It seems like unlike sedans and coupes, the SUV and Crossover segments won’t slow down anytime soon. The latest survey shows that consumer loyalty for these two types of vehicles reached an all-time high in April. More than two-thirds of SUV and crossover owners who returned to the market in the first four months of 2017 purchased another new SUV or crossover.
Consumer loyalty for SUVs and crossovers grew from 53 percent in 2012 to 66 percent in April 2017. Loyalty for all SUV and crossover body styles is now nearly 14 percentage points greater than the industry average -- 53 percent --which includes pickups, sedans, total vans, hatchbacks, coupes and convertibles. Consumer loyalty of pickups also has increased every year since 2012 and was 51 percent through the first four months of 2017. The continual increase in owners purchasing this body style is in part due to low gas prices.
The analysis covered new-vehicle transactions from January 2012 to April 2017, including purchases and leases among owners who had acquired a new vehicle in the past 10 years. The SUV/crossover body style as defined by the research includes SUV and crossover models collectively. In addition, the second vehicle may be an addition to the household fleet, not necessarily a replacement.