Segment returns to growth thanks to strong double-digit growth from the GMC twins

Sales in the US Large Pickup segment rose by 2.9% to 1,152,758 in the first half of 2018, as the segment posted a 6.1% sales growth in the second quarter to recover from a mild decline in Q1’18. With the new Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and RAM Pickup only beginning to spread their wings, the chances look good that this rate of growth will only accelerate in the second half of the year.

Highlights:

After growing at the similar single-digit pace to the segment-leading Ford F-series in the first quarter, Chevrolet Silverado did considerably better than its rival in the second quarter, seeing its sales rise by almost 15%

Sales of RAM Pickup stopped falling in the second quarter of the year, as the rollout of the new model is finally starting to bear fruit

Note: Clicking on the model name opens the sales data page for that model; clicking year in the legend turns the display for that year on/off

GMC Sierra did even better, with second quarter growth being enough to wipe out the decline the model registered in the first half of the year

At the back of the segment, the aging Toyota Tundra and the new Nissan Titan saw their double-digit sales growth from Q1’18 evaporate, though while the sales decline registered by the Tundra was modest enough to keep the model in the black for the year, the almost-20% sales decline of the Nissan dragged the model into the red for the year

Note: clicking on the model names in legend turns the display for that model on/off; data is displayed from 1990 onwards, but starts earlier – access previous years using slider on bottom