LOS ANGELES -- Porsche can increase U.S. sales in 2017 despite the market's overall sales decline so far this year for luxury vehicles, Porsche's U.S. chief said.
"We are fortunate to have the right product and the right sales organization to detach from" the overall decline, Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer said during an interview at the Los Angeles Auto Show. "Our plan, incorporating the new Panamera that will be out in January in our dealerships, suggests we can have another year of record sales."
Porsche is heading for a seventh straight year of higher U.S. sales in 2016. Through October, the brand's sales increased 3.2 percent to 44,752 vehicles. In 2015, with sales of 51,756 vehicles, Porsche met its goal of surpassing 50,000 U.S. sales three years ahead of schedule.
Though Porsche's U.S. sales are up this year, the increase is primarily because of the 38 percent increase for the Macan compact crossover. Sales of all other nameplates except the Cayman fell for the first 10 months. Cayman rose 1.3 percent.
The 911, Panamera and Boxster declines all relate to model changes. The 911 was re-engineered this year, and the Boxster and Cayman were re-engineered and renamed. The Panamera's sales dropped as the brand prepared for the redesigned model arriving in January.
Next year, Zellmer expects increases for the Panamera, 911, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman. The Macan, which sold 15,482 units so far in 2016, also should be solid, he said.
The Cayenne midsize crossover, approaching the end of its current product cycle, is another story. The Cayenne will be redesigned next year with U.S. sales of the redesigned version expected late in 2017 or early in 2018.
"What we are doing and have been doing is reducing the Cayennes that will be produced for the United States significantly," Zellmer said. "Then we'll be able to have a clear start for the year after, for 2018."
