Cain's Segments: Small Luxury Crossover Sales In The United States – February 2015

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

Sales of small luxury crossovers jumped 40% in February 2015 and so far this year are up 40% compared with the first two months of 2014.

Subtract the newcomers from that equation and the continuing nameplates, those which were on sale at this time last year, posted a 3% February improvement but are down 1% through two months.

Those new players – NX, MKC, Macan, X4 – generated 29% of the small lux CUV activity in January and February. Yet their collective arrival, both at the lower end with the NX and MKC and at the higher end with the Macan and X4, aren’t slowing down the Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, and Range Rover Evoque.

The RDX is the class leader at the start of 2015, just as it was in calendar years 2013 and 2014. Interestingly, the Lexus NX has taken off early on in its tenure, generating more sales than the slowing (and aging) Audi Q5 and all other German contenders.

AutoFeb. 2015Feb. 2014% Change2 mos. 20152 mos. 2014% ChangeAcura RDX3,8622,91132.7%7,3795,64130.8%Lexus NX2,666——5,478——Audi Q52,4932,643-5.7%5,4205,4170.1%BMW X33,1243,301-5.4%4,4656,000-25.6%Volvo XC601,9541,14670.5%3,4712,08866.2%Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class1,7812,624-32.1%3,1794,926-35.5%Lincoln MKC1,558——3,160——Land Rover Range Rover Evoque1,10792719.4%2,5101,80639.0%Porsche Macan624——1,420——BMW X4466——862——Infiniti QX50177220-19.5%365417-12.5%Land Rover LR210358-97.2%46721-93.6%—— —————Total19,82214,13040.3% 37,755 27,016 39.7%

The Q5’s slowdown occurs in conjunction with the Q3’s arrival. Combined Q3/Q5 volume is up 35% through two months; the duo was up 34% in February 2015 compared with February 2014, when the Q3 wasn’t yet on sale.

The situation was similar at Mercedes-Benz, where the sharp downturn in sales of the aging GLK takes place as the GLA begins to roundly and routinely outsell its more costly sibling. Combined sales are up 41% this year compared with the first two months of 2014 when the GLK was on its own to collect Mercedes-Benz small SUV buyers.

Other utility vehicles worth mentioning in this group are the entry-level trio from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz (Q3, X1, GLA sales totalled 7073 units in January and February), the Cadillac SRX (which starts below $38,000 and is down 23% to 7294 year-to-date), and the Lexus RX, America’s top-selling premium brand utility vehicle. RX sales are up 16% to 13,059 in early 2015, not slowed in the least by the NX.

We make a large number of crossovers eligible for this grouping, including the especially premium-priced Evoque, Macan, and X4. The next big change in the category? Land Rover’s Discovery Sport will bring seven-seat availability to the mix.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures.

Timothy Cain
Timothy Cain

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  • Slance66 Slance66 on Mar 26, 2015

    I called off my car shopping to wait for the Discovery Sport. I looks like exactly what I need and want. Perfect size. Land Rover is slated to replace the LR4 next year at this time, with a new Discovery. It will undoubtedly look more or less like a larger Discovery Sport. I think the Discovery badge will come to the USA as well this time.

    • See 1 previous
    • Slance66 Slance66 on Mar 26, 2015

      @Corey Lewis Well we don't quite have it now. But I'm waiting! Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh.

  • 2drsedanman 2drsedanman on Mar 26, 2015

    Now that there is a HR-V and CX3 size CUVs, I wonder how long it will be before these current "small crossovers" morph into something larger? Remember when the Civic and Tercel/Corolla were the small, entry level cars? I'm not sure why automakers continue to outgrow their classes, only to make another smaller model to replace the one that just moved up a size. Glad to see Mazda take the opposite approach with the Miata.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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