The big three Japanese automakers, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota, posted slight declines for May 2016 compared to May 2015. Toyota had the largest decline at 9.5 percent compared to May 2015. Honda and Nissan, on the other hand, had a decrease of 4.8 percent and 1 percent, respectively, compared to May 2015. Looking at the luxury divisions, Lexus is down 10.1 percent while Infiniti gained 3.4 percent compared to last year. Honda’s Acura division, on the other hand, is down 20.4 percent, the largest among Japanese luxury automakers.
In total, the Toyota brand sold 192,657 units while the Lexus division moved 26,682 cars. Nissan takes second place for May 2016, moving 133,496 units, slightly lower than May of last year, while its Infiniti brand was able to sell 10,828 vehicles. Bringing up the rear is Honda, which moved 133,547 units for May 2016. The Acura division sits right in between Lexus and Infiniti at 13,561 vehicles sold, though as previously mentioned sales are down the most of any Japanese luxury marque. Crossovers continue to sell better than their car counterparts across all manufacturer lineups in both mainstream and luxury segments.
Here are the winners and losers for May 2016 among the big three Japanese automakers.
Honda
Winner: Honda HR-V (+15.8 percent, 7,392 units sold)
Honda’s practical and sensible HR-V has gathered momentum, and like many other crossovers, more units are finding homes across the U.S. Other strong performers for the Honda brand include the new Civic, which is now available as a coupe, and will also be available as a four-door hatchback. Civic sales totaled 35,396 units for the month of May, making it the volume leader for the brand.
Loser: Acura RLX (-46.9%, 127 units sold)
Like its predecessor, the Acura RLX continues to sell in small numbers even after receiving a mild refresh. Other poor performers under the Honda and Acura brands include the TLX, Fit, and MDX crossover, which has been recently refreshed for the 2017 model year.
Nissan
Winner: Nissan Maxima (+218.9 percent, 5,032 units sold)
Nissan’s flagship sedan, the Maxima, gained sales momentum compared to last year thanks mainly to the outgoing car winding down as the current one went on sale in May 2015. The refreshed and lengthened Infiniti QX50 was also a surprise seller and saw a 558.1-percent increase over last May. Sales volume remains relatively low, however, at just 1,632 units moved. Two other surprises in the Nissan lineup include the Versa subcompact car and the aging Nissan Frontier midsize pickup, which saw sales grow by 19.7 percent and 46 percent, respectively, compared to May 2015.
Loser: Nissan Leaf (-53.5 percent, 979 units sold)
Despite a substantial update that included a range increase, and a new multimedia interface for SV and SL models, the Nissan Leaf EV failed to gain more sales for May of 2016. The Infiniti Q50 was one of the poor performers under the Infiniti brand but this could be attributed mainly to 2016 models barely hitting showrooms.
Toyota
Winner: Toyota RAV4 (+12 percent, 32,261 units sold)
The recently refreshed RAV4’s strong May performance helps prove that crossovers are here to stay. The small Toyota CUV was the third highest-selling model in Toyota’s lineup, just behind the Camry and Corolla. The low-volume Toyota Land Cruiser also did well, no doubt thanks to a significant refresh last year. Sales were up 31.3 percent, with 315 high-profit-margin SUVs sold. Other strong performers include the Lexus RX and Toyota 4Runner.
Loser: Toyota Yaris (-48.5 percent, 1,236 units sold)
Sales for the aging Toyota Yaris continue to go down, and it can be mainly attributed to the car not receiving many updates to keep up with its competitors. The Lexus CT, Scion FR-S (Toyota 86 for 2017), Toyota Prius, Lexus GS, Toyota Avalon, and Lexus IS continue to decline in sales volume as crossovers gain more market share.
Source: The Automakers
The post May 2016 Auto Sales: Toyota, Honda,Nissan Post Slight Declines appeared first on Motor Trend.
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