USA
Lexus USA has reported 35,461 total sales for December 2017, a 10.6% decrease over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown:
| MONTH | Year to Date (*DSR) | |||||
| 2017 | 2016 | % CHG* | 2017 | 2016 | % CHG* | |
| CT | 9 | 968 | -99 | 4,690 | 8,903 | -47.1 |
| IS | 2,777 | 4,432 | -34.9 | 26,482 | 37,289 | -28.7 |
| RC | 686 | 1,042 | -31.6 | 7,363 | 11,165 | -33.8 |
| ES | 5,047 | 6,239 | -16 | 51,398 | 58,299 | -11.5 |
| GS | 916 | 1,325 | -28.2 | 7,773 | 14,878 | -47.6 |
| LS | 306 | 609 | -47.8 | 4,094 | 5,514 | ‐25.5 |
| LC | 290 | 0 | 0 | 2,487 | 0 | 0 |
| LFA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ‐49.8 |
| Total Cars | 10,031 | 14,615 | -28.7 | 104,290 | 136,054 | -23.1 |
| NX | 7,410 | 7,375 | 4.3 | 59,341 | 54,884 | 8.5 |
| RX | 13,951 | 14,882 | -2.7 | 108,307 | 109,435 | -0.7 |
| GX | 3325 | 3474 | -0.6 | 27,190 | 25,148 | 8.5 |
| LX | 744 | 836 | -7.6 | 6,004 | 5,707 | 5.5 |
| Total Trucks | 25,430 | 26,567 | -0.6 | 200,842 | 195,174 | 3.2 |
| Total Sales | 35,461 | 41,182 | -10.6 | 305,132 | 331,228 | -7.6 |
Please note, all percentages are calculated by the Daily Sales Rate (DSR), which takes into account the number of days in the month that dealerships could sell cars. December 2017 had 26 selling days, December 2016 had 27 selling days.
It was the year of the crossover in the United States, with the Lexus SUVs making up 65.8% of total sales. Much of that can be attributed to the general market’s preference for crossovers, but also that every Lexus car outside of the LC coupe is in the final years of its lifecycle. As a result, Lexus fell 7.6% overall to 305,132 vehicles sold.
In the year-end press release, Lexus USA general manager Jeff Bracken committed to “15 all-new and special edition models to the market” — Bracken originally told Automotive News there would be 14 introductions this year, so now we can expect an additional model some time over the next twelve months.
Automotive News does a great job at summarizing the US luxury sales race:
Mercedes handily topped the U.S. luxury race in 2017 despite a decline in its own sales, snagging back-to-back titles as the luxury market declined for a second straight year.
Coming in at No. 2 was BMW, which just beat out the previous year’s runner-up, Lexus. Lexus finished 553 vehicles behind BMW after posting a 14 percent drop in December.
Mercedes finished 2017 with luxury sales of 337,246, representing a 0.9 percent decline. Mercedes sales surged in December with a 10 percent increase, led by strong gains for the GLC crossover and S class. The C class led the brand in volume with 6,500 sold in December, down 12 percent. In addition to its luxury titles in 2017 and 2016, Mercedes also won the crown in 2013.
BMW-brand sales rose 4.3 percent in December, led by the 5 series, X1 and X5. BMW finished 2017 with sales of 305,685 vehicles, down 2.4 percent. BMW previously won the luxury title in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015.
Lexus sales dropped 14 percent in December, and the brand finished the year with sales of 305,132, down 7.9 percent. Lexus, which dominated the U.S. luxury category from 2000 through 2010, has now gone seven years without winning the title. Low vehicle supply has been a challenge for Lexus.
Canada
Lexus sales in Canada were down 10.9% in December, but that didn’t stop the brand from having their best sales year ever with a 10% increase over 2016 — here is the model-by-model breakdown:
| MONTH | Year to Date (*DSR) | |||||
| 2017 | 2016 | % CHG* | 2017 | 2016 | % CHG* | |
| CT | 0 | 29 | -100.0% | 367 | 546 | -32.8% |
| IS | 147 | 9.5% | 3221 | 3033 | 6.2% | |
| RC | 26 | 26 | 0.0% | 512 | 526 | -2.7% |
| ES | 158 | 215 | -26.5% | 1892 | 2153 | -12.1% |
| GS | 20 | 27 | -25.9% | 328 | 415 | -21.0% |
| LS | 0 | 9 | -100.0% | 40 | 95 | -57.9% |
| LC | 9 | 0 | 0 | 171 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Cars | 374 | 453 | -17.4% | 6531 | 6768 | -3.5% |
| NX | 416 | 501 | -17.0% | 7407 | 6295 | 17.7% |
| RX | 674 | 697 | -3.3% | 9402 | 8147 | 15.4% |
| GX | 33 | 48 | -31.3% | 508 | 551 | -7.8% |
| LX | 58 | 46 | 26.1% | 917 | 748 | 22.6% |
| Total Trucks | 1181 | 1292 | -8.6% | 18234 | 15741 | 15.8% |
| Total Sales | 1555 | 1745 | -10.9% | 24765 | 22509 | 10.0% |
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