Loyalty to Sedans Remains Strong as SUVs Grow
Jumpstart’s latest report shows loyalty to sedans continues to grow despite exponential gains in all SUV segments.
SUVs such as the Mazda CX-9 continue to draw interest from car shoppers, but many remain loyal to sedans, according to the latest report from Jumpstart Automotive Media. Photo courtesy Mazda USA
SAN FRANCISCO — Jumpstart Automotive Media has released its share of shopper interest data for the month of May. The report reveals that shopper interest across all luxury SUV/CUV segments is up 2% from April.
The report also shows that loyalty to midsize sedans is strong, with 49% of midsize sedan shoppers exclusively looking at vehicles in this category, and interest in midsize sedans across Jumpstart’s portfolio of sites is up for the second consecutive month (+4% in April and May).
“As shopper interest in SUVs and CUVs has grown exponentially over the past few years, luxury auto brands have been expanding their lineups to include more size, feature, and price-point options. And we’re seeing that these brands are now experiencing broad audience appeal,” said Libby Murad-Patel, vice president of marketing and strategic insights for Jumpstart.
Murad-Patel added that, despite experiencing an 11% decrease in loyalty in 2015 and 2016, interest in midsize sedans has grown every month this year. “As loyalty continues to be a challenge, especially amidst the growth in SUV and CUV options, this is impressive.”
Among other findings, Jumpstart’s report revealed that the Ford EcoSport, Nissan Rogue Sport and Toyota C-HR are leading the charge in the subcompact SUV segment, which grew by 15% in May. Minivans drew 13% more shopper interest when compared to the year-ago period, led by the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and Honda Odyssey.
Toyota and Mazda both enjoyed 6% gains. In addition to the brand-new C-HR, interest in Toyota vehicles was led by the Yaris (19%), RAV4 (16%) and Corolla (15%). Mazda’s most sought-after models were the CX-9 (up 20%), MX-5 Miata (18%) and Mazda6 (17%).
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