General Motors and Ford claimed top honors again as part of the 26th annual Automotive Loyalty Awards orchestrated by IHS Markit.

However, for the first time, Honda earned the accolade closely associated with franchised dealerships.

IHS Markit recognized GM for its leadership as top manufacturer for automotive loyalty in the U.S. in 2021. This is the seventh consecutive win for GM in the Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer category and 18th time in the past 26 years.

Despite inventory constraints throughout the year, IHS Markit said GM retained 64% of its customers due to continued strong demand for their utility and pickup lineup.

Ford took top honors in the Overall Loyalty to Make category, winning its 12th consecutive award. This honor marks 21 wins for the brand in this category since its inception.

IHS Markit highlighted Ford’s leadership in pickups contributed to its industry leading loyalty level of 60%, with F-Series accounting for 38 percent of the brand’s make loyal volume while new entries like the Bronco, Bronco Sport, Maverick, and Mustang Mach-E contributed a combined 10% in their first full year in the market.

Meanwhile, Honda scored its first ever win in the Overall Loyalty to Dealer category, as 40% of Honda owners returning to market acquired their next vehicle from the same dealer.

In recognition of the continued investment in electrification throughout the automotive industry, IHS Markit expanded its award categories acknowledging brand retention among hybrid and electric vehicle owners.

New for 2021 is the Most Improved Alternative Powertrain Loyalty to Make award, recognizing an OEM’s improvement in its ability to retain an owner of a hybrid or electric vehicle to the brand, and also have them purchase another alternative powertrain vehicle upon returning to market.

This year’s inaugural winner is Volkswagen, which saw a 17 percentage-point improvement in alternative powertrain loyalty, compared to the previous year, due to the launch of the ID4.

“Given the unique nature of 2021, with the challenges of both the pandemic and inventory shortages, retaining customers is more important than ever,” said Joe LaFeir, president of automotive insights at IHS Markit.

“This year’s winners have certainly demonstrated effective marketing strategies that have resonated with customers and led to more return to market activity,” LaFeir continued in a news release.

Recognizing the importance of ethnic loyalty since 2008, IHS Markit acknowledged three brands for their efforts in retaining their diverse customer base.

Analysts pointed out that ethnic consumers represented 34% of all new vehicle registrations in 2021, reinforcing the importance to manufacturers of appealing to these constituencies.

For African American Loyalty to Make, Toyota led the field with a 61% retention rate among African Americans.

The Asian Loyalty to Make award was captured by Tesla for the second consecutive year, with 53% loyalty.

Toyota was recognized for the Hispanic Loyalty to Make award for the ninth time since the award’s inception, with 61% loyalty.

IHS Markit also analyzed brands for year-over-year improvement in their loyalty rates.

For 2021, Genesis was honored with the Most Improved Make Loyalty award, increasing brand loyalty by 17 percentage-points for 2021 versus 2020. Analysts said continued success of the G80 redesign, combined with strong demand for the newly launched GV70 and GV80 utility vehicles, contributed to Genesis’ gains in loyalty for the year.

IHS Markit mentioned another key metric for this year’s Loyalty Awards was conquests, due to its importance in helping a brand capture new customers.

The Highest Conquest Percentage award category was claimed by Tesla for the third year in a row. IHS Markit said Tesla was able to conquest 22% of the eligible volume in the segments in which it competes.

A complete list of 2021 award winners included:

MANUFACTURER AND MAKE LOYALTY AWARD WINNERS

Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer: General Motors*

Overall Loyalty to Make: Ford*

African American Market Loyalty to Make: Toyota*

Asian Market Loyalty to Make: Tesla*

Hispanic Market Loyalty to Make: Toyota*

Most Improved Loyalty to Make: Genesis

Overall Loyalty to Dealer: Honda

Highest Conquest Percentage: Tesla*

Highest Alternative Powertrain Loyalty to Make: Tesla*

Most Improved Highest Alternative Powertrain Loyalty to Make: Volkswagen

SEGMENT MODEL LOYALTY AWARDS WINNERS

Small Utility: Ford Bronco

Mid-Size Utility: Jeep Grand Cherokee

Full-Size Utility: Ford Expedition*

Mid-Size Pickup: Honda Ridgeline

Light-Duty Pickup: Ram 1500*

Heavy-Duty Pickup: Ram 2500/3500

Van: Toyota Sienna

Sports Car: Dodge Challenger

Small Car: Chevrolet Bolt*

Large Car: Toyota Camry*

Luxury Small Utility: BMW X3

Luxury Mid-Size Utility: Lexus RX*

Luxury Full-Size Utility: Cadillac Escalade

Luxury Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette*

Luxury Small Car: Acura TLX

Luxury Mid-Size Car: Lexus ES*

Luxury Full-Size Car: Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Note: *Repeat winners from the 2020 awards, although some segment names have been adjusted.