Photo: edited by autoevolution
After two years of record car sales, the U.S. market is slowly but steadily relaxing its appetite for new metal. When you think about it, the honeymoon had to be over at some point ‘cause demand and purchasing power can only go so far. There's a bit of a silver lining to this situation, though, especially for go-faster cars.
Overall demand for new cars is off 12 percent, yet models such as the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Fiat 124, Toyota 86, and even the out-of-production BMW Z4 have posted decent gains in the prior month. Be that as it may, dynamics are a bit knotty in the pony car class.
April 2017 sales figures put the Ford Mustang on the second step of the podium, with 8,063 units sold Stateside. That’s a whopping 37 percent less compared to April 2016, which is a sizable slump anyway you look at it. Crummy incentives and an imminent 2018 refresh are just two reasons the Ford Mustang has lost this battle.
The Chevrolet Camaro, meanwhile, is the big winner of April 2017, with 8,737 examples spoken for by U.S. customers. It’s the best month for the General Motors pony since May 2015, and the first time since October 2016 the Camaro outsells its arch-nemesis on home turf. What’s more, the figure translates to 17 percent better volume than what the Camaro managed back in April of last year.
As ever, the Dodge Challenger is at the bottom of the sales war, with 6,591 vehicles to its name or 5 percent better than the same month of 2016. The newly introduced SRT Demon won’t sweeten things up either, because that’s a limited-edition drag strip warrior.
While the Challenger is expected to adopt Italian underpinnings for the next-generation model, the Camaro is due to receive a refresh for the 2019 model year and a Z/28 derivate. The Mustang, on the other hand, receives fresh clothes for 2018. A new Shelby GT500, however, will have to wait until the model year 2019, with the rumor mill suggesting that a reveal is set for the 2018 Detroit Auto Show.
April 2017 sales figures put the Ford Mustang on the second step of the podium, with 8,063 units sold Stateside. That’s a whopping 37 percent less compared to April 2016, which is a sizable slump anyway you look at it. Crummy incentives and an imminent 2018 refresh are just two reasons the Ford Mustang has lost this battle.
The Chevrolet Camaro, meanwhile, is the big winner of April 2017, with 8,737 examples spoken for by U.S. customers. It’s the best month for the General Motors pony since May 2015, and the first time since October 2016 the Camaro outsells its arch-nemesis on home turf. What’s more, the figure translates to 17 percent better volume than what the Camaro managed back in April of last year.
As ever, the Dodge Challenger is at the bottom of the sales war, with 6,591 vehicles to its name or 5 percent better than the same month of 2016. The newly introduced SRT Demon won’t sweeten things up either, because that’s a limited-edition drag strip warrior.
While the Challenger is expected to adopt Italian underpinnings for the next-generation model, the Camaro is due to receive a refresh for the 2019 model year and a Z/28 derivate. The Mustang, on the other hand, receives fresh clothes for 2018. A new Shelby GT500, however, will have to wait until the model year 2019, with the rumor mill suggesting that a reveal is set for the 2018 Detroit Auto Show.
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