June 2014 Auto Sales: Winners and Losers

Well folks, we made it halfway through 2014. The Fourth of July is just around the corner and a small army of longnecks are sweating in anticipation of the event. Anheuser-Busch couldn’t be happier, but what about the wide world of automobiles?

Sales figures are rolling in. The experts and egg heads are busily tabulating the results and word has it we’re on track for sales to reach 17 million, the highest they’ve been since July, 2006. At the time, America’s top two sellers – the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado – were in decline but still leading the industry. That year, Ford moved over 796,000 F-Series pickup trucks and hasn’t managed to top that figure since although it came close in 2013. Anyway, here are the winners and losers in the auto industry from June, 2014.

Buick, yes Buick made the list this month with an 18 percent increase over June, 2013. The premium brand from GM that you probably forgot about outperformed every one of its corporate siblings from a percentage growth perspective last month. It still accounts for a small portion of the overall General Motors sales pool, which wasn’t so hot with a meager one-percent increase over the same time last year. Cadillac stayed flat while Chevrolet actually dropped by three percent and GMC gained 11 points.

This is the 42nd consecutive month that Audi managed to rack up record-setting sales in the U.S. The new MQB-based A3 is proving to be a slam-dunk with the third-highest sales volume last month for the brand. The Q5 compact crossover was the most popular followed by the A4.

Things are going well for Jeep. The company enjoyed stronger sales last month, but also through the six-month mark in 2014. Much of that has to do with the fact that a year earlier, the company’s spreadsheets took a hit when the Liberty dropped off to make space for the new Cherokee. Despite early issues with the new nine-speed automatic transmission, the Cherokee is serving to give Jeep an important boost.

If automakers with strong sales can be compared to red-hot pokers, then Tesla probably qualifies as a cattle prod. The California-based electric car manufacturer sold an estimated 2,350 units according to data from Automotive News. One way or another, the brand backed by eccentric billionaire Elon Musk seems to be on the right path. Sales of the Model S aren’t showing signs of slowing and the company is preparing to launch the derivative Model X crossover next year. After that, the company plans to reach for higher sales volume with a smaller and more affordable electric car priced in line with the BMW 3 Series unlike the especially expensive Model S.

Maserati topped this list yet again with admittedly low overall sales but an increase of 233 percent. The company is seeking to expand its presence in the market with higher-volume nameplates like the Ghibli mid-size luxury sedan targeting the BMW 5 Series. Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles’ plan for the brand includes a production version of the Alfieri concept first seen during the Geneva Motors Show this year. Now it’s time to boo and hiss at the losers. Just kidding, that would be mean.

Currently in the process of re-imagining itself, Volvo sales sank 10 percent last month. The brand is starting to offer its new Drive-E four-cylinder engines that use both turbo and supercharging technology, but for now the availability of that powerplant is restricted to a sliver of the brand’s product line. Last week, the company announced that production of the hotter Polestar S60 and V60 is underway. While that might be good news for anyone who loves driving quirky Scandinavian luxury cars, it won’t be a shot in the arm for the company’s sales. But all isn’t lost. the company is planning new models previewed by its trio of concept cars on display over the last year in auto shows including a wagon, sedan and crossover.

Next on the negative list: Chrysler. The Auburn Hills brand reported a sales drop of 12 percent last month. Despite that, the Chrysler Group actually gained ground with a nine percent improvement. Sales of the aging Town & Country minivan grew last month while the full-size 300 sedan saw slower sales than a year before.

Daimler’s city cars didn’t do so well last month in the U.S. with a 13.8 percent decline. The company manged to sell 673 of its fortwo city cars. Since launching in the U.S., the city car segment expanded with companies including Chevrolet, Fiat and Scion offering products with admittedly larger footprints but more practicality.

Things were bad at Acura last month. Sales slid by 18.6 percent and it would have been much worse without the MDX crossover. The three-row family hauler is the only product that didn’t post a loss in June. The brand reported 4,890 MDX sales, which means it outperformed all of Acuras sedans combined. The company is preparing to cut both the TL and TSX sedans – along with the TSX Sportwagon – from its lineup, but a delayed launch for the new Accord-based TLX isn’t helping.

What was bad last month for Acura stores was even worse at VW lots. The company continued to struggle with its U.S. strategy as the seventh-generation Golf began reaching customers roughly a year after Europe. Variants of that car bound for North America will be built in the company’s massive Puebla assembly plant, but the company’s next challenge is in launching a seven-seat crossover and possible a new version of the Phaeton luxury sedan. Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s uncompetitive Tiguan desperately needs an update as less expensive and better-equipped options crowd the market.