Despite increased demand for light trucks in model year ’17, 4-cyl. engines again dominated the field with a 54.5% industry share.
Mexico production soared as automakers began production of popular models there, while output in the U.S. and Canada slowed.
Class 8 sales totaled 26,141, 13.5% above 2016.
Class 8 sales fall 0.2% in 2017 while all other classes post gains.
Total light-vehicle sales dropped 11.2% in December, with light-trucks down a slight 1.6% while cars dropped 16.3%.
Light trucks reach record-high share, dampening the effect of higher electrification.
A danger could be that if sales begin to taper off in the second quarter, over-optimism about underlying demand could lead to production overbuilds as happened in first-half 2017.
Record light-vehicle sales in Canada for the fifth consecutive year.
Trucks surged to 69% of the market in December, lifting total sales for 2017 to 11.06 million units, or nearly two-thirds of total demand.
U.S. automakers to report 1.60 million light-vehicle sales in December.