Market Snapshot

NEW-VEHICLE SALES DOWN 8.3%—WHERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES?


For the first six months of the year, Chevrolet Cobalt sales are up 18.5% compared to last year, selling more than 114,000 units. 

Based on data from J.D. Power and Associates, new vehicle sales are down 9.5% compared to last year through the end of June. So far this year there have been 7,396,992 new light vehicles sold in the United States, compared to 8,228,992 last year.

But that is not the whole story. Some vehicle segments are holding steady and individual models are bucking the trend. The basic compact segment, for example, including cars such as the Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit, is up 38.9% year-to-date. Within the fullsize pickup segment, which is down 24.4%, the Toyota Tundra is down only 7.6%, the only model that is not showing double-digit declines.

As we look at the new-vehicle sales data for the first six months of this year, there are some noticeable bright spots amid the gloom and doom. 

In the Compact-Car Segment:

  • Chevrolet Cobalt with more than 114,000 units is up 18.5% compared to last year
  • Honda Civic with nearly 205,000 units is up 17.9% over last year
  • Ford Focus with nearly 124,000 units is up 27.6% over last year

In the Midsize Car Segment:

  • Honda Accord with nearly 206,000 units sold is up 12.9% year-to-date
  • Nissan Altima with 158,000 units is up 12.7% compared to last year
  • Chevrolet Malibu with nearly 89,000 units is up 31.2% over last year
  • Ford Fusion with sales of 88,000 units is up 11.7%

In the Midsize CUV Segment:

  • Ford Edge with nearly 69,000 units is ahead of last year by 16.9%

For companies whose business is dependent on new-vehicle sales, this is a tough market. But our part of the automotive industry is known for innovation and being able to quickly react to market shifts. The new-vehicle sales data show that there are opportunities even in a slow economy.

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