Related: The State of Remarketing in 2019
NADA Predicts 1.2% Decline in 2020 New Car Sales
Analysts found that, as in 2018, consumers continued to abandon car segments in 2019. Light trucks are on track to account for more than 70% of overall new-car sales for 2019, while cars will account for less than 30% of new-car sales.

NADA analysts predict the increasing fuel efficiency of light-duty pickups and CUVs such as the BMW X4 will continue to push more consumers away from car segments.
Photo courtesy of BMW Group.
The National Automobile Dealers Association released its annual new-vehicle sales forecast for 2020, predicting U.S. dealers will move fewer than 17 million units for the first time since 2014.
Analysts found that, as in 2018, consumers continued to abandon car segments in 2019. Light trucks are on track to account for more than 70% of overall new-car sales for 2019, while cars will account for less than 30% of new-car sales.
“We expect new light-vehicles sales will come in at 16.8 million units for 2020, roughly a 1.2% drop from 2019 sales volume,” said NADA senior economist Patrick Manzi. “As for 2019, it appears new vehicle sales will best the expectations of most in the industry by topping 17 million units for the fifth straight year.”
By the end of 2020, NADA projects that three of every four new vehicles sold will be light trucks, a significant increase from a decade ago when the new-vehicle sales mix was 48% light trucks and 52% cars.
“Consumers like the added practicality and ride height afforded by light trucks. And crossovers, which account for more than 40% of the total new vehicle market, continue to increase in fuel efficiency each year — offering fuel economy close to their sedan counterparts. In the absence of a significant spike in gasoline prices for a sustained period of time, we expect this shift in preference as permanent,” Manzi added.
This story originally appeared on Auto Dealer Today, another Bobit Business Media publication.
Originally posted on Vehicle Remarketing
More Vehicle Research

Hall of Fame Inductee: John Dmochowsky
The longtime Mondelēz International fleet executive joins the Automotive Fleet Hall of Fame.
Read More →
Hall of Fame Inductee: Lee Miller
After more than four decades at Boehringer Ingelheim, Lee Miller leaves a legacy built on fleet expertise.
Read More →
Hall of Fame Inductee: Mark F. Petersen
From managing fleets of thousands of vehicles to advancing safety and mentoring fellow professionals, Mark F. Petersen made his mark across both the corporate and supplier sides of fleet.
Read More →
When Charger Downtime Becomes a Fleet Availability Problem
As EV deployments move beyond pilot programs, charger reliability can directly affect vehicle readiness, driver productivity and route scheduling.
Read More →
2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid Adds e-POWER, Standard AWD
The new Rogue Hybrid uses Nissan’s e-POWER system with dual electric motors, offers an estimated 40 mpg and starts at $35,490.
Read More →
2027 Subaru Forester Adds First Wilderness Hybrid
The 2027 Forester lineup starts at $29,995 and adds a Wilderness Hybrid with 194 combined horsepower and 9.3 inches of ground clearance.
Read More →
EV Realty Names Henrik Holland President as Charging Platform Expands
The former Prologis Mobility and Shell executive will help expand EV Realty’s truck charging business and move its power-first infrastructure model into autonomous vehicle depots and other fleet sectors.
Read More →
Mercedes-Benz Introduces Electric GLC With Up to 350 Miles of Range
The GLC 400 4MATIC Electric features an 800-volt architecture, 330-kW DC fast charging and a 94-kWh battery, along with Mercedes-Benz's new MB.OS operating system.
Read More →
Fleet Has a Talent Pipeline Problem, not a Talent Problem
Where will the next generation of fleet leaders come from, and what does the industry need to do differently to find them?
Read More →
Fleet Hacks: What Are You Still Doing Manually?
From daily recaps to repeatable workflows, fleet professionals share how AI can cut through busywork while keeping human judgment at the center.
Read More →