Ever since the mid-1990s, when the SUV hype reached its peak and gasoline started to become expensive again, there has been a brewing feeling that eventually things would have to change. It's certainly been a long time coming, but car sales have overtaken truck and SUV sales in the U.S., with compacts and subcompacts leading the charge.
Honda Fit
In April, sales figures show a huge increase in the popularity of small cars, with a similarly large decrease in the popularity of trucks and SUVs. For the first time, vehicles with 4-cylinder engines outnumbered 6-cylinders in sales. Compared with last year, Toyota Yaris sales are up 46% and Honda Fit sales are up 52%.
These increases are being seen in a decidedly down market, where even Toyota and Honda have seen their domestic sales shrinking. However, the American automakers aren't seeing any benefits from the shift towards small cars, as their focus has been (and still is) on trucks and SUVs, which have larger profit margins and are seen as iconic of American vehicles.
What does this shift mean for the U.S. and for the environment? For one, the new 35 MPG by 2020 CAFE standards are going to be much more attainable with the economy driving fuel-efficient vehicles sales. Not only will fuel efficiency standards be easier to implement, but with automakers trying to capitalize on high-MPG subcompacts, they are likely to cut back on some of the fervent opposition they have shown to fuel economy regulation.
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