USA TODAY International Edition
Hot sellers
Markit.
“Most new products are seeing positive market reception,” said Stephanie Brinley, IHS Markit’s principal auto analyst. “With many of the product updates in utility vehicle segments — and several more coming online in the third quarter of 2019 — sales improvements are concentrated in utilities both by demand and supply.”
Sales “aren’t hitting the same levels that they did last year, but they aren’t dropping off a cliff either,” Jeremy Acevedo, Edmunds’ manager of industry analysis, wrote in an analysis.
As USA TODAY assessed the hottest-selling vehicles of the first half of 2019, we gauged year-over-year sales increases, momentum and industry buzz. Simply being a best-seller is not enough to make the list.
One vehicle that’s not on our list of hot sellers but could make a case for being on it: the Tesla Model 3. While sales of the electric sedan have surged compared with last year, as expected, investors are concerned that demand for Tesla vehicles could be easing.
Here’s our list of the five hottest selling vehicles of the first half of 2019:
1. Ram pickup
2019 sales through June: 299,480, up 28.2%
If we could give a Most Valuable Player award to any vehicle in the auto industry, this one would deserve the honor for the first half of the year.
The Ram is soaring to new heights, barreling past General Motors’ Chevrolet Silverado as the nation’s secondbest-selling pickup. The Silverado’s first-half sales fell 12.4%.
Ram maker Fiat Chrysler’s pickup market share through May was 25%, up from 22% a year earlier, according to Barclays. GM’s share fell from 34% to 31%, and Ford’s rose from 36% to 38%.
GM has said it’s emphasizing more profitable pickup sales and was hurt by production capacity constraints. Meanwhile, Ram has benefited from sales of an outgoing model to fleet customers.
George Augustaitis, director of industry and economic analytics at CarGurus, projected that the Ram would top the Silverado in sales for the year.
2. Porsche Cayenne SUV
2019 sales through June: 10,031, up 90.2%
Gone are the days when skeptics questioned whether sports car maker Porsche should embrace SUVs.
Look no further than the Cayenne. The crossover has vaulted past the Macan as the luxury automotive brand’s best seller for the first half of the year.
Porsche redesigned the Cayenne for the 2019 model year, and it’s paying off. With critics lauding the vehicle’s handling, quality and what Edmunds called an “exquisite interior,” the Cayenne is hitting the sweet spot for luxury SUV shoppers.
3. Subaru Ascent
2019 sales through June: 40,108 (was not on sale for entire first half of 2018)
Didn’t think Subaru could capitalize on the SUV boom? You were wrong.
The brand is hitting a home run with the Ascent. This brand-new three-row SUV is riding Subaru’s hot streak and now contributing to it. After debuting in 2018, the Ascent is the brand’s fourthbest-seller for the first half of 2019.
“The 3-row SUV offers the utility today’s customers are seeking and fills a void that had been missing from our line-up for many years,” Subaru U.S. CEO Tom Doll said in a statement.
4. Hyundai Kona
2019 sales through June: 37,089 (was not on sale for entire first half of 2018)
With Hyundai dealers desperate for anything but another passenger car, the automaker finally delivered.
The Kona is a small crossover that offers a higher stance and roomier interior but similar wheelbase as its car cousins.
In terms of sales, it’s already nearly five times as popular as the sporty three-door Hyundai Veloster car.
5. Volkswagen Atlas
2019 sales through June: 37,726, up
34%
Volkswagen needed to invest in SUVs after previously tying its future to passenger cars.
The brand has launched what it calls an “SUV offensive,” and it’s working.
The three-row VW Atlas SUV, introduced in 2017, is now the automaker’s second-best-selling vehicle in America.
Note: Ford vehicles were not considered for this list because they have not yet released their second-quarter sales.