Core Insights - S&P Global Mobility announced the winners of its 30th annual Automotive Loyalty Awards, with General Motors and Tesla receiving the top awards for customer retention [1][2] Group 1: Awards and Winners - General Motors won the 'Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer' award for the 11th consecutive year [2][8] - Tesla secured the 'Overall Loyalty to Make' award for the fourth consecutive year [2][8] - The awards were based on an analysis of 13.6 million new retail vehicle registrations in the U.S. from October 2024 through September 2025 [2][10] Group 2: Market Analysis - The analysis indicates that the market is rewarding manufacturers with broad portfolios, emphasizing the importance of customer retention as a performance indicator [3][4] - The competition for awards was intense, with several categories decided by less than one percentage point, highlighting the significance of each win [4] Group 3: Strategies for Success - Product redesigns were identified as a key driver of loyalty, exemplified by Mini's win for 'Most Improved Make Loyalty' due to updates to its Cooper and Countryman models [4] - Chevrolet Equinox achieved 'Overall Loyalty to Model' following a redesign that resulted in a four-percentage-point increase in model loyalty year-over-year [4] Group 4: Brand-Specific Insights - Subaru's award for 'Overall Loyalty to Dealer' was attributed to strong performance in East Coast markets, where dealer loyalty reached 43.7%, significantly above the national average of 37.9% [5] - Tesla's strategy of targeted market appeal led to high retention rates among Asian (63.6%) and Hispanic (61.9%) households, surpassing national averages [6]

Group 1 - Toyota Motor plans to start production of two new battery-powered SUVs at its Kentucky facility to improve manufacturing efficiency and meet market demands [1] - The new three-row battery electric SUVs will be based on the RAV4 and Land Cruiser models, with production shifting from Indiana to Kentucky [2] - Toyota will cease production of the Lexus ES sedan at the Kentucky facility, with the next iteration to be manufactured in Japan [3] Group 2 - Toyota Motor Europe will begin production of its first battery EV in Europe at the Czech Republic site, with an investment of approximately €680 million [5] - The Czech Government will contribute up to €64 million for the establishment of a dedicated battery assembly facility [5] - Toyota plans to launch three fully-electric vehicle models for sale in South Africa in 2026 [6]