November 2016 Auto Sales: Volkswagen, Japanese Brands Up

Automakers today reported sales for November 2016 and nearly all major players saw gains thanks to high demand for crossovers and trucks. Among the Detroit Three, only FCA saw a decline of 14 percent, while Ford and GM gained by 5 percent and 8 percent, respectively. In total, FCA sold 160,827 vehicles while Ford and GM sold 197,574 vehicles and 252,644 vehicles, respectively, thanks to the latter two companies making sales gains across their entire brand portfolio.

The big three Japanese automakers, Toyota, Honda and Nissan, all saw sales gains. Toyota gained 4.3 percent overall despite its Lexus division dropping 1 percent compared to November 2015. American Honda saw a gain of 6.5 percent overall thanks to the Honda brand gaining 7.9 percent and high demand for its small cars and crossovers. Nissan also saw a 7.5-percent increase compared to last November due to the strength of its crossover and truck sales.

Despite having to deal with its diesel emissions scandal, Volkswagen sales are up by 24.2 percent due in part to an increase in demand for the Golf family of compact cars. Strong demand for crossovers has also led to continued increases in sales for the aging Tiguan crossover, which is expected to be replaced by a second-generation model sometime soon.

Here are the winners and losers from each major automaker for the November 2016 sales roundup.

FCA

Winner: Jeep Renegade (10,067 units, 30 percent)

The smallest Jeep, the Renegade, dominated the brand’s sales and was the only vehicle to see an increase. Following closely is the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, which saw a 13-percent sales boost compared to the previous month with 8,753 units finding homes. Surprisingly, the Fiat 500 hatchback saw an 18-percent sales gain to 1,147 units for November 2016, making it the only model to see a sales gain in the Fiat brand.

Loser: Chrysler 200 (2,849 units, -72 percent)

It was another rough month for the Chrysler 200 with a sales drop of 72 percent to 2,849 units. Along with the Dodge Dart, which was down 69 percent, the Chrysler 200 will be discontinued in the very near future. The Fiat 500L and 500X saw sales plummet by 58 percent and 49 percent, respectively, compared to November 2015.

Ford

Winner: Ford Expedition (5,204 units, 74.6 percent)

Despite its age, the Ford Expedition still managed to improve its sales for November 2016 and it was the biggest increase across both Ford and Lincoln brands. Right behind the Expedition is the Edge crossover, which saw a 32.2-percent gain compared to November 2015. The F-Series trucks, Police interceptor, and E-Series commercial vans continue to do well, with all models seeing gains. The F-Series was once again Ford’s volume leader in November, with 72,089 units sold.

Loser: Ford Transit Connect (2,721 units, -35.8 percent)

Despite it being one of the newer commercial vehicles in Ford’s lineup, the Transit Connect didn’t sell too well, dropping 35.8 percent compared to November 2015. The larger Transit also saw sales drop by 23 percent to 7,379 units versus 9,584 units in November 2015. Ford car sales continue to drop with the Mustang, Focus, Fiesta, Fusion, and Taurus all seeing declines.

GM

Winner: Chevrolet Malibu (18,577 units, 71.8 percent)

 

The Chevrolet Malibu is one of a number of cars to see sales gains, and for November 2016 its sales were the highest across all of GM’s brands. Sales of the Cruze compact car also saw slight gains while the Volt plug-in made a significant 27.8-percent leap in sales compared to November 2015 from 1,980 to 2,531 units.

Loser: Chevrolet Impala (6,082 units, -42 percent)

Large car sales continue to dwindle, and as a result not many examples of the Chevrolet Impala found homes. The aging three-row Enclave saw its sales drop by 24.7 percent and the Cadillac ATS dropped by 27.5 percent. Other GM vehicles that saw declines include the Buick LaCrosse (-27.6 percent) and the Cadillac CTS (-14.9 percent).

Toyota

Winner: Toyota Highlander (21,241 units, 66.7 percent)

 

Toyota’s venerable three-row crossover, the Highlander, continues its sales streak for another month and remains one of the Japanese automaker’s best-seller. Other vehicles seeing sales gains include the Lexus NX (up 55.9 percent), the Lexus IS (up 16.6 percent), and Toyota Sequoia (up 15.3 percent).

Loser: Lexus GS (1,201 units, -44.8 percent)

Even in the luxury segment, sedan sales are in decline and the Lexus GS is now losing ground due to consumer demand for crossovers. Things are no better in the mainstream segment as sales of the Camry and Prius have dropped by 8.9 percent and 16.5 percent, respectively. The Camry is still one of Toyota’s biggest breadwinners with sales of 28,189 units for the month.

Honda

Winner: Honda HR-V (8,141 units, 132.3 percent)

Honda’s small crossover, the HR-V has continued to build momentum, and for November 2016 it saw the highest gains across the Honda brand. Its platform-mate, the subcompact Fit, continues to see sales gains with a 42.8-percent increase compared to November 2015. At Acura, the three-row MDX continues to be the sales leader with 4,622 units sold, a 13-percent improvement over last year.

Loser: Acura ILX (772 units, 47.5 percent)

Acura’s entry-level model, the ILX, loses out as the model that saw the largest decline in Honda’s auto sales. With the arrival of the significantly improved 10^th-generation Honda Civic and weakening sedan sales, demand for the ILX is slowing down. Other Honda group vehicles that saw sales declines include the Acura TLX (-23.6 percent) and the Honda Pilot (-17.8 percent).

Nissan

Winner: Nissan Titan (3,329 units, 363 percent)

The Nissan Titan sees the largest gain among Nissan vehicles for another month with a massive 363-percent increase. The gigantic leap is likely due to sales of last-gen Titans winding down in November 2015. Now available in two sizes and with a 5.0-liter turbodiesel V-8, the Titan’s appeal has been expanded thanks to its wide range of configurations and two powertrain options. In addition to being up month-over-month, the Titan is up 57.2 percent in year-to-date sales with 17,484 units moved. Other Nissan vehicles that saw gains include the Murano (36.1 percent) and the Pathfinder (33.5 percent). Meanwhile, the Nissan Rogue was the single best-selling nameplate in November with sales of 26,629 units, up 18 percent.

Loser: Nissan Quest (117 units, -87.7 percent)

Nissan’s Quest minivan takes the cake for biggest drop in sales in the Japanese automaker’s lineup, selling only 117 units for November 2016 compared to 953 examples in November 2015. Alongside the Quest, the Juke subcompact crossover also saw a sharp decline of 36 percent, selling only 1,215 units for the month.

Volkswagen

Winner: Volkswagen Golf SportWagen (2,174 units, 246.2 percent)

For the second month, Volkswagen’s best-seller is the practical Golf SportWagen, which sees a 246.2-percent sales increase compared to November 2015. Except for one variant, the entire Golf family saw sales improvements that culminated in a significant increase of 57.8 percent. The Tiguan crossover, despite its age, continues to sell well with a 15.6-percent increase.

Loser: Volkswagen CC (268 units, -43.6 percent)

The swoopy Volkswagen CC was the slowest selling model for Volkswagen, dropping 43.6 percent compared to the same month in 2015. A replacement, possibly called the Arteon, is expected to debut at the 2017 Geneva auto show. Other Volkswagen vehicles that saw declines include the Touareg (-12.3 percent) and the Jetta sedan (-7.3 percent).

Source: The Automakers

 

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