Sales in the Compact SUV segment grew by 5 percent in the second quarter of the year, exactly the same rate of growth it achieved in the first quarter of the year. With growth continuing apace, and a total volume of 1,471,848 cars so far this year, the sector widened its lead over the shrinking Mid-sized sector as the largest single sector in the US.
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Highlights for first half of 2016:- Toyota RAV4 continues as the best-selling model in the segment, having taken over the segment lead from Honda CR-V in the first quarter of the year, though the Honda was able to at least crawl back up to second spot at the expense of Ford Escape
- Chevrolet Equinox is losing sales at an increasing pace, with Q2 2016 sales being a whopping 23% lower than a year earlier, resulting in the model placing two spots lower
- After seeing its sales grow since the introduction of the latest generation in 2014, Jeep Cherokee recorded its first quarterly drop in sales (down 7 percent compared to Q2 2015), though its underperformance may be caused by cannibalization from the smaller Renegade (30,000 units so far in 2016), as well as the older, but much cheaper Patriot and Compass (sales up 8 and 80 percent, respectively, compared to the first half of 2015)
- The new Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage are proving big hits, with sales up 88 and 76 percent, respectively, compared to the first half of 2015
- The facelifted Mitsubishi Outlander had a great quarter, with sales up 124 percent compared to Q2 2015, though that was not enough to lift it from last place in the segment (notwithstanding the sale of the last few remaining units of the Nissan X-Terra and Toyota FJ Cruiser, which are no longer officially sold in the US)
- Sales of the new kids on the block, Buick Envision, are picking up only slowly, with a little over 1,500 units sold in the first half of 2016