Toyota GR86 Sales Were Up 326 Percent in Q1 2022, Which Is a Lot
The little sports car that could is the star of Toyota’s lineup right now.
Toyota has put big energy into the newest version of its 86 sports car, first bestowing it with a Gazoo Racing badge for 2022 and then updating the name from GR 86 (with a space) to GR86 (no space). It’s proving to be worth the time; this sports car is killing it in the market right now to the tune of a 200 percent increase in March and a jaw-dropping 326 percent increase for the quarter on a volume basis.
Right now, the GR Corolla is getting all the love as the highly anticipated new kid on the block, and with a new look, all-wheel drive, and 300 horses, it deserves it. However, the GR86 is truly a blast to drive and it has a place in the lineup in its own right. Simple and streamlined, the GR86 is a great car and it doesn’t surprise me a bit that it’s selling faster than margaritas on a hot day in Texas.
Alongside another new Corolla model (want to place a bet on how many variants we'll see of this popular nameplate in the next couple of years?), the Corolla Cross, the GR86 can boast its best March in history, with the RAV4 Hybrid and surprisingly-quick
RAV4 Prime nipping at its heels.
The news isn’t all rosy for the Plano, Texas-based company, however. On Friday, Toyota Motor North America reported U.S. sales were down 23.5 percent on a volume basis in March. It’s also trending down 26.3 percent on a daily selling rate basis over March of last year. For the first quarter, Toyota is down by a tick shy of 15 percent. In contrast, Buick is in much worse shape currently, showing a 58.2 percent decrease in volume for this quarter versus the time period of time in 2021.
“Ordinarily, a U.S. economy this strong would translate into light vehicle sales in the 17-million range,” said GM Chief Economist Elaine Buckberg in a press release. “Improvements in the supply chain should lift auto sales as the year progresses, despite headwinds from higher inflation and fuel prices.”
As automakers look toward electrification strategies, things are looking good. For Toyota alone, the first quarter showed nearly 26 percent of sales were in electrified vehicles. Cadillac’s new Lyriq is making waves, and Honda said that it set a record for electrified vehicle sales. Assuming the chip shortage, supply chain delays, and other various issues of the last two years get sorted, the future’s so bright they’re gonna have to wear shades.
Have you seen the new GR86? Comment below or send a note to kristin.shaw@thedrive.com.
