The Honda CR-V overtakes its main competitor the Toyota RAV4 in April.
The U.S. new light vehicle market in April is estimated to grow by 13% year-on-year on an updated year-ago volume to 1.35 million units, with a SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualised Rate of sales) up to 15.9 million units vs. just over 14 million in April 2022. This is the highest SAAR in over a year, showing that the market is on the mend indeed. It looks like higher interested rates, elevated prices and fear of recession were counterbalanced by easing stock issues, job growth and wage increases. Incentives are also on the up as inventory bounces back up from historic lows. The average daily selling rate, calculated over 26 days, is up 13.1% to 51,814 vs. 45,794 a year ago. For once passenger cars grow faster than light trucks at +11.1% year-on-year vs. +8.4%. Light truck still account for an overwhelming 79% of the market.
A lot of manufacturers now only report quarterly and therefore are not included in this dataset. Among groups still reporting monthly, Toyota Motor (+0.7%) and Ford Motor (+3.8%) can’t catch up with the overall market growth, with Toyota Motor now down -6.2% year-to-date. In contrast Hyundai-Kia (+15.2%) and American Honda (+24.5%) shoot up. Looking at brands, Ford (+5.6%) confirms it is firmly back above Toyota (-2.2%) with the following 4 carmakers all outrunning the market with double-digit gains: Honda is up 24.9%, Hyundai progresses by 14.8%, Kia is at +15.5% and Subaru at +11.5%. Mazda (+7.5%) is more muted while Lexus (+21.9%), Acura (+21.1%) and Genesis (+16.2%) impress. Lincoln (-27.8%) freefalls and Volvo (-4.1%) is down marginally.
Among models with available monthly data, the Ford F-Series skyrockets +35.1% to almost 70,000 sales, while the Honda CR-V (+76.5%), helped by a new generation, does even better, overtaking its archenemy the Toyota RAV4 (-9.6%). Note April 2022 CR-V sales were down -55.9%. Looking at Passenger Cars, the Toyota Camry (+6.1%) still manages an uptick as does the Honda Accord (+14.9%). The Honda Civic (+16.2%) and Hyundai Elantra (+24.1%) are also healthy but the Toyota Corolla (-31.8%) tumbles down yet still dominate the small sedan segment. Other light trucks performing well include the Toyota Tacoma (+20.2%), Hyundai Tucson (+27.8%), Toyota Tundra (+50.5%) and Subaru Forester (+57.4%).
Previous month: USA March/Q1 2023: General Motors (+17.7%), Ford Motor (+9.9%) overtake Toyota Motor (-8.8%), Q1 market up 7.8%
One year ago: USA April 2022: Market down -17%, Genesis (+53%), Mazda (-3.3%), Volvo (-9.2%) resist best
Full April 2023 data for selected groups, brands and models below.
USA April 2023 – groups:
| Group | Apr-23 | /22 | 2023 | /22 | FY22 |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | 186,310 | 0.7% | 655,867 | -6.2% | 2 |
| Ford Motor Co | 182,623 | 3.8% | 654,484 | 8.2% | 3 |
| Hyundai-Kia | 144,874 | 15.2% | 527,228 | 17.6% | 5 |
| American Honda | 116,082 | 24.5% | 400,589 | 11.4% | 6 |
| Subaru | 51,014 | 11.5% | 194,390 | 9.2% | 9 |
| Mazda | 32,351 | 7.5% | 120,735 | 7.5% | 13 |
| Volvo Cars | 9,611 | -4.1% | 36,094 | 10.1% | 14 |
USA April 2023 – brands:
| Brand | Apr-23 | /22 | 2023 | /22 | FY22 |
| Ford | 175,940 | 5.6% | 628,867 | 9.0% | 2 |
| Toyota | 159,138 | -2.2% | 560,444 | -8.6% | 1 |
| Honda | 102,781 | 24.9% | 353,823 | 10.4% | 4 |
| Hyundai | 70,812 | 14.8% | 255,261 | 15.3% | 5 |
| Kia | 68,205 | 15.5% | 252,341 | 20.0% | 6 |
| Subaru | 51,014 | 11.5% | 194,390 | 9.2% | 9 |
| Mazda | 32,351 | 7.5% | 120,735 | 7.5% | 16 |
| Lexus | 27,172 | 21.9% | 95,423 | 10.1% | 17 |
| Acura | 13,301 | 21.1% | 46,766 | 19.3% | 23 |
| Volvo | 9,611 | -4.1% | 36,094 | 10.1% | 24 |
| Lincoln | 6,683 | -27.8% | 25,617 | -9.8% | 26 |
| Genesis | 5,857 | 16.2% | 19,626 | 17.1% | 29 |
USA April 2023 – models:
| Model | Apr-23 | /22 | 2023 | /22 | FY22 |
| Ford F-Series | 69,595 | 35.1% | 239,972 | 24.8% | 1 |
| Honda CR-V | 31,776 | 76.5% | 99,017 | 29.3% | 7 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 30,386 | -9.6% | 115,090 | -14.6% | 4 |
| Toyota Camry | 27,939 | 6.1% | 93,976 | 7.0% | 5 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 21,454 | 20.2% | 75,037 | 5.7% | 8 |
| Toyota Highlander | 19,353 | -2.2% | 74,697 | -13.0% | 11 |
| Honda Accord | 19,297 | 14.9% | 62,103 | 5.6% | 20 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 18,676 | 27.8% | 64,846 | 19.5% | 18 |
| Ford Explorer | 18,327 | -11.9% | 76,388 | 20.2% | 14 |
| Ford Escape | 17,133 | 10.5% | 38,282 | -31.0% | 24 |
| Toyota Corolla | 16,729 | -31.8% | 59,704 | -17.1% | 12 |
| Honda Civic | 16,317 | 16.2% | 61,865 | 17.7% | 25 |
| Subaru Outback | 15,263 | -7.6% | 48,030 | -2.9% | 22 |
| Mazda CX-5 | 14,333 | -12.6% | 53,060 | -20.9% | 21 |
| Kia Sportage | 13,426 | 18.0% | 45,110 | 62.0% | 26 |
| Hyundai Elantra | 13,236 | 24.1% | 45,709 | 39.6% | 29 |
| Toyota Tundra | 11,748 | 50.5% | 39,399 | 29.4% | 36 |
| Ford Bronco Sport | 11,526 | -10.8% | 41,397 | -1.5% | 39 |
| Kia Forte | 11,182 | 14.1% | 41,708 | 25.3% | 34 |
| Ford Edge | 11,034 | -2.3% | 31,316 | -17.0% | 49 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 10,953 | -1.1% | 39,479 | 7.7% | 28 |
| Lexus RX | 10,869 | 16.2% | 36,816 | 1.8% | 43 |
| Toyota 4Runner | 10,354 | -21.7% | 31,470 | -34.6% | 27 |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 10,310 | -14.2% | 51,872 | 4.8% | 19 |
| Honda Pilot | 9,949 | 24.5% | 34,653 | 8.3% | 38 |
| Subaru Forester | 9,651 | 57.4% | 40,059 | 6.9% | 33 |
| Ford Bronco | 9,483 | -27.7% | 41,913 | 14.2% | 30 |
| Ford Transit | 9,406 | 9.8% | 41,421 | 60.7% | 40 |
| Honda HR-V | 8,970 | -34.9% | 35,474 | -36.6% | 32 |
| Kia Telluride | 8,555 | 3.9% | 35,745 | 17.9% | 37 |
| Honda Odyssey | 7,314 | 97.5% | 27,216 | 82.5% | 86 |
| Kia Sorento | 6,965 | 13.4% | 27,131 | 12.7% | 47 |
| Hyundai Palisade | 6,959 | -16.7% | 26,561 | -9.6% | 50 |
| Hyundai Kona | 6,831 | 24.5% | 26,051 | 23.9% | 63 |
| Kia Soul | 6,590 | 49.3% | 23,574 | 27.2% | 72 |
| Ford Maverick | 6,583 | -31.0% | 28,061 | -2.5% | 57 |
| Ford Expedition | 6,255 | 213.5% | 25,614 | 118.7% | 67 |
| Subaru Ascent | 5,965 | 14.1% | 20,747 | 4.1% | 64 |
| Mazda CX-30 | 5,954 | 31.0% | 25,824 | 83.9% | 82 |
| Acura MDX | 5,758 | 21.6% | 20,981 | 14.7% | 88 |
| Toyota Corolla Cross | 5,622 | 78.4% | 20,136 | 51.3% | 74 |
| Kia Seltos | 5,428 | 46.6% | 19,322 | 30.4% | 89 |
| Lexus NX | 5,320 | 93.5% | 20,876 | 62.3% | 85 |
| Ford Mustang | 5,141 | 17.5% | 19,852 | 8.1% | 87 |
| Kia K5 | 5,035 | -9.3% | 19,323 | -17.3% | 60 |
| Honda Ridgeline | 4,903 | 34.7% | 17,821 | 38.9% | 91 |
| Toyota Sienna | 4,768 | -2.8% | 15,255 | -38.9% | 58 |
| Hyundai Sonata | 4,689 | 127.4% | 19,179 | 95.6% | 76 |
| Mazda CX-50 | 4,305 | 153.2% | 14,069 | 701.2% | 143 |
| Honda Passport | 4,255 | 24.8% | 15,674 | 12.9% | 93 |
| Ford Ranger | 4,201 | -17.8% | 15,701 | -31.0% | 73 |
| Lexus ES | 3,611 | -9.8% | 12,290 | -12.6% | 92 |
| Hyundai Santa Cruz | 3,590 | 14.0% | 12,897 | 11.7% | 101 |
| Subaru Impreza | 3,554 | 112.7% | 12,398 | 18.5% | 111 |
| Volvo XC60 | 3,431 | -7.5% | 12,190 | 5.7% | 103 |
| Acura Integra | 3,394 | new | 11,100 | new | 178 |
| Mazda CX-9 | 3,311 | 6.6% | 13,147 | -3.1% | 104 |
| Ford E-Series | 3,183 | 76.3% | 13,968 | 55.1% | 110 |
| Kia Carnival | 3,029 | 182.0% | 10,160 | 98.2% | 152 |
| Toyota Prius | 3,001 | -29.3% | 8,587 | -40.9% | 100 |
| Kia Niro | 2,999 | -0.8% | 12,826 | 4.7% | 118 |
| Volvo XC90 | 2,798 | -26.1% | 10,688 | -0.5% | 106 |
| Kia Rio | 2,792 | 26.1% | 9,800 | 12.4% | 127 |
| Subaru WRX | 2,667 | 78.2% | 10,276 | 395.7% | 156 |
| Hyundai Venue | 2,648 | 48.6% | 11,251 | 35.0% | 126 |
| Mazda3 | 2,619 | -27.1% | 9,914 | -24.2% | 121 |
| Acura RDX | 2,573 | -9.9% | 9,382 | -12.6% | 134 |
| Subaru Legacy | 2,494 | 4.0% | 7,554 | -4.6% | 139 |
| Lincoln Nautilus | 2,489 | -16.9% | 7,994 | -1.1% | 147 |
| Genesis GV70 | 2,380 | 32.4% | 7,688 | 30.1% | 154 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 2,323 | -13.2% | 8,059 | -9.7% | 138 |
| Lexus GX | 2,300 | 7.3% | 8,670 | -7.8% | 116 |
| Ford Transit Connect | 2,146 | -2.9% | 5,969 | -37.6% | 132 |
| Lexus IS | 2,061 | -6.1% | 7,422 | 11.5% | 142 |
| Toyota Crown | 1,920 | new | 3,313 | new | – |
| Lincoln Aviator | 1,901 | -20.9% | 7,137 | -3.1% | 140 |
| Toyota Sequoia | 1,808 | 6853.8% | 6,192 | 1282.1% | 225 |
| Volvo XC40 | 1,759 | 34.1% | 7,842 | 48.0% | 157 |
| Toyota Venza | 1,749 | -24.3% | 9,215 | -29.9% | 107 |
| Ford Mustang Mach E | 1,606 | -57.8% | 7,013 | -33.5% | 96 |
| Acura TLX | 1,576 | -18.0% | 5,296 | 7.8% | 188 |
| Genesis GV80 | 1,474 | 1.6% | 5,413 | 14.9% | 160 |
| Lincoln Navigator | 1,441 | 43.2% | 5,611 | 77.9% | 176 |
| Lexus UX | 1,426 | 57.2% | 4,618 | 1.5% | 192 |
| Kia EV6 | 1,241 | -52.9% | 4,633 | -41.5% | 149 |
| Genesis G70 | 1,139 | -9.9% | 3,719 | -10.1% | 179 |
| Toyota 86/GR86 | 1,078 | 56.5% | 3,116 | -21.0% | 183 |
| Mazda MX-5 Miata | 967 | 47.0% | 3,557 | 57.2% | 219 |
| Kia Stinger | 963 | 7.6% | 3,009 | -24.8% | 205 |
| Volvo C40 | 904 | 73.2% | 2,069 | 80.5% | 232 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 6 | 890 | new | 1,112 | new | – |
| Lincoln Corsair | 852 | -70.2% | 4,875 | -50.3% | 122 |
| Mazda CX-90 | 845 | new | 1,132 | new | – |
| Lexus LX | 776 | 105.8% | 2,348 | 151.1% | 234 |
| Toyota bZ4X | 734 | new | 2,432 | new | 263 |
| Subaru Solterra | 603 | new | 1,962 | new | 265 |
| Subaru BRZ | 507 | 70.1% | 1,492 | 17.6% | 236 |
| Genesis G80 | 477 | 7.2% | 1,551 | 3.9% | 230 |
| Volvo S60 | 330 | 8.2% | 1,834 | -33.3% | 217 |
| Ford Ecosport | 320 | -92.2% | 1,969 | -84.3% | 117 |
| Lexus RZ | 302 | new | 487 | new | – |
| Toyota Supra | 276 | -41.8% | 1,147 | -27.5% | 228 |
| Genesis GV60 | 267 | new | 779 | new | 256 |
| Lexus LS | 220 | -3.5% | 796 | -2.6% | 241 |
| Toyota Mirai | 203 | 65.0% | 871 | 3.9% | 249 |
| Volvo V60 | 197 | 18.7% | 702 | 30.0% | 260 |
| Lexus RC | 154 | -18.5% | 534 | -17.8% | 242 |
| Volvo S90 | 134 | 9.8% | 584 | 17.0% | 262 |
| Lexus LC | 132 | -10.2% | 565 | -4.1% | 258 |
| Genesis G90 | 120 | 46.3% | 476 | -6.8% | 264 |
| Volvo V90 | 58 | -40.2% | 185 | -33.7% | 271 |
| Mazda MX-30 | 17 | -78.2% | 32 | -87.6% | 278 |
| Hyundai Nexo | 16 | -66.0% | 81 | -62.0% | 274 |
| Toyota C-HR | 13 | -99.4% | 763 | -87.8% | 181 |
| Toyota Avalon | 2 | -99.9% | 40 | -98.9% | 180 |
| Ford GT | 1 | -90.9% | 31 | -34.0% | 287 |
| Hyundai Veloster | 1 | -99.6% | 6 | -99.2% | 251 |
| Lexus GS | 1 | 0.0% | 2 | 100.0% | 306 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser | 1 | -83.3% | 4 | -88.2% | 291 |
Source: Manufacturers
