New vehicle sales soared in April as carmakers reporting monthly sales figures today revealed triple-digit sales increases for the month, reflecting the sharp rebound from the dismal showing a year ago when the pandemic shuttered dealerships across the country.
Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai, Kia and Volvo all reported big jumps in sales. With the price of new vehicles climbing, buyers also showed signs of taking a second look at passenger cars. Sales of sedans such as the Kia Forte and the Optima-replacement K5 and Honda Accord enjoyed significant jumps along with SUVs.
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) reported U.S. April 2021 sales of 239,311 vehicles, up 183% on a volume basis and daily selling rate basis. Toyota Division sales for the month were 212,283 vehicles, up 183%. Lexus Division sales in April were 27,028 vehicles, up 177%.
In addition, Toyota’s Alternative Powered Vehicle, or APV, sales in April jumped 526%, accounting for one of every vehicles sold by TMNA, the automaker said.
South Korean automakers hit high notes
Hyundai Motor America reported total April sales of 77,523 units, a 128% increase compared with April 2020. The South Korean maker said it was another record month, beating March results, even though fleet sales were down 27%.
“April 2021 was the second month in a row that we established a new best ever total and retail sales monthly record,” said Randy Parker, senior vice president, National Sales, Hyundai Motor America. “It was a team effort across the entire organization from manufacturing, logistics, sales and marketing, and our dealerships to deliver more Hyundai vehicles than ever before. As our all-new Tucson begins hitting dealerships in greater numbers, we expect the design and technology of our lineup to continue resonating with consumers.”
Hyundai’s sibling, Kia Motors America reported its second-successive best-ever monthly sales total of 70,177 units, surpassing the previous monthly high set in March 2021. Two Kia nameplates – K5 and Forte – enjoyed their strongest month in April, powering Kia to a 121.3% increase over the same period last year.
“After a record-breaking first-quarter performance, Kia continued to outpace the industry in April as even more customers discovered our world-class and award-winning design and quality,” said Sean Yoon, president and CEO of Kia Motors North America .
“With five Kia models setting sales records in April and the successful launches of the Sorento SUV and the all-new Carnival MPV continuing to drive customers to showrooms, Kia is experiencing unprecedented momentum. Given the showroom traffic our dealers are reporting ahead of the summer opening of the country we are confident our strong performance will continue through the year,” he said.
Others enjoyed a strong result
Honda reported a 171% sales increase in April with Acura posting a 226% increase and the Honda brand posting a 165% sales increase.
Subaru of America, Inc. also reported 61,389 vehicle sales for April 2021, the company’s best-ever April sales and a 100.5% increase compared to April 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic impacted the global economy at large. The automaker also reported year-to-date sales of 221,815, a 37.6% gain.
“Our retailers showed their desire by delivering the best-ever April in the history of Subaru with an increase of 100.5 percent,” said Thomas J. Doll, president and CEO of Subaru of America Inc.
“As spring car buyers look for the ideal vehicle to carry them through their warm weather adventures, our commitment to offering the safest, most reliable and family-friendly vehicles on the market makes Subaru their top choice.”
Volvo Car USA set a new April sales record with 11,036 cars sold, up 185.5% over 2020 when the industry continued to see the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the eleventh consecutive month of year-over-year growth for Volvo Car USA. Year-to-date the brand is up 63.9%, an increase of 7,170 cars sold over the same period last year.
