Still the best selling vehicle in the United States, although at much lower rates than previously.
Ford Motor Company sales in May were 192,102, the same as one year ago as the economy stalled. Retail sales were up 5% and fleet sales were down 8%. Year-to-date, total Ford Motor sales were 878,600, up 12%. Ford maintains along with other automakers that this is a temporary slow down.
Ford is benefiting from a shift in consumer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, and to a lesser extent improved powertrains in larger vehicles such as the Explorer.
Ford Fiesta subcompact and Focus compact, the two all-new small cars, combined had sales of 29,423 in May, up 74% versus a year ago. It was Ford’s largest small car month since May 2008. Fiesta sales were 7,120, and Focus sales were 22,303, up 32% versus a year ago.
The Ford Fusion midsize car, however, remains the star of the lineup with sales of 24,666, its second highest month ever, up 10% versus a year ago. With May gasoline prices at an all time record, it’s not surprising that 80% of buyers choose the 4-cylinder engine, up from 50% when the car debuted five years ago.
Ford Explorer sales totaled 13,318, up 135% versus a year ago. This is the highest sales for Explorer in 47 months. In the first five months of 2011, the new Explorer sold 55,401, up 120%. Explorer now has class-leading highway fuel economy of 25 mpg. Ford Escape sales totaled 23,140, up 21%.
Ford truck sales were lower in May. Ford’s F-Series truck remained the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. with May sales of 42,399 (down 15% versus a year ago) and year-to-date sales of 214,461 (up 11%). The new 3.5-liter Ecoboost engine accounted for 41% of F-150 retail sales in May, up slightly from April. The total V6 mix, including the new 3.7-liter engine, was 55% – surpassing sales of F-150s equipped with V8s for the first time in decades.
The F-Series sales lead remains even if you combine Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup sales for May at 39,162 in total. Retail truck sales are clearly off, the question is for how long?
Lincoln however remains weak with total sales just under 7,400 units – off 5%. Lincoln’s best seller was the MKZ at 2,523, followed by the MKX at 1,734. The soon to be defunct Town Car showed surprising strength at 1,223.
