Auto experts predict ‘lower but stable’ vehicle sales in 2020

J.D. Power and LMC Automotive are both predicting a stable year of U.S. vehicle sales ahead.

U.S. sales peaked at 17.55 million units in 2016, and have avoided steep declines since then, hovering just above the 17 million mark.

Final numbers for 2019 light vehicle sales came in at 17.11 million units – the fifth year in a row sales have topped 17 million.

The automotive consultants say they expect light vehicle demand of about 16.8 million units in 2020.

Automakers are expected to introduce more than 60 new or refreshed models, according to LMC Automotive and J.D. Power.

“Prospects for 2020 are shaping up to be quite stable, though volume is expected to be a bit lower,” said Jeff Schuster, president of the Americas operations and global vehicle forecasts at LMC. “Manufacturers will face a lot of pressure to stand out in a crowded market with nearly 60 percent more redesigned or new entries in 2020 than there were in 2019.”