The 1970, 1980, "Japanese luxury car" was a very strange concept for Americans.
But just a decade later, the Americans had to change the look with the manufacturer from the land of cherry blossoms. Today, the most luxurious car, the most popular in the US mostly Japanese nationals.
The Japanese carmakers first set foot on American soil in their 70s, 80 when this country was in crisis and oil recession. At that time, Americans prefer small cars, cheap, fuel economy which is not the forte of the US and European producers.
Thanks to meet the needs of the market, the cars come from the land of the rising sun represented only a certain place on the largest car market in the world.
That crisis is over, the economy prospered and the stock market boom, the United States has witnessed the birth and rise of a powerful generation of ambitious young people. Tastes of their car moved from convenience and savings to the elegance and luxury.
The BMW 3 Series has become the most popular cars in the younger generation. Sales of luxury carmakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi has increased significantly since they capture the tastes of a growing part of the US afford to finance needs improving their vehicles. Rooted in the American market for a long time, the Japanese car maker is also quick to recognize the change and start focusing on this new practice group.
But they are well aware of the starting points lower from the small cars, cheap and simple his part. Therefore they were driven to create own brand new luxury cars, and set up a distribution system for them. Honda pioneered this strategy with the establishment of the Acura luxury division. Next steps such as Toyota with Lexus and Nissan with Infiniti. The US initially still very strange and somewhat ironic concept:
Japanese luxury cars. But the producers of the land of the rising sun has gradually asserted its persuasive and won a foothold in the largest automobile market in the world. Acura: Who pioneer front Acura RL 1981 marked a major turning point in the history of the Honda when it opened a branch in a new production at the Marysville Ohio, an important move in response to a change in trend direction of American car buyers.
Until now, the main customers of Honda's young people do not have a strong financial position. Consumption patterns familiar that they will buy the Civic small car first, then the more money they have to change to a larger Accord and more expensive.
However, when demand "to life vehicles" they continued development of the Honda was not able to continue to meet with more luxury cars, more expensive.
Of course they have to switch to choose the car of German luxury sports such. Very quickly, on the desk of leadership Honda has emerged the design of a full-size sedan.
The new car is expected to be greater than the Accord, size, equipped with a V-6 Toyota's first and luxury interior.
The car also has created a new dynamic style behind the wheel. Honda leaders see it as accents to hold the market.
At the same time the product development strategy, Honda also take into account the distribution strategy comes.
Honda observant foresee that it can not sell luxury cars new distribution channels that it had established at that time was responsible for the consumption of the three cars under $ 20 thousand dollars is the Civic, Accord and Prelude.
Add another step by the manufacturer in Asia, in 1986, Honda set up a separate division called the Acura luxury vehicle with the list of products and systems of distribution agents completely separated with the parent company.
Acura quickly surpassing sales of Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the US market. In its first year on the market, in 1987, sales of Acura vehicles was 109,000 units.
Among them, the Legend sedan accounted for 55,000 vehicles; remainder of the Integra. In 1990, Acura vehicles sold 130,000 vehicles (including 54,000 units Legend) while Mercedes sold 78,000 vehicles, BMW and Lexus sold 64,000 vehicles per firm.
Despite a good start, but Acura also encounter obstacles when two fellow Toyota and Infiniti quickly launched the brand new luxury car, awaken the German car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz especially with style New designs and attractive prices.
At the same time, Acura seems to encounter a crisis of identity with the sales decline. Product Category Acura seems too chaotic, including the sports car has many features NSX hybrid production until 1991 Integra small car. In 2003, sales remained stagnant at the 1994 Acura's first move to solve this problem is to imitate the Germans remove the label which is to be quiet like the Legend, Integra and Vigor so instead of half-word names new style half.
Add new jobs, the investment Acura also launching new products. The most significant of which is the Acura replaced the slow-selling cars were built on the chassis of Isuzu's background with the MDX SLX made to the prototype Honda Odyssey minivan.
The MDX has become a crossover built on the foundation of the first car in the world, the models have become prevalent in later years. In the first year, with sales of 50,000 vehicles were MDX. Acura RDX cars Then, Acura introduced the model has a sexy design, cutting-edge technologies and operational flexibility.
It was the TL sedan, RL, is slightly smaller and the RSX RDX crossover. Acura also agreed to leave the slow-selling models like the coupe design with angled CL.
Even today, Acura continues to be criticized by the faithful were not V8, rear-drive luxury car like the other authentic switched V6 engine, four-wheel drive. However, 20 years after its founding, this year marks the return of the Acura spectacular. In front, Acura has been setting record sales of 200,000 vehicles. Particularly, the TL, the Acura's best selling car and the most luxury sedan in America accounted for 78,000 vehicles.
Lexus: New Star In Front Toyota Lexus LS600hL, Eiji Toyoda president and other top leaders decided in a secret meeting in 1983 on Toyota have released a leading luxury car world. In the fall of 1984, a project called F1 has been implemented in a good way.
The project includes the study for a period of two years about the target customer groups and key distributors in the US market research as well as lifestyle and tastes of American cars.
To January 1988, with the name Lexus vehicles L was officially unveiled at the Los Angeles exhibition. In a series of international automobile exhibition in later years, the reputation of a luxury car brand Toyota has emerged as alcohol. In 1988, after thorough selection process,
Toyota has done setting up a distribution system for the Lexus brand first of 80 agents, one of which is located in Columbus, Ohio.
The LS 400, Lexus debut at auto shows in North America in 1989 and is on the market in September of that year with sales of 3,000 units within the first month. In its first year in 1990, Lexus is consumed to 60,000, exceeding the goal of 3,000 units compared to the Toyota. In the early days, Lexus has hampered when Lexis, a news agency sued Toyota Lexus of names similar to their names. The lawsuit ended with the victory gave Lexus. A number of other fanfare around the issue of quality is uneven, but Lexus has cleverly moved disadvantage into advantage for themselves. In 1991, Lexus has become luxury items leading importer in the United States, selling over 70,000 units per year, far exceeding the Mercedes and BMW. After sales increasing, continuously set new records. In 2000, a year after the 10-year anniversary of its inception, Lexus has become the brand's best-selling luxury car in the US. Lexus has created a new standard of quality and customer service, topped the annual ranking under investigation by JD Power and Associates for decades.
Lexus LS430 models this way, Lexus expanded its production lines to all types of cars ranging from small cars to ES and LS IS with average size and sporty. Add to that the crossover RX, Lexus first produced in the US and the traditional SUV with larger sizes as LX and GX. Recently, Lexus has "hybrid" of some of its vehicles. Lexus car company also launched pioneering management program car sales first money in the world. Infiniti: The road rock After years of research and planning, Nissan opened the first 51 Infiniti dealers in the US in November 1989, about a month before the Infiniti Q45 was officially introduced at the Beijing auto show US. Brand Infiniti launches Americans in a campaign that has so far made an impression, because the images are spread frantic scene just as the windy road just full of trees and rocks. Still know the meaning of the ad is just the harsh business environment that Infiniti will have to confront, but the Americans in their gossip humor still mentions an Infiniti sell rocks and trees rather than selling cars.
After an impressive campaign that, the Infiniti Q45 immediately press immediately enthused by the perfect convergence of power, luxury and style wing breakthrough in a car. At the same time, the Lexus LS 400 is regarded as the replica of a Mercedes-Benz.
Along with Q45, Infiniti also selling luxury coupe and powerful M30 with more affordable. Like Acura and Lexus, Infiniti has immediate success in sales and establish new standards of quality and customer preference under investigation by the magazine JD Power.
However, since Nissan fall into financial crisis, Infiniti began to gradually lose their orientation. Q45 The car has been redesigned to take the sharp lines and sporty as its earliest form. The other models, especially the cheaper models have lost penchant original strength of Infiniti. Infiniti G35 sedan, but the crisis that was finally resolved under the management of Carlos Ghosn, who is known as the rebirth of the auto industry.
He has asked the company's design department completely redesigned Infiniti and Nissan units, which is the Infiniti G35 first. The car is extremely eye-catching G35 is the most successful car in the history of the Infiniti, the car sales leader in the luxury car brand Infiniti. Infiniti every 3 units sold, there is a G35. At the New York Auto Show recently, President Carlos Ghosn proudly hailed the Infiniti G35 as a new way for the success of Infiniti. In the fourth consecutive year, Infiniti record sales, profit, and today, its sales have increased by 55% compared to 2002.
Following the G35 is the introduction of a series of models with fashion design upstream technology front, rear and both peak demand. It is stylish FX SUV, the M45 V8 and V6 cars - M35. These cars have become the focus of the magazine since its cars hit the market in February 2005.
M Series cars have marked a milestone in the history of the Infiniti M45 is the highest ranked in the list of eight luxury sedan sports car midsize cars comprised of BMWs and Mercedes-Benz, according to Car and Driver magazine. For the first time a Japanese automotive manufacturer is rated so high on the US market.
Now Infiniti has started a new chapter in its development process. Manufacturers are continuing to renew your car, start with the G35. G35 has released a new version of a sedan look at the New York auto show and will be launched in November this year. A sample G35 coupe version was also introduced at the Detroit show this year and will appear in showrooms in 2007. At the same time taking care product portfolio, Infiniti also made the second round of upgrading the distribution system.
The manufacturer is expanding its global market by expanding into the Middle East, Korea, Taiwan, China and Russia within three years. Today, the car, truck, SUV, CUV from Japan has become prevalent throughout the US and existing as a primary motif in the picture layout of the largest automobile market in the world this.
