High gas prices and the Japanese quake dramatically shifted the best-sellers’ list for April. It’s now skewed toward high-efficiency cars as well as South Korean and American makes — and April’s big winners are Hyundai and Chevrolet.
Hyundai laid claim to two slots on the top 10 list — the first time the South Korean automaker has achieved this feat — for its redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata and Elantra sedans. 2011 Elantra sales were up an astonishing 128.8% in April. The model outsold nameplates such as the Ford Focus and Fusion and Nissan Altima, which are usually best sellers.
And Chevrolet’s Cruze, for the first time, joins the top 10 list with 25,160 vehicles sold for the month. The new compact managed to outsell all its compact competitors except the Honda Civic. Chevy Silverado sales lagged for the month, but it still placed fourth, down from its usual second place.
The Ford F-Series remained the best-selling vehicle in America for April, but high gas prices affected the trucks’ sales product mix. V-6-equipped F-150s made up 50% of the model’s sales, up from 40% in March, according to PickupTrucks.com.
For the month, most major automakers saw double-digit sales growth vs. April 2010: Nissan (12.2%), Hyundai (40.3%), GM (26.4%), Ford (16.4%), though Toyota (-2.4%) and Honda (5.7%) trumped the trend.
April was the first time in at least 12 months that Japanese automakers didn’t control at least half of the top 10 list. Nissan had no top 10 vehicles for April. Typically, the Altima sells well and it’s still the third best-selling midsize sedan year-to-date. Nissan, Toyota and Honda are beginning to feel the supply crunch due in large part to the effects of the March earthquake and tsunami that continue to disrupt Japanese industrial output.
