Acura Reports 32.4 Percent Drop But Praises Customers' Trust in the Brand

Since we know it's fairly difficult to improve your sales during recession times, poor sales for Acura should not amaze us. But even if the company recorded a 32.4 percent drop in sales in January 2009 compared to the same month of the previous year, Acura praises the customers' trust in the brand and explain that this may be exactly the fifth element that could help the company get out of the crisis.

"Customers are willing to invest in a brand they trust" said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of sales. "Increased sales of the all-new TSX, with its balance of luxury and efficiency, demonstrate this trust in today's challenging marketplace."

And speaking of January 2009 sales, Acura delivered 7,856 units last month which represents a 32.4 percent decreased from January 2008. Sales for Acura sedans, including the newly-launched 2009 TL, totaled 4,931 units, a drop of 16.9 percent compared to the first month of 2008. The company sold 2,317 new 2009 TLs.

On the other hand, the MDX luxury SUV is the best selling model of Acura's light truck range with 2,124 units delivered last month while the RDX crossover recorded 801 orders in January. However, the best selling model in the whole Acura lineup is still the 2009 TSX sports sedan, as the manufacturer delivered 2,406 units, up 11.6 percent compared to January 2008.

While we're not sure how much customer trust does the 32.4 percent drop represent, one thing is sure: Acura is experiencing the same economic problems as the other car manufacturers (include here larger companies such as General Motors, Ford or Chrysler), despite the premium sector it is mostly addressed to.