And a new RAV4 Trim called “Adventure”. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Sept. 1, 2017 2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure If only it was available with the new Camry Hybrids drivetrain. All-new 2018 RAV4 Adventure – Starts at $28,695 including the $995 D&H charge. Add $700 for AWD. 23/29 mpg city/highway in FWD trim and 22/28 mpg city/highway as an AWD is what it may be rated at when it arrives this month. The outdoor adventure is now beset with the addition of a new 2018 Toyota RAV4 trim called Adventure that adds altered exterior and interior styling features. The 2018 RAV4 Adventure includes large over-fender flares, 18” alloys w/ 235/55R18 tires, gray lower valance panels and rocker panel guards, black headlight bezels, black fog lamp surround, roof rails, and Adventure badging. The Adventure trims overall height and ground clearance increased by .4 in. Inside owners will see carbon-fiber-like trim panels, a leather-wrapped shift knob, “RAV4 Adventure” logoed door sill protectors, and all-weather floor and cargo mats with “RAV4 Adventure” badging. A 120V/100W power outlet in the cargo area can charge laptops or phones. The RAV4 Adventure is available in either FWD or AWD. Both feature a standard Tow Prep Package that includes an upgraded radiator and supplemental engine oil and transmission fluid coolers. When properly equipped with the available tow hitch receiver and wiring harness, the Adventure grade can tow 2,900 lbs. with FWD models and 3,500 lbs. with Dynamic Control AWD models. Like all Toyota’s, the Adventure grade includes Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) and Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) standard. TSS-P includes the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection function (PCS w/ PD); Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist function (LDA w/ SA); Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) and Automatic High Beams (AHB). The RAV4 Adventure grade is available in five exterior colors including Black, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Silver Sky Metallic, Super White, and, new to the RAV4 palette and for an additional cost, Ruby Flare Pearl. The RAV4 Adventure can also be picked up with heated fabric front row seats with power driver’s seat, heated leather steering wheel, and wiper de-icer as part of a new Cold Weather Package. There is a reason the RAV4 is the #3 selling vehicle in the U.S. This trim adds to its range. Toyota August 2017 Sales Overview Toyota’s August 2017 sales of 227,625 vehicles was up 6.8 percent over the 213,125 sold in August of 2016. On a DSR basis, sales were up 2.8 percent due to 27 selling days this August vs. 26 in August of 2016. YTD sales of 1,604,847 are off 1.3 percent below the 1,625,197 sold through the same period of 2016. Toyota on its own achieved August sales of 196,824 vehicles, up 8 percent on a volume basis, and 4 percent on a DSR basis over the 182,187 sold in August of 2016. YTD sales of 1,411,384 are off a slight 02 percent below the 1,414,805 sold through the same period of 2016. Lexus posted August sales of 30,801 units, down 0.4 percent on a volume basis, and down 4.1 percent on a DSR basis below the 30,938 sold in August if 2016. YTD sales of 193,463 are off 8.0 percent below the 210,392 sold through the same period of 2016. Two standouts appeared in August. Namely the RAV4 with its second consecutive month over 40,000, setting another all-time best-ever month and the very well received all-new 2018 Camry – the best mid-size available today imho - is not only the bestselling sedan in the U.S. last month, has seen its sales climb from 9th, to 7th, to 5th on the U.S. Top 10. While the Utility segment is hot, the sedan market is showing it has fuel as well. The RAV4 was white hot with sales of 43,265 vehicles, up 30.4 percent over the 33,171 sold in August of 2016. YTD sales of 269,835 were up 16.8 percent over the 230,957 sold through the same period of 2016. Near and dear to my heart, the all-new 2018 Camry achieved sales of 37,051 vehicles, up 12.7 percent over the 32,864 sold in August of 2016. YTD sales of 247,775 are down 7.1 percent below the 266,748 sold through the same period of 2016. Expect that shortfall to shrink quickly as we head into the fall and winter sales seasons. 2018 Toyota Camry A better Camry and an even better sedan. August 2017 Top 10 Top 10 U.S. August auto sales items of note: The Equinox moved back into the Top 10 pushing the Corolla out. U.S. Automobile Aug. 2017 vs. Aug. 2016 Market Share results August 2017 Market Share items of note: GM gained 1.7 percent, Toyota gained 1.4 percent, FCA was down 1.1 percent, Nissan was down 0.9 percent, and Hyundai was down 1.1 percent vs. August of 2016. August revealed another down sales month as this was the third consecutive month of lower U.S. auto sales. August was the sixth of eight with lower sales in 2017. How fast vehicle replacements to cover Hurricane Harvey devastation will move these results upward remain to be seen. August 2017 B and C-Segment Top 10 Sales and Rankings B and C-Segment sales items of note: In the B-Segment, Ford's Fiesta is quietly moving up to challenge the perennial sales champ Nissan Versa and Honda Fit. The Hyundai Accent experienced the steepest sales decline in the segment. Regarding the C-segment, the Civic simply dominated and it was not even close. Chevrolet's Cruze moved up a significant 3 spots from 6th to 3rd despite the large August sales percentage fall off. Hyundai's Elantra sales fell the most on a percentage basis while the platform sharing Kia Forte achieved the largest sales increase on a percentage basis. August 2017 D and Utility Segment Top 10 Sales and Rankings D-segment sales items of note: With the highly regarded all-new 8th gen Toyota Camry reaching dealership showrooms in mass including the most efficient midsize available in the form of the 51/53 mpg city/highway rated LE Hybrid, it was no surprise to see it vault to the top of the D-segment sales charts by a significant margin. Chevrolet's Malibu moved up a significant 3-spots from 6th to 3rd. The once formidable Altima is falling into mediocrity. Hyundai's Sonata, Kia's Optima, VW's Passat, and Mercedes-Benz's E-Class all had similar 20+ percentage sales declines. Utility sales items of note: The well-built Toyota RAV4 owned this segment having an almost 40 percent gap to the second place Honda CR-V. Rogue has fallen 3 spots in as many months despite the best online marketing in the segment. The darling goes to the all-new 2018 Equinox with sales increasing by almost 85 percent. August 2017 Pickup Segment Top 10 Sales and Rankings Pickup sales items of note: The F-series continues to achieve astounding sales volumes over the rest of the segment. GM is making progress with overall truck sales thanks mainly to the Silverado and Colorado volumes which in turn shows GMs pickup truck lineup in total outselling Ford's F-Series. Tacoma continues to astound despite my own personal distaste for its poor efficiency, ergonomics, and price. August 2017 Electrified Segments Top 10 Sales and Rankings Electrified sales items of note: The real standout is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid as volumes continue to climb. A few more months of this and it may even surpass the struggling Prius liftback! Fusion Hybrid moved back ahead of the very steady Niro sales. The Kia Niro as its sales continue to hold in the 2,500+ range once again. It is good to see the most efficient vehicle in the segment holding onto sales volumes with little discounting proving its resilience. If only more Texan's were in it instead of their CUV/SUV/Pickup of choice, there would be no gasoline shortage in the region. Ioniq sales continue to struggle possibly due to minor incentive help from Hyundai. On the plug-in front, the Prius Prime continues to move forward placing both the Volt and the Leaf in its rear view. Ford's Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi swapped places in August. 2017 U.S. August Auto Industry Sales Totals U.S. August 2017 Sales vs. August 2016 Sales Ranks and Results for the top 18 Automobile Manufacturers GM U.S. August 2017 Sales Up 7.5% with 275,552 Vehicles Sold Toyota U.S. August Sales Up 6.8% with 227,625 Vehicles Sold Ford U.S. August 2017 Sales Down 2.1% with 209,897 Vehicles Sold FCA U.S. August 2017 Sales Down 10.6% with 176,033 Vehicles Sold Honda U.S. August 2017 Sales Down 2.4% with 146,015 Vehicles Sold Nissan U.S. August 2017 Sales Down 13.1% with 108,326 Vehicles Sold Subaru U.S. August 2017 Sales Up 4.6% with 63,215 Vehicles Sold Hyundai U.S. August 2017 Sales Down 24.6% with 54,310 Vehicles Sold Kia U.S. August 2017 Sales Down 1.7% with 53,323 Vehicles Sold VW U.S. August 2017 Sales Up 9.0% with 32,015 Vehicles Sold Mercedes-Benz August 2017 Sales Down 8.5% with 29,183 Vehicles Sold BMW U.S. August 2017 Sales Down 8.2% with 28,001 Vehicles Sold Mazda U.S. July 2017 Sales Down 1.0% with 25,846 Vehicles Sold Audi U.S. August 2017 Sales Up 2.8% with 19,811 Vehicles Sold Jaguar/Land Rover U.S. August 2017 Sales Up 1.0% with 9,421 Vehicles Sold Mitsubishi U.S. August 2017 Sales Up 11.3% with 8,164 Vehicles Sold Volvo U.S. August 2017 Sales Up 4.1% with 7,994 Vehicles Sold Porsche U.S. July 2017 Sales Down 9.1% with 4,709 Vehicles Sold Top 18 U.S. August Auto Industry Manufacturers sales items of note: Subaru moved up yet another spot to #7 ahead of both Kia and Hyundai and appears to have placed both in the rear view for good. Hyundai and Kia swapped sales spots in August as well. VW moved ahead of Mercedes-Benz too occupy the 10th spot. 2017 U.S. Monthly Auto Industry Sales Totals January 2017 (+.01 million): 1.14 million vs 1.13 million sold in January of 2016 February 2017 (-.01 million): 1.32 million vs 1.33 million sold in February of 2016 March 2017 (-.05 million): 1.54 million vs 1.59 million sold in March of 2016 April 2017 (-.06 million): 1.44 million vs. 1.50 million sold in April of 2016 May 2017 (+.06 million): 1.52 million vs. 1.46 million sold in May of 2016 June 2017 (-.06 million): 1.46 million vs. 1.51 million sold in June of 2016 July 2017 (-.11 million): 1.41 million vs. 1.52 million sold in July of 2016 August 2017 (-.04 million): 1.47 million vs 1.51 million sold in August of 2016 August 2017 U.S. Automotive industry sales of 1.47 million was down 2.6 percent vs. the 1.51 million sold in August of 2016. On a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis, August sales were off 6.3 percent given there were 27 selling days in August of 2017 vs. 26 in August of 2016. August 2017 sales YTD of 11.31 million was down 2.7 percent from the 11.62 million sold through August of 2016 YTD. There were 204 selling days in both 2017 and 2016.
Do you suppose the market share gains/losses can be attributed to the promotions going on, or the lack thereof? I'm thinking lots of cash on the hood (Toyota Prius Prime and RAV4 for sure). I haven't seen much from Hyundai and Kia for the cars I watch. With overall sales going down, there's only so much the car companies can do, and discounts are relatively easy though I hope they help make it up in volume.
Hi Bill: Here are a few thoughts rattling around in my head like marbles in a tin can. Annoying to put it bluntly. Toyota has the strongest dealership network in the country and when they push levers, the numbers just move! Just a year ago the aging 2017 Camry was pushing out well over 30k vehicles/month and that version of the Camry was not a best buy for any reason. One of the worst in the segment as everyone caught and surpassed it. The 2018 is at the top of the segment now and the 35k+ sales volumes are a result. Tacoma? I had one for a week and despised it yet it owns the compact truck segment? And Toyota is selling these vehicles with far less $s on the hood than competitors. Considering the Hybrid segment, I hope the Ioniq HEV gets some sales help soon. A great car for a lot of reasons but it is not an inexpensive one with Prius' undercutting it by a few grand thanks to Toyota $s on the hood. Especially the Prius Prime with that $3k on the hood and all the giveaways knocking essentially everything out of contention in the compact sedan/hatch segment. The Niro is a standout in that regard as it has been hanging in at 2,500+ for months with little to no incentives added. Another good one imho although the CUV platform is probably the main reason it is holding onto the numbers it is vs. the Ioniq HEV at 1,093 in August, 1,209 in July, 1,348 in June, 1,827 in May, and 1,316 in April. The Ioniq's sales momentum has clearly been lost. From a manufacturer standpoint, Hyundai is taking it on the chin. I am being told it is to reduce fleet sales but 25 percent on average for three straight months is a lot of fleet. The refreshed Sonata is competitive thanks mainly to $s on the hood but is not an 18 Camry fighter in areas such as efficiency, R&H, and std, safety features. The Elantra is a steal and best buy in the segment for numerous reasons far outpacing the Corolla but there again, Toyota's dealer network moves metal even if it is provided the worst in a given segment ranking. The Tucson should be performing even better in the compact CUV segment given the std. amenities and $s on its hood. It is still doing ok. The Santa Fe is clearly outclassed in a number of areas from most OEMs, and the current and upcoming all-new Accent is not bringing enough $s into the OEMs coffers to make a difference anyway. All of this should be in a Hyundai post but since we are talking about August sales... Wayne
The 2018 Camry certainly deserves its winning sales volume. I'm just not sure why the RAV4 is beating the Rogue and CR-V by that much. A colleague just replaced a 2010 Camry with a RAV4. Now I'm hearing complaints about the gas mileage. Well, not that big a surprise to our readership. Now the rationalization I'm hearing is that they need to occasionally haul stuff to the dump, oh and they'd like to go kayaking more. A Fit would have fit the bill. And fuel cost is less of a concern for them. Yup, gas is too cheap. If CUVs are replacing cars, the average mpg of cars on the road is not going to improve.
Depends on what is getting replaced. We just got a replacement for the wife's 2001 Sable. The thirstiest thing she test drove was a Rav4 with 23 city/ 30 highway. Worse than the Camry she selected, but still better than the Sable's 16/25. Most of the cars going to the scrap yard will be the old, inefficient ones.
Toyota Canada August 2017 Sales up 7.5% with 20,036 Vehicles Sold Led by the RAV4, Toyota Canada sets August sales records for both trucks and hybrids! Record August sales for Canadian-made RAV4 and best month ever for RAV4 Hybrid sales. August was a month of records for Toyota Canada with total sales of 20,036 vehicles, up 7.5 percent over the 18,631 sold in August of 2016. The Toyota division (including Scion) posted sales of 17,950 vehicles, up 7.7 percent over 2016. The Lexus division achieved its 14th consecutive monthly record, with 2,086 luxury vehicles sold, up 5.8 percent compared to last year. YTD sales of 153,280 were up 2.0 percent over the 150,313 sold through the same period of 2016. Toyota Canada August Car sales of 8,049 vehicles was up 8.0 percent over the 7,452 sold in August of 2016. Toyota Canada August Truck sales of 11,987 vehicles was up 7.2 percent over the 11,179 sold in August of 2016. Toyota Canada August Sales Highlights Toyota’s RAV4 achieved an August record of 4,782 CUVs sold, up 6.7 percent over the 4,482 sold in August of 2016. YTD sales of 34,365 were up 2.6 percent over the 33,487 sold through the same period of 2016. Toyota Corolla sales of 4,650 vehicles was up 23.3 percent[ Toyota Highlander sales of 1,269 vehicles was up 10.4 percent (new August record) Toyota Tacoma sales of 1,011 vehicles was up 12.3 percent Toyota Yaris sales of 744 vehicles was up 17.4 percent Lexus NX sales of 711 vehicles was up 29.7 percent (new August record) Toyota 4Runner sales of 705 vehicles was up 11.6 percent Prius Prius c achieved August sales of 192 vehicles, down 15.8 percent below the 228 sold in August of 2016 Prius liftback achieved August sales of 392 vehicles, up 36.1 percent over the 288 sold in August of 2016 Prius v achieved August sales of 219 vehicles, up 20.3 percent over the 182 sold in August of 2016 Canada August 2017 Ranks and Results for the top 7 Automobile Manufacturers Ford Canada August 2017 Sales Down 5.8% with 27,299 Vehicles Sold GM Canada August 2017 Sales Up 28.5% with 22,547 Vehicles Sold Toyota Canada August 2017 Sales Up 7.5% with 20,036 Vehicles Sold FCA Canada August 2017 Sales Down 9.4% with 19,648 Vehicles Sold Honda Canada August 2017 Sales up 2.9% with 18,351 Vehicles Sold Nissan Canada August 2017 Sales Up 14.4% with 13,163 Vehicles Sold Hyundai August June 2017 Sales Down 10.5% with 11,949 vehicles sold Canadian sales items of note: GM Canada and Toyota Canada moved ahead of FCA Canada in August.
