The subcompact car segment in the United States saw a decline of 6% in sales in 2019, as it now holds just 2% of the overall car market and 7.3% of the overall market for sedans. The class leader Kia Soul consolidates its position as it moves with the segment at -6% while its closest rival Nissan Versa is down by double that at -12% as it’s preparing for a new model generation. The Ford Fiesta, in its last full year on the North American market, shows a 16% gain as dealers are discounting to move them off their lots.
The Honda Fit is stable for the year, but it had a slow period from September 2018 to February 2019 and as a result the Fit was down in the first two quarters of 2019 but regained those lost sales in the last two quarters. A new generation Fit has already been revealed in Japan, but there’s been no confirmation yet on whether this one will make its Stateside. The Hyundai Accent lost 12% of its sales on what was already its lowest sales since its launch in 1995 as a replacement to the Excel. That allows its sibling Kia Rio to close in for 6th place thanks to a 9% gain, which means the Rio also leapfrogs the Toyota Yaris, regardless of whether we combine sales of the Yaris sedan and hatchback or not. The Yaris sedan is down 21% and the renewed hatchback is up 12%. The Chevrolet Sonic loses nearly a third of its sales and has its slowest sales year since it was launched in 2011.
US subcompact car sales 2019
| Subcompact segment | 2019 | 2018 | Change | |
| 1 | Kia Soul | 98.033 | 104.709 | -6% |
| 2 | Nissan Versa | 66.596 | 75.809 | -12% |
| 3 | Ford Fiesta | 60.148 | 51.730 | 16% |
| 4 | Honda Fit | 35.414 | 35.300 | 0% |
| 5 | Hyundai Accent | 25.628 | 29.090 | -12% |
| 6 | Kia Rio | 24.961 | 22.975 | 9% |
| 7 | Toyota Yaris sedan | 19.735 | 25.115 | -21% |
| 8 | Chevrolet Sonic | 13.971 | 20.613 | -32% |
| 9 | Toyota Yaris hatchback | 2.181 | 1.940 | 12% |
| Segment total | 346.667 | 367.281 | -6% |
Source: Manufacturers.