Compact sales tapering, subcompacts gaining
For a car to sell these days, it’s not enough that it’s small. It has to be really small. According to USA Today, Chevy Aveo sales are up 44%. Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and the Hyundai Accent also had sales gains, while the larger Sentra, Civic, Focus, and Elantra models fell a bit.
The article points out that Mazda3 sales are up, but I’d put it in the category of subcompacts. It’s similar in size to Volkswagen Rabbit, so definitely has a higher “cute” factor than the Sentra or Civic.
Meanwhile, the NYT seems to think small cars are gay.
