FCA, GM report big car sales drops due to coronavirus pandemic

It's hard to believe, but the second quarter of the year has come to a close. For automakers, it wasn't great news when it comes to sales, as you might expect.

As more automakers release their Q2 results, we'll update this story and include them below. So far, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, General Motors, Mazda and Hyundai have reported their results. It's worth noting there was one fewer selling day in June, with 25 days compared to 26 days in 2019.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

The US automaker saw sales decline by 39% year-over-year in Q2. Not a single FCA brand posted a gain, not even crown jewels Ram and Jeep. The truck and SUV devisions posted 35% and 27% sales decreases, respectively. Dodge and Chrysler didn't fare any better. Both brands posted drops, with the former reporting a 63% sales drop and the latter a 58% sales decrease. Fiat was down by 54% and Alfa Romeo reported a 21% decline.

General Motors

The largest US automaker said Q2 sales decreased by 34% year-over-year. Like other automakers, GM blamed the ongoing coronavirus pandemic for low demand, but it also cited manufacturing woes as plants began ramping back up in May. GM added it will continue work to increase vehicle supply in the weeks ahead and plants will work through the traditional summer shutdown.

No GM brand posted a sales gain, with Chevrolet sales down by 34%, Buick sales down by 36%, GMC sales down by 33% and Cadillac sales down by 41%. There were a few bright spots amid the sales drops, however: Chevy Blazer sales increased by 68% and GMC Sierra HD sales rose by 8%.

Hyundai

The South Korean brand reported a 24% sales decline in Q2 compared to this time last year. Hyundai did say retail sales grew by 6% in June, which may be a sign that car buyers are starting to return to the market. Fleet sales plunged by 93%, which isn't a surprise noting far lower levels of travel and low rental car take rates. (Hertz filed for bankruptcy in May, for example.)

The big winner? SUVs, of course. The Palisade saw sales grow by 34%, Santa Fe sales increased by 14% and the tiny Kona recorded a 1% sales increase from May to June.

Mazda

It's a mixed bag of news over at Japanese automaker Mazda. The automaker, which reports sales monthly and year-to-date, said June 2020 sales actually increased by 11% year-over-year, largely thanks to the new CX-30 crossover. Year-to-date, sales are down by 7%, however. The CX-9 also had a good month with sales up by 49%, and believe it or not, the company moved more MX-5 Miatas compared to this time last year. Sales of the sports car are up by 27%.