Conventional analysis should have suggested that overall sales would be down for the most part in July when compared to a year before. July of 2009 was marked by the beginning of the highly-lucrative Cash for Clunkers program.
Surprisingly, however, although demand was lower for a few automakers – especially among lower-priced brands and models – overall sales were generally fairly strong. Luxury brands showed strength and, with the exception of Toyota and Honda, most mainstream brands appear to be normalizing.
Let’s have a look…
In Detroit, GM’s two lower volume brands, Buick and Cadillac, both saw especially strong months thanks to hot demand for their newest models. Sales of the Buick LaCrosse were up 362 percent to 7,047, although the Buick brand also saw good numbers for its dated Lucerne (up 58 percent to 3,010), suggesting strong fleet sales. Cadillac’s SRX continues to perform well, with sales up 750 percent to 5,723. It’s worth noting that the outgoing SRX had been out of production for several months at this time last year.
Ford saw more mixed demand overall, including a 29 percent decline (to 15,417) in Focus sales and a 1 percent drop (to 17,406) in Fusion sales. The automaker is set to close its Mercury brand by the end of the year, so the 31 percent overall drop off comes as no surprise. The 16 percent drop in demand for Lincoln doesn’t bode well for the luxury brand, however.
Chrysler, set to release a heavily revised lineup for 2011, saw decent overall numbers. Its Dodge Challenger and Dodge Journey models saw their best Julys ever, although the Chrysler Division saw a relatively large dip in demand.
Among Korea’s automakers, Kia saw its second best month ever thanks to continued strong demand for its Sorento SUV. Hyundai set a July record with sales up nearly across the board. Interestingly, the Elantra outsold the Sonata – due in part to limited stocks of Sonatas.
Luxury brands from Europe continue to show strength. Audi’s overall sales were strong, although a 14 percent drop in demand (to 2,665) for its best-selling A4 was a little rough. BMW saw solid numbers and even Saab’s 18 percent drop-off represents rapidly improving sales.
Japanese luxury brands saw some heat, too. Acura’s sales were up thanks in part to a sold 217 percent increase for the RDX. Infiniti, too, saw hot demand across the board.
Lexus, however, watched sales fall for its cars – although the GX 460 SUV continues to do well (up 93 percent to 1,175).
The two largest Japanese non-luxury brands saw a dip in demand. Honda saw at least an 18 percent dip for all of its cars, although strong numbers for the Pilot and Odyssey helped out.
It wasn’t a good month for Toyota. Only its redesigned Avalon saw an increase in sales among its cars, although its overall number was buoyed in part by good numbers for its Sienna, FJ Cruiser and 4Runner.
Mazda bucked the trend thanks to good Mazda6 and crossover sales. And Subaru, meanwhile, saw its best ever July, continuing its good news story. Nissan, Japan’s number three, watched sales increase for nearly all of its products.
Note that we are still waiting for sales figures from a few brands.
July’s Numbers
Acura – Up 45 percent to 13,017
Audi – Up 22 percent to 7,817
BMW – Up16 percent to 19,064
Buick – Up 137 percent to 16,799
Cadillac – Up 142 percent to 14,919
Chevrolet – Up 12 percent to 139,916
Chrysler – Down 11 percent to 14,692
Dodge – Flat at 30,916
Ford – Up 8 percent to 153,603
GMC – Up 27 percent to 27,798
Honda – Down 10 percent to 99,420
Hummer – Down 74 percent to 210
Hyundai – Up 19 percent to 54,106
Infiniti – Up 38 percent to 9,764
Jaguar –
Jeep – Up 19 percent to 26,466
Kia – Up 21 percent to 35,419
Land Rover –
Lexus – Down 3 percent to 18,595
Lincoln - Down 16 percent to 5,586
Maserati – Up 59 percent to 156
Mazda – Up 9 percent to 20,732
Mercedes-Benz – Up 11 percent to 18,048
Mercury – Down 31 percent to 6,903
Mitsubishi –
MINI - Down 11 percent to 4,326
Nissan – Up 12 percent to 72,573
Pontiac – Down 99 percent to 20
Porsche – Up 75 percent to 2,703
Ram – Up 11 percent to 21,239
Saab – Down 18 percent to 470
Saturn – Down 99 percent to 30
Subaru – Up 10 percent to 23,983
Suzuki – Down 44 percent to 1,952
Toyota (Includes Scion) – Down 7 percent to 150,629
Volkswagen – Up 13 percent to 23,880
Volvo – Down 33 percent to 4,319
BMW Group – Up 10 percent to 23,390
Chrysler – Up 5 percent to 93,313
Daimler – Up 5 percent to 18,619
Ford Motor Company (Includes Volvo) – Up 3 percent to 170,411
General Motors – Up 5 percent to 199,962
American Honda – Down 6 percent to 112,437
Hyundai Group – Up 20 percent to 89,525
Jaguar Land Rover – Up 46 percent to 3,808
Nissan North America – Up 15 percent to 82,337
Toyota USA – Down 7 percent to 169,224
2010 YTD Numbers
Acura – Up 24 percent to 74,134
Audi – Up 27 percent to 56,257
BMW – Up 9 percent to 119,696
Buick – Up 60 percent to 86,631
Cadillac – Up 46 percent to 79,704
Chevrolet – Up 28 percent to 922,359
Chrysler – Up 16 percent to 122,818
Dodge – Up 23 percent to 231,383
Ford – Up 26 percent to 1,013,656
GMC – Up 28 percent to 180,115
Honda – Up 8 percent to 632,212
Hummer – Down 55 percent to 3,139
Hyundai – Up 24 percent to 309,888
Infiniti – Up 25 percent to 57,064
Jaguar –
Jeep – Up 7 percent to 153,237
Kia – Up 16 percent to 205,488
Land Rover –
Lexus – Up 16 percent to 126,025
Lincoln – Up 4 percent to 49,348
Maserati – Up 55 percent to 1,068
Mazda – up 14 percent to 119,413
Mercury – Up 6 percent to 57,833
Mercedes-Benz – Up 23 percent to 125,015
MINI – Down 2 percent to 25,279
Mitsubishi –
Nissan – Up 15 percent to 82,337
Pontiac – Down 99 percent to 947
Porsche – Up 22 percent to 13,687
Ram – Down 8 percent to 113,094
Saab – Down 70 percent to 1,816
Saturn – Down 87 percent to 6,510
Subaru – Up 30 percent to 149,943
Suzuki – Down 48 percent to 13,501
Toyota (Includes Scion) – Up 6 percent to 889,741
Volkswagen – Up 28 percent to 149,892
Volvo – Down 10 percent to 32,525
American Honda – Up 9 percent to 706,346
BMW Group – Up 7 percent to 144,975
Chrysler – Up 11 percent to 620,532
Daimler – Up 16 percent to 129,001
Ford Motor Company (Includes Volvo) – Up 23 percent to 1,153,362
General Motors – Up 12 percent to 1,280,213
Hyundai Group – Up 21 percent to 515,376
Jaguar Land Rover – Up 18 percent to 24,623
Nissan North America – Up 25 percent to 522,669
Toyota USA – Up 8 percent to 1,015,766
Leftlane’s bottom line
July was an interesting month, to say the least. Strength from luxury brands – especially high-end offerings like Porsche, BMW and Audi – suggest that the automobile market is indeed recovering from the top-down.
In addition, relatively solid numbers almost across the board for most volume manufacturers – Ford, GM, Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan – are surprising given that all automakers experienced a strong surge in sales at the end of last July thanks to the Cash for Clunkers program.
Toyota’s faltering isn’t much of a surprise given its continued unintended acceleration headaches (although Camry sales were pretty much spot on with last July’s), but Honda’s drop off is something the Japanese brand should be concerned over.
