherokee SUV.  With a less truck-like look, ride and feel, but with all the gadgets buyers expect, the Grand Cherokee looks like a winner.  Jeep may lose some of its more rugged buyers, but it still offers the Wrangler to those buyers.  The new Grand Cherokee rides on the last-gen Mercedes ML chassis, which is why it rides better, but its new platform also brings with it a much-improved off-road setup, so it’s a win-win for Jeep.  Chrysler also gets to use this opportunity to refresh its Durango, a less-expensive and more sport-oriented alternative to the Grand Cherokee.

Nissan Leaf

For years, Nissan has been more a niche player than a mass-market manufacturer.  With sales that lag behind that of Honda and Toyota, it has best competed with Mazda.  Both automakers offer fun-to-drive vehicles that sell in smaller numbers, save the Mazda3.  Nissan’s hybrid offerings have also fell behind that of Ford, Honda and Toyota, so it needed something unique to offer in the fuel economy wars.  Enter the Leaf, a small plug-in electric car.  With a range of 100 miles, the Leaf will work for a lot of commuters whose drives don’t include a lot of highway miles.  The downside?  Range anxiety.  As the distance-to-empty meter gets closer to zero, drivers will be looking long and hard for a charging station.  Major markets like LA, D.C. and New York will be building the charging stations, but most owners will be using in-home chargers, which will cost around $2,000.  Reportedly, Nissan will be building the cost of the charger into the cost of purchase or lease, which is a smart move, and the rumor mill also says week-long loaner cars, with regular gasoline engines, will be available.  It’s tough to say how well the Leaf will do, but I expect it to sell decently in the 150 or so markets it will be available, as long as the advertised range stays true when in the hands of consumers.

Scion tC

Toyota’s youth-oriented brand was originally designed to have single-generation vehicles replaced in 4-5 year increments.  With steady sales of its tC model, Toyota executives commissioned a second generation, which ups the tC’s game with fresh design inside and out, as well as the speaker system from the Lexus LX470, a seriously bold move, and one which is bound to sway a fair number of younger buyers who are also audiophiles.

Volvo S60

Long believed to be more into safety than driving dynamics, Volvo needs less boring vehicles.  Enter the 2011 S60 mid-sized sedan, which Volvo has been advertising as being “naughty.”  Completely redesigned, the Volvo offers buyers the safety they’ve come to like, with proper handling and ride to go with it.

by John Suit

Information / Image Sources: Chrysler, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mazda, Nissan, Volvo

Related posts:

1. February 2011 Sales and Analysis
2. Wrap-up: 2009 L.A. Auto Show
3. Redesigned: 2011 Ford Edge

Show Press Release

by John Suit

Source: Chrysler

Related posts:

1. Rebuilding a Legend: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
2. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee tackles the Rubicon
3. Jeep announces 2011 Wrangler

With the newer Mercedes DNA baked into the 2011 Grand Cherokee, some nice things happen.  First, ride quality is improved.  Second, the 4×4 system is improved, with plenty of user-controllable settings for surfaces like snow and sand.  Third, look and feel.  While the exterior is evolutionary, the interior is revolutionary, with features to help the Grand Cherokee compete far better than its predecessor.  Things like dynamic vehicle control and high-tech goodies like Bluetooth audio.  Both fit and finish on the interior and exterior are greatly improved as well.  All of this put together means trouble for the Grand Cherokee’s competitors, who for years have had nicer interiors and more creature comforts while the Grand Cherokee rested on its laurels.

by John Suit

Source: Chrysler

Related posts:

1. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee tackles the Rubicon
2. Older Jeep Grand Cherokee under investigation for gas tank problem
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty get Premium Editions