(January 5, 2011) DETROIT — In a marked turnaround after years of economic uncertainty and industry restructuring, global auto executives say that U.S. auto brands will continue to increase market share over the next five years.

These were the findings according to the 13th annual global automotive executive survey conducted by KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm.

Global executives see the American resurgence spurred by product innovation, continued improvement in product quality and restructuring activities. The rise in optimism for U.S. OEMs represents a significant turnaround from KPMG's 2007 survey, when few predicted market share gains, or a steady climb in global rankings.

While the respondents in the KPMG study believe several European and Asian OEMs will gain share, they also think Ford is more likely to grow market share than Nissan, Toyota and Honda.  In fact, Ford was the only U.S. OEM to rank in the survey's top 10 most likely market share winners.

When asked to predict global market share winners over the next five years, nearly half (47 percent) of the auto execs believed  Ford, ranked 8th, would register market share gains, up from 43 in 2011 and 29 percent in 2010. As an apparent positive indication of the Chrysler/Fiat combination, 39 percent of executives expect the combined Fiat/Chrysler Group  to gain market share (versus 24 percent expected Chrysler share to rise and 31 percent expected Fiat to gain in the 2011 survey). 

Slightly fewer auto execs  foresee General Motors  increasing market share in the next five years, GM ranked 15th, finishing at 38 percent this year versus 40 percent in 2011, but still up considerably from just 13 percent in 2010.

"This year's survey results clearly demonstrate that the investments in new products and product innovation over the past several years have helped U.S. auto manufacturers become more competitive," said Gary Silberg, National Automotive Industry leader for KPMG LLP.  "Moreover, it is a clear indication that perceptions of U.S. automakers and auto quality have changed."

In KPMG's 2007 auto study, by comparison, 62 percent of global execs foresaw a decrease in market share for U.S. OEMs, with only 14 percent expecting an increase. In that study, however, 64 percent of the execs expected the restructuring of U.S. OEMs to be completed before 2011. And when asked if the restructuring would allow the OEMs to be more efficient and competitive, 58 percent of the 2007 study respondents believed that would be the case, with only 10 percent disagreeing. 

Silberg added, "As recent sales figures might demonstrate, U.S. OEMs have much stronger product portfolios, and as a result they are returning to profitability."