Honda Light Truck Sales Set New Record in 2019
Photo: Honda
Honda light truck sales in America soared to record heights in 2019 as American Honda also reported an overall 0.2 percent increase in total sales for the year — a surprising if somewhat impressive gain considering the rest of the industry declined over the same period.
Honda did report fewer sales in December, in keeping with the fourth-quarter industry decline, but it simply wasn’t enough to counteract the gains the company had made earlier in the year. Most notably, Honda SUVs posted their 10th consecutive year of continuous growth, just in time for the new CR-V Hybrid to launch in 2020 as the brand’s first-ever hybrid SUV.
Hybrid or not, the CR-V needs no help to find its way into the hands of new drivers. With 383,168 models sold in 2019, it was up 1.4 percent compared to 2018 for a record year that reestablished it as the best-selling vehicle in the Honda lineup.
Related: 2020 Honda CR-V updates focus on more tech and features
Photo: Honda
In second place was the Honda Civic, which came within just 110 vehicle sales from its 2018 performance, enough to help maintain its status as the top-selling retail car in America. Electrified vehicle sales were also up 18.6 percent on sales of 59,157 units, a new record for the company.
Other strong performers included the HR-V and the Ridgeline. Sales of the compact SUV rose 45.7 percent in December, a new record, and 15.9 percent in 2019, also a record, while the pickup truck was up 31 percent in December and 9 percent for the whole year.
Photo: Honda
“In a highly competitive market, American Honda posted increased sales in 2019, including new records for both light trucks and electrified vehicles,“ said Henio Arcangeli Jr, senior vice president of the American Honda Automobile Division. “Honda also bucked industry trends by achieving a second straight year as the retail number one passenger car brand in America, so we head into 2020 with strong momentum.”
Related: How does the Honda Ridgeline compare to the Chevy Colorado?
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.