Automakers Enjoying May Reprieve as Sales Rebound Led by Hybrids

For the first time in 2026, more automakers reported sales gains than losses, led by consumers ongoing interest in hybrid vehicles. 

Kia, Honda, Hyundai, Subaru, and Mazda all reported year-over-year sales jumps in May while Toyota Motor North America — which includes Toyota and Lexus — was down slightly compared to a year ago.

By percentage, the big winner was Mazda, scoring a 35 percent increase compared to May 2025. It was the brand’s best total sales month since July 2025 and the best-ever month for the CX-50 hybrid. Every vehicle in Mazda’s North American lineup posted double-digit sales increases with the MX-5 Miata and aforementioned CX-50 jumping 196.6 percent and 107.2 percent respectively. 

The only Mazda vehicle that reported a down month was the CX-5, which fell 17.9 percent.

Subaru, which reported a 10.4 percent increase compared to last May. The brand has been led all year by the revamped Forester, and it did so again last month with a 26.8 percent increase. Subaru’s top-selling vehicle, it’s up 8.2 percent for first five months of the year. However, it wasn’t alone as Crosstrek improved 10.2 percent compared to a year ago.

“We saw continued strength from Forester, and record performance from Crosstrek and from our electric vehicle lineup, driven by the success of Uncharted and Trailseeker,” said Troy Poston, Subaru of America Inc.’s senior vice president of sales, in a release.

American Honda also posted a good result in May with sales up 9.9 percent, with Honda Division up 10.5 percent and its luxury unit, Acura, reporting a 4.1 percent jump. The company’s passenger cars were very popular in May, rising 15.5 percent. The Acura Integra was amazing in May, up 67 percent.

On the downside, was Toyota Motor NA, which was down slightly at 0.6 percent, according to  Automotive News. Toyota does not report sales monthly. Neither does General Motors and Stellantis. Ford does but won’t release numbers until Wednesday.

The automaker is still hustling to meet demand for the new RAV4 compact SUV — its top-selling vehicle. It declined 26 percent in May as the company continues to work out the kinks at the plants producing the ute. Lexus did the overall numbers no favors, falling 36 percent, in large measure due to weak numbers from the ES, which is in the midst of a new model changeover. New ES models are expected to hit dealer showrooms this month.

Hyundai North America reported sales up 3 percent with the Sonata (39 percent), Palisade (17 percent), and the all-electric Ioniq 5 (28 percent) leading the way. Electrified vehicles really carried the water for the company last month. It was the automaker’s best ever hybrid vehicle sales month, up 90% year-over-year. Tucson HEV (10 percent), Santa Fe HEV (30 percent), Elantra HEV (29 percent), and Sonata HEV (250 percent) all achieved new May records.

“Hyundai achieved growth across nearly every part of our lineup in May, from sedans to SUVs, including both hybrid and electric models,” said Randy Parker, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America. “The market remains resilient, with solid underlying demand even as customers continue to navigate affordability pressures.”

Kia, Hyundai’s South Korean sibling, also enjoyed strong month, including setting a new record for retail sales in any month, improving over last May’s retail numbers by 11 percent. Overall, Kia America sales were up 2 percent compared to the year-ago number.

Three of Kia’s most popular models including Telluride (18 percent); Carnival (16 percent); and Sportage (6 percent); set best-ever May sales records, with the second-generation Telluride also setting a best-ever any-month sales record and achieving five consecutive months of record-breaking sales, the company noted.

[Images: Mazda, Subaru, Acura, Hyundai]

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