Why did U.S. sales of passenger cars tumble 13%, year-over-year, in January 2017?
U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model – January 2017
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model – January 2017
Part of the blame belongs to full-size volume brand sedans, sales of which tumbled 31% in January. Every nameplate in the category – the transitioning Buick LaCrosse, departing Hyundai Azera and Genesis, newer Nissan Maxima, refreshed Kia Cadenza – sold fewer copies in January 2017 than in January 2016.
2017 may not be all bad. We’ll continue to see year-over-year losses from the likes of the Hyundai Azera, for instance. But as Buick replaces the old LaCrosse with new, we won’t continue to see 68% year-over-year drops for GM’s mid-tier big car.
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As for leaders like the Chevrolet Impala and Dodge Charger, their rapid declines are representative of a market that”s fleeing cars in favour of SUVs and crossovers.
While total car volume slid 13% in January, utility vehicle volume rose 10%
You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC’s Sales Stats page. This table is sortable, so you can rank large cars any which way you like. Mobile users can now thumb across the table for full-width access. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.
Click Column Headers To Sort • December 2016 • January 2016
|
Large Car
|
Jan.
2017 |
Jan.
2016 |
%
Change |
2017
YTD |
2016
YTD |
%
Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1307
|
4057 | -67.8% | 1307 | 4057 | -67.8% | |
|
5972
|
9942 | -39.9% | 5972 | 9942 | -39.9% | |
|
64
|
88 | -27.3% | 64 | 88 | -27.3% | |
|
4708
|
5665 | -16.9% | 4708 | 5665 | -16.9% | |
|
7153
|
8782 | -18.5% | 7153 | 8782 | -18.5% | |
|
3365
|
3567 | -5.7% | 3365 | 3567 | -5.7% | |
|
278
|
409 | -32.0% | 278 | 409 | -32.0% | |
|
186
|
1907 | -90.2% | 186 | 1907 | -90.2% | |
|
316
|
374 | -15.5% | 316 | 374 | -15.5% | |
|
3738
|
4415 | -15.3% | 3738 | 4415 | -15.3% | |
|
2503
|
3597 | -30.4% | 2503 | 3597 | -30.4% | |
|
—
|
—
|
— | — | — | — | — |
|
Total
|
29,590
|
42,803 | -30.9% | 29,590 | 42,803 | -30.9% |
Source: Automakers
* Hyundai USA, not GoodCarBadCar, chooses to combine sales figures for the Genesis sedan and Genesis Coupe, forcing us to include the Genesis with these volume-brand cars on pricing grounds before we even get to the “brand status” issue.
GCBC isn’t here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.
RECOMMENDED READING
Large Car Sales In America – February 2017
Large Car Sales In America – December 2016
Large Car Sales In America – January 2016
Top 20 Best-Selling Cars In America – January 2017
Midsize Car Sales In America – January 2017
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings – January 2017