Segment decline continues, as hopes rest on the new Hyundai Veloster
Sales in the US Small Sports segment fell by 33.2% to 18,495 in the first half of 2018, although the rate of decline in the second quarter (around 25%) was less dramatic than the collapse experienced in the first quarter of the year (over 40%). With the new Hyundai Veloster being the only model likely to enter in 2018, it is not impossible that this may be the worst year for this segment in 15 years, as overall sales could dip below the 33,000 units level last seen in 2009 and 2010.
Highlights:
- Every single model in the segment experienced a double-digit sales decline since the beginning of the year
- Sales of the segment-leading Hyundai Veloster arrested their decline in the second quarter, as the brand prepares for the imminent arrival of the second-generation model and is trying to get rid of unsold stocks of its predecessor
- The one-time segment leader Mazda MX-5 Miata saw its sales fall by a third since the beginning of the year, which makes it likely that 2018 will be the first year of sales decline for the current, fouth-generation model
Clicking on the model name opens the sales data page for that model; clicking year in the legend turns the display for that year on/off
- The recently-facelifted Toyota 86 (née Scion FR-S) managed to stay ahead of the Buick Cascada, with both losing over 35% of sales since the beginning of the year
- By the standards of the segment the 14% decline in the sales of the recently-facelifted Subaru BRZ looks like a minor success, as does the 24% decline in sales of the Fiat 124 Spider
Note: clicking on the model names in legend turns the display for that model on/off; data is displayed from 1990 onwards, but starts earlier – access previous years using slider on bottom