44 % 55% 25% 21% 79% The percentage of mobile luxury sedan. MOBILE: Luxury Sedans Pick Up Speed INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Transcription

1 July 205 MOBILE: Luxury Sedans Pick Up Speed Luxury Entry-Level Cars Lead the Way, Germans Top Brand Growth 44 % Increase in luxury car mobile shopping activity Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204 Luxury Car Segment Share of Category Growth Entry-Level cars account for more than half of the overall mobile luxury sedan shopping growth 55% 25% 2% Luxury Entry-Level Car Luxury Fullsize Car Luxury Midsize Car Brand Growth: Luxury Sedans 79% The percentage of mobile luxury sedan growth attributed to the top five growth brands (the three German luxury leaders along with Lexus and Acura) Top 5 Luxury Car Brands January-June Rank Mercedes-Benz 2 BMW 2 Audi 3 3 Lexus 4 5 Cadillac 5 4 Mercedes-Benz & Lexus Advance While all top five luxury sedan brands have experienced lifts in sedan shopping activity on mobile, it s gains by Mercedes-Benz and Lexus that have (respectively) ousted BMW from its leadership position and caused the sole domestic (Cadillac) to slip in rank. AutoTrader.com Site Behavior Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204

2 July 205 Where Luxury Entry-Level Cars Are Heating Up The majority of states have experienced at least a 44% increase in mobile luxury entry-level shopping activity compared to the same period last year. While Germans BMW and Mercedes-Benz still lead the segment nationally (with the 3 Series and C-Class, respectively), Japanese rivals Q50 and IS Models achieve two of the top three biggest mover positions. Regional Mobile Growth: Luxury Entry-Level Cars 48% Midwest 42% West 48% Northeast 45% South 55% 44%-54% <44% Top 0 Biggest Movers (national) Infiniti Q50 BMW 4 Series Lexus IS Models Audi A3 MB C-Class MB CLA-Class Lexus RC 350* BMW 3 Series Audi S3* BMW 2 Series *New entries, fall 204 Models to Watch Despite Germans making up 70% of the movers, Japanese models Q50 (which ranks #6 in the segment) and IS (#3) exceed the growth of nearly all other models. Also notable is that 4 Series growth has catapulted the model to a top 5 spot (up from #9 in the segment last year), further strengthening BMW. Biggest movers are vehicles with the largest increase in the number of Primary New Vehicle Prospects Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204

3 July 205 Luxury Entry-Level Cars: Top 0 Biggest Movers (By Region) Though they vary in order, the entry-level models achieving the largest increases in shopping activity are the same in all five regions (4 Series, A3, C-Class, IS Models, and Q50) with only one exception (CLA-Class exceeds the growth of IS Models in the Midwest). Rivals (including national leader 3 Series, which doesn t make the top five mover cut) should note these cross-country gains, particularly considering that Japanese brands (versus German segment leaders) top the list in three of the four regions, and three of these five (4 Series, A3, and Q50) have advanced overall at least five segment rank positions compared to last year. MIDWEST NORTHEAST A3 Q50 A3 4 Series 4 Series Q50 CLA-Class IS Models IS Models C-Class 3 Series CLA-Class C-Class 2 Series RC Series 2 Series RC 350 S3 S3 SOUTH WEST 4 Series Q50 4 Series IS Models IS Models A3 A3 C-Class Q50 C-Class CLA-Class RC 350 RC 350 CLA-Class 3 Series S3 Q60 3 Series S3 2 Series Biggest movers are vehicles with the largest increase in the number of Primary New Vehicle Prospects Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204

4 July 205 Where Luxury Midsize Cars Are Heating Up Luxury midsize sedan mobile shopping is up from a year ago across the country, with a slightly higher uptick in the Midwest. The segment s newest entry, TLX, is a game-changer, having leapfrogged five rank positions nationally since it came on the scene less than a year ago (the model is currently ranked just outside the top 5 at #6). Regional Mobile Growth: Luxury Midsize Cars 29% Midwest 24% West 23% Northeast 26% South 35% 24%-34% <24% Top 0 Biggest Movers (national) Acura TLX MB E-Class Audi A6 BMW 6 Series BMW 5 Series MB CLS-Class Cadillac CTS Audi A5 Volvo S60 Cadillac ELR Models to Watch TLX and E-Class by far surpass all other movers in mobile shopping activity growth, the former rising in the ranks since entry, and the latter making a recent rank move as well though CTS is the year-to-date segment leader, E-Class has overtaken the top spot for the past two months. Biggest movers are vehicles with the largest increase in the number of Primary New Vehicle Prospects Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204

5 July 205 Luxury Midsize Cars: Top 0 Biggest Movers (By Region) Out of the gate, newest entry Acura TLX is taking the country by storm, while established player E-Class demonstrates more than double the shopping activity growth of the next competitor in the South and Northeast (and substantially outpaces the growth of other established players in the Midwest and West). Also noteworthy is that CTS trails the growth of fellow national segment top five models across all regions (with the exception of the 5 and 6 Series in the Midwest), an indication of vulnerability for this longstanding top player. MIDWEST SOUTH E-Class TLX E-Class TLX A6 A6 CTS 6 Series 6 Series CLS-Class CLS-Class 5 Series 5 Series CTS A5 A5 S60 S60 ELR ELR WEST NORTHEAST E-Class TLX E-Class TLX A6 6 Series 5 Series 5 Series 6 Series A6 CLS-Class CLS-Class S60 A5 A5 S60 CTS CTS Q70/M Models ELR Biggest movers are vehicles with the largest increase in the number of Primary New Vehicle Prospects Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204

6 July 205 Where Luxury Fullsize Car Are Heating Up The luxury fullsize car segment powers ahead as mobile shopping activity increases by at least 40% in a majority of states. The fairly consistent growth across regions is fueled primarily by the established segment top five players, including substantial gains by current national segment leader S-Class. Regional Mobile Growth: Luxury Fullsize Cars 46% Midwest 46% West 49% Northeast 47% South 50% 40%-49% <40% Top 0 Biggest Movers (national) MB S-Class Maserati Ghibli Audi A7 Porsche Panamera Audi A8 Kia K900 BMW 7 Series Acura RLX Jaguar XJ Hyundai Equus Models to Watch S-Class and Ghibli significantly outpace the growth of other fullsize contenders, S-Class strengthening its longstanding lead, and Ghibli jumping from #7 in the segment in the first half of last year to #2 currently. Meanwhile, steady growth for the A7 has reinforced Audi s overall position, with the model advancing to join the A8 in the segment top five for the past three months. Biggest movers are vehicles with the largest increase in the number of Primary New Vehicle Prospects Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204

7 July 205 Luxury Fullsize Car: Top 0 Biggest Movers (By Region) With the exception of two top five growth placements for the K900 (Midwest and West), the same group of established models claims the strongest gains across all four regions (A7, A8, Ghibli, Panamera, and S-Class), which has stimulated a shift in the national segment top five (7 Series and XTS have both dropped out of the mobile top five this year). While newest segment entry K900 demonstrates more regional growth than several European rivals and nearly all other Asian models, the model remains a trail pack contender across all regions. SOUTH NORTHEAST Ghibli S-Class Ghibli S-Class A7 Panamera Panamera A7 A8 A8 K900 RLX RLX K900 XJ 7 Series Equus LS Models S80 S80 MIDWEST WEST Ghibli S-Class Ghibli S-Class K900 A8 Panamera A7 A8 K900 A7 Panamera RLX RLX XJ XJ XTS LS Models S80 XTS Biggest movers are vehicles with the largest increase in the number of Primary New Vehicle Prospects Jan-Jun 205 vs. Jan-Jun 204

8 July 205 Industry Spotlight Summary Luxury sedans experience a 44% gain in mobile shopping activity year-over-year 55% of the overall segment growth is attributed to luxury entry-level cars The top five growth brands (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus, and Acura) account for 79% of the mobile luxury sedan shopping activity gains While the German brands still lead the category overall, three of the top ten biggest mover sedans are Japanese models (Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS Models, and Acura TLX) The top growth segment (entry-level) shows the most diversity among the biggest movers regionally, with Audi, BMW, Infiniti, and Lexus represented among the top two movers across regions. The Bottom Line Luxury sedans are staking their claim in the rise in mobile shopping activity, with the category up double digits. The three German luxury giants have benefited most (notably, Mercedes-Benz has overtaken BMW for the mobile luxury sedan leadership position), but they are also open to risk as rivals flex their mobile muscles. For instance, Acura s TLX has quickly risen in the midsize ranks and Infiniti s entry-level Q50 is the #2 growth model across all luxury sedan segments. All luxury OEMs are vulnerable to shifts in attention on mobile even among lead pack contenders, models and ranks have shifted across all three segments. Given that nearly half of all luxury sedan interactions now occur on mobile, pre-empting or reacting to those shifts is critical, as they can have an immediate and significant impact on overall brand strength.