Three brands to buck U.S. slow down

We’ve seen a mixed run of sales results in the new car industry in Australia in 2017 and the U.S. market has also experienced a bumpy run.

Both markets are considered to be at the tail-end of a boom that brought record car sales numbers for the market and many brands too.

New car sales in Australia in 2017 (until the end of May) totalled just over 465,000, a total down 0.6% on the same period in 2016.

U.S. car sales across the first half of the year were down 2.3%.

A report from auto industry analysts, Kelley Blue Book (KBB), predicts more ups and downs in the U.S. market for the foreseeable future.

KBB predicts sales will actually fall 2.5% this year, or about half a million sales.

“We are moving into a ‘post peak’ period for the U.S. auto industry,” says KBB’s Jonathan Smoke.

“Many of the tailwinds that took the market to record sales in 2015 and 2016 are slowly becoming the headwinds that will keep new vehicle sales in check through the end of the decade.”

But the slowdown won’t affect all car manufacturers equally according to the analysis.

KBB is tipping Subaru to continue to find more buyers on the back of new and refreshed models like the Subaru XV (Crosstrek).

“In the past few years, the market has come to Subaru,” says KBB Executive Analyst Rebecca Lindland.

“Their brand is strong and their products are exactly what customers are shopping for.”

Nissan is also heading in the right direction according to KBB.

“The company has fresh product, including the all-new Rogue Sport (X-TRAIL), aimed directly at the heart of the crossover segment.

“Nissan is gaining market share by piling on incentives and eating up fleet demand others abandoned.”

But its Volkswagen that could be in for the best second half of the year,

“The worst days of the diesel matter are mostly behind them.

“Volkswagen won back market share in the first half of the year thanks to loyal owners and is poised to gain more in the second half by appealing to new owners with strategic SUVs launching into the heart of the market.”

“We are keeping an eye on Volkswagen,”

Conversely, Chrysler, Ford and Jeep are being tipped to struggle through the rest of the year, mostly due to not having fresh product to offer U.S. car buyers.