Performance Models Proving Popular Despite Falling Car Sales

Although car sales are declining throughout the United States, it seems that customers can’t get enough of sporty, high-performance models.

Ford recently revealed to The Detroit News that in year-to-date sales, the Focus ST and Focus RS models have surged 25 per cent in popularity, despite wider passenger car sales for the carmaker falling by 11.4 per cent. Making sales of the ST and RS all the more impressive is the fact that sales of regular Focus models have fallen 24.6 per cent year-to-date.

“Not all car sales are waning,” said Ford spokesman Chris Terry. “More importantly, the highest profile ones are doing really, really well.”

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is also enjoying the success of its performance models, confirming that sales of both the Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat rose by 4 per cent last year despite falling overall car sales.

According to head of Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat passenger cars, Tim Kuniskis, “With all of those options, we need to differentiate ourselves from the overwhelming number of choices, so customers immediately know what Dodge SRT stands for when they hear the name.

“Performance is in its own way a luxury and offers a way for buyers to quantify how the vehicle they buy is different or better,” he said.

Ford company data reveals that the majority of its performance car buyers are wealthy, older millennials.