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Black Friday could power record November sales

Black Friday allows some shoppers to line up in the wee hours for doorbuster deals on laptops and TVs, but the day after Thanksgiving could mean huge profits for automakers this year, too. Multiple industry analysts predict record growth for the industry for November, and the upcoming incentives could help those numbers. TrueCar predicts that Black Friday incentives could provide a major boost, and it estimates a November sales jump of 3.9 percent from last year to a record for the month at over 1.35 million vehicles. As examples of potential deals, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC plan to offer up to 20 percent off some models, and FCA US has no-interest financing for up to 75 months from its brands. "Consumers are excited about Black Friday promotions and these month-long events appear to be resonating with car buyers." Eric Lyman, TrueCar's vice president of industry insights, said in the report. Black Friday only recently became a big day for auto sales, according to an analysis from Edmunds. Last year, Thanksgiving weekend posted double the sales as any other weekend in the month. The company predicts a sales volume of over 1.33 million vehicles for November. If that happens, it would be the beat the previous record of 1.32 million sales for the same month in 2001. Some forecasts temper the gains for November but only slightly. Kelley Blue Book predicts flat year-over-year sales at 1.3 million vehicles, but that's largely because there are two fewer sales days in 2015 versus in 2014. "Black Friday deals on vehicles have grown in popularity in recent years, and should be a big contributor to this month's sales results," said analyst Tim Fleming in the study. The combined research from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive have the lowest November prediction among this group at just over 1.279 million sales for the month versus 1.299 million in 2014. However, once the researchers adjust the figures for the two fewer selling days, 2015 could actually be seven percent higher than last year. TrueCar Finds New Auto Sales in November to Reach Monthly Record Black Friday promotions bolster sales gains; industrywide incentives up 6% from last year November 24, 2015 12:11 PM Eastern Standard Time SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) projects total new vehicle sales, including fleet deliveries, will reach 1,352,500 units in November, a 3.9 percent increase from a year ago and the highest ever for the month.

2021 Buick Envision's bold design means small space gains, a few big losses

So far, every preview we've had of the 2021 Buick Envision compels us to believe that it isn't playing in the same league as the current Envision, nor is it playing the same sport. The chiseled, crisp exterior is matched by an interior that, in pictures at least, sends a genuine premium message. GM Authority got early intel on dimensions for the new crossover, the numbers showing that the only close relationship between the current and the new Envision is in size. According to GMA, the 2021 Buick will be 185.5 inches long on a wheelbase of 109.4 inches, it'll stand 74.1 inches wide without mirrors, and 64.6 inches tall. Front and rear tracks are matched at 63.3 inches. That makes the new version 1.8 inches longer than the current five-seater, with a wheelbase stretched 0.9 inches, while width is 1.7 inches wider but overall height is 2.2 inches lower. The track has been expanded by 1.3 inches front and back. The four-trim lineup will be base, Preferred, Essence and Avenir. Buick's website pegs the current Envision at the single curb weight of 3,755 pounds. GMA writes that the new car comes in at 3,685 pounds in base form, or 3,932 in top Avenir trim. Those could all represent weights for front-wheel-drive models. AWD will be optional on all but the base 2021 Envision. The price for edgier design is a tiny cut in interior room in front. In the coming crossover, front headroom shrinks 0.4 inches to 39.6 inches, front legroom shrinks by 0.5 inches, front shoulder room goes down by 0.3 inches. Front hip room gains 0.7 inches, however, Occupants in the row behind get a tiny bit more space in two dimensions, rear headroom going up 0.4 inches, rear legroom by 1.8 inches, Rear shoulder room gets shaved 0.7 inches, and those haunches on the 2021 model take a bite out of rear hip room, that spec dropping by 5.7 inches to 47.4.  Cargo room sees a slight dip, too, there being 25.2 cubic feet of space behind the second-row of seats compared to 26.9 feet available now. The gap grows with the rear seats down, the coming Envision able to swallow 52.7 cubic feet behind the front row, the current Envision managing 60 cubic feet.  When product starts showing up on dealer lots, we're to expect a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood with 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, shifting through GM's nine-speed automatic transmission. GMA believes pricing will start around $34,000, which would be about $500 more than the current Envision.    

GM applies for 'Enspire' trademark for the second time

When we wrote about the Buick Enspire concept debut in China earlier this year, we said "we wouldn't be surprised to see either an all-new crossover, or a redesigned current model, sporting the designs seen on this concept." Now it appears General Motors might be planning to go with Option A. GM Authority discovered a trademark application for the name "Enspire," to be applied to "Automobiles, excluding motor homes." This is the second time GM filed for the name, the first being in 2015. As always, applications don't mean certainties. However, we know Buick has a range of new models in development, it's losing the LaCrosse sedan and its crossovers sell quite well. If there's to be a new vehicle called Enspire, it shouldn't be hard to guess what kind it would be. GMA's previous investigations picked up clues that there'll be two new Buick crossovers, one about the size of the China-sourced Envision and sitting on the E2 platform that supports the Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Malibu, and Buick Regal. Based on data in an IHS Automotive document, the site said the putative Enspire's platform code is E2UB, the U for utility vehicle, the B for Buick. The other crossover would sit above an Envision, below the Enclave, on the short-wheelbase C1 platform employed by the Cadillac XT5. We can probably take the Enspire concept's design cues as a preview of the future, if not its electric drivetrain. Designers carved the wide, formidable stance with curved and elongated versions of traditional Buick brand cues, such as the grille crossbar stretching into the headlights. A futuristic, art-filled and screen-heavy interior contrasts with genuine wood, and is probably best not to look at because Buick couldn't bring anything like it to production. The electric drivetrain included a 550-horsepower electric motor and enough battery to power a 370-mile range. Those figures seem a little outlandish given the potential price tag and the Buick badge. Besides, GM has other plans for a dedicated EV powertrain in development that should bow around 2021, and a Buick EV based on the Chevrolet Bolt's BEV II architecture. As such, a conventional powertrain seems more likely for an Enspire crossover, at least initially. The same IHS Automotive document said the E2UB vehicle would go into production in Shanghai in late 2019.