There may be hundreds of cars and trucks on sale in the American market but the list of top selling models that we get to see at the end of each year isn't that different as compared to the previous years. In fact, the list of top sellers is astoundingly similar year on year. Being the world's second largest market by volumes and probably the largest in terms of profitability, the United States of America holds a very important place in the books of every automotive manufacturer.
Don't curse us for putting up the same content. Three and half decades since it started it's domination of the market, Ford F-Series still shows no signs of relenting and has, in fact, increased its sales compared to 2011. With a range that consists of almost 25 variants starting from the humble F150 to the monstrous F450 Super Duty, the F-Series continues unabated at the top. As has been the case for many years now, Chevrolet Silverado ends up as the second best-selling automobile in USA, but only just. The recent facelift of the Silverado series should help increase its sales in 2013 and widen the gap to the big-selling Toyota Camry, which rounds off the podium yet again. Powered by the launch of a new generation model, the Camry almost toppled Silverado for second place in 2012.
The big winner of 2012 has got to be Honda with three of its models making it to the Top 10 list in 2012. The Accord and Civic improved significantly compared to 2011, finishing in fourth and fifth respectively. It seems that the car-buying public were least bothered about the negative criticism garnered by the new Civic and trusted Honda blindly. Their trust has also paid off, as Honda recently launched an emergency facelift of the Civic, incorporating updates in a model that's just an year old. Nissan Altima, Ram Pickup, Toyota Corolla and Honda CR-V post significantly increased sales, with Ford Escape rounding off the Top 10 list, having fallen five places compared to last year. Unlike what we thought, Ford's Escape and Fusion couldn't hold on to their impressive results of 2011, with the latter even pushed out of the Top 10.
2012 Top 10 in USA:
1. Ford F-Series - 645,316
2. Chevrolet Silverado - 418,312
3. Toyota Camry - 404,886
4. Honda Accord - 331,872
5. Honda Civic - 317,909
6. Nissan Altima - 302,934
7. Ram Pickup - 293,363
8. Toyota Corolla/Matrix - 290,947
9. Honda CR-V - 281,652
10. Ford Escape - 261,008
Source for Figures: www.examiner.com
* Star Performer of 2012 - Honda Civic
* Expected Star Performer for 2013 - Ford Fusion
You might be surprised to see us listing Honda Civic as the star performer of 2012. But for us, the fact that it sold in hordes despite all those negative reviews in a market that respects media opinion, is nothing short of exceptional. Though it failed to live up to our expectations in 2012, we would still place our bets on Ford Fusion to rise high in 2013, helped in no small part by the striking all-new Fusion that went on sale recently.
Outside the Top 10, Ford Focus, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Prius and Hyundai Elantra deliver consistent performances, with each of these models selling in excess of 200,000 units. The stylish Kia Optima stands out with a 2-fold and 5-fold increase in sales in 2012 as compared to 2011 and 2010 respectively.
Ford, with over 2 million sales in 2012, becomes the largest selling mainstream automotive brand in USA ahead of Chevrolet and Toyota. At the top end of the spectrum, Mercedes-Benz maintains its position as the largest selling luxury brand in America, with BMW and Audi following suit.
While we have seen who has hit it big in USA, we also cannot ignore what's going on at the other end. Things were not looking good in USA for India's largest car manufacturer. Finally, Suzuki decided enough is enough and announced winding up of operations, citing lack of sales. Almost all its models, from the Grand Vitara to the impressive Kizashi, failed to click, forcing the Japanese brand to quit the American car and truck market.
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