Infiniti G37 Keeps Hanging On With Real Sales Numbers

Infiniti's G37 sedan continues to attract a meaningful amount of attention from entry-level luxury car buyers in the United States, long after it was replaced by the Q50. It's still a fast car. It may be the better driver's car. And it's the cheaper car, as well, with a base price (including destination and handling) of $33,855, $4200 below the price of the basic Q50.

11,327 G sedans have been sold in the United States over the last eight months, almost precisely one G37 per Q50.

Infiniti has no plans, at least not for the very near future, to cancel the G37. They're actually giving it a new name to fit in with Johan De Nysschen's Q naming strategy, the Q40. De Nysschen now works for Cadillac, which now builds the Qescalade. No, really, they'll actually build the CT6.

With the newer Q50 in showrooms, sales of the enduring predecessor have naturally fallen sharply in 2014. The 53% drop equals 12,939 fewer sales for the G. But total G Sedan/Q50 sales are up 29% to 34,449 units. Even with the Q60 included, Infiniti's 39,753 year-to-date non-Q70 car sales don't measure up to Mercedes-Benz's declining C-Class (43,885 units) or BMW's 3-Series/4-Series tandem (81,631 units).

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• U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD
• U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD

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Yet in the second tier, where Lexus IS sales are up 77% to 33,427 units and total Audi A4 sales are down 4% to 26,310 and Cadillac ATS volume is down 20% to 20,296, Infiniti is at the top. More likely than not, the Q50 wouldn't have the gusto to acquire that position without the lingering G37, as we can't assume all 11,327 G buyers would have spent the extra required to make the leap.

It would have been silly to discount the strength of the G too soon. In first-gen form, Infiniti's smaller sports sedan – a long-awaited successor to the G20 we're ignoring here – reignited the brand. Brand-wide volume shot up to 136,401 units in 2005, a feat Infiniti hasn't accomplished since, when the G family accounted for 50.4% of all Infiniti sales. With the G still assisting in 2014, Infiniti is on track to top 120,000 U.S. sales for the first time since 2007. (August results through a wrench in that plan, as total Infiniti sales slid 23%.)

So far this year, despite being replaced, the G sedan is the brand's third-best-selling model, more than 3000 sales ahead of the next-best-selling QX80, ahead of the Q60, QX70, Q70, and QX50, as well. G37 sales in August climbed above 1500 units for the fourth time in six months, and the G37 managed to outsell the Subaru WRX/STi, Scion FR-S, Mercedes-Benz CLS, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mazda 2, Honda Crosstour, BMW i3, Porsche 911, Scion xD, Volkswagen CC, and Lexus LS, among many others.

Another Piece Of Macan Evidence

You've closely tracked the Porsche Cayenne's success by scanning parking lots outside fancy restaurants. You understand that the Cayenne's omnipresence in Orange County translates directly to the mere presence of a 918 Spyder in Porsche's lineup, which is important to you, the owner of a knackered E36 BMW 328i.

As a result, you know that the Macan is simply the next rung on Porsche's ladder. Oh, it's the lesser of the two SUVs; smaller in size and price and probably status, too. But this is the vehicle which moves Porsche from niche luxury player closer to the mainstream premium arena. Three sports cars won't do it, not even with the addition of an SUV and a massive four-door hatchback.

Thanks in part to an additional 3947 Macan sales in the U.S. over the last four months, Porsche USA has sold 31,759 total vehicles through the first eight months of 2014. This moves Porsche's market share up to 0.284% from 0.268% a year ago.

An incremental improvement? Most definitely, but the rate of Porsche's improvement is in excess of what the overall market is averaging. Total new vehicle sales are up 5% in the United States in 2014. Porsche USA volume is up 12%.

The figure achieved by the Macan in its first month on the market, when 1263 were sold, was both representative of some pent-up demand and Porsche's ability to meet that demand, if only at first. But it was also a tell-tale that the Macan, as if there was ever any doubt, was not another low-volume Porsche sports car. (Porsche sold 312 Caymans in May; 411 Boxsters.)

August told another, different story. The Panamera's 3945 year-to-date sales represent a 14% year-over-year improvement for the brand's people-carrying passenger car. Yet the Macan has generated more sales activity for Porsche in the last four months than the Panamera has over the last eight. That the Macan can quickly muster more sales in a shorter period than the Boxster or Cayman is no surprise. Yet in August, the Macan's 969 U.S. sales nearly matched the 1056-unit total achieved by the Boxster, Cayman, and Panamera combined.

Now, the Panamera is not exactly America's favourite car. Mercedes-Benz sold 1855 S-Classes and 1150 CLS-Class sedans last month. The Lexus LS, Audi A7, BMW 5-Series, BMW 6-Series, and Audi A8 were just a few of the other high-end premium brand cars which found more new customers than the Panamera.

But from a purely inward-looking Porsche perspective, the Macan's early-onset success and the Panamera's inability to keep up speaks to the current state of the automotive industry. Crossover tops car. Porsche USA's Panamera volume met a monthly peak in April 2012, when 868 were sold. The Macan has surpassed that peak in three of its four months on the market. Yes, it's been helped along by a much lower sticker price than the Panamera, but also by its bodystyle.

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• Historical Monthly & Yearly Porsche Macan Sales Figures
• U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD
• U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD

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This isn't just something we're seeing at Porsche, nor is it a trend we see only with oddly-styled large hatchbacks and especially sporty small crossovers. By recent standards, Mercedes-Benz USA will report particularly strong S-Class sales this year, but the current pace suggests at least a 25% decline compared with 2006 levels. Yes, 2006, the year Mercedes-Benz USA sold their first 18,776 GLs to go along with nearly 31,000 S-Classes. Over the last three years, Mercedes-Benz has averaged 27,000 GL sales per year in the U.S., the kind of number they haven't achieved with the S-Class since 2007.

BMW will sell less than half the number of 7-Series sedans this year than they did in 2003 while likely selling close to 110,000 total SAVs, around 2.5 times the number of X5s sold in 2003. Tata's JLR? 60% of Jaguar-Land Rover's volume in 2002 was Jaguar-derived, now it's 77% Land Rover.

No matter which data point you use, it's remarkably easy to see that the Macan went from non-existence to Porsche USA's deuteragonist in the matter of one summer. It's perhaps easier to see that big luxury cars are quickly being pushed to the sidelines, while the Macan and its more common premium cohorts move in on their territory.

Mini USA Sales Charts - August 2014 YTD

53% of the Minis sold in America in August 2014 were Countrymans and Pacemans. The Countryman was Mini's best-selling model variant, responsible for 50% more Mini sales than the company's original model, the one they call the Hardtop.

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• U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - August 2014 YTD
• U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD

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Now in its third BMW iteration, the Hardtop's launch has been a slow one. This isn't necessarily a reflection on the car's popularity, as many Minis are individualized models that take time to cross the Atlantic. We've yet to see the full impact of what the new Mini can do.

In the meantime, the Countryman is floating Mini's boat. Granted, Mini's boat isn't sitting that high in the water: sales have decreased in each of 2014's first eight months. Countryman sales jumped 48% in August even as the rest of Mini's range slid 41%. Year-to-date, Mini Countryman sales are up 6%; the rest of the Mini lineup is collectively down 34%.

Naturally Mini's U.S. decline has plenty to do with the relaunch of its most popular model. Not every automaker has the wherewithal, the capability, and the consistent day-in-day-out appeal to introduce, for example, a popular new Toyota Camry without losing sales of the old model in the lead-up to that introduction. Mini Cooper/Cooper S Hardtop sales fell 8% in 2013, as the brand's slight 1% growth was attributed to the Countryman and newer variants, Roadster and Paceman. Only in July of this year did there appear to be a reversing of the trend as Hardtop volume jumped 21%.

Regardless of the heights Mini achieves with its new cars – remember, they're expanding the range by expanding the car – should we really be surprised that a brand which appeals to a relatively limited portion of the car-buying public would be relying on the success of its higher-riding models?

Acura is another shining example of the trend. Their car sales have been plunging for some time, and are down 32% so far this year, even as their crossover sales have jumped 20% compared with the first eight months of 2014. The RDX and MDX account for 69% of Acura's U.S. sales in 2014.

Land Rover now outsells Jaguar by more than three-to-one in the United States. As recently as 2004, Jaguar was outselling Land Rover. TTAC's Chart Of The Day late last month showed the CR-V's steady rise toward the top of the Honda pecking order.

Why should Mini be any different? Aside from, well, you know, the name of the brand, which signifies a deep-seated affiliation with things small and, dare we say it, miniature.

Things could be different soon enough. Mini may be able to take advantage of the Fiat 500's decreasing appeal – 500 sales are down 11% in 2014 – and the Volkswagen Beetle's Volkswagen-like performance in 2014 – Beetle sales are down 31% over the last eight months. Indeed, despite concerns about the dilution of the brand, perhaps the 5-door Mini is exactly what the brand needs to keep from turning into Great Britain's next Land Rover.

Small And Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - August 2014 YTD

Despite a 9% year-over-year decline the Acura RDX was America's leading small premium (semi-premium) crossover in August 2014. Combined, the Audi Q5 and its new small sibling, the Q3, totalled 4000 August sales. BMW sold 3942 X1s, X3s, and X4s. 

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• U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD
• U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD

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Click Chart To Expand

Small premium crossovers were collectively up 15% compared with August 2013. Setting aside the four utility vehicle nameplates which weren't on sale at this stage a year ago, sales of the continuing nameplates were down 3%. 

In other words, the segment grew last month, though partially at the expense of established vehicles like the RDX, Q5, X1, X3, and Range Rover Evoque. 

So far this year, sales of these small luxury crossovers are up 14.5%. Without the Q3, X4, MKC, and Macan, sales are up 7.5%.

Bigger and/or more costly luxury utility vehicles, of which there are many more on offer at this moment, are significantly more common. Combined, the Lexus RX, Acura MDX, and Cadillac SRX outsold the whole small premium segment. Granted, those are three of the more value-priced big brothers.

You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. These tables are now sortable, so you can rank luxury SUVs and crossovers any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.

Click Column Headers To Sort • August 2015 • September 2014 • July 2014 • August 2013

Small Luxury SUV	August 2014	August 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Acura RDX	3984	4381	-9.1%	29,865	30,517	-2.1%
Audi Q3	243	---	---	243	---	---
Audi Q5	3757	3845	-2.3%	26,874	25,331	6.1%
BMW X1	1574	2278	-30.9%	13,888	16,504	-15.9%
BMW X3	2023	2146	-5.7%	25,390	18,485	37.4%
BMW X4	345	---	---	663	---	---
Infiniti QX50 / EX	254	236	7.6%	1907	1189	60.4%
Land Rover LR2	369	347	6.3%	2762	2070	33.4%
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque	1051	1070	-1.8%	8215	7463	10.1%
Lincoln MKC	1760	---	---	4655	---	---
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class	3075	2372	29.6%	25,583	20,898	22.4%
Porsche Macan	969	---	---	3947	---	---
Volvo XC60	1792	1793	-0.1%	12,308	14,086	-12.6%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	21,196	18,468	14.8%	156,300	136,543	14.5%

Midsize Luxury SUV	August 2014	August 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Acura MDX	6497	6499	-0.1%	43,444	30,264	43.6%
Acura ZDX	3	29	-89.7%	66	306	-78.4%
Audi Q7	1859	1478	25.8%	11,740	9,386	25.1%
BMW X5	3497	2480	41.0%	28,623	26,613	7.6%
BMW X6	28	414	-93.2%	2979	3422	-12.9%
Cadillac SRX	4545	7211	-37.0%	38,008	36,144	5.2%
Infiniti QX60/JX	2600	3026	-14.1%	20,431	20,556	-0.6%
Infiniti QX70/FX	384	398	-3.5%	3662	4339	-15.6%
Land Rover LR4	586	703	-16.6%	3200	4934	-35.1%
Land Rover Range Rover Sport	1370	1846	-25.8%	12,790	9793	30.6%
Lexus GX460	2198	1056	108.1%	14,429	6352	127.2%
Lexus RX	11,841	11,423	3.7%	68,763	65,678	4.7%
Lincoln MKT	313	551	-43.2%	3466	4244	-18.3%
Lincoln MKX	2059	2180	-5.6%	17,139	15,833	8.2%
Mercedes-Benz M-Class	3438	3816	-9.9%	28,654	26,220	9.3%
Porsche Cayenne	1485	1435	3.5%	11,744	12,517	-6.2%
Volkswagen Touareg *	686	705	-2.7%	4554	5638	-19.2%
Volvo XC70 *	552	411	34.3%	3189	3278	-2.7%
Volvo XC90	318	522	-39.1%	3349	4705	-28.8%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	44,259	46,183	-4.2%	320,230	290,222	10.3%

Source: Automakers & ANDC
* indicates a vehicle which is also shown in another GCBC segment breakdown
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better. This explains you'll see the XC70 listed with luxury cars as well as with SUVs and crossovers and the Touareg with luxury SUVs and mainstream SUVs... because readers have wanted it both ways. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.

RECOMMENDED READING
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - August 2015 YTD
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - September 2014 YTD
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - July 2014 YTD
Small & Midsize Luxury SUV Sales In America - August 2013 YTD
Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs In America - August 2014
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - August 2014 YTD
Large Luxury SUV Sales In America - August 2014 YTD

Midsize SUV Sales In America - August 2014 YTD

On four occasions this year, including in the month of August 2014, Ford sold more than 19,000 Explorers. Ford didn't top the 19K barrier once in 2013, when Explorer sales rose to an eight-year high. 

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• U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD
• U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD

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Click Chart To Expand

No other vehicle that comes standard with three rows of seating has topped the 15K mark yet this year. Explorer sales jumped 24% in August, equal to 3754 extra sales compared with August 2013. Toyota 4Runner sales jumped 67%, an extra 3078 sales for Toyota as Highlander volume slid by 1532 units.

The Highlander's 12% decline was not an unusual one for volume brand three-row crossovers in August. 

Buick Enclave sales slid 5%, Dodge Durango sales slid 8%, Ford Flex volume was down 26%, and Honda Pilot sales plunged 27%. The Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder? Also down. 

You can click any model name in the tables below to find historical monthly and yearly U.S. auto sales data. You can also select a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats page. These tables are now sortable, so you can rank midsize SUVs and crossovers any which way you like. Suggestions on how GCBC should break down segments can be passed on through the Contact page.

Click Column Headers To Sort • August 2015 • September 2014 • July 2014 • August 2013

SUV	August 2014	August 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Buick Enclave	5800	6103	-5.0%	41,208	42,907	-4.0%
Chevrolet Traverse	10,153	9112	11.4%	71,739	70,022	2.5%
Dodge Durango	5765	6246	-7.7%	43,447	39,686	9.5%
Ford Edge	8724	11,529	-24.3%	78,356	91,041	-13.9%
Ford Explorer	19,391	15,637	24.0%	142,857	130,969	9.1%
Ford Flex	1942	2641	-26.5%	16,826	18,166	-7.4%
GMC Acadia	8216	7801	5.3%	57,481	61,857	-7.1%
Honda Pilot	10,810	14,877	-27.3%	72,423	90,696	-20.1%
Hyundai Santa Fe *	9302	8102	14.8%	69,962	56,105	24.7%
Hyundai Veracruz	---	6	-100.0%	1	175	-99.4%
Jeep Grand Cherokee	18,674	17,976	3.9%	123,456	113,791	8.5%
Kia Sorento *	9302	10,568	-12.0%	69,972	73,531	-4.8%
Mazda CX-9	1911	2161	-11.6%	12,842	18,917	-32.1%
Mitsubishi Endeavor	---	---	---	---	24	-100.0%
Nissan Murano	5594	3925	42.5%	30,659	28,299	8.3%
Nissan Pathfinder	7896	8859	-10.9%	55,224	63,826	-13.5%
Subaru Tribeca	23	137	-83.2%	671	1131	-40.7%
Toyota 4Runner	7657	4579	67.2%	49,612	34,055	45.7%
Toyota Highlander	11,489	13,021	-11.8%	94,984	85,700	10.8%
Volkswagen Touareg *	686	705	-2.7%	4554	5638	-19.2%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	143,335	143,985	-0.4%	1,036,274	1,026,536	0.9%

Tall Wagons  & Crossovers	August 2014	August 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Honda Crosstour *	1037	1654	-37.3%	8269	11,672	-29.2%
Subaru Outback *	11,428	10,163	12.4%	85,951	81,930	4.9%
Toyota Venza *	2793	3496	-20.1%	21,587	26,994	-20.0%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	15,258	15,313	-0.4%	115,807	120,596	-4.0%

Offroaders	August 2014	August 2013	% Change	2014 YTD	2013 YTD	% Change
Jeep Wrangler *	17,988	15,825	13.7%	120,113	107,957	11.3%
Nissan Xterra *	1254	1295	-3.2%	12,092	12,621	-4.2%
Toyota FJ Cruiser *	1692	1177	43.8%	11,353	9031	25.7%
---	---	---	---	---	---	---
Total	20,934	18,297	14.4%	143,558	129,609	10.8%

Source: Automakers & ANDC
GCBC isn't here to break down segments, an impossible task for any group, but to display sales data for the sake of comparison. The more ways sales data can be displayed, the better. This explains why you'll see the Outback and Venza here but also with midsize cars, too, and the tweener-sized Sorento and Santa Fe are shown with midsize SUVs and small SUVs, and the pricey FJ Cruiser and Xterra with smaller utilities and the Volkswagen Touareg with luxury SUVs... because readers have wanted it both ways. You can always find the sales results for EVERY vehicle and form your own competitive sets by using the All Vehicle Rankings posts.

RECOMMENDED READING
Midsize SUV Sales In America - August 2015 YTD
Midsize SUV Sales In America - September 2014 YTD
Midsize SUV Sales In America - July 2014 YTD
Midsize SUV Sales In America - August 2013 YTD
Top 20 Best-Selling SUVs In America - August 2014
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - August 2014 YTD
Small SUV Sales In America - August 2014 YTD
Large SUV Sales In America - August 2014 YTD