August 2016 Auto Sales: FCA Gains, While Ford and GM are Down

The second half of 2016 continues to be a struggle for General Motors and Ford. Both automakers reported a decline in sales for the month of August, with GM selling 256,429 units (down 5.2 percent) and Ford selling 214,482 vehicles (down 8.4 percent). Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, however, managed to increase its sales by 3 percent in August (196,756 vehicles sold), with Jeep once again posting strong numbers through most of its lineup.

When it comes to year-to-date sales, FCA and Ford are in better shape than GM. With 1.5 million vehicles sold through the month of August, FCA is up 5 percent compared to the same period last year, while Ford has sold about 1.8 million units thus far, which is an increase of 1.9 percent. GM has both of them beat on total volume with a little less than 2 million vehicles sold, though that number is a drop of 4.2 percent.

Below are the auto sales winners and losers for August 2016:

GM

Winner: Buick Verano (4,652 sales, +75.7 percent)

Apparently news of the Buick Verano’s impending death hasn’t scared off customers because the small sedan saw a huge jump in sales last month. Earlier this year, Buick admitted sedan sales were slipping while crossovers like the Encore continue to do well. Interestingly enough, Encore sales slipped last month by 7 percent, though the tiny crossover continues to be Buick’s volume leader.

Loser: Buick LaCrosse (1,598 sales, -64.6 percent)

The all-new 2017 Buick LaCrosse is slowly trickling into U.S. showrooms, which likely explains the drop in sales for the large sedan. With new styling and technology, the 2017 LaCrosse is targeted to take on the Kia Cadenza, Toyota Avalon, and other semi-premium large sedans.

Ford

Winner: Lincoln MKX (2,643 sales, +49.9 percent)

The midsize MKX managed to outsell the smaller MKC last month. Honorable mention goes to the quirky and boxy Ford Flex, which saw a 40.3-percent increase in sales last month with 1,828 units sold.

Loser: Ford Fusion (19,052 sales, -32.6 percent)

The Fusion was Ford’s second-best selling vehicle for the month (after the Escape), though the sedan had a relatively significant slip in sales compared to August 2015. Perhaps folks are holding out for the souped-up 2017 Ford Fusion Sport?

FCA

Winner: Jeep Cherokee (23,932 sales, +41 percent)

The Jeep brand had another excellent month, with the Cherokee leading the way in volume and sales increases compared to August 2015. Sales of the Dodge Viper and Journey were also up, 57 and 40 percent, respectively.

Loser: Chrysler 200 (4,210 sales, -66 percent)

Sales of the Chrysler 200 continue to slip, further solidifying the fact that the sedan’s days are numbered. Other FCA vehicles struggled last month as well, including the Alfa 4C (down 62 percent) and the Fiat 500L (down 58 percent).

Source: The Automakers

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