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Average new-vehicle transaction price hits a whopping new peak in December

Elevated prices for products and higher borrowing rates led to record high transaction prices for new vehicles in December, with the average cost in the U.S. rising to a record $49,507, according to data from Kelley Blue Book released today. The report notes that ATPs — average transaction prices — have climbed above suggested retail prices — MSRPs — for more than a year. Sales volumes were up in December on a year-over-year basis by more than 5%, a situation Kelley attributed to improved supply. Overall sales for 2022, however, were off 8% year over year. “The transaction data from December clearly indicates overall prices showed no signs of coming down as we headed into year-end,” said Rebecca Rydzewski, research manager of economic and industry insights for Cox Automotive. “Luxury prices fell slightly in December, but non-luxury transaction prices were up. Truck sales were particularly strong last month, and with many trucks selling for more than $60,000, a new record was all but inevitable.” Industry analysts claim the most obvious headwinds in the new car market are generated by higher interest rates, forced by the Federal Reserve's rate hikes intended to tame inflation, and by generally limited inventory. A recent report from J.D. Power showed that the average monthly payment for a new vehicle loan in December was $718, up $47 from a year ago. But 16% of consumers in December took out loans with monthly payments of over $1,000. Consumers think vehicles, and electric vehicles especially, are way too expensive. Fortunately, manufacturersÂ’ incentives, all but extinct in the past two years, are returning, especially in the electric-vehicle and luxury market, the Kelley data suggest. Plus, "With the new tax credits on the way, electric vehicle ATPs will drop lower for qualifying vehicles,” Rydzewski said. Non-luxury brands, such as Honda and Kia, showed particularly strong performance in December, with the average price paid at $45,578 — a record high and an increase of $994 month over month. Meanwhile, the average luxury buyer paid $66,660 for a new vehicle last month. Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover showed the most price strength in the luxury market, transacting between 2.6% to 6.5% over sticker price. But luxury brands Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln, and Volvo showed the least price strength with some discounting in effect, selling 1% or more below MSRP in December, according to the survey.

2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG rumbles on stage 4Matic style

Bruce Hornsby and his soothing piano skills helped introduce us to the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but the monstrous E63 AMG sedan needed no entrance music as it rumbled on stage. The 550-horsepower (and up) sedan sat proudly alongside the rest of the redesigned E-Class on stage at the Detroit Auto Show, but stood miles apart in intention and execution.
In addition to a choice of sedan and wagon body styles, the E63 AMG will also offer buyers the choice of the standard 550 hp or an upgraded 577-hp S-Model; regardless of output, all 2014 E63 AMG models will come standard with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.
We already saw the E63 AMG's aggressive styling last week, but now we have a full assortment of live images for you to enjoy as well as the Mercedes-Benz press release, which is also posted below.

Mercedes teases massive new Maybach coupe

Mercedes-Benz hasn't done a lot with its Maybach brand over the last few years. After killing the slow-selling standalone Maybach line, the badge sat unused, until MB slapped it on a luxed-out S600. But today, Mercedes posted a teaser of a new, two-door Maybach on its social media channels. Immediately given away by the Maybach badge on the C-pillar (and possibly one on the nose), we could be looking at a modern-day Exelero – a successor to Maybach's last coupe, a one-off, 700-horsepower rocket ship that deserved all the Darth Vader's car cliches – capable of extremely high speeds and stunning comfort. Everything from the long hood (better to accommodate some monstrous V12 engine) to the windshield's aggressive rake, to the absurdly long tail, signals a 200-mile-per-hour-plus top speed for this concept. And yes, we're thinking this is a concept. Kick the exposure way up with Photoshop and you can see that the side mirrors are too slim to actually function as normal mirrors – they're almost certainly cameras. Other details? Whatever Mercedes calls its new Maybach, it's going to be huge. According to the caption accompanying the teaser, this car is six meters (19.6 feet) long – that's over three feet longer than an S-Class Coupe and nearly four feet longer than a Bentley Continental GT. Like we said, it's enormous. And that's about all we know. Mercedes dropped this teaser out of the blue, nearly two months before the auto show season kicks off in Paris. It's possible the company could continue to tease out a new Maybach concept until early October, but more likely, we'll see an online debut ahead of the Paris show. Stay tuned. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz Facebook Paris Motor Show Maybach Mercedes-Benz Coupe Concept Cars Performance 2016 paris motor show mercedes-maybach