USA November 2014: Best November score since 2001

The GMC Sierra delivers the biggest year-on-year gain in the Top 15 at +57%…

* UPDATED See the Top 270 models, Top 40 brands & Top 15 groups by clicking on the title *

The good news keep rolling on for the US new light vehicle market, up another 5% year-on-year in November to 1.302.655 deliveries, lifting the year-to-date total to 15.023.111 units, up 6% on 2013. More significantly, this is the best November volume since 2001 and corresponds to an annualised sales rate (SAAR) of 17.2 million units, only the 2nd time since early 2006 that the SAAR crosses the symbolic 17 million milestone – the only other time was last August. This increase is solely due to the regained interest of American consumers towards pickups and SUVs as petrol price plummet to their lowest level in 4 years, with light truck volume up 9% year-on-year (pickups: +11%) while car deliveries are down 0.1%. Other piece of good news: the average transaction price is also on the rise at $33,754, up 2% on November 2013. Of course not all manufacturers fare the same way in November…

…while the Chrysler 200 is tops in the Top 50 at +155%

General Motors is back in positive territory this month at +6% leading the groups ranking by far, while Ford is handicapped by the F-150 changeover and drops 2% – its 4th consecutive monthly decline – now threatened for 2nd place by Toyota (+7%). Without the F-Series, Ford Group sales would be up 2%. Ford’s market share fell to 14.3% from 15.3% in November 2013 and has declined YOY every month in 2014 except July. Reversely, at #4 Fiat Chrysler lodges a 56th consecutive month of YOY gains at +20%, and some of the strongest sales gains came from vehicles that were either new or redesigned onto Fiat platforms, such as the Jeep Cherokee, Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart. Volkswagen Group is up 10% and Subaru delivers the biggest increase at +24% – its 36th straight month of YOY gains.

Alfa Romeo is back in the US with 24 sales of the 4C sport coupe this month.

Onto the brands ranking, and if Ford leads the way it however drops 3% whereas the next 3 brands are all on the up: Toyota overtakes Chevrolet to rank #2 while Honda remains #4. Jeep manages to outsell Hyundai for the second consecutive month in 6th place thanks to sales up 27%, GMC is up 23% to crack the Top 10, Ram is up 31%, Chrysler up 30%, Buick up 27%, Audi up 22%, Lincoln up 21% thanks to the new MKC, Porsche up 18% and Maserati up 36%. Finally we welcome the return of Alfa Romeo in the US in November, appearing in the sales charts for the first time since 1995 with 24 units of the all-new 4C sport coupe sold.

The transition to the 2015 F-150 is solely responsible for the Ford Group’s November sales decline.

Model-wise, Ford F-Series sales are now clearly affected by the changeover to the 2015 F-150 models: down 10% in November to 59,049 deliveries. The company began shipping the new F-150 to dealers a week before Thanksgiving and has delivered “a handful” of them to customers so far, said its chief sales analyst Erich Merkle, reported by Automotive News. John Felice, Ford’s vice president for US marketing, said Ford is working to maintain a “delicate balance” with incentives on the outgoing model until the new version is more widely available to avoid running low. Taking advantage of the situation and lower fuel prices, all other full-size pickups progress by 20% or more in November: the GMC Sierra is up 57%, the Chevrolet Silverado up 24% – meaning GM full-size pickups outsold the F-Series for the 4th month running at 65,343 deliveries – and the Ram Pickup is up 21% to a new November record of 35,865 units, boosted by sales of the Ram 1500 up 30%.

Honda CR-V

The freshly redesigned Honda CR-V is up a fantastic 38% to land at a record 4th place with 32,378 sales, its 4th best-ever monthly total. Perfectly illustrating the trend towards SUV and crossover and away from sedans, the CR-V outsells all passenger cars for the first time ever, kicking the Toyota Camry down to #5, just above the Corolla up 14% and the Ford Escape up 22% to its best-ever November score at 25,528 units. The Jeep Cherokee posts a 2nd straight month inside the overall Top 20 at a best-ever #17, the brand’s best-seller for the third consecutive month, up 67% to 16,945 units. The Chevrolet Cruze (+26%), Ford Explorer (+24%) and Nissan Rogue (+44%) also shine.

Chevrolet Colorado deliveries are up 59% on last month.

Further down, the redesigned Chrysler 200 increases 2.5-fold year-on-year to post its best-ever November score at #24 with 14,317 sales, the Subaru Outback is up 60% to #25, the Mercedes C-Class is up 10 spots on October to #39, the Dodge Dart surprisingly breaks its all-time monthly record over 2 years after launch at #42 and 9,012 sales and the Ford Mustang is up 62% year-on-year and 38 ranks on last month to deliver its best November since 2006 at #45 and 8,728 units.

Lexus RC makes its first appearance in the US ranking this month.

Among recent launches, the all-new GM mid-size pickups continue making their way up the ladder: the Chevrolet Colorado is up 59% on October to 2,366 deliveries at #128 while the GMC Canyon is up a more discreet 28% to 854 units and #187. The Ford Transit replaces the E-Series as the best-selling full-sized van at #78 and 4,851 sales, the Kia Sedona breaks into the Top 100 at #98 and sees its sales up 7-fold on November 2013 thanks to the new model and the BMW X4 is up 12 spots to #206. We welcome no less than 4 new nameplates in the US ranking this month: the Lexus RC at #185 with 880 sales, the Alfa Romeo 4C (#258), Chevrolet City Express (#259) and Lexus NX (#260).

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Full November 2014 Top 270 models, Top 40 brands and Top 15 groups Ranking Tables below.