According to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, June's new vehicle sales including fleet sales are expected to reach 1.55 million units.
The month of June this year had 27 selling days, one more than last year. Sales dropped 0.5 percent from June 2006 when adjusted for this one-day difference.
Jesse Toprak, the Executive Director of Industry Analysis for Edmunds.com, said that one must remember that last June was one of the best sales months of the year for some automakers, and was particularly disappointing for others. He said this would help to understand the year-over-year comparisons of sales for each automaker for the month of June. Automakers seem to have achieved June sales at more typical and sustainable levels rather than the dramatic highs and lows of June 2006.
Certain market segments appeared flourishing in June while industry sales may be relatively flat. Traffic patterns on the Edmunds.com Web site suggest that the crossover segment is poised for a huge growth in the next several weeks. Research of crossover vehicles increased 67 percent year over year, reflecting a flow in the number of consumers who are likely to buy crossover vehicles within the next six weeks.
Meanwhile, Michelle Krebs, Senior Editor of Edmunds' AutoObserver.com commented that the crossover is such a smart idea because it is the station wagon, the minivan, and the SUV of this decade. She added that activity within the segment also indicates how lots of new products can induce interest.
Edmunds.com Analyst Leah Lesch stated that research of large trucks increased 21 percent compared to June 2006, despite flying gas prices, which can likely be attributed to the segment's new products and increased incentives spending. On the other hand, she said that research of midsize and large SUVs was down 22 percent and 13 percent, respectively, implying a drop in consumer demand and potentially inactive sales in the coming weeks. She further said that automakers might boost incentives in those segments to attract buyers.
Chrysler, Ford and General Motors domestic nameplates' combined monthly U.S. market share is estimated to be 53.6 percent in June 2007, a 57.4 percent drop from June 2006 and up from 52.8 percent in May 2007.
Edmunds.com foresees that Chrysler will reach sales of 205,000 units in June 2007, marking a 10 percent increase compared to June 2006. Such sales figure would result in a new car market share of 13.2 percent for Chrysler in June 2007, which is a 12.4 percent increase from June 2006 and a 12.8 percent increase from May 2007.
Edmunds.com estimates that Ford will sell 244,000 vehicles in June 2007, marking a 7.6 percent drop compared to June 2006. Such sales figure would result in a market share of 15.8 percent of new car sales in June 2007 for Ford, which is a 17.7 percent decrease from June 2006 and a 16.1 percent decrease from May 2007.
Edmunds.com predicts manufacturer General Motors will reach sales of 381,000 units in June 2007, a 6.7 percent decrease compared to June 2006. As to new vehicle sales in June 2007, GM's market share is expected to fall at 24.6 percent, down from 27.3 percent in June 2006 and up from 23.9 percent in May 2007.
