After one of the strongest quarters in American auto retail history, several carmakers have already reported the best sales months for their brands ever for April 2021. Reports from Hyundai and Kia as well as Honda and Acura surpassed record March sales, and it’s all but guaranteed many other carmakers will be in the same position when their numbers are reported.
While many carmakers have switched to reporting sales quarterly rather than monthly, performance across most mainstream carmakers is likely to be relatively consistent. A red-hot sales market filled with emboldened consumers emerging from the pandemic, spurred on in part by a strong vaccination rollout. Now as automakers are having trouble filling dealers’ lots as production buckles under the microprocessor chip shortage, shoppers are taking advantage of car deals while there is still selection.
Hyundai and Kia reporting historic sales
In March 2021, Hyundai set the bar with their best month ever of retail auto sales despite struggling fleet sales. April’s sales of 77,523 vehicles surpassed March’s reported 75,403 units.
“April 2021 was the second month in a row that we established a new best ever total and retail sales monthly record,” said Randy Parker, senior vice president, National Sales, Hyundai Motor America. “It was a team effort across the entire organization from manufacturing, logistics, sales and marketing, and our dealerships to deliver more Hyundai vehicles than ever before. As our all-new Tucson begins hitting dealerships in greater numbers, we expect the design and technology of our lineup to continue resonating with consumers.”
Sister company Kia also reported breakout sales for April 2021 of 70,177 in the US, a 121.3% increase over April 2020, albeit during the pandemic. President and CEO of Kia Motors North American and Kia Motors America, Sean Yoon, said in the press release, “After a record-breaking first-quarter performance, Kia continued to outpace the industry in April as even more customers discovered our world-class and award-winning design and quality. With five Kia models setting sales records in April and the successful launches of the Sorento SUV and the all-new Carnival MPV continuing to drive customers to showrooms, Kia is experiencing unprecedented momentum.
“Given the showroom traffic our dealers are reporting ahead of the summer opening of the country we are confident our strong performance will continue through the year.”
Honda and Acura also posting records
On the backs of popular models like the Honda CR-V and Pilot, American Honda has pushed their best month of sales ever to 140,023 units. Aside from the Honda Fit, all models experienced notable growth month over month. Honda’s highline Acura brand also posted fantastic results with all current models selling higher volume than last April, and the best truck (SUV) sales in history.
“As the entire auto industry continues to rebound from the challenge of a global pandemic, Honda and Acura are gaining both momentum and market share,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of Automobile Sales for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We’re excited to have significant all-new products on the way in the form of the 2022 Honda Civic and 2021 Acura TLX Type S, but it’s the strength of our existing product lineup that is driving our record sales.”
Carmakers have just begun reporting April 2021 figures. It’s an extremely positive start to Q2 2021 and sets a great tone, but how the chip shortage affects sales in May and June will certainly be something to watch.
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