After outperforming the market in recent years and setting record after record, the small crossover class in the United States falls behind with a 19% decline in the first quarter of 2022 in an overall market down 16%. At just over 253,000 deliveries, small crossovers now make up 7.6% of the total US car market.
The Honda HR-V manages to hold on to the top spot it claimed in the second half of 2021, thanks to a 61% jump in deliveries compared to Q1 of last year, when it was still in 2nd place. The small Japanese crossover almost doubles its share of the class to 16.7%. And this performance is even more impressive when you consider the model has been around since 2015 and the new generation is only just arriving in showrooms. That leaves the Subaru Crosstrek in the #2 spot with sales up 6% and the Nissan Kicks at #3 with sales down 16%, both improving their share of the segment. The top-3 now holds nearly 40% of sales in the class, even though there are still 30 more nameplates available. Last year’s podium finisher Chevrolet Trailblazer is knocked out of the top-10 so far this year, with sales down by two thirds. The Hyundai Kona holds on to 4th place despite a 31% decline in deliveries, and the other South-Korean player Kia Seltos is also down by 34% in sixth place, even though this model is still relatively fresh. It’s outsold by newcomer Volkswagen Taos in fifth place, a very strong start for the German brand in this class. Next newcomer is the Toyota Corolla Cross in 7th place, landing just ahead of the Jeep Renegade and Mazda CX3-, both of which lose over 35% of their volume. The struggles of the Kona and Seltos mentioned above are balanced by a very strong showing of the Kia Niro, more than doubling its sales, even though it’s already in its fifth year of sales without much updates and really is more of a hatchback than a true crossover. The Hyundai Venue, one of the smallest models in the class, is up 13% to 13th place.
Other big losers are the Ford EcoSport, down 35% at #12, the soon-to-be-discontinued Chevrolet Trax, down 66% at #14, its similarly fated sibling Buick Encore, down 58% at #23 and that car’s slightly larger replacement and clone to the Trailblazer, Buick Encore GX, down 71% at #15. The Toyota C-HR is down 59% at #17 and the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is down 76% at #19.
Luxury brands see their share of the class decline to 11%, down from 12.7% in 2021 as their sales were down 30% on last year. Best selling luxury small crossover is still the Audi Q3 at #16 overall, with deliveries down 39%. The Volvo XC40 is its nearest rival, down 31% to an overall 18th place. The Cadillac XT4 is down 32% and under threat from the Lexus UX, down just 9% and the Mini Countryman, up 39%. The next four luxury models all drop by 38% or more, with the Mercedes-Benz GLA in the worst form at -55%, the BMW X1 down 44%, the Range Rover Evoque down 40% and the BMW X2 down 38%. Newcomer Volvo C40, an all-electric crossover coupe, has landed at #29, just behind the Jaguar E-Pace.
US small crossover sales 2022-Q1
| Small SUV segment | 2022-Q1 | 2021-Q1 | Change | 2022 Share | 2021 Share | |
| 1 | Honda HR-V | 42.168 | 26.175 | 61% | 16,7% | 8,4% |
| 2 | Subaru Crosstrek | 37.463 | 35.187 | 6% | 14,8% | 11,3% |
| 3 | Nissan Kicks | 20.577 | 24.421 | -16% | 8,1% | 7,8% |
| 4 | Hyundai Kona | 15.536 | 22.610 | -31% | 6,1% | 7,2% |
| 5 | Volkswagen Taos | 13.674 | 0 | New | 5,4% | 0,0% |
| 6 | Kia Seltos | 11.119 | 16.786 | -34% | 4,4% | 5,4% |
| 7 | Toyota Corolla Cross | 10.157 | 0 | New | 4,0% | 0,0% |
| 8 | Jeep Renegade | 9.990 | 15.997 | -38% | 3,9% | 5,1% |
| 9 | Mazda CX-30 | 9.494 | 14.589 | -35% | 3,8% | 4,7% |
| 10 | Kia Niro | 9.226 | 4.311 | 114% | 3,6% | 1,4% |
| 11 | Chevrolet TrailBlazer | 8.606 | 25.024 | -66% | 3,4% | 8,0% |
| 12 | Ford EcoSport | 8.426 | 12.878 | -35% | 3,3% | 4,1% |
| 13 | Hyundai Venue | 6.549 | 5.784 | 13% | 2,6% | 1,8% |
| 14 | Chevrolet Trax | 5.801 | 16.955 | -66% | 2,3% | 5,4% |
| 15 | Buick Encore GX | 5.382 | 18.435 | -71% | 2,1% | 5,9% |
| 16 | Audi Q3 | 5.236 | 8.575 | -39% | 2,1% | 2,7% |
| 17 | Toyota C-HR | 4.255 | 10.401 | -59% | 1,7% | 3,3% |
| 18 | Volvo XC40 | 3.987 | 5.804 | -31% | 1,6% | 1,9% |
| 19 | Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | 3.707 | 15.356 | -76% | 1,5% | 4,9% |
| 20 | Cadillac XT4 | 3.701 | 5.454 | -32% | 1,5% | 1,7% |
| 21 | Lexus UX | 3.643 | 3.993 | -9% | 1,4% | 1,3% |
| 22 | Mini Countryman | 2.997 | 2.162 | 39% | 1,2% | 0,7% |
| 23 | Buick Encore | 2.620 | 6.229 | -58% | 1,0% | 2,0% |
| 24 | Mercedes-Benz GLA | 2.444 | 5.376 | -55% | 1,0% | 1,7% |
| 25 | BMW X1 | 2.203 | 3.968 | -44% | 0,9% | 1,3% |
| 26 | Range Rover Evoque | 1.500 | 2.480 | -40% | 0,6% | 0,8% |
| 27 | BMW X2 | 835 | 1.337 | -38% | 0,3% | 0,4% |
| 28 | Jaguar E-Pace | 700 | 593 | 18% | 0,3% | 0,2% |
| 29 | Volvo C40 | 624 | 0 | New | 0,2% | 0,0% |
| 30 | Fiat 500X | 333 | 265 | 26% | 0,1% | 0,1% |
| 31 | Mazda MX-30 | 180 | 0 | New | 0,1% | 0,0% |
| 32 | Mazda CX-3 | 0 | 1.513 | -100% | 0,0% | 0,5% |
| 33 | Infiniti QX30 | 0 | 1 | -100% | 0,0% | 0,0% |
| Segment total | 253.133 | 312.659 | -19% |
Source: Manufacturers.