April 2009 new car sales in the U.S. market were down once again, a drop of 34.4% over April 2008. Moreover, nearly 40,000 fewer new vehicles were sold in April compared to March 2009, even with one more selling day for April.
Finding Good News Amongst The Carnage
Reading some of the news releases from the manufacturers and you would think that April was a good month. Not surprising, since PR folks are looking for every possible ray of light and when they find one are eager to reflect the good news.
Take Ford: As the Blue Oval continues to map out its future, one where they’ll likely pass its chief rival, General Motors, sometime this year or next, the company was quick to emphasize the acceptance of their all-new mid-size sedans — the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ and the hybrid variants offered with the first two models. According to Autodata, Ford sales were off 31.5%, but the company sold more midsize vehicles than expected while also picking up market share. Best news of all, Ford passed Toyota in sales for the month.
Chrysler continues to struggle as its current bankruptcy state and pending relationship with Fiat unfolds. Although Mitsubishi posted the worst month over month loss of any full line manufacturer at 55.9%, Chrysler showed the biggest drop amongst the Big Six, falling 48.1% for the month. That bad news hasn’t stopped Chrysler from touting its good news which included both the Dodge Challenger and Chrysler Town & Country seeing a sales increase over the previous month while the Jeep Wrangler saw its sales increase by 7% over April 2008. Chrysler was also one of the most vocal in claiming that the market may have finally stabilized.
More Good News To Report
Among the other manufacturers offering their reports the following good news could be found:
- Kia says that its all-new Soul, the Scion-like urban utility vehicle sold 3,228 units for April.
- The Audi A5 increased 40% in sales over April 2008.
- Sales for the luxury Hyundai Genesis continue to climb, reaching 2,076 units for the month.
- Honda had the best performance of all Big Six automakers, dropping 25.3% for the month, its best month so far in 2009. Sales of the redesigned Acura TSX are up for the year by nearly 6% over 2008.
- Wounded GM continues to lead all manufacturers maintaining a 38,000 vehicle cushion over its closest competitor which for April was Ford. Monthly sales for April were actually up 11% over March. With Pontiac winding down and with Saab, Saturn and Hummer all expecting to be sold or closed down before the year ends, GM’s hold on the top position looks precarious at best.
Looking Forward to the Coming Months
The months ahead are a big question mark for all manufacturers as future sales hinge on two events: an economic recovery as well as a “cash for clunkers” program now being considered by the U.S. Congress. An improvement in the former and the implementation of the latter could go far to stimulate sales, perhaps bringing about a sustained recovery.
Related Reading — Sales Data Shows Promise Amid The Gloom
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