Several brands have reported a notable uptick in sales in the second quarter of 2023.
It's that time of the year when car manufacturers share second-quarter and year-to-date sales figures. Despite surging interest rates, tightening purse strings, and a generally tumultuous economy, it appears as if various companies are raking in the cash. Sales remain strong, but some brands are in a better position than others. We're going to look at several brands that have released figures so far, omitting those that are yet to disclose their sales numbers.
Audi
One of the more premium brands on our list, Audi has had a rather successful second quarter in 2023. The Ingolstadt-based brand delivered a grand total of 55,582 vehicles in Q2, up 16% compared to the same period last year. Leading the charge for Audi is the Q5 SUV, with 18,256 units finding new homes. This figure includes sales of the regular Q5, SQ5, Sportback, and plug-in hybrid derivatives.
The Q7 and A5 ranges were also strong performers, with 6,865 examples of the former leaving showroom floors in Q2. As for the A5 lineup (made up of the S5, RS5, Sportback, Coupe, and Cabriolet body styles), it pipped the Q7 by just three units.
The best-selling Audi EV in this period was the Q4 e-tron (1,942), followed by the e-tron GT (1,060) and the newly introduced Q8 e-tron (779). Audi has also included figures for the pre-facelift model, with the e-tron and e-tron Sportback pegged at 660 and 318, respectively.
Interestingly, sales of the TT sports car have increased by 69% to 208 units. As the iconic sports car bows out for good, Audi fans are likely trying to get their hands on one of the last examples. The R8 remains relatively exclusive, with just 90 customers signing on the dotted line, many of them likely taking delivery of the supercar in its final form, the GT RWD. Other slow sellers include the A8 luxury sedan (555) and the A7 (312).
Year-to-date figures show Audi has delivered 108,345 vehicles to American buyers – a significant 30% increase compared to last year's Q2 YTD figure of 83,554.
Honda/Acura
Honda and its premium sub-brand have managed to overcome myriad challenges to post commendable figures. With a combined 2023 Q2 sales tally of 347,025, the marque has managed to increase sales by a substantial 44.7% year-on-year.
Last year, the brand shared that industry issues were hampering production, which had a ripple effect on sales – but the worst seems to be behind Honda. The automaker has only shared specific sales figures for the month of June, and unsurprisingly, it's the CR-V (31,159) that led the way. The popular crossover was followed by the Accord (17,735) and Civic (15,979). Even the weakest seller, the Passport, still sold in reasonable numbers (3,710).
In June, the MDX was Acura's best-selling vehicle, with a recorded 5,048 examples sold. 2,608 units of the Integra were sold last month. In the first half of 2023, American Honda (which covers both brands) delivered 631,532 vehicles across America – 24.8% more than the same period last year.
Hyundai
The mighty Korean automaker sold a total of 210,164 vehicles in the second quarter, making for a 14% year-on-year improvement. Fleet sales contributed 9% of Hyundai's total volume during this period. We're going to use Q2 sales figures for various Hyundai models instead of June 2023 numbers.
In the second quarter, the Tucson was the best-seller (54,421), followed by the Elantra (42,265) and the much-loved Santa Fe (32,616). Sales of electrified vehicles went through the roof, with the automaker noting all-time best Q2 records for the Ioniq 5 (7,905), Kona EV, Elantra Hybrid, Tucson PHEV, and several other vehicles. The new Ioniq 6 managed a respectable 3,023 in the same period.
2023 year-to-date sales stand at 394,613, up 15% from 2022's 343,867. These numbers do not include Genesis or Kia sales.
Infiniti
While Infiniti has seen encouraging growth, it's still some way behind its rivals. The Nissan-owned luxury brand, once a strong seller in the USA, managed to shift just 16,529 vehicles in the second quarter of 2023. There's still reason to celebrate, though, as total sales have grown 56.5% from 2022's Q2 figure of 10,559.
This uptick in sales can be largely attributed to the success of the QX60, which was by far the most popular product at 7,731. Surprisingly, it's the outdated QX80 that takes second place, with Infiniti dealers moving a respectable 2,947 examples of the V8-powered behemoth. QX50 follows closely at 2,388.
Sadly, the rest of the lineup tells a dismal story. 1,829 units of the Q50 were sold in Q2, and while that's an improvement, it's still nowhere near enough. Infiniti has a plan to turn these humdrum figures around and intends to launch a bevy of new models (including two new EVs) in the coming year.
Total year-to-date figures for 2023 stand at 28,369.
Kia
Kia has chosen not to divulge second-quarter statistics, instead focusing on June and total year-to-date sales figures for its lineup. So far, the Korean automaker has sold a total of 394,333 in 2023, which represents an 18% increase over the first half of 2022.
This strong success can be traced back to individual models, with no fewer than eight models posting year-on-year sales increases. This includes the Carnival, Sportage, Soul, and Telluride ranges. Interestingly, sales of SUVs increased by 25% in the first six months of 2023, while electrified models also saw a 40% uptick.
With no second-quarter sales to cite, we're using Kia's June 2023 figures here. Sportage was the top seller (13,917) and was followed by the Forte (10,330) and the recently refreshed Telluride (9,534).
Interestingly, EV6 sales fell from 2,567 in June 2022 to 1,458 last month.
Nissan
Infiniti's parent company Nissan had a more prosperous second quarter than its luxury arm, with a total of 227,824 vehicles sold in the US during this period. That's a substantial 32% improvement over last year's figure of 172,612. The Rogue is responsible for a significant chunk, with the Japanese brand delivering 71,246 examples – nearly as much as the entire passenger car range combined.
The Sentra proved itself the most popular passenger vehicle, with 34,938 units leaving Nissan dealerships last month. The Altima also posted decent numbers (30,409), as did the Kicks (17,972) and Frontier (17,213).
It may have been the first mainstream EV, but consumers have clearly fallen out of love with the Leaf, with a mere 1,880 sold in the second quarter. Interestingly, the Armada outsold its Infiniti-badged QX80 sibling at 5,915. On the sports car front, just 74 GT-Rs were sold between April and June 2023. The Nissan Z, which is currently facing production issues, managed a more acceptable 500.
Total year-to-date Nissan division sales stand at 447,885 for 2023.
Stellantis
In the USA, Stellantis' offerings are spread across six brands: Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, and Ram. For Q2 2023, sales grew by 6% to 434,648. The strongest seller across the group comes from Ram, with its pickup truck range accounting for 117,699 of total sales. Overall, the Jeep brand was the best-performing, with a total of 181,284 sales between April and June.
The Grand Cherokee was the best performer here, with 70,454 units sold. The Wrangler comes in second at 46,671. Interestingly, Jeep sold considerably more Grand Cherokees than Chrysler (49,144), Alfa Romeo (2,311), and Fiat (144) combined.
Even though they will soon be discontinued, the Charger (24,604) and Challenger (12,904) continue to prove popular with buyers. The newly-launched Hornet (2,597) is outselling the Tonale (117) it is based on, and by a considerable margin too.
Overall, 2023 year-to-date sales have decreased by 1% from 813,742 in 2022 to 802,975 in 2023.
Subaru
Subaru has also chosen not to publish its second-quarter sales statistics, instead releasing its June 2023 and year-to-date figures. The Ebisu-based brand has sold a total of 304,092 for 2023 thus far, which is a 15.3% increase compared to last year's 263,795.
In June 2023 alone, the company shifted 55,168 units. It's the Outback (16,225) that takes the top spot, with the Crosstrek coming in second at 13,802. The Forester was also a popular choice, at 10,669, and was followed by the aging Ascent (5,889).
Unsurprisingly, it's the all-electric Solterra that sits near the bottom of the list, with a paltry 574 units leaving dealerships last month. WRX sales totaled 2,326, which is nearly as many as the Impreza (2,954) and Legacy (2,347). Overall, the BRZ is the slowest seller, with just 382 customers signing on the dotted line. Still, the little sports coupe saw a sales increase of 97.9% over June 2022's figures.
Keyword: Second Quarter Sales Figures Show US Car Sales Are On The Rise