June 2017 US Auto Sales Scorecard From AIADA
 |
AIADA today released June 2017 sales figures for international nameplate brands in the U.S. auto market. While 2017 auto sales have slowed from last year’s record pace, the difference is minor, and retailers remain satisfied with what they view as a healthy market. Consumers still prefer trucks and SUVs, resulting in a drop in car sales of 13.2 percent from a year ago but a rise in light duty vehicles of 4.2 percent. Prices, and profits, remain high with the average vehicle in June selling for $31,720, a record for the month. Infiniti saw a sale improvement of 11 percent from a year ago, Subaru was up 11.7 percent, and Volkswagen’s sales improved 15 percent from last year’s depressed numbers.
“Dealers are feeling confident about the second half of 2017,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “In this healthy but flat market they are focusing on the basics – excellent customer service, competitive pricing, and great products.”
Despite Slow Down, Internationals Maintain U.S Market Lead
International brand market share figures reflected the slower state of the U.S. auto market in June. Led by Toyota, these brands captured 55.4 percent of the June U.S. auto market, down slightly from the 55.8 percent share they held in May, but up from 54.1 percent in June 2016. Sales for the month totaled 816,332 units, down from 848,268 in May and 821,787 last June.
Asian brands captured a 46 percent share of the auto market in June, down from 47 percent last month, but up from 45.3 percent in June 2016. Overall sales of 678,171 vehicles reflected a downturn of 1.5 percent from last June when they sold 688,417 vehicles. They were also down from May’s sales figures of 714,262 vehicles.
European brands snagged an uptick in sales and market share for the month, logging 9.4 percent of the U.S. auto market and sales of 138,161 vehicles. This represented a 3.6 percent improvement over June 2016 when they sold 133,370 vehicles and an increase over May auto sales figures of 134,006 vehicles.
Domestic brands GM, Ford, and Chrysler logged a 44.6 percent share of the market with sales of 658,028 vehicles down 5.7 percent from June 2016 when they sold 697,462 vehicles. In May these brands held 44.2 percent of the U.S. auto market, and in June 2016 they held 45.9 percent.
Americans Continue to Drift Away from Cars
Six of the month’s top-selling vehicles fell into the truck or SUV/crossover categories – no surprise as Americans continue to demonstrate that they prefer larger vehicles. The Ford F-Series took top honors, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram pickups.
In fourth place, the Nissan Rogue displaced the Toyota RAV4 as the most popular crossover for the month, with sales up 17.4 percent overall. The Toyota RAV4 snagged fifth place; sales for the vehicle were up 24.7 percent over last June. The Chevrolet Equinox took tenth place with sales up 49 percent over last June.
Cars still populated the month’s leader board, albeit in smaller numbers than they have in the past. For the most part, cars that did make the month’s top ten list still experienced a decline in overall sales. The compact Honda Civic was the most popular car for the month, taking sixth place with sales down 2.8 percent over last June. The Honda Accord took seventh place with sales up 3.4 percent, while the Toyota Camry finished the month in eighth place with sales down 9.5 percent, and the Toyota Corolla finished in ninth with its sales down 4.9 percent.
North American Facilities Contribute to June Auto Market
North American manufacturing maintained a leading role in supplying vehicles for U.S. vehicle lots in June. Overall, international brands sourced 524,954 vehicles from these facilities – many of which are located in the U.S. and employ American workers. Japanese manufacturers sourced 483,683 vehicles from their North American facilities, including 243,203 cars and 240,480 trucks. European brands sourced 21,507 cars and 19,764 trucks from similar plants.
Outlook
AutoData Corp. reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for June 2017 was 16.50 million units versus 16.80 million units a year ago, with sales of all brands, unadjusted for business days, down 3 percent from last June. Industrywide, 1,474,360 light vehicles were sold in June, down from 1,519,175 in May and 1,519,249 a year ago.
