Inside the auto retailers’ unofficial report card

Above: Paul Philpott, president and CEO, Kia UK, which came out on top in the NFDA survey

By Richard Alcock, editor, Auto Retail Bulletin

It was quite the shake-up in the Summer 2024 NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS). Although the overall average score for retailers ranking their manufacturers overall remained the same, there were some noteworthy changes in position for some brands. Overall, 17 brands increased their overall rating and 14 brand saw their rating decline (Peugeot’s score remained the same, although it dropped slightly in the rankings, from 23rd to 25th).

On top of the (automotive) world
An immediate winner is Mercedes-Benz, which returns to the podium with an overall score of 9.1, after the October 2023 decline caused by its shift to agency. Indeed, it’s the best Mercedes-Benz performance in several years, and places it well clear of Suzuki in third – and just behind Kia which once again retains the best overall rating from retailers. Indeed, with a score of 9.3, Kia actually improved its ranking over the previous edition.

Mini moves south
Mini, which vied with Kia for the top spot in the Winter 2024 edition, has dropped down to fifth, with its score declining from 9.2 to 7.7. This appears to be through concerns around both current and future profit – and takes the Mini franchise back down to results last seen in September 2021. Mini, along with parent brand BMW, seems to be facing particular struggles with new car supply with both brands tumbling down the rankings. This is likely related to a delivery stop on new and approved used cars related to braking problems.

Ford falls
The yo-yo of Ford continues. Its overall score has plummeted to fourth from bottom, with retailers worried about both current and future profit. The NFDA points out the Ford has experienced the biggest overall decrease in its ranking, falling 14 places down to 29th. It only betters unloved Stellantis brands Fiat, DS and Citroen. Bottom-placed Citroen saw the biggest decrease in average score, dropping 2.0 points – although there was surprise as Lexus, described as a previous high-flyer, saw its score decline by the second highest amount, falling -1.8 points.

On the up
The biggest improver was Cupra, climbing 13 places to, coincidentally, the 13th spot. Its score improved from 5.3 to 6.9, its best performance in two years. Jaguar and Land Rover bettered even this though, with Jaguar improving by 2.3 points and Land Rover by 2.1. It took the brands out of the bottom three into 18th for Land Rover and 26th for Jaguar.
This comes as the Jaguar retail network shrinks ahead of the brand’s repositioning as a super-luxury EV maker. The remaining retailers will have no new cars to sell until later in 2025; clearly they’re still happy with what the brand is telling them.

Profit weighs on brands
Profit is high on the list of concerns for brands that have tumbled down the rankings. Indeed, Citroen now sits at the bottom of the table, with a retailer rating of just 3.4, down a full two points from Winter 2024 – the biggest decline of any brand in the survey. This is again due to significant drops in current profit. Its profit score is just 2.4, with DS even worse on 2.3 – although it was a surprise to see Audi at the foot of the table too, with a current profit score of 2.5. This means its score has almost halved in just six months – and is a worrying performance for a premium brand.

Nissan CSI plunge
There were some big declines when it comes to the performance, incentives and penalty regime that underpins manufacturers’ CSI programmes. Nissan tumbled down the rankings, falling from 11th place in the summer to last overall. Its score dropped from 7.1 to 3.9. Why the sudden turnaround? Disillusionment with Nissan’s new car targeting process could be a factor, with the Japanese brand dropping from fifth to 20th here. Nissan retailers are also not happy with their ability to meet its new car targets in the current market conditions.