Fads don’t last. But have drivers already retreated to their gas guzzlers and abandoned the thought of buying a small, fuel-efficient, four-cylinder car? One company thinks so.
J.D. Power and Associates’ Power Information Network is reporting sales numbers that suggest the shift to smaller, four-cylinder vehicles is slowing down, while customer loyalty among large truck owners is simultaneously increasing,
reports Auto Remarketing.
The
Power Information Network collects daily point-of-sale transaction data for new and used light-vehicles. The PIN network’s clients are auto manufacturers, banks, finance companies, rental car companies and others.
The Power Information Network shows the percentage of retail sales of vehicles with four-cylinder engines reached 51.2 percent in May, but has fallen to 42.8 percent in August.
Meanwhile, large-pickup loyalty has surged in the same time period. After declining each month from January to May, the segment’s loyalty climbed from 49.7 percent to 71.8 percent in the three months since May.
"Some of this improvement is due to heavy incentive activity in August, including GM’s employee pricing program," PIN executives explained. "However, given the importance of this segment to the OEMs and the fact that two major launches will occur this fall in this segment, incentives will most likely continue at robust levels at least in the near term."
