Good to see a demand for US cars.
Since its launch in May, the 2006 Dodge Charger has attracted a younger buyer to Dodge and is selling for a higher price than other premium mid-sized vehicles.
But more Chargers are sold with rebates than is typical in the premium mid-sized car segment. And it's taking dealers longer to sell the Charger than its platform-mate, the Chrysler 300, according to data from the Power Information Network.
Power data show that in its seventh month on sale, the Charger averaged 36 days on dealership lots before selling. The 300 averaged 16 days in its seventh month in the market.
The car held 3.7 percent of the premium mid-sized car segment, Libby says. Vehicles in the segment include the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Impala and Nissan Altima.
Through November, Dodge sold 37,667 Chargers. November sales were 6,827 units. Chrysler has produced 69,328 Chargers this year.
By comparison, Chrysler built 68,616 units of the 300 in its first seven months, from January through July of 2004. After the 300 went on sale in April 2004, Chrysler reported 82,721 sales during the next seven months, although that included some sales of the predecessor vehicle, the 300M.
Power data show:
>> In November, 88 percent of Charger sales included a customer cash rebate, compared with 52 percent for the segment. But the Charger rebate averaged $1,104 a unit in November - below the segment average of $1,487.
>> In November, the Charger's average transaction price, less customer cash rebate, averaged $29,366. That compares with a segment average of $23,550.
>> The Charger is capturing a younger buyer than the segment average. In November, Charger buyers averaged 40 years of age, compared with 44 years for the segment.
Ford Fusion is doing good too!
Dealers have one major complaint about the 2006 Ford Fusion: They can't get enough of them.
The new mid-sized sedan has posted stronger-than-targeted sales since it arrived in dealerships in late September, Ford Motor Co. says. But shipments to dealers still are below expectations because of supply disruptions at Ford's Hermosillo, Mexico, plant.
Ford assembles the Fusion and its Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr siblings at Hermosillo.
Collins & Aikman, a large interior trim supplier going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring, has been a major contributor to the slowdown at Hermosillo, Ford officials have acknowledged. The most prominent stoppage occurred in early October, when an undisclosed number of production days were lost.
But there have been no major disruptions of late, said Tony Brown, Ford senior vice president of global purchasing.
Collins & Aikman has experienced difficulties ramping up to full production in Hermosillo, acknowledged David Youngman, a spokesman for the supplier. But "we have made the Fusion, Zephyr, Milan launch our top priority and are working with support from the customer to fulfill all of our obligations."
Ford so far has produced just more than 52,000 Fusions, Milans and Zephyrs, Ford spokesman Paul Wood said. About 50,000 have been released, he said. Ford has sold 15,481 through November.
Ford is still short of its target to have produced around 55,000 vehicles by now. But the company is closing the gap, officials said. Hermosillo is now producing around 900 vehicles a day. Weekly production has exceeded the weekly target by an average of about 400 vehicles for each of the last several weeks, Wood said.
Dealers will welcome that additional volume.
Many dealers say the Fusion is garnering a level of attention not seen by Ford cars, other than the Mustang, in years.
"I am not getting enough of them right now, but as a dealer that's not bad," said Jerry Reynolds. of Prestige Ford in Garland, Texas, in an e-mail. "They are bringing a premium, and we have a waiting list for incoming vehicles."
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
