Toyota Sales Drop 5.1% in May, Nissan Drop Less Severe, Honda Flat

Toyota U.S. sales fell 5.1% in May on a daily-selling-rate basis, with 215,321 vehicles delivered compared with 218,252 in May 2017. There were 26 selling day in May 2018 compared with 25 in the same month last year.

The Toyota Div. was worse off than Lexus, with sales falling 5.3% collectively; the luxury marque declined 3.9%.

As has been the case all year – and is the case throughout much of the industry – falling car sales offset rising light-truck deliveries, dragging down both brands’ performance.

Toyota cars fell 14.4% on a DSR basis, with even the year-old Camry midsize sedan down 11.5%, the third consecutive monthly loss for the car, Wards Intelligence data shows.

All Toyota cars were in the red last month, save for the Corolla iM. Sales of the compact hatchback rose 21.7% DSR to 2,526, likely boosted by the selldown of the current generation in anticipation of a new-generation, renamed model (Corolla Hatch) due in July.

The RAV4 C-segment CUV easily outsold the Camry and Corolla. Toyota sold 38,202 RAV4s, topping both the Camry’s and Corolla’s May totals by roughly 9,000 units.

This is the second month in a row the RAV4 has topped Toyota’s U.S. sales chart, although like in April it did so despite falling deliveries. RAV4 sales fell 4.2% on DSR, with about 150 fewer sold than in May 2017.

Another notable falloff in Toyota’s car lineup was the Avalon. Although a new generation launched in May, sales of the large sedan were down 10.6% on an adjusted basis.

The RAV4’s decline, as well as declines by the Sienna minivan (-32.3%), Tundra fullsize pickup (-9.4%) and Sequoia large SUV (-13.4%) meant Toyota’s total light-truck sales rose a mere 1.6%. Still, the 115,543 Toyota CUVs, SUVs and pickups sold was best-ever result for the brand in May, the automaker says.

Toyota’s fastest-rising model last month was the C-HR small CUV, up 127.0% on a DSR basis with 4,366 sold compared with 1,848 in May 2017, one of its first few months on the market.

At Lexus, car sales fell 14.5% on an adjusted basis.

A hefty 175.4% increase in LS sales, Lexus’ flagship sedan that debuted a new generation in February, as well as a 5.1% rise in GS sales, couldn’t offset declines by higher-volume nameplates. Sales of the ES, Lexus’ best-selling car, fell 12.9%.

Lexus utilities rose 2.7% DSR, with all models up save for the NX compact CUV.

The NX, Lexus’s second-best-seller after the RX midsize CUV, fell 4.5%. However, the NX’s hybrid variant posted a May-best 762 deliveries, Toyota says.

Lexus’ RX rose 5.4%, while the low-volume LX large SUV had the biggest increase after the LS sedan, up 24.7% on an adjusted basis.

Through May, Toyota’s U.S. sales were up 2.8% on volume compared with the first five months of 2017, tallying 979,710. The Toyota Div. was 3.0% ahead of year-ago, while Lexus sales year-to-date were up 1.7%.

After April’s 22.1% DSR loss, Nissan stemmed the bleeding a bit in May, with adjusted sales off only 7.7%, Wards Intelligence data shows, to 131,832.

The Nissan brand declined 7.5% and Infiniti fell 10.4%, both DSR losses.

Nissan’s falloff was less severe in May due to an increase in Rogue sales. Coming off a 7.7% decline in April, the compact CUV, the brand’s best-selling U.S. model, posted a 13.6% May increase. Some 38,413 Rogues and Rogue Sports were sold last month.

The Rogue was the only Nissan light truck up in May, with the Titan fullsize pickup seeing the heftiest loss (-26.4%) outside the discontinued Juke small CUV (-94.1%).

The brand’s Altima midsize sedan again was its second-best-selling model after the Rogue, although its 23,030 units were 7.7% behind year-ago on an adjusted basis.

It was reported this week Nissan would be slicing North American production 20% to improve profitability. The heavily incentivized and fleet-centric Altima and Sentra car models are expected to see some of the sharpest reductions. A new-generation Altima is due this fall.

At Infiniti, the QX50 midsize CUV, redesigned for ’19, posted the luxury brand’s biggest increase (46.9%, totaling 1,859 units), while its best-selling model, the QX60 3-row CUV, also was up (3.6%, totaling 3,718 units).

The QX70 midsize CUV had the biggest fall, down 88.9% to 69 units sold.

Through May, Nissan U.S. sales were down 6.0% to 635,599, with the Nissan brand down 5.8% and Infiniti off 8.1%.

At Honda, sales were flat in May, up 0.8% on an adjusted basis, with the Honda brand flat (0.3%) and the Acura down (-11.3%).

Honda said May’s 71,006 light-truck sales set a record for the month.

The CR-V compact CUV tallied a May-best 35,905 sales, good for a 7.3% DSR increase, while the Pilot large CUV was the brand’s biggest gainer, up 30.8% and also setting a May record, with 13,573 sold.

As was the case with Toyota’s Camry, sales of the relatively new Accord also were down, falling 19.2%. Civic compact-car sales were up 3.3% to 34,349, making it Honda’s second-best-seller after the CR-V.

At Acura, low-volume models the ILX compact sedan and RLX mid-large sedan were the only vehicles in the black, up 23.3% and 91.9%.

Through May, Honda U.S. sales were running 1.7% behind year-ago, at 641,261 units, with the Honda brand off 1.5% and Acura down 2.9%.

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