August car sales numbers are in and Ford saw an increase of 17% compared to the same month last year. This is no surprise, as Ford did very well during the government’s cash for clunkers program.
The shocker of August is undoubtedly Kia. The automaker increased sales by 60.4% over August 2008. Kia also broke its all-time monthly sales record.
“The CARS program attracted new customers to Kia; those that didn’t necessarily want or need a new car, but were enticed by CARS to buy a car that would last,” said Tom Loveless, vice president of sales, Kia Motors America. “These buyers, often with better credit, are a solid sign of a significant positive change in brand perception and a tribute to the entire Kia vehicle line.”
Subaru saw a sales increase of 52% compared to last August. Subaru also broke its all-time sales record for the month.
“While the CARS program helped fuel our August results, the fact that this is our third consecutive record month reinforces that our products have connected with consumers,” said Tim Colbeck, senior vice president of sales, Subaru of America, Inc. “Well before our success with the CARS program, we were having great results and I am confident that with the newly introduced 2010 Subaru Outback and Legacy models, we will continue to be successful.”
Hyundai reported an impressive sales increase of 47% over August 2008 and says it broke its all-time monthly sales record as well.
“August was a shot-in-the-arm for the industry, and a great month for Hyundai and our dealers, with all-time sales records for the Hyundai brand, Elantra and Genesis,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.
Kia did the best, with an increase of 60.4% compared to the same month last year. Acura did the worst, with a 33.8% decline versus last year.
August 2009 sales:
GM: down 20%
Ford: up 17%
Chrysler: down 15%
Mercedes-Benz: down 7.5%
smart USA: down 33%
Audi: up 25.8%
BMW: down 24.5%
MINI: down 6.5%
Porsche: up 9%
Toyota: up 15.2%
Lexus: down 18.8%
Nissan: up 0.2%
Infiniti: down 30.2%
Honda: up 19.6%
Acura: down 33.8%
Kia: up 60.4%
Subaru: up 52%
Volkswagen: up 11.4%
Hyundai: up 47%
Suzuki: down 5%
Mazda: up 12.1%
Mitsubishi: down 26%
