Light Trucks and SUVs Continue to Dominate New Vehicle Sales
Most automakers, including General Motors and Toyota, are expected to report their fourth-quarter U.S. sales tallies Tuesday. Tesla released its global deliveries on Jan. 2, and Ford will post its sales numbers Jan. 6.
The resilience of the U.S. market — which saw annualized sales plunge to more than 40-year lows in April as automakers temporarily closed factories and showrooms — has buoyed profits at automakers and kept dealer inventories tight.
Sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks are on track to make up 79 percent of total sales in 2020, up from 75 percent a year ago, estimated J.D. Power and LMC Automotive in a joint forecast.
The cost of buying a new car or truck continued to increase, with average transaction prices climbing an expected 9 percent in December to a record $38,077.


