CHICAGO, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Analysts at
Cars.com, the premier online resource for buying and selling new
and used vehicles, are predicting a significant increase in sales
for the newly redesigned 2013 Nissan Altima, which could make the
Altima the best-selling sedan in the U.S. Based on an analysis
of marketplace trends, historical sales data and the competitive
landscape, Cars.com predicts a 39 percent jump in Altima sales
year-over-year.
"Overall, with the improving economy, we expect 2012 new car
sales to jump roughly 15 percent over 2011," said Kelsey Mays, Cars.com Automotive
Analyst. "Taking the redesign of the Altima into account, we'd
expect the 2013 Altima to outsell its 2012 predecessor by 39
percent by year's end, 24 percentage points above our expected
market growth."
According to Mays, this is good and bad news for
Nissan. "Our research of the last five years of sales shows
that the average redesign of top-selling cars results in a 30
percent increase in sales above market growth, so at 24 percent the
Altima would underperform the market average," said
Mays. "This isn't a particularly radical redesign and
competition in the family sedan category will be incredibly fierce
this fall. That said, this new Altima will be a boon for
Nissan dealers and should bring a lot of new shoppers into
showrooms."
Mays also believes the Altima has an opportunity to take the
title as the best-selling sedan in the U.S., a spot held by the
Toyota Camry for 10 years*. "Last year Nissan sold 268,981*
Altimas, while Toyota moved 308,510* Camrys. But, through March,
Nissan had closed the gap for 2012 to fewer than 10,000. Even
though the Camry was redesigned for 2012, a mixture of marketing
push and momentum for the Altima could lift it above the
Camry."
Car shoppers may also see deals on both cars toward the end of
the year, predicts Mays. "If the two sedans end up in a tight
sales race, you should expect to see good offers from Nissan and
Toyota dealers as the two battle it out for the 'Best Selling Car'
title."
The 2013 Nissan Altima goes on sale in July with a starting MRSP
of $21,500.
*source: manufacturers
ABOUT CARS.COM
Founded in 1998, Cars.com is an award-winning online
destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers
and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where
to buy and how much to pay for a car. Cars.com is a division of
Classified Ventures LLC, which is owned by leading media companies,
including A.H. Belo (NYSE: AHC),
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI),
Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).
SOURCE Cars.com