HONDA-ACURA: Q3 sales up on demand for crossovers, electrified vehicles; both brands down in September

American Honda Motor Co. posted total third-quarter sales of 366,214, an increase of 8 percent compared with last year.

Strong demand for crossovers, including the Honda Pilot, CR-V and HR-V as well as the Acura RDX helped drive growth in the quarter. The automaker's electrified models, including the new Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, topped sales of 90,000.

In September, combined Honda and Acura sales were 105,527, an 8.6 percent decline compared with a year ago.

The automaker attributed the decline to supply and weather-related issues, as well as fewer selling days compared with August and the prior September.

However, the more than 105,000 sales achieved in the month pushed American Honda over the 1 million mark for the year, achieving the milestone one month earlier than in 2023.

Sales of the popular Honda Accord slumped 20 percent in September, but Honda said sales of the midsize sedan continue to be impacted by "preparation for EV production in Ohio."

Brands: Honda's third-quarter sales increased 10 percent to 333,105, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of gains for the brand. September sales slid 7 percent to 95,601, snapping an 18-month streak of growth.

Acura brand sales of 33,109 decreased 10 percent in the third quarter. September sales declined 22 percent to 9,926.

Notable Nameplates (Q3): Honda Accord, down 16%; Civic, up 11%; CR-V, up 3.4%; Passport, down 22%; Pilot, up 38%; Ridgeline, up 8%

Acura Integra, down 34%; MDX, down 14%; RDX, up 4.5%

Inventory: The automaker is starting October with 131,990 Hondas and 21,918 Acuras of on-ground supply. Last year, the automaker started October with only 36,855 Hondas and 18,709 Acuras.

Did you know: Sales of the new Civic hybrid already accounts for 18 percent of the compact sedan's overall sales for the year.

Quote: "Despite some supply issues due to the preparation for EV manufacturing and supply challenges related to the catastrophic Hurricane Helene in the Southeast, we continue to gain sales momentum based on a flexible strategy of offering fuel efficient petrol, hybrid-electric and battery-electric models to meet the needs of our customers." — Lance Woelfer, American Honda vice president of auto sales