New light-vehicle sales rose 1.9 percent to 8,617,655 in the first half — a pleasant surprise given those not-so-great expectations we began the year with.
Still, most analysts project U.S. sales will end 2018 below 17 million for the first time since 2014, given rising interest rates. It seems the 5.2 percent jump in June didn't change those analytical minds.
Whatever, a few records are still likely to fall in 2018 — see Jeep, Ford F series, Audi, Subaru and overall crossover sales. Here are a few highlights from a darn respectable first half.
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CROSSOVERS CATAPULT PAST CARS
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They call it a truck boom, but it's really about the crossovers, of course. SUVs, pickups and vans combined rose 5.8 percent in the first half, while crossovers soared 14 percent to 3,249,455 — 38 percent of the market and almost 500,000 units more than car sales. In the first half of 2017, cars outsold crossovers 3,123,262 to 2,862,335.
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CAN JEEP CLIMB TO A MILLION?
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That's a big mountain, but sales topped 495,000 in the first half, or 25,000 more than the brand has sold in the first or second half of any year. So, a million Jeep sales in a single year seems doable sooner (as in 2018) rather than later.
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NOT ALL CARS ARE CLUNKERS
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There's one car segment that eked out a year-on-year gain in the first half — large luxury vehicles, up 1.5 percent. Big drivers in this contrarian category? Cadillac XTS (+16%), Mercedes-Benz S class (+11%), Volvo 90 (+37%) and Lexus LS (+136%)
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WE HAVE THE LUXURY OF A LUXURY RACE AGAIN
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In the premium wars, Mercedes-Benz has been in command for the past couple of years. But that fine old duel with BMW is heating up again. Bimmer outsold its German rival in June, 29,407 to 26,191, pulling within 6,000 units for the year. This time in 2017, Mercedes had nearly a 13,000-unit lead.
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CROWDED SUPERTANKERS
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Imports from Japan rose 9.1 percent from January to June, surpassing 1 million first-half sales of made-in-Japan vehicles for the first time since 2008.
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BIG PRICES FOR BIG TRUCKS
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Kelley Blue Book says average transaction prices for full-size models in June rose 5 percent to just over $49,000, behind new models and a richer trim mix.
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THE F SERIES' RECORD-SETTING PACE
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For the country's best-selling vehicle, these are the new good old days. With first-half sales of 451,138, the Ford F series is outpacing the first half of 2004, when it sold a record 939,511 pickups.
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WHO NEEDS CARS? NOT FCA
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Retail sales for FCA US rose to 155,208 in June, the highest level it's been at since 2004. Imagine if the company still had a viable car business.
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AUDI'S NEVER-ENDING STORY
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The brand's industry-best streak of year-over-year monthly sales increases has extended to 104 months. June deliveries rose 0.3 percent (hey, that's not much) to 19,471 on the strength of its A4 sedan and the Q5 and Q7 crossovers.
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THE JETTA BRAND IS NOW THE TIGUAN BRAND
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The long-wheelbase Tiguan, introduced last year, has accounted for more than 25 percent of Volkswagen's total sales through the first half of the year.
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HYUNDAI HOLDS ON
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Through June, Subaru came within 5,000 units of outselling the Hyundai brand in the U.S. If Subaru comes out on top this year, it will be the 11th brand it has passed in the last 11 years. Still, Hyundai was up 20 percent in June and outsold Subaru for the month — so this is not a done deal.
Sources: Automotive News Data Center and company reports