Spring is springing in most parts of the country and, as if on cue, more customers are beating their way to a dealership’s door. The market is up, in both monthly and year-to-date measures.
Mazda, Toyota, and Volkswagen are all up on their own merits both from a monthly and year-to-date perspective. In fact, compared to the same month last year, just about all the major automakers moved more metal in March.
FCA enjoyed a year-over-year sales jump of over 13 percent last month, largely thanks to the Jeep brand. Year-to-date, the company is about flat, despite declines at Fiat and Ram. The new Wrangler has paid off, leading to the best month ever for that model. In the first three months of 2018, Jeep has moved nearly 40,000 extra units compared to last year, offsetting drops at all other FCA brands (save for Alfa).
The General is also performing well in 2018, up nearly 4 percent — not a small number considering the company’s volume. Buick itself has jumped more than 13 percent, accounting for an extra 6,000 sales. Most of those extra sales came in the month of March. Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac all posted gains.
Hyundai dropped a precipitous 11.2 percent last month, year over year, and 11.8 percent year to date. Both the Hyundai and Genesis brands were off, with the corporation bleeding over 20,000 sales since the start of January. All those new crossovers can’t come soon enough, apparently.
Other bright sparks in the first quarter of 2018 include Acura, Mazda, and Mitsubishi. Wait, what?
This may very well be our final monthly sales report using official numbers, as General Motors announced this morning that it will only release performance data on a quarterly basis going forward. We’ll take our numbers fix where we can get it, though, and remain committed in keeping an ear to the ground.
[Image: Ford]
Fiat is a hurtin’ buffalo. I’m surprised Mazda is doing so well.
No the surprise is that Mazda didn’t do better in 2016 and 2017. Up 21% in Q1 as opposed to a market up <2% in the same period. The new CX5 has paid off and the naysayers are quiet for a while.
Sub-600,
I think Mazda here in Australia is the second largest brand. They make some decent vehicles.
Of the Japanese manufacturers I believe Mazda has the best chance of improving market share.
Look at Lincoln go! What a raging success!!!
Straws grasped.
You remind me of a supposedly straight (super homophobe) guy who can’t stop talking about the male anatomy and male-on-male, um, activities.
Compensating, much? Seriously, do you ever post anything without bringing Ford into it? Jeep article, well lets talk about Bronco, which we haven’t seen nor know many details of, but are sure it will SUUUCCCKKK for some reason.
I don’t particularly care for most Toyotas, or modern Nissan cars. But, every post I make doesn’t mention them excessively, does it? Do I seek out only articles concerning them, or when the subject is something else, do I bring them up every single time? You clearly have an unhealthy obsession going on. You might better check on that.
This guy has been posting the same worn out crap for over 10 years. He trolls other car/truck sites and posts the same exact crap word for word. Somehow he’s back here after being banned for multiple user names. Even with being a GM apologist at the time, he was so obnoxious they banned him from GMI and a Silverado site I used to go to.
Navigator sales were up 90%
Lincoln’s sales numbers really are appalling. So much so you have to question why Ford bothers with the brand anymore.
Ford could try and dispose of Lincoln by selling the brand on. It might appeal to the Chinese or maybe a company like Tata or Geeley who could focus more effort on making Lincoln a true US premium brand.
Lincoln’s product lineup leading up to the Navigator was underwhelming (including the Continental).
Lincoln seems to have turned the page with the Navigator, and the Aviator seems to be even better.
MASSIVE incentives at my local GM dealer, so not surprising to see these numbers. Enclave’s selling like hotcakes, always one drivin’ off the lot when I drive by.
GM no longer is spending a billion dollars a year supporting the German welfare state. Amazing what you could do with all that extra cash.
BTW-GMs insensitives are very close to the industry average.
I’m a nerd for stats like these, going to miss the monthly run down.
Almost 100,000 Jeeps a month. That’s jaw-dropping. And Subaru looks to overtake Hyundai shortly.
Should Hyundai be concerned that Alfa Romeo is outselling Genesis?
Not really.
Alfa has its entry-level sedan and a crossover.
Right now, Genesis has neither of those.
I for one did not foresee the decline of Hyundai and Kia. They were a sales darling for a while there.
I’m also hoping to capitalize on Fiat’s continued lack of sales, hopefully once my used car is paid off next year I can justify parking it for occasional family-hauling duties and sink a few dollars into a used 500 Abarth (or a lesser model with the Turbo engine) for next to nothing and improve the (s)miles per gallon on my long daily commute.
Such a sales decline was pretty easy to foresee.
Right now, light trucks only make up about 44% of Hyundai sales when the industry average is around 65%.
That 44% is an improvement when not long ago, light trucks made up 35-38% of Hyundai sales.
H/K basically will have to wait it out until they finish revamping/expanding their light truck lineup.
It’s the opposite situation over in Europe where H/K are leaving the Japanese automakers in the dust.
Maserati really bombed this month as did Jaguar, though they do have the new E pace and I Pace coming on stream soon.
But how on Earth did Land Rover grow sales by almost 40%? New Velar and Disco making an impact perhaps?
…. and Jeep up 44% wow!
Anyone else noticed that FCA overcame Ford in retail sales? It’s the second time this has happened since 2010, and it’s on the back of Jeep and Chrysler brands. They are also less than 5000 units behind Toyota, and I’m sure they are poised to overtake them with the new Ram and Wrangler pickup, both of which are made here in the good old UsofA. talk about a comeback.
This is laughable in the 60’s Chevy alone would have outsold the entire industry. same in the 70’s
ernest: As long as Hyundai keeps falling, it could slip a place; Subaru’s sales increases are nowhere nearly what they were from 2012 – 2015 (the Love ad campaign has largely reached its peak). Without the massive Crosstrek increase, they’d be (-); but perhaps the new Ascent will help.
Crossover and truck mania!
These sales reports net out to: if you sold CUVs, SUVs, or pickups, your sales increased; if you sold conventional passenger cars, your sales tanked.