Sales success for the full-size SUVs is not as clear cut as it once was. The Chevy Tahoe has dominated this segment for a long time, and it still does. However, Tahoe sales have declined again in September 2017 when compared to same period last year. The GMC Yukon and Yukon XL have seen an even more dramatic decline. Why is this happening?
The answer is naturally complicated, but it may have a lot to do with the intensified competition. Yes, the Chevy Suburban had a good month in September, but take a look at improved sales of the Nissan Armada (ever since the redesigned 2017 Armada came to market). The Armada is getting close to the Year-To-Date (YTD) sales numbers of the GMC Yukon and the Ford Expedition.
This segment is about to get a lot more competitive with the introduction of the new 2018 Ford Expedition and the 2018 Lincoln Navigator.
Perhaps, there is another big factor at play here. Many buyers who consider the full-size body-on-frame SUVs for people and cargo carrying capacity are buying the full-size three-row unibody crossovers, such as the Chevy Traverse (up 50.8% in September sales), Dodge Durango (up 45% in September sales), and VW Atlas (sold 4,095 units in September).
Full-size SUV sales – September 2017
Sep 2017 # | Sep 2017/2016 | YTD 2017 # | YTD 2017/2016 % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Tahoe | 9,397 | -6.5% | 69,109 | -1.3% |
Chevrolet Suburban | 5,887 | 5.6% | 38,959 | -0.8% |
Nissan Armada | 4,447 | 159.8% | 25,533 | 215.9% |
GMC Yukon | 3,591 | -32.2% | 31,927 | -9.6% |
Ford Expedition | 2,848 | -52.8% | 40,401 | -11.2% |
GMC Yukon XL | 2,565 | -26.7% | 22,719 | -5.8% |
Toyota Sequoia | 961 | 6.0% | 8,999 | -1.5% |
Lincoln Navigator | 709 | 5.2% | 7,193 | -10.5% |
One thing is for sure, if you need to tow a heavy trailer – the big full-size SUVs are much better equipped to handle it.