The scale of the US car market’s decline became clear today as American car makers posted an 18.8 per cent fall in year-on-year sales. Honda was one of a handful of manufacturers that bucked the declining trend, with US sales up by a significant 13.8 per cent. Notably Mercedes’s US sales also rose 12.9 per cent, its higher-end clientele yet to feel the pinch of rising fuel costs. All manufacturers are blaming the rising cost of petrol for the sales slump, with large high consumption vehicles that have traditionally been popular in America suffering the most dramatic losses. Worse performer was General Motor’s Hummer brand, which saw its sales plummet 60 per cent in a year.
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Re: Honda defies market downturn
Thanks Loather - you certainly know where to find all the data!
Re: Honda defies market downturn
Americans are at last trading in their wasteful behemoth cars, SUV's and trucks for more EFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE vehicles. Honda and Mercedes are amongst the leaders in building efficient and effective vehicles which still can delight with their road manners.
Even Toyota is suffering because like the US Big 3, its model program includes some behemoth SUV's and trucks.
It would be interesting to see Mercedes' US sales figures broken down by model. I would suspect that the recent increasing sales are in the V6 powered models as well as the new Diesel offerings.