Canadian vehicle companies often rely on single models for bulk of sales
Platform sharing, flexible manufacturing and brand narrowcasting allow vehicle manufacturers to target ever-narrowing consumer niches with highly differentiated product offerings, but bread-and-butter models still account for majority shares of their parent OEMs’ sales.
Despite these trends, many manufacturers – including full-line automakers such as Ford and Toyota – remain heavily invested in individual model nameplates. The F-Series and Corolla, for example, accounted for 39.4 percent and 23.9 percent (respectively) of total Ford and Toyota light vehicle sales in 2012. This, despite the fact that these brands each fielded vehicle lines numbering in the double digits.
It is important to note that this analysis contains certain data anomalies due to the way in which vehicle brands report sales. For instance, while Fiat only fields a single model at present (500), variants of that car (i.e., convertible, Abarth) are reported as separate models. This practice contrasts with those of manufacturers like BMW or Ford, which report all 3-Series and F-Series variants under single respective banners. We have chosen to adhere to each company’s preferred model breakdown.
Of special interest is the degree to which many manufacturers rely on C-size vehicles. Mazda (Mazda3 @ 54.9%), Honda (Civic @ 49.4%) and Volkswagen (Jetta @ 45.5%) derive the lion’s share of their brand volumes from single compact models. Hyundai (Elantra @37.4%), Toyota (Corolla @ 23.9%), Nissan (Rogue @ 19.3%) and Kia (Forte @ 19.1%) all possess strengths in B and D-size segments, yet all achieve disproportionate success with their C-size product. Likewise, luxury brands like Lincoln (MKX @ 61.8%), Porsche (Cayenne @ 54.2%), Lexus (RX @ 47.2%) and Cadillac (SRX @ 46.7%) are notably dependent on D-size crossovers to drive volume and profits.
DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.
www.desrosiers.ca
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