A redesigned Impala will be one of 13 new models Chevrolet promises for 2013.
Some folks might consider it doubly unlucky but Chevrolet is counting on rebuilding its momentum in the months ahead as it launches 13 new products for the ’13 model-year.
The maker certainly can use a little boost. While its sales are up since January, that pace has generally lagged the overall automotive recovery, gaining a modest 11% to date. The new model-year gained a bit of traction in September as some of the first of those new offerings began to reach showrooms, generating a nearly 14% year-over-year bump. But arch-rival Toyota gained more than 41% — meaning Chevy and General Motors, overall, still continued losing market share.
No wonder Mike Albano, chief spokesman for GM’s largest brand, declared that 2013 “is a big year for Chevrolet” during a news conference outlining the product strategy for the coming months.
We’ve already see some of those new offerings, including the all-new Spark minicar, the larger Sonic and the completely redesigned Malibu. That midsize sedan has had a two-part rollout starting with the launch of the new Eco version last Winter and now seeing more mainstream models wheel into Chevy showrooms.
There will be two “surprises,” Chevrolet officials hinted.
And that’s on top of some other product news already telegraphed to the media. GM recently scooped the spy photographers by offering its own images of a partially camouflaged version of the redesigned Chevy Silverado pickup truck. And the spies have struck back with images of the so-called C7 Corvette which also will hit the street in 2013, according to industry analysts.
Some GM insiders have downplayed this year’s market share slide. They contend that there should be no surprise Toyota and other Japanese leaders have regained market share this year. After all, that argument goes, the importers lost share in 2011 only because of product shortages caused by the March earthquake and tsunami that all but shut down the Japanese auto industry. Now, it’s a matter of catching up.
Don’t tell that to Toyota officials like Executive Vice President Bob Carter, who insists the Japanese giant has been “more than recovering lost ground” with its own product assault that includes the latest offerings in the expanding Prius “family” of hybrids.
On the other hand, both Toyota and Honda have their own problems to deal with – including a series of recent recalls that could give pause to potential buyers. (For more on Toyota’s latest recall, Click Here.) On the other hand, Toyota continues to build its brand loyalty, pushing past Chevrolet and GM, as a whole, in the latest study by Experian Automotive.
(For more on how the industry shakes out in terms of brand loyalty, Click Here.)
The good news, GM officials content, is that they are beginning to make more headway into key segments that could determine longer-term growth and customer loyalty. The Chevy Sonic, for example, was the single highest-rated vehicle in the new Experian loyalty study. And along with the Spark, it is gaining traction among young and economy car buyers.
The Chevrolet Volt, meanwhile, is a case of half-empty/half-full. It is now more than doubling sales of a year ago and outselling rival Nissan Leaf by a substantial margin. Nonetheless, Chevy is likely to fall significantly short of selling about 45,000 of the plug-in hybrids in the U.S. this year.
While gaining some momentum among young buyers, GM officials admit that the company as a whole has a coastal problem. “Even after our Olympics presence our consumer studies show we barely register with folks in California,” said a senior company advertising official asking not to be identified by name. The executive admitted disappointment with the West Coast payoff from GM’s heavy advertising during the Summer Games.
“Honestly, California is not the strongest market for Chevrolet,” echoed Crisi Landry, the brand’s passenger car marketing chief, during the Chevy news event.
Expect to see the GM brand ramp up marketing even more in the coming months as it tries to build more awareness for news models that will also include an all-new version of the big Impala sedan.
The launches of Malibu and Impala underscore the tough work Chevrolet has ahead. Both will go up against a slew of domestic and import competitors including the Ford Focus, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima in the midsize market, while the larger Impala will square off with an all-new Toyota Avalon as well as the recently launched Hyundai Azera.
So, there’s no question that 2013 will be a big year for the industry as a whole – and one that tests Chevrolet’s mettle and metal.