Black Friday was good for the industry, and particularly so for Toyota’s Lexus luxury-vehicle arm, which posted a record November in the U.S.
Overall, Toyota Group U.S. sales hit 183,346 units in the month, a 7.1% gain on year-ago based on daily rates, with one less selling day (25) this year than last.
That performance was reflective of the industry overall, which Toyota officials believe gained more than 4% in volume to about 1.3 million, marking the best result for November in 13 years. The tally should equal a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 17.3 million units, the automaker says, making the month the second this year to break the 17 million barrier.
“Some retailers have been reporting declines (in Black Friday sales), but that wasn’t the case in auto industry, which was up better than expected,” notes Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager-Toyota Div.
He says light trucks and utility vehicles were the biggest factors in the industry’s jump, and that was true for Toyota as well. The Toyota RAV4 and Highlander both set November records, and the Lexus RX and GX lines also posted solid gains.
Overall, the Toyota brand saw sales reach 151,967 units in November, up 7.2% on a daily basis, according to WardsAuto data. Corolla posted strong results, up 18.7% to 25,609 units for its best November in eight years.
Despite a redesign, Camry sales were off 1.3% to 28,846, though Fay says demand for the new XSE model was strong, with the XSE and SE trim levels accounting for more than half of all the sedan’s deliveries in the month.
Lexus sales rose 11.6% daily to 27,472 units, with officials citing the new RC coupe for driving traffic to the showroom last month. Sales of the car reached 880, a number that exceeded expectations, says Steve Hearne, vice president-sales and dealer development for Lexus.
There was no change in Scion’s fortunes during the month, with deliveries off 18.2% to just 3,907 vehicles. The xB model was the sole bright spot, up 11.2%.
Executives expect a strong finish to 2014 this month, driven in part by year-end spiffs and the traditional seasonal boom in luxury-vehicle demand.
“Everything appears in place for a good, strong close,” Fay says.
