NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Panza
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500

Truck and SUV Sales
Drive the Market in 2016

Cleveland, OH (January 9, 2017) –  Franchised new vehicle dealers across Northern Ohio sold 8,386 new trucks and SUVs in December, an increase of almost 13 percent for the month—ending 2016 with a sales trend seen across the entire year.

While truck and SUV sales grew by almost 8 percent in 2016, sales of cars were off 7.77 percent for the year. In total, combined sales of all trucks, SUVs and cars were off 2.45 percent for the year, according to figures released today by the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association (GCADA). The figures are in line with the GCADA’s year-end projections.

“Although sales were off less than three percent from last year, we are still moving a considerable amount of new and used vehicles in our market, especially when you compare the figures to pre-recession levels,” says Louis A. Vitantonio, president of the GCADA. “In 2017, we anticipate sales to be robust, given that we have had five plus years of growth.”

Positive market factors should continue to drive new vehicle sales in 2017, including: plenty of available and affordable credit; strong lease deals, and a consumer desire for the connectivity, driver’s assistance and new technology on today’s vehicles. In addition, there is still plenty of pent up market demand, due to the fact that many of the vehicles on the road are more than 11 years old, and will soon need to be replaced. The consumer trend toward trucks and SUVs will likely continue in 2017, especially if fuel prices remain low.

Franchised new vehicle dealers sold 19,985 new vehicles in December of 2016 compared to 20,465 in the same month a year prior, a decrease of 2.35 percent. For the year, dealers sold 245,474 new vehicles in 2016 compared with 251,651 in 2015, a decrease of about two and a half percent. Sales of used vehicles ended the year basically flat with 2015, with dealers selling 196,765 used vehicles in 2016 compared to 195,849 vehicles in 2015, an increase of just under half a percent for the year.

Ford kept its crown as Northern Ohio’s bestselling brand in 2016, selling 38,743 vehicles for the year. Chevrolet was close behind with 36,940 vehicles sold, followed by Honda at 21,043 vehicles and Toyota with 20,724 vehicles sold for the year.

Big winners for 2016 included Buick, Fiat, Jeep, Lincoln and Volvo, with each brand ringing up strong double digit growth when comparing 2016 with 2015. While it doesn’t have the same volume as other brands, Jaguar had a phenomenal year, registering sales growth of more than 110 percent for the year.

15 Brands Up in December (‘16 v. ‘15)
The following brands posted sales increases in December of 2016 versus December of 2015: Audi, Buick, Chevrolet, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Ram, Smart, Subaru, and Volkswagen.

15 Brands Up for the Year (’16 v. ’15)
The following brands posted sales increases for 2016: Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Fiat, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Ram, Subaru and Volvo.

New-car and truck sales in Northern Ohio
December ’16 / December ’15 & YTD 

Retail sales figures are based on vehicle registration reports from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  Vehicle sales data includes the counties of: Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne.

About the GCADA
The Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers' Association (GCADA) has served the retail-automobile industry and community with integrity and distinction since 1915. Today, located in Brecksville, Ohio, GCADA represents over 250 franchised motor vehicle dealer, which include new-car, truck, motorcycle and RV dealers in a 21-county region of Northern Ohio along the Lake Erie shore and beyond.  More information on the GCADA can be found at www.gcada.org. Contact us at 440-746-1500.

About the Cleveland Auto Show 
The Cleveland Auto Show marks the start of the spring selling season in Northern Ohio. Featuring concept, pre-production and production vehicles from the world’s auto manufacturers, the show is held annually at the I-X Center with nearly 1.2 million square feet of exhibits. The Show also features an array of entertainment including sports celebrity appearances from the Browns, Cavs, and more. The Cleveland Auto Show is a consumer show and a favorite family tradition since 1903. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheClevelandAutoShow.

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