The past 18 months have been among the toughest the auto industry has faced, and some automakers have endured them more successfully than others.
Six months into 2021, the automotive industry is beginning to recover from the extended impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, only to be hammered again by a global shortage of semiconductor chips, which are required to run just about everything in today’s vehicles.
Consequently, automakers are caught between a period of extremely low demand, and one in which they are unable to supply customer demand as it rebounds. And this is all happening at the same time they’re faced with an unprecedented pace of technical change, in terms of both electric vehicle adoption, and the onset of autonomous driving capabilities.
Not surprisingly, some companies have fared better than others, both in adapting to the problems they have faced, and in preparing for the future. Here, in alphabetical order by manufacturer, is how we have graded them on our annual mid-year report card, based on sales numbers and changes in market share—relative to both pandemic and pre-pandemic levels—as well as their prospects for the rest of the year, considering product in the pipeline. You may or may not agree!
ACURA: B+
Acura has held its own through this difficult period, pretty much on par with the industry mean, in terms of sales ups and downs. In its favour, it has strong new products on both the passenger-car side, with the sporty TLX, and on the utility front, with an all-new MDX—a Canadian favourite—while its top-selling RDX compact ute is just a couple of years old. Don’t expect any big deviation from the established norm.
AUDI: A
Audi is riding a wave right now. It has surpassed BMW to claim the number-two ranking in luxury-marque sales and is closing in on Mercedes-Benz. It has increased its market share by 25 per cent over two years (to 2.0 per cent now), and it is one of the few to improve 2021 H1 sales relative to 2019, by 6.8 per cent. Its product range is broad and fresh and the pipeline is full, spiced by an all-new, all-electric, e-tron GT. So the future looks bright, indeed.
BMW: B-
BMW is making solid gains from a year ago, but it is still well behind its 2019 pace (by 28.3 per cent at mid-year) and it has lost a tenth of market share, now down to 1.8 per cent. There are new mid-size cars in the lineup, the X3 is getting a mid-cycle makeover, a new 2-Series is imminent, plug-in hybrid variants are multiplying, and the long-awaited iX electric model should arrive next year. So BMW should be doing better.
(FCA) STELLANTIS: C+
Times are tough here for Stellantis (formerly FCA), which has been disproportionately disrupted by the chip crisis. Mid-year sales are up just 11.2 per cent from 2020 in a market that is up 33.0 per cent, and they’re down by 26.5 per cent from 2019. The result is a 2.0 per cent loss of market share, to 10.1 per cent, letting Toyota take over third place in the sales rankings. Unfortunately, there’s no major new product in the wings, save for the seven-passenger Jeep Grand Cherokee L, so not much hope for improvement in the near term.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
FORD: A-
Ford and its top-selling F-Series pickups have been especially hard-hit by the chip shortage, which is at least partially responsible for a sales decline of 22.2 per cent from 2019 levels, and a year-over-year share decline of 2.2 per cent to 14.0 per cent. As a result, the Blue Oval has lost its long-standing number one sales position—at least for now. A new Bronco, the fully-electric Mach-E, and a major F-Series overhaul promise better times ahead once full production is possible again.
GENERAL MOTORS: A
Building on a strong Q1, in which sales significantly outpaced even 2019 levels, GM usurped the number one sales position from Ford and maintained that momentum through the first half with 15.1 per cent market share. More than half of GM’s sales came from pickups, but strong utility sales also played a big role. While GM’s big electric push has gained significant PR value, actual EV production and sales remain miniscule. No problem as it’s all working well for now.
2021 Genesis GV70
GENESIS: A
While it’s still playing to a small audience, Genesis’ growth, as well as its products have been impressive. Despite 2020’s pandemic setbacks, sales have more than doubled since 2019, aided by much critical acclaim and the addition to the lineup of the GV80—the brand’s first crossover vehicle. The imminent arrival of its GV70 crossover sibling will undoubtedly spur growth even further, as it carves a new niche in the luxury market.
HONDA: C+
Honda is hurting. While its H1 sales surpassed those of 2020 by 21.8 per cent, its competitors more than doubled that improvement. Honda’s sales fell 26.0 per cent from 2019 levels, cutting market share by 1.2 per cent over two years, to 7.5 per cent. The Civic has lost its best-selling-car status to the Toyota Corolla and the CR-V is now Honda’s top seller. Fortunately, there’s an all-new, Canadian-built Civic now coming to market, but can it make up for all that decline? That’s the big question.
HYUNDAI: A+
Hyundai has gone from strength-to-strength through this difficult period, with H1 2021 sales just 4.0 per cent behind those of pre-pandemic 2019 and market share improved by 0.7 per cent to 7.5 per cent over the same period. As a result the Korean brand is now threatening to surpass Honda for fifth place in sales. With its new Elantra selling strongly, the Ioniq electric critically acclaimed, the Santa Fe utility just refreshed, and a new Tucson plus the all-new Santa Cruz pickup on deck, expect Hyundai to keep advancing.
INFINITI: B-
A strong rebound in Infiniti’s first-half sales, relative to 2020, masks the fact that those results were down 44.3 per cent from pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the poorest performance of any automaker. Turmoil in the brand’s upper management ranks has undoubtedly taken a toll, but that situation now seems more stable. It is encouraging that much of the current strength comes from an all-new QX55 utility vehicle and a redesigned QX60 is imminent, so perhaps the tide has turned.
2021 Kia Sorento X-Line
JAGUAR: C-
Few brands have experienced such yo-yo fortunes as Jaguar and the yo-yo is now in a downward phase. It is the only brand with H1 sales that declined from 2020 and they were down 39.9 per cent from 2019, second worst only to Infiniti. Apart from minor freshening to its top-selling utility models, there’s nothing new in the lineup or on the horizon as the brand attempts to redefine itself further upmarket. More uncertainty seems like the only certainty.
KIA: A+
Kia has arguably been the strongest performing brand through the first half of 2021, not only dramatically outpacing its 2020 performance, but also surpassing its 2019 sales by 7.9 per cent—the greatest improvement of any mainstream brand. Best of all, the strength is consistent across the lineup, supplemented by the addition of the Seltos at the entry level. There is further strength in the redesigned Sorento and Carnival, and a new Sportage and EV6 electric on deck, so Kia’s future looks bright.
2021 Land Rover Defender
LAND ROVER: A
In contrast to its Jaguar stablemate, Land Rover has thrived through recent events, not only making significant gains from 2020 in H1, but exceeding its comparable 2019 sales by 5.0 per cent. While other models have held their own, almost all those gains came from the off-road-centric Defender model, reintroduced in all-new form. There is nothing else new in the offing until some time in 2022. Can the Defender’s market niche sustain the brand until then?
LEXUS: A
Like most of its luxury level competitors, Lexus gained market share during H1 2021, improving by 0.1 per cent to 1.4 per cent. It did so by increasing sales not just from 2020—but more significantly—from 2019, by 0.7 per cent. And it did so with strength across the board, including several refreshed current models. Next in sequence is an all-new, second-generation NX crossover, expected to begin production this fall, alongside the brand’s best-selling RX model, here in Canada.
MASERATI: B
Maserati’s market remains niche, numbering just 585 sales per year at their 2019 peak. Still, they have roughly followed the industry ebb and flow since then and through H1 2021 they are well ahead of their 2020 nadir, just 14.4 per cent below their 2019 level. While sports cars are the brand’s heritage, the Levante utility vehicle is the dominant seller and rumour suggests another ute is in the pipeline. Expect Maserati to keep on that track unless Stellantis pulls the plug.
MAZDA: A-
Mazda is one of just two mainstream brands, along with Kia, to have surpassed 2019 sales levels in the first half of 2021, in this case by 6.4 per cent. It did so primarily on the strength of its critically acclaimed crossover lineup, with the CX-5 its top seller. The fully-electric MX-30 crossover is expected to arrive this fall, with a rumoured rotary-hybrid version possible downstream, but the CX-3 is going away. So expect Mazda to maintain its form in the near-term.
MERCEDES-BENZ: C
While it is still the top-selling luxury brand, Mercedes-Benz’s sales have been on a declining trend since 2018. The brand’s sales rebound from 2020 during H1 2021 was among the industry’s poorest; its sales, 15.4 per cent below 2019 levels, lagged the market average. Passenger cars accounted for most of the declines, but the mid-size utilities also seemed to underperform. A new S-Class is expected soon, with the fully-electric EQS not far behind. But it may take more to stem the decline.
MINI: C
Mini’s recovery from 2020 has been about on par with the market average, but compared to 2019, first-half sales were off by 25.0 per cent, which is one of the poorest results in the industry. Some minor visual and equipment tweaks distinguish the 2022 models, and rumours suggest a major rethink of the brand longer term—but nothing on the near-term horizon suggests any major change in fortune.
MITSUBISHI: A-
Mitsubishi’s sales have more than kept pace with the market, up 50.8 per cent from 2020 and down just 11.0 per cent from 2019 levels in H1 2021. As a result, its market share increased by 0.1 per cent to 1.4 per cent. Sales were buoyed by the introduction of an all-new Outlander utility vehicle and a redesigned Eclipse Cross, adding to the strength of the brand’s top-selling RVR small crossover. The brand as a whole set a new sales record in June, so it’s in a good position, for now.
2022 Nissan Pathfinder
NISSAN: B-
Nissan’s sales have bounced back well from the depths of 2020, but they are still down by 24.7 per cent from their 2019 level in H1, and market share has dropped by 0.4 per cent to 5.8 per cent, putting the brand among the poorest performers. A new Sentra has helped otherwise plummeting passenger car sales, the Rogue is third in sales in its class, and the refreshed Kicks is selling well—but the brand’s best hope may be the imminent arrival of an all-new Pathfinder. It needs the impetus.
PORSCHE: A+
No surprise, Porsche has continued to outperform the market while others faltered, more than doubling its H1 2020 sales in 2021, and even surpassing its 2019 sales for the period by 9.6 per cent—an improvement surpassed only by Genesis. Updates and performance upgrades to almost all models have kept the product line fresh and demand high. And there’s a new Macan crossover in the pipeline, so expect more of the same.
SUBARU: A+
Subaru’s steady advance continues, with H1 2021 sales not only outpacing the market average relative to 2020, but coming within 1 per cent of matching pre-pandemic 2019 sales. As a result, the brand has gained 0.4 per cent of market share, to 3.2 per cent, and is a realistic threat to overtake Volkswagen for tenth place in sales. Aiding the cause, the refreshed Crosstrek crossover is setting sales records, there’s a new-generation BRZ sports car, and a new WRX is coming, so all should be well.
TOYOTA: A+
Toyota was the biggest winner of the past year in terms of market share, improving by 1.8 per cent to 12.4 per cent and, in the process, overtaking FCA/Stellantis to claim third place in overall sales. It did so with H1 sales up 55.2 per cent from 2020, and down just 1.8 per cent from 2019. With strength across the board, the brand’s top-selling RAV4, Highlander and C-HR utilities as well as the Tacoma pickup, all set sales records in Q2, and there’s a new Corolla Cross crossover due later this year. So expect no letup from Toyota.
VOLKSWAGEN: B+
Volkswagen’s H1 performance has closely paralleled the broader market, with sales up 36.3 per cent from 2020 and down 13.6 per cent from 2019, resulting in a 0.1 per cent share gain to 3.3 per cent over the past year. The Golf’s phaseout has hurt the brand, but a new GTI will help and Atlas and Tiguan utility vehicle sales are doing well. The promise of the all-new Taos subcompact crossover and increased availability of the fully-electric ID.4 suggests better times ahead.
VOLVO: A+
Volvo has been on a slow but steady advance for several years, and it continues in 2021 with H1 sales two-thirds higher than a year ago and 5 per cent ahead of pre-pandemic 2019 levels. There is sales strength across Volvo’s limited range, including an increasing number of electrified models. A new fully-electric C40 Recharge hatchback is in the wings, so expect that steady progress to keep right on coming.
