Chart Of The Day: U.S. SUV/Crossover Market Share Surges In July 2015

by Timothy Cain

Published: August 19th, 2015

chart of the day u s suv crossover market share surges in july 2015

U.S. sales of SUVs and crossovers jumped 14 percent in July 2015, a year-over-year improvement equal to more than 67,000 extra sales compared with July 2014.

As a result, just under 36 percent of the U.S. auto industry’s volume was produced by utility vehicles in July 2015, a three-percentage-point increase over the same period one year ago.

Passenger car volume, meanwhile, slid 3 percent last month, a drop of around 18,000 sales as the overall market grew by more than 5 percent, or 75,000 units.

Strengthened by new nameplates which only barely fit the already loose definition of an SUV/crossover/CUV – vehicles like the Honda HR-V and Fiat 500X – the utility vehicle sector’s share of the market has increased, on a month-to-month basis, in six of the last twelve months. While this suggests that the upward trend is gradual, recent gains are clearly more rapid.

As recently as March, for example, “only” 33 percent of the new vehicles sold in the United States were SUVs and crossovers, on par with figures from last summer and below the level of last November, January, and February.

July’s quick rise to 36 percent didn’t occur simply as a result of new nameplates, of course. 16 of the 20 most popular utility vehicles in America in July posted year-over-year improvements, including ab0ve-average increases from the Nissan Rogue, Ford Explorer, Jeep Wrangler, Chevrolet Traverse, Hyundai Santa Fe, GMC Acadia, Ford Edge, and Jeep Patriot.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

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SCE to AUX on Aug 19, 2015

Cheap gas. Which also largely accounts for the recent surge in traffic deaths.

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PrincipalDan on Aug 19, 2015

The Acadia and Traverse must be selling on price because they are some of the "old men" of the segment, despite having had face lifts. The Patriot although old is popular for being one of the cheapest ways to get into a Jeep.

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- Bts on Aug 19, 2015
  
  Having looked at the choices available, the Traverse, Acadia, and Enclave are still quite competitive. Their engines were ahead of their time with direct injection when they were introduced, and their styling is some of the best in the segment.
  
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