In 2015, 17,473,320 passenger cars and off-road vehicles were sold in America, with the main demand coming from the SUV segment - pickups and crossovers. Trucks took the first three places in the overall sales rating, and once again became the leader. He, contrary to the forecasts of some experts, did not lose popularity due to the transition to an aluminum body, which is more expensive to repair than a steel one - this fact did not scare the American buyer away from the model.
Ford also ranked # 1 among America's best-selling brands. It is curious to get into the top ten of Subaru, for which the ninth position with a meager model line is more than outstanding. The North American market for the Japanese brand is now key, its managers intend to increase their presence here and in the medium term will offer the Americans a large 7-seater crossover, which should be more successful than the failed Tribeca.
In the segment of mass passenger cars, the Japanese are in the lead, occupying the first five positions on the bestseller list. The American Ford Fusion managed to get only sixth place. Another American model in the top ten is the compact, but its sales fell by 17% over the year, so by the end of 2016 sales it risks flying out of the bestseller list.
When buying crossovers, Americans tend to prefer compact models, but three mid-size SUVs - Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee - also hit the top ten. Interestingly, the frame "crook" Jeep Wrangler, which is considered an exotic niche model outside the USA, is in the eighth position. In his home country, he found more than 200 thousand buyers last year, despite the tightness in the cabin and not the best handling.
The three leaders in the pickup segment repeat that in the overall standings. Despite the frenzied popularity of track links, not all manufacturers on the American market have models of this type. The fact is that it is almost impossible to squeeze local brands on the cargo Olympus, therefore no one wants to try especially. An example of the Nissan brand is indicative, in its arsenal there are two quite successful pickup trucks in their consumer qualities - Frontier and Titan, but the local public does not like them: both models showed negative sales dynamics in 2015. Nevertheless, in the segment of pickups, the brand Honda wants to try its luck again and for the first time - Hyundai. The Jeep brand will also have its pickup truck in 2018, but stable demand is guaranteed in advance.
In the luxury segment, the "Germans" - Mercedes-Benz and BMW - rule the show, but the third member of the big German three, the Audi brand, managed to reach only the fifth position - not all Americans consider it premium, despite its more than decent technical level. Structurally simpler Buick models are still more successful, although their sales have slightly sagged compared to last year, but the Envision crossover exported from China should improve the situation.
Three Japanese premium brands - Lexus, Acura and Infiniti, ranked third, sixth and eighth respectively, also made their way to the top ten, but it was the luxury brand of Nissan that showed the best growth dynamics - an increase of 13.8% compared to the previous year.
On the "green" flank of the American market, sheer despondency. Sales of hybrids and their plug-in siblings fell throughout the year - take a look at the bestseller lists: all the models presented in them have negative demand dynamics, with the exception of the image BMW i8 and Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, but their sales against the general background are vanishingly small ...
The most dramatic drop was shown by the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius (-68.4%) - not surprisingly, the new generation of Prius entered the market without a plug-in modification.
The segment of electric vehicles grew by 6.6% at the end of the year, but this positive "delta" was given exclusively by Tesla Motors, whose products are now at the peak of fashion and, as a result, demand. The result of the BMW i3 can be disregarded, since the manufacturer completely refuses to disclose data on the sales of modifications, and therefore it is impossible to say why the demand for this model has increased, because the i3 is available to the consumer both as an electric car and as a plug-in hybrid.
The former leader of the Nissan Leaf segment is rapidly losing popularity: sales fell 42.8%. But analysts give a good forecast for GM's new product - the Chevrolet Bolt subcompact electric car, which is able to travel 320 km on a single charge.
The Americans are not at all interested in the tenth position of the Ford Focus EV, but the Ford people no longer intend to vegetate among the electric outsiders and will present them by 2020 - the company allocated $ 4.5 billion for their development.
In 2016, most economists and industry experts predict further growth of the American market in the range of 5-10%. This will be facilitated by the same factors that led to an increase in car sales in 2015: cheap oil and a positive trend in the economy associated with capital flight from emerging markets to the more or less stable American harbor with its reliable dollar. The environmental scandal around the Volkswagen brand will lead to the almost complete disappearance of the diesel car segment from the American market: in 2015 it fell by 12.2%, to 150 thousand in the entire vast country. The hybrid segment will continue to collapse exactly until gasoline prices rise again, which no one expects in the medium term (in the next two years).
By the end of 2015, global world car sales may amount to 88.6 million units, which is 2.4 percent more than in 2014. This will be possible thanks to increased sales in America and, as well as in some regions of South America and in the European Union as a whole. According to an economist at IHS Automotive, the global car market is heading for new highs.
In addition, analysts expect sales to rise in Mexico. Despite low car sales in the first half of 2014, the Mexican market closed last year with growth. That is why, according to estimates of market dynamics, it is predicted that the growth of salesw in Mexico will be 3 percent (about 1.17 million cars will be sold).
With regard to the Chinese car market, the sales forecast will be higher by 7 percent. The increase in sales will be due to the fact that 25.2 million vehicles will be sold in China. This is due to the growing prosperity of the population, the development of lending, the rapid expansion of dealer networks of car companies throughout China, as well as due to the state program for car recycling.
Economic growth in China
IHS expects that SUVs and crossovers will be in greatest demand in China's auto market. So it is predicted that the share of this segment of cars in the Chinese car market will increase by 2 percent (last year the market share was 26 percent) and will amount to 28 percent by the end of 2015.
Summed up the crisis of the Russian market of new cars
Also, the market growth will be facilitated by the work of the antimonopoly service (one of the best in the world), which strictly monitors competition in the market and takes tough measures if prices are exceeded. It is this work to identify illegal competition and the facts of overpricing of new cars that will allow the Chinese car market to increase the growth in the number of cars on the road.
The population has become much richer in recent years, which naturally contributes to an increase in demand for vehicles. Given the tight control over pricing, people will be able to buy new cars at a normal, not overpriced price, which of course will ultimately affect the final sales in China.
So the fears of some analysts about the beginning of stagnation in the Chinese car market are in vain. According to leading economists, the growth of the car market in the Middle Kingdom will continue at least in the coming decades.
So in 2015 alone, 2,000,000 more cars will be sold in China than in 2014.
In particular, do not forget about the Indian market, which, after several years of calm, may grow significantly in the near future. This will be facilitated by low interest rates on car loans and low fuel prices, which are associated with a drop in oil prices.
European uncertainty
The outlook for Europe is bleak. According to some experts, there is a risk that the EU market in 2015 will be worse than last year due to the impact of problems in the Russian economy, in connection with the economic sanctions that were introduced last year.
2015 Toyota Camry vs 2015 Honda Accord
So the volume of the fall in the car market in our country is colossal for Eastern Europe. For automakers, the drop in new car sales in Russia in 2014 came as a shock. But analysts predict 2015 and 2016 could get even worse for all automakers selling new cars in Russia.
Nevertheless, excluding the CIS countries, the European market should grow by an average of 3 percent, and then at the expense of several EU countries. True, this figure may change. Everything will depend on the value of the Euro in relation to the dollar and other currencies.
But, despite this, it is precisely because of the Russian market as a whole that the European market may register stagnation at the end of 2015. The first reason is the fall of the Russian currency. This means that the cost of new cars in our country will only grow, which of course will cause a natural deep decline in sales.
For example, in the last month alone, prices for new cars have grown by an average of 20 percent. Given the high inflation and falling incomes of the population, there is no reason to talk about the recovery of the car market in the next two years.
Apart from the recession in the Russian economy, a downgrade of the country's credit rating could also lead to a serious recession. It is assumed that by the end of 2015, only 1.8 million vehicles will be sold in our country, which is 27 percent less than in 2014. According to some forecasts, the market may fall by 40 percent, going down to the level before 2012.
South American problems
Sales in South America are also on the decline. After growing in 2013, South America recorded a 10 percent drop in sales in 2014. All this is due to the stagnation of developing countries such as Argentina and Venezuela. Also, countries such as Brazil, Chile and Peru will contribute negatively to the South American car market. Forecast for 2015:
Brazil- 3,250,000 units to be sold
Argentina- 500,000 pcs will be sold
Chile- 300,000 pcs will be sold.
With regard to Venezuela, it is assumed that the Government will restrict access to the currency, as well as the growth of fuel prices will be limited. This will contribute to a slowdown in industrial auto production in the country, which of course will affect new car sales.
Nevertheless, Venezuela will not influence the world market as a whole. These markets will only affect neighboring states. The level of sales in comparison with other countries in our country and in Venezuela is not great. Therefore, our economic situation cannot lead to a global recession. Therefore, according to analysts, it will not be able to slow down the recovery of the world economy from the financial crisis.
The main factor that will influence global sales is world currency rates and world oil prices. These are the determining factors that directly affect global sales.
And in general on the profitability of the global auto industry. At the same time, the unpredictability of the price of oil and other commodities will not provide car companies with long-term business plans that could significantly increase the profitability of car brands. That is why analysts of car companies will have to be careful in their forecasts, since in the event of a negative on the market of currencies or raw materials, the global constellations in the economies of a number of countries may significantly change, which in turn will affect world vehicle sales.
Adjusted for growth in North America and China, global passenger car sales are estimated to have reached 87.4 to a million in 2015. This is stated in a study by IHS Automotive.
That's an increase of just 1.5% over 2014 - the lowest growth since 2010. At the same time, according to IHS experts, the industry will continue to recover from the global economic crisis, while growth around the world is slowing down, including against the backdrop of uncertainty in Russia and South America.
IHS estimates North American passenger car sales increased 5.5% to 20.6 million units in 2015, as the US market continues to recover, with sales reaching 17.5 million units (a 6.0% increase). The results of the IHS study are similar to those of other firms, including Morgan Stanley and TrueCar, which previously forecast more than 17 million in sales in the United States, as gasoline prices remain low, consumer confidence rises and funding is readily available.
Passenger car sales in China, meanwhile, are estimated to have grown 5.6% to 24.4 million in 2015. In early 2015, IHS forecast sales in China to rise to 25 million units in 2015. However, despite broader access to credit, expansion of dealer networks and scrappage programs designed to boost sales, growth in passenger car sales declined, following a slowdown in the overall Chinese economy.
In 2015, IHS revised downward growth forecasts, in part due to uncertainty in Russia, which affected other markets in Eastern Europe. Passenger car sales in Russia, which is in deep recession, dealing with a non-volatile currency and the prospect of a wider war in Ukraine, is estimated to have declined 36% in 2015 from the previous year to just 1.6 million units, which half of 2012 sales. In early 2015, IHS predicted a drop in sales to 1.8 million units.
On the contrary, vehicle sales in Western Europe are estimated to have increased by 8.9% in 2015 compared to 2014 and reached 13.2 million units. India also posted strong growth in 2015 - 7.7% from the previous year, according to IHS, while the country's passenger car sales increased to 2.8 million units.
IHS also recorded a weakening of the auto sector in South America in 2015, where the largest market, Brazil, saw a 26% decline in passenger car sales from the previous year to 2.5 million, amid rising unemployment, falling incomes. and worsening credit conditions, as well as tax increases.
Sales of passenger cars in the world (by regions), million units *
| country, region | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| China | 19,1 | 21,4 | 23,1 | 24,4 | 25,7 |
| USA | 14,5 | 15,6 | 16,5 | 17,5 | 18,0 |
| Western Europe | 11,8 | 11,5 | 12,1 | 13,2 | 13,5 |
| India | 2,8 | 2,7 | 2,6 | 2,8 | 3,0 |
| Russia | 3,2 | 2,8 | 2,5 | 1,6 | 1,6 |
| The world as a whole | 79,5 | 82,8 | 86,3 | 87,6 | 89,8 |
* - data from IHS Automotive (2016 - forecast).
For 2016, IHS predicts an increase in sales of passenger cars in the world to 89.8 million units.
The US auto market, supported by low interest rates on loans and low gasoline prices, will remain strong. While interest rates will rise slightly, buying conditions will remain good, allowing the market to continue to rally in 2016 and 2017. IHS sees still strong potential to bolster the US economy and boost employment, pushing the US market to 18 million units over the next two years.
In Western Europe, growth momentum is also strong, even after recovering well above expectations in 2015. The current forecast is that sales growth of 2.5-3.0% may even be revised upward. However, some European markets have peaked.
Optimism about sales activity in the Chinese market has risen sharply as the government announced measures to reduce the car purchase tax for small cars. However, the continued volatility of the stock market may scare off some buyers. Despite the slowdown in China's economy, IHS Automotive currently expects passenger car sales to grow 5-6% in 2016 - enough to boost sales by more than 1.3 million units.
For the Asia-Pacific region, 2016 will be the year of transition from a disappointing decline in sales in recent years to renewed growth. In the key markets of Thailand and Indonesia, a return to growth should begin in the second half of 2016, with growth expected to pick up in 2017. The Indian auto market is forecast to accelerate, IHS predicts, as lower energy prices and falling interest rates on auto loans will return to double-digit growth for the first time since 2010.
For Brazil and Russia, 2016 is likely to be difficult. Both markets have been in decline for three consecutive years and 2016 is likely to be the fourth year that the economy continues to show negative momentum. Brazil's auto market is likely to contract 14 percent in 2015, in line with IHS Automotive's forecast. In Russia, the passenger car market will continue to shrink, due to the continuing effects of low oil prices, sanctions imposed on the Russian economy, and the ruble exchange rate.
In 2015, German car manufacturer Volkswagen stunned the world when it deposed Toyota as the world's largest car manufacturer by sales. In the first half of 2015, Volkswagen sold 5.04 million vehicles between January and June, up from Toyota's 5.02 million in the same period.
Analysts attributed Volkswagen's sales growth to increased demand in Europe, where the market grew at the fastest pace in more than five years. On the other hand, Toyota has suffered from weaker demand in China, as well as from the inability to reap the same benefits in Europe, despite the benefits the company has gained through the weakening of the Japanese yen.
True, in the fall, Toyota regained its leadership in sales in the world market, and at the end of the year the total sales of the company amounted to about 10 million vehicles, against 9.93 million vehicles from Volkswagen. At the same time, 2016 promises to be another year of competition between the two auto giants.
Below is a list of the top 10 auto companies in the world (by sales for 2014).
Top 10 largest automotive companies in the world
| a place | company | Country of origin | Sales volume, mln. | Number of employees, thousand people |
| 1 | Toyota Motor | Japan | 10,20 | 330,0 |
| 2 | Volkswagen Group | Germany | 10,10 | 592,6 |
| 3 | General motors | USA | 9,92 | 216,0 |
| 4 | Renault-Nissan Alliance | France, Japan | 8,47 | 450,0 |
| 5 | Hyundai Motor Group | South Korea | 7,71 | 249,4 |
| 6 | Ford motor | USA | 6,32 | 224,0 |
| 7 | Fiat-Chrysler | Italy, USA | 4,75 | 228,7 |
| 8 | Honda motor | Japan | 4,36 | 199,4 |
| 9 | PSA Peugeot-Citroen | France | 2,94 | 184,8 |
| 10 | Suzuki | Japan | 2,88 | 14,6 |
Russian passenger car market in 2015-2016
The Russian passenger car market ended 2015 with a 35.7% year-on-year decline. Sales were down 890,187 units from 2014, to a total of 1,601,126 units, according to the Association for European Businesses (AEB). December sales were down 45.7% year on year to 146,963 units, a decline of 123,682 units.
Top 10 brands of passenger cars by sales in Russia
| pieces | Dec 2015 | Dec 2014 | Change,% | 2015 | 2014 | Change,% |
| Lada | 23462 | 35315 | -34 | 269096 | 387307 | -31 |
| Kia | 15215 | 20200 | -25 | 163500 | 195691 | -16 |
| Hyundai | 12570 | 15235 | -17 | 161201 | 179631 | -10 |
| Renault | 11934 | 19263 | -38 | 120411 | 194531 | -38 |
| Toyota | 11177 | 17536 | -36 | 98149 | 161954 | -39 |
| Nissan | 8410 | 20131 | -58 | 91100 | 162010 | -44 |
| VW | 7927 | 13871 | -43 | 78390 | 128071 | -39 |
| UAZ | 6324 | 7221 | -12 | 48739 | 49844 | -2 |
| GAZ LCV | 5099 | 7916 | -36 | 51192 | 69388 | -26 |
| Skoda | 4596 | 6214 | -26 | 55012 | 84437 | -35 |
Sales statistics by car make for the first 9 months of 2015 have been released. As in 2014, Toyota became the leader in software. It is followed by the American brand Ford. The third line in the ranking is occupied by Volkswagen. As you can see, despite the scandal with diesel engines, the German brand VW still remained in the top three.
The economic situation in the world
In the second quarter of 2015, the world economy began to lose its growth momentum due to the decline in emerging market economies. So in the first quarter of 2015, the global economy grew by 2.7 percent, while in the second quarter it grew by 2.6 percent. The drop in global economic growth by 1 percent is associated with the financial crisis in Russia and Brazil, where the economy is falling due to weakening national currencies, falling oil prices and many other reasons.
Market Review
Thanks to the recovery of the European economy, due to the significant growth of all auto markets in North America (Canada, USA and Mexico), as well as due to the growth of the Chinese economy (albeit at a slower pace than in 2014),.
So in the period from January to September 2015, the global growth in car sales amounted to +1.7 percent... Over the last 3 quarter, compared to the same period last year, the market grew by +4.5 percent ( July: +0.4 percent, August: +0.3 percent and September: +3.8 percent).
However, according to the portal focus2move The biggest difference this year is between premium and non-premium car sales. For example, conventional car brands, which mainly produce non-premium vehicles, lose sales in 2015, while premium brands increase their sales momentum.
TOP 100 most successful car brands
Everyone is so accustomed to the fact that Toyota is the leader in the number of new car sales worldwide, that the claims that the Japanese brand took the first place in the world in sales does not attract anyone. Nevertheless, for those who are interested, we will provide the data.
So, according to world sales statistics for 9 months of 2015 (data provided focus2move), Toyota sold 6.25 million ( 6,253,131 pieces). For example, in September it sold 703,167 cars, which is 1 percent more than in 2014.
The second line in the world ranking is occupied by the company, which has been demonstrating strong sales growth for the fourth month in a row. So, according to the results of the first 9 months, Ford sold 4.52 million cars worldwide ( 4,528,378 pcs.). In September, sales growth compared to the same period amounted to +8.7 percent (543,343 units were sold).
The third line is occupied by the German brand. Between January and September 2015, the company sold more vehicles (4,786,738 pcs.) than the Ford brand (see above), but, nevertheless, VW did not manage to gain a foothold in the second line of the focus2move rating, as Volkswagen sold fewer cars in September (540,306 units) than Ford (see above ). VW's failure is of course linked to the diesel scandal. As a result of an unprecedented incident in September 2015 alone, Volkswagen sales fell -2.7 percent.
Separately, we would like to note the Korean brand, which is slowly but surely approaching in recent years. In the first 9 months of 2015, the Korean brand sold 3,522,796 vehicles, which helped the company to gain a foothold in the 4th line of the rating. This has also been facilitated by the successes of recent months. For example, in September alone of this year, Hyundai sold 417,191 vehicles, which is +1.8 percent compared to last year (in relation to September 2014).
Following the Korean car brand are companies such as (in 9 months sold 3,255,614 pcs) and Chevrolet, which occupy the fifth and sixth lines, respectively. Honda managed to take such a place thanks to the failure of the companies (-6.5 percent) and a drop in sales (-9.4 percent). True, as experts note, Honda also managed to take the fifth line in the world ranking due to the success of its own sales, which in September 2015 alone grew by + 12.2 percent (401,960 cars were sold).
It is noteworthy that the subsidiary is seriously lagging behind its relative Hyundai. At the end of the nine-month period in 2015, Kia occupies only 8th line in the world ranking (from January to September 2015, Kia sold 2,142,336 cars). In September, the brand sold 250,005 vehicles worldwide (up + 2.4 percent).
It is worth noting that the success of Kia allowed this brand to bypass the legendary company in the sales ranking, which for 9 months of this year occupies only the ninth line in sales (sold 1,520,086 pcs.). But Mercedes cannot be disregarded, since it was this company that became the best of the TOP-20 global brands, which recorded an increase in new car sales in September 2015. Thus, according to statistics, the Mercedes company sold 197,313 vehicles in September alone (+ 14.4 percent growth). Considering this is a premium brand, Mercedes' success is amazing.
World car sales statistics from January to September 2015 (by brand)
(TOP-50)
| Place in 2015 | Place in 2014 | Brand | Sold in September 2015 | Sold in 9 months 2015 year | Sales growth in September |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 703.167 | 6.253.131 | 1,0% | |
| 2 | 3 | 543.342 | 4.528.378 | 8,7% | |
| 3 | 2 | 540.306 | 4.786.738 | -2,7% | |
| 4 | 4 | 417.191 | 3.522.796 | 1,8% | |
| 5 | 6 | 401.960 | 3.255.614 | 12,2% | |
| 6 | 7 | 359.608 | 3.213.675 | -6,5% | |
| 7 | 5 | 354.751 | 3.507.197 | -9,4% | |
| 8 | 8 | 250.005 | 2.142.336 | 2,4% | |
| 9 | 9 | 197.313 | 1.520.086 | 14,6% | |
| 10 | 11 | 188.252 | 1.454.368 | 1,5% | |
| 11 | 12 | 178.658 | 1.431.963 | 6,6% | |
| 12 | 10 | 176.101 | 1.501.172 | -1,0% | |
| 13 | 13 | 173.356 | 1.358.794 | 8,6% | |
| 14 | 15 | 144.172 | 1.146.321 | 14,4% | |
| 15 | 16 | 135.157 | 1.130.144 | -8,7% | |
| 16 | 14 | 134.150 | 1.205.027 | -15,3% | |
| 17 | 22 | 118.151 | 870.267 | 14,2% | |
| 18 | 17 | 115.968 | 1.123.870 | -14,8% | |
| 19 | 18 | Maruti | 114.890 | 1.021.517 | 6,3% |
| 20 | 23 | 114.492 | 852.905 | 4,8% | |
| 21 | 20 | 112.632 | 925.947 | 33,9% | |
| 22 | 19 | 110.070 | 985.385 | 5,4% | |
| 23 | 21 | 109.696 | 900.933 | -3,4% | |
| 24 | 24 | 93.506 | 789.438 | 0,6% | |
| 25 | 25 | 91.405 | 764.682 | -13,3% | |
| 26 | 26 | 87.689 | 717.923 | 11,0% | |
| 27 | 27 | 71.885 | 616.829 | -9,2% | |
| 28 | 28 | 67.879 | 615.001 | 178,3% | |
| 29 | 30 | 58.347 | 500.928 | 19,9% | |
| 30 | 29 | 57.535 | 544.539 | -8,8% | |
| 31 | 31 | 57.010 | 493.932 | 1,6% | |
| 32 | 35 | 52.799 | 410.007 | 13,6% | |
| 33 | 34 | 52.081 | 449.404 | 33,4% | |
| 34 | 33 | 50.776 | 450.103 | 10,1% | |
| 35 | 32 | 49.254 | 462.565 | 5,9% | |
| 36 | 42 | 48.059 | 322.460 | 88,0% | |
| 37 | 38 |
