It’s that time of the year, ladies and gents! The Big Three in Detroit have all published the 2022 sales figures for the U.S. market, sales figures from which we can draw a few conclusions in regard to industry trends. For instance, the pony and muscle car segments are on a downward spiral.
Kicking off with the best-selling nameplate of the bunch, the Challenger moved 55,060 units in the previous 12 months in the United States of America, up 1 percent from the 54,314 examples delivered in 2021. To whom it may concern, the four-door Charger also posted an uptick from 2021, selling 80,074 examples of the breed versus 78,389 back in 2021.
In second place on the leaderboard, we have the Mustang with 47,566 copies to its name. Ford’s pony car posted the biggest year-over-year loss, with U.S. sales contracting 9.2 percent from the 52,414 delivered two years ago. On the upside, the Mustang-styled Mustang Mach-E crossover improved 45.4 percent from 27,140 vehicles in 2021 to 39,458 in 2022.
The final entry comes in the form of the pony car that yours truly prefers over the Mustang, namely the Mustang’s arch nemesis. GM reports 24,652 units for 2022, up 12.6 percent from the 21,893 it sold two years ago. That’s pretty good news for the Camaro, but on the other hand, that’s also bad news. That kind of yearly volume in the Camaro’s largest market is abysmal, a woeful yearly volume that adds fuel to the rumor mill’s fire.
As you’re well aware, hearsay suggests the death of the combustion-engined Camaro in the nearest of futures. Instead of two doors and a small-block V8 hiding under the hood, the Chevrolet brand is expected to roll out a zero-emission sedan under this nameplate. Preposterous, I know, but on the other hand, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is doing pretty well for itself despite plenty of raised eyebrows over the crossover’s nameplate.
The only problem with the Camaro turning into a four-door electric sedan would be its body style. Toyota canned the Avalon after the 2022 model year in favor of the crossover-styled Crown due to poor sales for the Avalon. Ford took things up a notch a few years ago when it discontinued every single conventional-bodied passenger car from its lineup. The only car the Blue Oval offers in the United States right now is the Mustang.
Regarding the downward spiral mentioned in the intro, the combined U.S. sales for 2022 are 127,278 vehicles. The Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger moved 128,621 units in 2021. With so many crossovers and trucks to choose from, does it come as a surprise that pony and muscle cars are selling this bad? On the other hand, don’t be depressed by the current state of affairs because FoMoCo still believes in the Mustang.
Due to arrive this year as a 2024 model, the S650 promises to be the best Mustang yet. Not only did the Ford Motor Company rework the exterior and interior designs, but the Dearborn-based automaker has also improved the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo and the Coyote Five-Oh V8.
The Coyote stands out, though, for it now features dual throttle bodies. The Dark Horse makes 500 horsepower, the GT cranks out between 480 and 486 horsepower depending on the exhaust system, and the EcoBoost makes 315 horsepower. On the downside, the EcoBoost is no longer available with a manual transmission, likely due to a poor take-up rate.
