Wednesday 6 January 2016

Lexus USA December 2015 sales report - How many units did Lexus shift in their biggest market?

The shocking truth: Sales of RX dropped compared to 2014!

I've always wondered how many units of each model Lexus sells in its biggest market, the USA. These figure are important because the North American market, with its unique tastes and preferences where vehicles are concerned, could determine the future direction of Lexus models. Lexus has a history of listening closely to its customers' feedback; what American buyers say therefore counts a lot.




Anyhow, these are the sales figures Lexus has recorded for the month of December 2015 and the whole of 2015:



For 2015, Lexus sold 344,601 units in its biggest market, North America. 

Best-sellers, worst-sellers and all in between: Our Analysis of the numbers

Best
The star seller was of course, the Lexus NX which showed a 1390 per cent increase over 2014 (it was launched only in October 2014, so yeah, the bulk of the sales would be expected to chalk up in 2015). 

Worst
Least competitive was the Lexus CT 200h. Compared to 2014, sales in 2015 dropped by 17.3 per cent. The CT 200h has been getting on a bit now, and with no revisions to the engine or interior, it's hard for the smallest hybrid in the entire Lexus range to hold its own against the competition. In a year's time, we can expect to see an all-new Lexus CT 200h, so that'll move the game forwards.

And all in between
First, let's look at the most interesting model to be launched last year. Of course, I'm referring to the all-new Lexus RX. Lexus sold 100,610 units in 2015, down 6.7 per cent compared to the previous year. How?? I guess because of the timing; the all-new Lexus RX appeared in showrooms in May 2015, quite late in the year - almost half the year gone. It hasn't had time to play catch-up yet. I'm sure in 2016, these figures will paint a very different picture. But we'll look into the sales of the RX from the eyes of Forbes in the next article.

Lexus's only coupe in the range, the RC chalked up a very respectable 14,784 units in 2015. Compared to the previous year, this marks a 666.7 per cent increase. I'd love to see as many units of the RC sold in Malaysia.

Hallmark models, the LS and and ES, didn't fare as well in 2015. Between them, sales fell 16.6 and 10.7 per cent respectively. The LS, I can sort of understand; this flagship although heavily refreshed in 2013, is beginning to look outdated since its initial launch in 2006. Mercedes S-Class and the all-new BMW 7 Series have reclaimed their positions at the top of the tier, showcasing new technology and sadly the Lexus LS is left far behind. We can expect an all-new Lexus LS in 2017.

For the life of me, I can't fathom why sales of the Lexus ES dropped last year. It received an alluring facelift, and more than 500 modifications last year. In Malaysia at least, this is the bread and butter model and sells by the bucketloads. Perhaps - and this is just speculation - Americans prefer their cars with huge engines (Asians and Europeans, the opposite) and the ES just doesn't come specified with even a V6. Maybe that's why it's losing appeal...

Overall, though, 2015 was a great year for Lexus. With 344,601 units sold, only 1,422 units separate Lexus from the biggest seller in North America, BMW (344,023 units), with Mercedes trailing Lexus by 1,513 units to claim the third spot (343,088 units).



Lexus USA seems to be very pleased with these results. "December closed out an all-time high, best-ever year with sales we couldn't have predicted" Jeff Bracken, Group Vice President and General Manager for the Lexus Division (pictured) concluded, "Lexus SUV sales momentum and the strength of our product line up has positioned us well for 2016."

"Next week in Detroit," Jeff added, "we will debut a Lexus that opens a new chapter for an even brighter future." Which Lexus is this? You can read about that here.

Cheers!

All Lexus


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