The coronavirus continues to hammer the automotive industry and that’s clearly evident in April sales figures.
While many automakers have switched over to quarterly sales, the numbers from Mazda, Subaru and the Hyundai Motor Group paint a bleak picture.
Last month, Mazda saw its sales drop 44.5% from a year ago to just 10,940 units in the United States. The company also noted sales of certified pre-owned vehicles fell 53.8% from April of 2019.
Sales were down across the board and the biggest loser was the Mazda6 which was off a staggering 68.1%. That’s pretty bad, but the Mazda3 and CX-3 were also down by more than 60%.
Subaru fared even worse as their April sales were off 47% from a year ago. Every model was down for the month and the biggest drops were experienced by the BRZ (63.4%), Impreza (61.5%) and Legacy (54.6%).
Continuing the trend, Hyundai sales were down roughly 39% from a year ago. The company only sold 33,968 vehicles in April, but Tucson sales remained surprisingly steady. The crossover also reached a milestone last month as the millionth Tucson was sold in America.
Likewise, Kia sales were off by nearly 38%. However, there were some bright spots as the company sold more than 1,800 Seltos crossovers. Demand for the Optima, Sorento and Telluride also remained relatively strong, but all three models saw sizable declines.
Lastly, Genesis sales were down almost 50%. The biggest loser was the G80 which was off nearly 75% to just 161 units.
However, there’s likely more to blame than just the coronavirus. An all-new G80 was unveiled in March and it’s possible that buyers are simply waiting for the redesigned sedan to arrive later this year.
While the numbers aren’t good by any stretch of the imagination, Hyundai noted their monthly sales were “better than early industry predictions that forecasted an 80% decline in April.” The company credited part of this to the “ingenuity of our dealers” and “robust customer assistance programs.” The automaker also noted more than 95% of their dealers offer online sales and pick up / drop off services.
Those sentiments were echoed by Subaru of America President and CEO Thomas Doll who said “While this pandemic has been difficult for the auto industry, April sales for Subaru were better than expected.” He added, “We are immensely proud of our retailers’ efforts and perseverance in this difficult market.”
