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Customer LoginsJeep's success: more than the Cherokee
Jeep's new registrations through the first eleven months of 2014 were up an industry-leading 44% versus a year ago, far more than runner-up Mitsubishi's 29% gain or third-place Subaru's 26% increase (Maserati's 231% jump out-paces all other makes but Maserati's results are measured against an exceptionally low 2013 total). Looking at Jeep's extraordinary 2014 results from another perspective, the brand's eleven-month volume gain of 192,760 new registrations is more than Audi's total eleven month volume. Jeep is now the seventh most popular make in the United States, and close on the heels of number six Hyundai. As a reminder, Jeep is doing all this without any cars in its lineup.
Obviously a key driver of Jeep's 2014 performance has been the all-new Cherokee, with deliveries up almost nine-fold versus a year ago, even with year-ago Liberty deliveries included. But what is almost as impressive as the Cherokee's success is the fact that every Jeep model enjoyed a sales jump in 2014. Usually, a new model will draw buyers who otherwise would have bought similar existing models, causing a year-over-year decline in deliveries of carryover models slotted near the new model, which in this case would be the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. But, again, in 2014 all Jeeps including these two were up.
There are at least two reasons why Jeep has been able to raise the water level of every model in its lineup. One is the increased loyalty of existing Jeep drivers. IHS Automotive loyalty data indicate that the propensity of an existing Jeep owner to return to market and purchase another Jeep product has risen from 29.2% five years ago to 41.7% in 2014. This increase has out-paced the overall industry rise over the same time period, reducing the gap between Jeep loyalty and industry make loyalty by almost 50%. Although Jeep make loyalty remains below industry average, this is understandable given that Jeep does not market any cars. A Jeep owner wishing to move to a car has to defect and therefore will be "disloyal."
Jeep and Industry Make Level Loyalty
2009 - November CYTD*
A second reason for Jeep's brand-wide success is that Jeep has succeeded in targeting three separate buyer profiles with its three core models. IHS Automotive conquest data show that Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Wrangler buyers generally are three separate and distinct groups. The ten models most frequently conquested by the Cherokee include just one non-FCA model, no frame-based SUVs, no luxury vehicles and no large vehicles at all. In contrast, Grand Cherokee's ten highest-volume conquests include six frame-based midsize or large SUVs and four non-FCA models. Lastly, Wrangler high-volume conquests include five non-FCA models, four luxury models and five Asian or European models. Only the Dodge Nitro is common across all three lists of high-volume conquest models.
Ten Models Most Frequently Conquested by Jeep Model November 2014 CYTD | ||
Cherokee | Grand Cherokee | Wrangler |
Dodge Nitro | Chrysler Aspen | Hummer H3 |
Chrysler Pacifica | Hummer H3 | Dodge Challenger |
Chrysler 200 | GMC Envoy | Land Rover LR4 |
Dodge Dart | Mercury Mountaineer | Toyota FJ Cruiser |
Dodge Dakota | Chevrolet TrailBlazer | Dodge Nitro |
Dodge Caliber | Chrysler Pacifica | Dodge Ram |
Dodge Journey | Chrysler 300 | Dodge Durango |
Chrysler Sebring | Dodge Nitro | Nissan Xterra |
Dodge Avenger | Dodge Durango | Infiniti JX35 |
Mercury Mariner | Dodge Charger | Infiniti QX56 |
Notes: Conquested model may be addition to household fleet; Calculation to determine most conquested models equals model conquests % total conquests/model RTM % total RTM | Source: IHS |
Looking ahead to 2015, there is good news and bad news for Jeep. The bad news is that Jeep's base year-ago sales to which it will now be compared every month are far higher, and this will make year-over-year increases more difficult. The good news is that Jeep has another distinct all-new model arriving this year in the Renegade, a sub-compact CUV that may very well appeal to a fourth target market and again cause minimal cannibalization of existing models. Jeep's year-over-year gains could very well continue for much of 2015.
Tom Libby is manager, loyalty solutions and industry analysis, IHS Automotive
Posted February 2,2015