Decline in the final quarter pushes segment into a loss in 2017, despite Nissan Armada’s surging popularity
Sales in the US large SUV segment fell by 6.9% to 102,710 in the fourth quarter of 2017, pushing the segment to an overall loss in 2017, with sales falling by 0.5% to 342,525. While this represents only a small fall on the 344,235 cars sold in 2016, itself an eight-year high, it is useful to keep in mind that this is less than half the number of cars sold [Read more…]
Sales of the new Nissan Armada soar as those of other models shrink
Growth in the Large SUV segment in the US went into full reverse in the third quarter – after growing by 26% in the first quarter and marginally shrinking in the second, sales fell by 11% in the latest quarter. While YTD growth remains positive at 2.5%, the total number of cars sold over the first three quarters of the year remained below quarter million at 239,815, making this the smallest from among non-luxury SUV segments. The all-new Nissan Armada is now the only model whose sales have been growing all year long, though this may change as it is about to be joined by an all-new Ford Expedition in the showrooms this fall.
Despite slowdown in Q2, full-sized SUVs the fastest growing mainstream segment, GM still dominant
The Large SUV segment stalled in the second quarter with a sales decrease of 1%. However, Q1 volume was so good that the segment is still the fastest growing mainstream segment in the US with an increase of 11% to 157,084 units. And though that may seem like a lot, remember that 15 years ago GM alone sold more than half a million units of its Chevy and GMC full-sized SUVs in a full year. In Q2, all but one of the models in this segment lost volume, but 5 out of the 8 nameplates are still in the positive for the first half. The all-new Nissan Armada is the fastest growing model in the segment by far and the only nameplate in the positive for Q2, followed by the Ford Expedition, even before the all-new generation arrives in showrooms this fall
Sales in the Large SUV segment increased by 25.9% in Q1 of 2017, after already improving more than 20% in 2016. A total of 80,604 large SUVs were sold in the US in the first three months of the year, making it the second-fastest growing segment overall and the fastest growing mainstream segment. Still, it’s a far cry from the 750,000 annual units the segment sold in the first few years of the new millennium so there’s plenty of room to grow, especially with continued low gas prices. Each of the segment’s 8 models increased its volume, of which only one with single digits. The Nissan Armada even more than doubles up thanks to the new model generation, while 2017 will also bring an all-new Ford Expedition.
Sales in the Large SUV segment increased by 21.8 percent in 2016, making it the second-fastest growing segment, behind the 44.1 percent achieved by the Subcompact SUV segment, but ahead of the 21.0 percent achieved by the Premium Compact SUV segment. What’s even more remarkable is that this growth was driven by a surge in the second half of the year that saw sales rise by 34.9 percent, the fastest growth from among segments. Still, the lower year-0n-year growth saw the Large SUV segment fall behind the Subcompact SUV segment in sales terms, making it the smallest mainstream SUV segment, with 2016 sales of 344,235 only a little over half of what they were in 2006 (620,283). 2017 may finally see the introduction of an all-new Ford Expedition, a car that by some measures could be thought of as the oldest mass-produced model on the US market (even though theoretically in its third generation, the current Expedition can trace its roots to the first model introduced in 1997, which is obvious when you compare the doors or the windows).
Sales of Large SUVs surged 32% in the third quarter of 2016, which brings the year-to-date increase to 15%, up from 5% in the first half of the year. With 92,630 sales, the volume in Q3 was so impressive that it accounts for 40% of the segment volume so far this year (233,971 sales), compared to 35% last year. And the sudden spike in popularity of these juggernauts of the streets can’t be attributed to a single model, as only one of the segment’s eight players shows a loss of volume in the quarter, and all but one of the rest improves with double digits.
Sales in the Large SUV segment grew by 12 percent in the second quarter of the year, faster than in either the Compact SUV or Mid-sized SUV segments. Overall, the growth since the beginning of the year is a more modest 5 percent, bringing the total of the cars sold to 141,341. [Read more…]
Sales of large SUVs in the US are back into positive territory as volume increased by just 1.2% in Q1 of 2016, after dropping 4.5% in 2015. The dominant brand in this segment is losing share as both of its entries lost volume, with the Chevrolet Tahoe down 3% and the Chevrolet Suburban down 10%. The Tahoe is still firmly in the lead of the segment, selling almost twice as much as its nearest competitor, but the Suburban’s #2 spot is now threatened by the Ford Expedition, helped by a recent facelift to gain 11% on last year. However, Chevy’s losses are offset by increased popularity of the GMC versions, and as a result total GM sales of large SUVs are virtually stable, and the company still controls almost 73% of the segment. That also means General Motors will be making more money on them, as the GMC Yukon (up 11%) and Yukon XL (up 12%) demand higher transaction prices and thus fatter margins than their Chevy twins, especially in the popular top-of-the-line Denali versions.
Sales of large SUV are up 8.8% in the last quarter of 2015 to soften the full-year loss to 4.5%, up from -10% after the first three quarters. The GMC Yukon and Yukon XL are to thank for that year-end rally as they were up 16% and 14% in Q4 respectively. That makes them the only two models in the top-5 to improve their volume on last year as they both score their highest sales since 2007. It also helps the Yukon move past the Ford Expedition for the very first time ever to make it an all-GM podium, also a first. General Motors’ share of the segment remains stable at over 75%.
The Large SUV segment continued shrinking in Q3, with sales down by 10% compared to the same period last year. While the low gas prices seem to have benefited most other SUV segments, these ladder-on-frame dinosaurs clearly have a hard time getting back into favor with customers, possibly due to increasing competition from much newer, and better, competition from the Large Premium SUV segment. [Read more…]