From Audi’s product strategy to Stellantis’ turnaround and Carvana’s growing influence, dealers are facing a rapidly changing competitive landscape. Joe Laham, President of Premier Companies, offered a candid assessment from the showroom floor on today’s CBT Live segment, arguing that automakers must focus on the fundamentals while dealers remain disciplined about inventory, pricing and profitability.
Despite operating both Audi and Stellantis stores, Laham, in today’s discussion, noted that Audi has stabilized its declining market share but still has considerable ground to make up. He cited Audi’s recent sales performance, including a 40% decline in the Western region, as evidence that the brand needs to regain momentum. While Laham remains bullish on upcoming products such as the Q7 and Q9, he said the brand needs stronger volume from the Q3 and Q5. He also questioned Audi’s current competitive positioning, noting that newer rivals such as BMW’s X3 have changed how consumers compare vehicles within the segment. However, Laham believes Audi has good products; it just needs to get out of its own way and return to the fundamentals that made the brand successful.
Laham then offered a much more positive assessment of Stellantis, saying the automaker has brought in the right leadership, aligned its pricing and product strategy, and begun rebuilding dealer profitability. He said Jeep and Ram remain the primary focus, while improvements in product quality are still needed. Laham also highlighted increased dealer marketing support, including a regional program in which dealers contribute alongside Stellantis to retail efforts. For Laham, that is an important shift toward rebuilding the relationship between the automaker and its dealers, citing that the company is now focused on competing in the retail market rather than relying on pricing strategies that put pressure on dealers.
Notably, he said dealers should study what Carvana is doing in areas such as technology, virtual retail and the customer experience rather than automatically treating the company as an enemy. Simultaneously, he questioned why Carvana appears to operate under different rules than franchised dealers, particularly around websites, financing and market reach. He said Stellantis needs to address those competitive differences while dealers should focus on the lessons they can take from Carvana’s technology and processes.
With Premier Companies down in both new and used vehicle volume, Laham said every transaction and every customer matters. For dealers, that means remaining disciplined on pricing and execution while finding ways to protect profitability in an increasingly competitive market.
