New car sales in the US are projected to decline in 2026 for the first time in four years, as a growing affordability crunch forces many lower-income buyers out of the market.
According to car services and data group Cox Automotive, sales are likely to fall from 16.3mn units in 2025 to 15.8mn units this year, while fellow forecaster Edmunds predicts a more modest year-on-year decline from 16.3mn to 16mn units amid sharply slowing demand for electric vehicles and signs of dwindling consumer confidence.
Sales figures released this week presented a mixed picture of demand in the final quarter of 2025, with Ford’s fourth-quarter US sales up 2.7 per cent on the previous year, while General Motors reported a fall of 7 per cent and Hyundai a fall of 1 per cent over the same timeframe.