The auto industry faced a challenging 2020 sales year with the coronavirus pandemic upending operations. Most automakers saw sales for most models falter, though the pain has been unevenly spread. All one has to do is look at midsize pickups, which some saw models suffer single-digit losses while others cratered. However, no truck came close to the midsize king – the Toyota Tacoma – which sold 238,806 pickups.
The Ford Ranger took second in sales, seeing a 13.3 percent increase in 2020 over 2019 as it completes its second full year on sale. The Blue Oval sold 101,486 examples of the pickup, less than half the Tacoma’s sales. General Motors technically outperformed Ford with the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon with a combined total sales volume of 121,428 trucks. However, the Chevy’s sales fell 21.3 percent to 96,238 while the GMC saw sales fall 23.3 percent to 25,190, giving Chevy third place and GMC last. That’s fewer trucks sold than the Honda Ridgeline, which saw a small 3.5-percent drop to 32,168 truck sales.
The Jeep Gladiator saw sales explored by 94 percent, jumping from 40,047 sold in 2019 to 77,542 in 2020. The Gladiator had a slow start to its sales in early 2019, with trucks beginning to leave dealership lots in large quantities in Summer 2019. On the opposite side of the sales spectrum is Nissan, which saw Frontier sales crater by nearly 50 percent. Sales fell from 72,369 in 2019 to 36,845. Nissan refreshed the Frontier for 2020, though it did little to modernize the truck. The next-gen Frontier is already under development, which could have tempered sales as customers wait for the new pickup.
Let’s Do Some Math:
The coronavirus pandemic certainly hurt automakers, with most brands seeing sales dip. The three iconic American muscle cars saw sales drop, with the Dodge Challenger taking second over the Chevy Camaro and behind the Ford Mustang. If anything, 2021 should be a much better year all around for automakers.
Gallery: 2020 Nissan Frontier
