Japan's automakers offer incentives to boost US sales

Relaxnews
Monday 04 July 2011 00:00 BST
Comments
(AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Japanese brands Honda and Toyota increased the discounting of their vehicles last month, according to the monthly analysis by US auto publication Edmunds.com.

A month after the pair slashed US "incentive spending" (discounts) in the wake of the Japanese earthquake and production shortages, both seem to be spending more in a bid to keep customers loyal - even if the cars aren't on the lots.

Edmunds.com said June 30 that Toyota increased its incentive spend by a whopping 30.5 percent in June, while Honda's rose by four percent, introducing a "Honda Promise" program which allows consumers to seal a deal on a new vehicle, even if it can't be delivered for some time.

"By kicking up their incentive spending, Toyota and Honda are sending a clear message that production levels are starting to return, even if those vehicles haven't yet hit dealer lots," said Edmund.com's Jessica Caldwell in a statement.

However, while there was good news from Japanese automakers, overall spending by automakers on discounts remained low - down nearly 20 percent compared to June 2010 at $2,165 per vehicle.

Amercian automakers spent the most, discounting $2,799 per vehicle on average, while European automakers offered $1,961 per vehicle and Japanese automakers shelled out $1,510 to consumers.

The only country's automakers which saw a decrease in the amount being spent to lure consumers in were Korean, with manufacturers cutting deals by 8.5 percent to $1,212 per vehicle.

http://www.edmunds.com

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in