IHS Automotive has reviewed all-new vehicles due on sale in the United States in 2017. In this article, IHS Automotive looks at expected US introductions from the five top-selling brands.
IHS Markit Perspective
Significance: IHS Automotive has reviewed the new-car launches expected in the US market in 2017. In this article, we look at what to expect from five top-selling brands of Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, Honda, and Nissan.
Implications: The three highest-volume-selling vehicles with new model-year products going on sale in 2017 will be the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, followed by the Chevrolet Equinox.
Outlook: The top five brands have accounted for about 55% of US light-vehicle sales to date in 2016, each with sales exceeding the 1.2-million unit mark in sales through November 2016. The new products these brands launch will have a significant impact on the near-term market and consumer behaviour. The vehicles going on sale from these five brands are forecast to account for about 1.37 million units of sales in 2018.
IHS Automotive has reviewed the expected new-car launches in the US market in 2017. Some of these vehicles have already been revealed, but not all; some will be launched as 2017 or 2018 model-year vehicles. In this article, we are referring to calendar-year on-sale dates, not model years. In 2018, the first full year of sales for the models arriving in calendar-year 2017, IHS Automotive forecasts the products discussed here will contribute about 1.37 million units of combined sales volume in 2018 − with a total of more than 900,000 units of that coming from the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Chevrolet Equinox.
Ford
After a raft of new-car launches globally in 2015 and 2016, the Ford brand is due to see a relatively quiet year in terms of sales launches. The only all-new vehicle expected to go on sale in the US in 2017 is the next-generation Expedition, due in the third quarter of next year. The Expedition will shift to the aluminium-intensive platform of the Ford F-150 and is forecast to be responsible for a modest 49,000 units of sales volume in 2018. However, the vehicle is highly profitable. The current Expedition V8 option of EcoBoost V6 only has already been dropped, a configuration which may carry on into the new generation. Looking ahead to 2018, the Ford EcoSport goes on sale early in the year, and Ford will deliver an all-new Focus and a successor to the Ranger pick-up. The EcoSport was unveiled at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show in November; while Ford understands the sport utility vehicle (SUV) buyer better than most, some have questioned if the materials and finish of the pre-production unit are at levels that US buyers expect. However, the company has a few months to address those issues. The EcoSport is built in India and will be imported.
Toyota
Toyota, like Ford, has had several new products go on sale in 2016, including the Prius and Prius Prime. Toyota's new C-HR is due early in 2017, while late in 2017 the bread-and-butter Camry is due for a new launch. The C-HR slots below the RAV4 and is Toyota's entry into the subcompact utility vehicle market. C-HR stands for 'Coupe High-Rider', and the vehicle takes a more aggressive look for the segment, more along the lines of the Nissan Juke than the Honda HR-V. When announcing the vehicle at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show, Toyota said that it is for "fashion-forward, trend-setting" owners. For Toyota, 2018 is forecast to see the sales launch of the Avalon, a new 86 sports coupe, and a new Corolla iM. IHS Automotive forecasts the C-HR to contribute about 63,000 units of volume to Toyota's 2018 sales, and for the Camry to achieve sales in the 375,000-unit territory. Although the Camry is forecast to remain a significant source of sales volume for Toyota, company executives have said that they expect the RAV4 may eventually outsell the stalwart sedan.
Chevrolet
After launching the new Malibu, Cruze, and Volt in 2016, the Chevrolet brand will put an all-new Traverse and Equinox into showrooms in 2017, along with an official sales launch for the Bolt EV. The Cruze hatchback went on sale in late 2016, with a diesel variant arriving in showrooms in 2017. Chevrolet will explore the demand level for diesel engines in the wake of the Volkswagen (VW) diesel scandal, offering the Equinox as well as the Cruze with a diesel. The Equinox will have healthy competition in 2017, as Honda's latest CR-V went on sale in December 2016 and Mazda will launch an updated CX-5 in 2017. The Equinox offers a somewhat larger package than the Honda or the Mazda, and it is ahead on technology availability. The Traverse will move to an all-new platform, a longer version of the Cadillac XT5, and the latest GMC Acadia underpinnings. A North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) introduction for the Traverse is expected. The Traverse is very likely to be the fourth Chevrolet to make use of GM's all-new 9-speed transmission. The Traverse is a large, three-row SUV and is expected to maintain its size, while the latest Acadia has shrunk. In effect, this is General Motors' (GM) answer to the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, after GM exited the minivan segment years ago.
Honda
Honda is coming off a strong 2016 in terms of product launches, having put the Civic coupe, Ridgeline, CR-V, and Clarity fuel-cell vehicle on sale. In 2017, new generations of the Accord and Odyssey are due, and the Clarity will spawn a new range. The Odyssey minivan is tipped to be previewed at the NAIAS in January 2017, while the Accord is expected later in the year. The impact of both Toyota and Honda updating their core sales volume mid-size sedans may serve to slow the decline in that segment, as buyers continue to flock to SUVs. Honda has said that it largely expects its CR-V, Civic, and Accord trio to continue leading its US sales, each contributing roughly similar volumes. IHS Automotive forecasts that 2018 for Honda will bring the sales launch of another new SUV, tentatively called Pilot Sport. This product is expected to be derived from the Pilot, in a shorter package with seating for five, and bridge some of the size gap between the CR-V and the massive Pilot.
Nissan
Nissan is expected to launch a version of the European Qashqai on the US market in 2017, as well as a new Versa sedan. The Qashqai is smaller than the Rogue and both are larger and more conservative than the Juke. In early 2018, the company is forecast to launch a new Leaf electric vehicle (EV) as well. While Nissan was the first to make a significant push on a mass-market EV, and has sold about 230,000 units of the Leaf EV in January−September 2016, the field is growing, with potential for more range and features than the current Leaf offers. In 2018, Nissan is forecast to see a few more new products arrive at dealers. Nissan is forecast to also add the smaller Nissan Kicks crossover utility vehicle (CUV) to its US line-up in the second quarter of 2017, in addition to the second generation of the Juke, and the launch of a new Z coupe and a new generation of the Altima sedan. The Kicks was launched initially in Brazil, although Mexican production is scheduled for the vehicles supplied in the US. Nissan is scheduled to see a stronger new-product sales launch year in 2018 than in 2017.
Outlook and implications
These top five brands have accounted for about 55% of US light-vehicle sales to date in 2016, each with sales exceeding the 1.2-million unit mark in January−November 2016. The new products these brands launch have a significant impact on the near-term market and consumer behaviour. The vehicles going on sale through these five brands are forecast to account for about 1.37 million units in 2018.
The top-sellers being introduced by this group include two mid-size cars, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, which may breathe some life into that segment. The number of utility vehicles being introduced among these brands remains high and includes additive models for Nissan and Toyota, while Chevrolet is updating its strong-selling Equinox and Ford is expected to sell a new high-margin Expedition this year. The combined sales of the Camry, Accord, and Equinox are forecast to exceed 910,000 units in 2018, making these products among the most important introductions for 2017.
These best-selling brands are seeing the number of their introductions continue to lean towards SUVs, which reflects market demand, as SUVs continue to claim a growing share of the overall market.
About this article
The above article is from IHS Automotive Same-Day Analysis of automotive news, events and trends, and is a deliverable of the World Markets Automotive Service. The service averages thirty stories per day and also provides competitor and country intelligence. Get a free trial.