AIADA: Import Sales Continue Spring Slump
The American International Automobile Dealers Association reports slumping sales for imports, particularly among sedans and coupes.
In April, U.S. sales of vehicles produced by Honda, including the Civic sedan, fell 6.3% compared to the same month a year ago. Photo courtesy American Honda Motor Co. Inc.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) released April's sales figures for the international nameplate automobile industry. Brands sold by America’s 9,600 international nameplate franchises accounted for 55.5% of all new vehicles sold in the United States in April, down from 56.2% in March.
According to AutoData Corp., the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for April 2017 was 16.88 million units vs. 17.40 million units a year ago, with total unit deliveries down 8.3% from March 2017. Industrywide, 1.43 million light vehicles were sold in April, down from 1.55 million units in March and 1.5 million units in April 2016. Unadjusted for business days, sales for all brands were down 4.7% from the same date a year ago. International brands as a whole were slightly better off, falling just 3.3% from a year ago.
Toyota’s sales slightly outperformed analyst’s expectations, falling just 3.5% from a year ago. Honda’s sales slipped 6.3%, Nissan saw a two-point reduction, and Hyundai remained nearly flat with a 0.9% dip. Subaru and Volkswagen bucked the industrywide slump, up 3.9% and 1.6%, respectively. Car sales held the bulk of the responsibility for last month’s downward trend, falling 11.1% from April 2016. Light trucks, meanwhile, held steady with just a 0.1% sales drop.
“We are certainly seeing a plateauing of the market,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “However, the industry is still operating very close to last year’s recordbreaking pace. Dealers recognize that the auto market has a cyclical nature, and they are prepared to ride out its ups and downs.”
International auto sales in the U.S. totaled 791,680 in April, down from 874,130 units in March and 818,308 units in April 2016. Asian brands occupied 46.5% of April’s market, down slightly from 47% in March and well ahead of the domestic nameplates’ 44.5% market share. Overall, Asian nameplate dealers sold 663,625 light vehicles last month, a 3.7% drop from a year ago.
European brands sold 128,055 light vehicles last month, down from 142,967 in March and 129,522 units a year ago. Their March sales were down 1.1% from April 2016.
To read AIADA’s complete coverage of April’s international nameplate auto sales, click here.
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