Focus2move. "Best-selling passenger car worldwide in 2022 [in million units] [Graph], Focus2move, January 26, 2023. [Online]. Available: //www.statista.com/statistics/239229/most-sold-car-models-worldwide/

The RAV4 has rapidly closed the gap: In 2020, the vehicle undersold the Ram truck by more than 133,000 units. Last year, it lagged by just 9,983. Stellantis sold 444,926 Ram pickups last year, a 5% decline from 2022.

"Trucks are always at the top because they're bought by not only individuals, but also fleet buyers and we saw heavy fleet buying last year," said Michelle Krebs, an executive analyst at Cox Automotive. "The RAV4 shows that people want affordable, smaller SUVs, and the fact that there's also a hybrid version of that makes it popular with people."

At 750,789 units sold, Ford Motor's F-Series pickups, which include the F-150 and its larger siblings, led the industry for the 42nd consecutive year. They were followed by General Motors' Chevrolet Silverado pickup with sales of 543,780 units.

Rounding out the top five were the RAV4 at 434,943 units sold and the Tesla Model Y at 394,497, according to data and sales estimates from Motor Intelligence. [Tesla does not disclose regional sales by vehicle.] The Model Y moved up one position in the rankings compared with 2022.

Toyota RAV4

The success of the RAV4 is notable. It aligns with Toyota's growing lead as America's second bestselling automaker, behind GM but outselling Ford each year since 2020.

Toyota first overtook Ford during the coronavirus pandemic and has continued to increase its sales lead since, outpacing the Detroit automaker by more than 250,000 units in 2023.

The Japanese automaker also notably bested GM to become the country's top-selling automaker for the first time ever in 2021 amid major production and supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. GM has since reclaimed its crown and outsold Toyota by hundreds of thousands of vehicles in 2022 and 2023.

Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds, said the RAV4 as well as the Honda CR-V, which ranked sixth last year in sales, offer something completely different than American pickups: Small, economical vehicles that fit many American's lifestyles and budgets amid high interest rates and economic uncertainty.

"It's all these other problems that we've experienced throughout the last year that kind of force people into practical purchases," he said. "I think these vehicles speak to the most practical purchase you can buy."

Overall sales

New vehicle sales were stronger and more consistent than expected throughout 2023, notching the industry's best year of sales since 2019.

Motor Intelligence reports automakers sold 15.6 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2023, a 12.3% increase from 2022. That compares with more than 17 million vehicles sold in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic upending the global auto market.

December sales, which were reported this week, were surprisingly strong, as automakers upped incentive spending to move products.

Auto sales to end the year increased 13% compared with December 2022, more than double some analyst forecasts.

Automotive analysts and forecasters expect sales this year to be between roughly 15.6 million and 16.1 million vehicles. GM said Wednesday it expects the industry to hit 16 million units sold in 2024.

Here are the 10 bestselling vehicles in the U.S. by unit sales for 2023, according to Motor Intelligence.

We’re now well into Q4, which means it is time for another update on the best-selling vehicles of 2023 so far.

Let’s take a look at the top 10:

1. Ford F-Series: 573,370 units sold
2. Chevy Silverado: 403,403 units sold
3. Ram Pickup: 332,440 units sold
4. Toyota RAV4: 302,831 units sold
5. Tesla Model Y: 284,500 units sold
6. Honda CR-V: 262,351 units sold
7. Toyota Camry: 217,975 units sold
8. GMC Sierra: 216,227 units sold
9. Nissan Rogue: 211,091 units sold
10. Jeep Grand Cherokee: 182,871 units sold

Most of the cars and trucks on this list are on pace to equal or surpass their sales numbers from 2022 - with the Tesla Model Y and Honda CR-V already exceeding last year’s figures.

Microsoft’s Holiday Marketing Playbook

The holiday season is just around the corner, so Microsoft has released a playbook that will help companies like yours maximize their holiday ad reach and conversions.

Let’s take a look at a few of Microsoft’s top tips:

• Start in October: Holiday-related searches and clicks typically begin to ramp up around 55 days before Black Friday.
• Offer a Deal: Two-thirds of American shoppers will perform searches that contain words like “deals,” “coupons,” and “promotions” this holiday season.
• Don’t Forget Mobile Users: Mobile devices usually account for 28 percent of clicks and 22 percent of conversions during the holidays.

For more tips like these, check out this Lead Revenue blog. It is filled with advice you can use to boost your sales this holiday season!

Average Car Payment Reaches Record High

New data from Edmunds indicates the average monthly payment on new cars has hit an all-time high. The trend may have a significant impact on the way you manage your finance department.

Let’s take a look at some of the key facts and figures from the report:

• New Vehicle Payments: The average monthly payment on a new car was $736 in Q3 - up from $703 in Q3 of last year.
• High Payments: The share of customers who financed a new vehicle with a payment of $1,000 or more is now 17.5 percent. In Q2, this figure was 17.1 percent.
• Interest Rates: Rising interest rates are one of the main reasons why monthly payments have reached a record high. The average new-vehicle APR was 7.4 percent in Q3.

Do these figures align with what you have seen at your dealership in recent months?

Ad Fraud Will Cost Businesses $84 Billion in 2023

A new report indicates ad fraud will cost companies like yours about $84 billion this year. That is more than 20 percent of all online ad spending.

Here’s what you need to know about this alarming situation:

• The Scale of the Problem: Ad fraud now accounts for 22 percent [$84 billion] of all ad spending. Much of this fraud comes from click bots and competitor click abuse.
• The Worst Affected Ad Channels: Mobile [29.8 percent], online search [19.6 percent], and online display [19.6 percent] are more susceptible to fraud than any other channel.
• The Future: The report claims ad fraud is only going to become a bigger problem in the future. It estimates advertisers will lose $172 billion to fraud in 2028.

Want to minimize the effect of ad fraud on your company’s marketing budget? Then, get in touch with the fusionZONE team today! Our skilled marketers will ensure every dollar of your budget is spent wisely!

What You Need to Know About the UAW Strike

The ongoing United Auto Workers strike could disrupt the supply of new vehicles across the US. But what exactly is the dispute all about? And what is the current status of the negotiations?

Here’s an overview of the situation:

• Wages: Worker salaries are the biggest sticking point in negotiations. The UAW wants a 40 percent increase. Ford, GM, and Stellantis have offered 20-25 percent raises.
• Other Concerns: The UAW is also demanding the automakers end the two-tier benefits system, reinstate cost-of-living protections, and improve job security.

Status of Negotiations: Representatives from the UAW say the parties still have a long way to go before they reach a deal. The negotiations are likely to drag on for quite some time.

How to Boost Your Business While on a Budget

Is your marketing budget starting to get tight as we approach the end of the year? Don’t worry! It is possible to boost your business without breaking the bank.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Be Active on Social Media: Posting information and valuable insights on social media costs nothing but time - and it often results in an uptick in sales.
• Build an Email List: Sending marketing emails to interested customers can be a great way to generate sales without spending lots of money. To begin building your email list, encourage users to subscribe when they visit your website.
• Reuse Old Advertisements: Got an ad that worked well a couple of years ago? Use it again! It’s likely to generate similar results the second time around.

Want to learn some more marketing techniques you can use to drive sales without spending lots of money? Then this fusionZONE blog is perfect for you. Check it out today!

What is the

1 selling car in the world?

Car shoppers purchased more than one million Toyota Corolla models, making it the world's most popular car in 2022. Toyota consistently ranked among the most valuable car brands within the global automotive sector.

What is the best

Tesla Model Y Going To Be Top Selling Vehicle In The World In....

What are the 3 most sold cars of all time?

The 5 Best-Selling Cars Of All Time: A Deep Dive.

Toyota Corolla [50 Million+ units sold by 2021] ... .

Ford F Series [43 Million+ units sold] ... .

Volkswagen Golf [35.5 Million+ units sold] ... .

Volkswagen Passat [30 Million+ units sold] ... .

Honda Civic [27 Million units sold].

What is the

1 selling vehicle brand?

In 2022, Ford overtook Toyota as the leading car brand in the United States based on vehicle sales, delivering about 1.8 million units to U.S. customers. The United States is the largest market for Ford: wholesales to U.S. dealerships reached 1.7 million vehicles in 2021.