Plummeting petrol prices and rising consumer confidence helped automakers close out the 2014 sales year in impressive style.
December US light vehicle sales grew 10.9% to 1.5m. The seasonally adjusted annualised rate (SAAR) was 16.92m for the month, 1.4m units ahead of December 2013.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Full year deliveries totaled more than 16.5m, the most sales in a single year since 2006. Annual sales have grown 58.5% since the collapse in 2009.
Every automaker finished in the black in December and records fell like a house of cards. More than a dozen new brand and manufacturer benchmarks were set last month.
FCA US, formerly known as Chrysler, set the pace for the US automakers with a 20% improvement as the Jeep and Ram brands set new, all time records.
General Motors was a surprise runner-up with a 19.3% gain that no one saw coming. Five vehicles set December records and seven set new annual sales records as GM’s retail sales rose 23%.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataFord almost met expectations: sales increased 1.3% in December but the folks in Dearborn ended 2014 in the red.
Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Hyundai and Kia brands all set new December records. Subaru and the Koreans also set new annual sales records.
Mazda didn’t set a record but it posted its best sales since 1994. Mitsubishi also ended the year on a strong note with its 10th consecutive month of improved sales.
Among the premium brands, the Germans have settled in at the top with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi taking three of the top four spots in both December and full year sales. Both BMW and Mercedes set new records with BMW setting an all-time record for brand sales and retaining the top spot in the segment. Lexus came in second in December and third for the year while Audi enjoyed its fourth straight year of record sales. Cadillac, once king of the hill, has fallen to sixth in the luxury standings.
Rolls-Royce celebrated its fifth consecutive record year recording its best sales in the marque’s 111-year history. The US is the largest market for what is arguably the world’s most prestigious brand.
Aided by low petrol prices, trucks captured 55% of December light vehicle sales and 52.1% of full year sales, up from 2013’s 53.5% and 50.1%, respectively.
SUVs and crossovers remained the hot segment led by a 14.2% increase in sales of luxury SUVs. Land Rover posted its best sales year ever in 2014 even though sales slumped a bit in December.
Jeep finished the year as the top SUV brand while GM sold the most crossovers and SUVs.
American full size pickups took the top three spots in both December and full year tallies. The Ford F-series racked up another year as the best-selling vehicle in North America.
While they account for less than 2% of sales, the commercial van market is heating up as the Euro-style vans take over. Ford didn’t miss a beat, easily retaining leadership in the segment as the new Transit broke the 10,000 sales mark. The Ram ProMaster (nee Fiat Ducato) posted the highest growth with sales up 62.2%. The Transit, ProMaster and Mercedes/Freightliner Sprinter claimed 53.6% of all commercial van sales.
While the pace of growth continued to slow in 2014, there is still room for optimism. Oil prices look like they will be depressed at least for the near future and wage pressure is beginning to be seen. With any luck, this will translate into more new vehicle customers for US dealers going into the new year.
| Manufacturer | Current Month – 12/14/2015 | Current Month – 12/13/2015 | Volume Change | Daily Sales Rate Change | Market Share – 12/14/2015 | Market Share – 12/13/2015 | Calendar Year-To-Date – 2014 | Calendar Year-To-Date – 2013 | Volume Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCA US LLC | 193261 | 161007 | 20% | 15.4% | 12.8% | 11.8% | 2090639 | 1800368 | 16.1% |
| Ford Motor Co. | 219369 | 216592 | 1.3% | -2.6% | 14.5% | 15.9% | 2471315 | 2485236 | -0.6% |
| General Motors Co. | 274483 | 230157 | 19.3% | 14.7% | 18.2% | 16.9% | 2935008 | 2786078 | 5.3% |
| Detroit Total | 687113 | 607756 | 13.1% | 8.7% | 45.6% | 44.7% | 7496962 | 7071682 | 6% |
| American Honda* | 137281 | 135255 | 1.5% | -2.4% | 9.1% | 9.9% | 1540872 | 1525312 | 1% |
| Mazda North America | 24808 | 22964 | 8% | 3.9% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 305801 | 283946 | 7.7% |
| Mitsubishi | 6545 | 6423 | 1.9% | -2% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 77643 | 62227 | 24.8% |
| Nissan North America* | 117318 | 109758 | 6.9% | 2.8% | 7.8% | 8.1% | 1386895 | 1248420 | 11.1% |
| Subaru* | 49923 | 40172 | 24.3% | 19.5% | 3.3% | 3% | 513693 | 424683 | 21% |
| American Suzuki | 0 | 0 | N/A | Disc. | 0% | 0% | 0 | 5946 | -100% |
| Toyota Motor Sales | 215057 | 190843 | 12.7% | 8.4% | 14.3% | 14% | 2373771 | 2236042 | 6.2% |
| Japan Total | 550932 | 505415 | 9% | 4.8% | 36.5% | 37.2% | 6198675 | 5786576 | 7.1% |
| Hyundai* | 64507 | 63005 | 2.4% | -1.6% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 725718 | 720783 | 0.7% |
| Kia* | 45587 | 33631 | 35.6% | 30.3% | 3% | 2.5% | 580234 | 535179 | 8.4% |
| Korea Total | 110094 | 96636 | 13.9% | 9.5% | 7.3% | 7.1% | 1305952 | 1255962 | 4% |
| BMW North America* | 48141 | 43981 | 9.5% | 5.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 395850 | 375782 | 5.3% |
| Daimler AG* | 38270 | 36690 | 4.3% | 0.3% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 366589 | 343614 | 6.7% |
| Jaguar Land Rover* | 7437 | 7308 | 1.8% | -2.1% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 67238 | 66962 | 0.4% |
| Maserati North America* | 1412 | 1053 | 34.1% | 28.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 12942 | 4768 | 171.4% |
| Volkswagen Group** | 56983 | 54716 | 4.1% | 0.1% | 3.8% | 4% | 598991 | 611043 | -2% |
| Volvo Cars North America | 4920 | 4888 | 0.7% | -3.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 56366 | 61233 | -7.9% |
| Other (est.) | 2626 | 1178 | 122.9% | 114.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 31505 | 26056 | 20.9% |
| Europe Total | 159789 | 149814 | 6.7% | 2.6% | 10.6% | 11% | 1529481 | 1489458 | 2.7% |
| Total Light Vehicles | 1507928 | 1359621 | 10.9% | 6.6% | 100% | 100% | 16531070 | 15603678 | 5.9% |
* indicates a sales record.
**Volkswagen Group figures include Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Volkswagen brands Other includes estimated sales for Aston-Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maybach, Rolls-Royce and Tesla
Source: Manufacturer’s reported sales
Copyright © 2015 just-auto.com
