According to the quarterly Kelley Blue Book’s Brand Watch Report, relative newcomer Polestar matched legendary automaker Maserati in buyer interest in the 4th quarter of 2021. That’s good news for Polestar, even if the figures aren’t very high — both luxury brands came in at about 1% mindshare among potential high-end buyers, according to the KBB report.
Polestar may not stay put at 1% for long though, after showing off its sleek lines and combative attitude during the Super Bowl.
The KBB report, according to the company, combines “data from a consumer perception survey among new-car shoppers” with shopping behavior to ascertain current consumer consideration.
The top three luxury brand considerations for consumers in the quarter were Lexus, BMW, and Tesla, with Lexus pulling out in front of BMW by a lead no thicker than a coat of paint. The margin of the Lexus lead (a tenth of one percent) was so slight that BMW surely sees Lexus in its blindspot rather than its rearview mirror.
BMW had held the top spot in the previous 12 quarters, according to KBB. But for Lexus, the news is big despite the slim margin. It is the brand’s first time back in the top spot in seven years. And Lexus is looking to grab hold of the future with E-Concepts like this:
But maybe the biggest story is Tesla, which gained the most consumer mindshare in the quarter, chasing down the leaders with electric ferocity — as electric vehicle interest surged generally. (Tesla, of course, is synonymous with the electric trend.)
The rise is hardly surprising, given founder Elon Musk’s social media influencer power. But still Musk’s famous brand had until now never topped Audi or Mercedes in luxury brand consumer consideration as calculated by the KBB Brand Watch. For Tesla third place and gaining is a lot like winning.
A “breakthrough year” indeed.
