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Ford EcoSport Sales End As Segment Explodes During Q4 2023

Ford EcoSport sales of the discontinued subcompact crossover showed no deliveries in the United States and Colombia during the fourth quarter of 2023, while 22 deliveries in Argentina  represent leftover inventory.

Ford EcoSport Sales - Q4 2023 - United States

In the United States, Ford EcoSport deliveries totaled 0 units in Q4 2023, a decrease of about 100 percent compared to 3,007 units sold in Q4 2022.

During the complete 2023 calendar year, EcoSport sales decreased about 91 percent to 2,508 units.
MODEL Q4 2023 / Q4 2022 Q4 2023 Q4 2022YTD 2023 / YTD 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022
ECOSPORT -100.00% 0 3,007 -91.41% 2,508 29,193

Ford EcoSport Sales - Q4 2023 - Argentina

In Argentina, Ford EcoSport deliveries totaled 22 units in Q4 2023, a decrease of about 98 percent compared to 968 units sold in Q4 2022.

During the complete 2023 calendar year, EcoSport sales decreased about 66 percent to 1,566 units.
MODEL Q4 2023 / Q4 2022 Q4 2023 Q4 2022YTD 2023 / YTD 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022
ECOSPORT -97.73% 22 968 -66.45% 1,566 4,667

Ford EcoSport Sales - Q4 2023 - Colombia

In Colombia, Ford EcoSport deliveries totaled 0 units in Q4 2023, a decrease of about 100 percent compared to 1 units sold in Q4 2022.

During the complete 2023 calendar year, EcoSport sales were flat at 0 units.
MODEL Q4 2023 / Q4 2022 Q4 2023 Q4 2022YTD 2023 / YTD 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022
ECOSPORT -100.00% 0 1 * 0 0

Competitive Sales Comparison (USA)

The discontinued Ford EcoSport recorded no sales during the Q4 2023 in a crowded mainstream subcompact crossover segment comprised of 23 entries.

The Subaru Crosstrek took the top spot with a 12 percent uptick in sales to 44,561 units. The Chevy Trax (see running Chevy Trax sales) placed second with an 836 percent leap to 44,127 units, and within just 434 deliveries of first. The Honda HR-V followed in third with a 54 percent jump to 35,172 units. The Jeep Compass took fourth with a 28 percent bump to 24,613 units, while the Hyundai Kona saw a 24 percent swell to 22,598 units, placing fifth, and the Toyota Corolla Cross was in sixth place with a 15 percent increase in sales to 21,950 units. All other segment competitors each recorded less than 19K deliveries.

Sales Numbers - Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q4 2023 - USA

MODEL Q4 23 / Q4 22 Q4 23 Q4 22 Q4 23 SHARE Q4 22 SHARE YTD 23 / YTD 22 YTD 23 YTD 22
SUBARU CROSSTREK +11.97% 44,561 39,798 13% 17% +2.61% 159,193 155,142
CHEVROLET TRAX +835.88% 44,127 4,715 13% 2% +311.26% 109,382 26,597
HONDA HR-V +53.85% 35,172 22,861 10% 10% +5.88% 122,206 115,416
JEEP COMPASS +28.13% 24,613 19,209 7% 8% +11.60% 96,173 86,175
HYUNDAI KONA +23.39% 22,598 18,314 7% 8% +23.63% 79,116 63,994
TOYOTA COROLLA CROSS +14.65% 21,950 19,145 6% 8% +25.49% 71,110 56,666
CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER -2.22% 18,535 18,956 5% 8% +82.32% 111,014 60,888
MAZDA CX-30 +15.25% 17,773 15,421 5% 6% +45.95% 77,075 52,808
NISSAN KICKS +70.97% 16,685 9,759 5% 4% +21.76% 66,823 54,879
VOLKSWAGEN TAOS +333.08% 15,305 3,534 5% 1% -0.36% 58,889 59,103
BUICK ENCORE GX +51.96% 13,755 9,052 4% 4% +92.36% 64,149 33,348
KIA SELTOS -3.95% 12,994 13,529 4% 6% +31.38% 60,053 45,711
KIA SOUL -16.32% 11,192 13,375 3% 6% +5.95% 61,263 57,820
JEEP RENEGADE +176.97% 10,450 3,773 3% 2% -5.58% 26,011 27,549
BUICK ENVISTA * 7,917 * 2% 0% * 13,302 0
KIA NIRO -28.09% 7,215 10,033 2% 4% +26.29% 36,300 28,744
HYUNDAI VENUE -31.37% 5,140 7,489 2% 3% +3.38% 28,009 27,094
DODGE HORNET * 4,964 * 1% 0% * 9,314 0
MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT -28.67% 2,893 4,056 1% 2% -8.29% 15,015 16,373
FIAT 500X +11.87% 132 118 0% 0% -36.69% 554 875
BUICK ENCORE -95.09% 122 2,487 0% 1% -57.09% 5,887 13,718
TOYOTA C-HR -99.95% 1 1,828 0% 1% -93.60% 777 12,141
FORD ECOSPORT -100.00% 0 3,007 0% 1% -91.41% 2,508 29,193
TOTAL +40.60% 338,094 240,459 +24.40% 1,274,123 1,024,234

From a segment share standpoint, the Crosstrek earned a 13 percent share, down a segment-worst four percentage points year-over-year. The Trax also posted a 13 percent segment share, up a segment-best 11 percentage points. The HR-V maintained a 10 percent share, while the Compass and Kona each held a seven percent share, both down one percentage point. The Corolla Cross posted a six percent share, down two percentage points. The rest of the field earned a five percent segment share or less.

Overall, the mainstream subcompact crossover segment grew 41 percent to 338,094 units.

The Ford Authority Take

The North American Ford EcoSport was discontinued with production ending in May 2022 in the wake of The Blue Oval’s decision to axe its production operations in India. That means that the Ford Chennai Assembly plant, where the EcoSport was produced, has been shuttered, with the final EcoSport rolling off the assembly line back in July 2022. However, the EcoSport lives on overseas, as FoMoCo continues to produce the subcompact crossover at the Ford Craiova Assembly Plant in Romania exclusively for the European market.

Notably, the EcoSport has been the target of some harsh criticism in the past, including a second-place ranking on Consumer Reports‘ 10 Least Satisfying Cars Survey, which is based on the latest data from the consumer organization’s members.

By dropping the Ford EcoSport, our contention at Ford Authority is that The Blue Oval is missing out on a pretty substantial opportunity in a segment that continues to grow, especially when an automaker has a competitive model. The Chevy Trax is a testament to that as sales continue to skyrocket during Q3 2024 for the Bow Tie brand’s new entry-level crossover. It placed second in the EcoSport’s segment and was within spitting distance of first.

Furthermore, more than half of 2024 Chevy Trax buyers are new General Motors customers.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., cross-town rival GM has four subcompact crossovers while Ford has none, including the Trax, along with the Chevy Trailblazer, Buick Envista, and Buick Encore GX. Technically, that count is currently five, but the discontinued Buick Encore still moves units of leftover inventory, having been indirectly replaced by the Envista.

Combined sales of the five GM vehicles in the mainstream subcompact crossover segment during Q4 2023 accounted for a cumulative 84,456 deliveries. That was good for a 24 percent segment share, commanding nearly a quarter of all sales in this space and enough to solidly place The General in first place, while the Trax alone nearly took the top spot, as noted above. In fact, even during Q3 2024, GM subcompact crossover sales were The General’s best-ever.

FoMoCo should consider re-entering a very lucrative and growing segment, though it is admittedly quite a crowded and competitive one.

All-new 2024 Chevrolet Trax in outdoor-focused Activ trim

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to Ford EcoSport sales in Q4 2022, unless noted otherwise
  • In the United States, there were 78 selling days for Q4 2023 and 78 selling days for Q4 2022
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Comment

  1. COMETIERON UN GRAVE ERROR EN NO HABER ACTUALIZAO ECOSPORT Y FORD A PERDIDO MUCHOS CLIENTES A MANOS DE CHEVROLET, NO SOLO EN USA SINO Y EN ESPECIAL EN SUDAMERICA, ARGENTINA Y BRASIL COMO MERCADOS PRINCIPALES

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