San Francisco, CA—April 27, 2017 – Jumpstart Automotive Media, a leading media, insights, and marketing solutions company, today released its share of shopper interest data for the first quarter of 2017, which shows a significant increase in interest for CUVs and SUVs, and declining interest in pickup trucks.
Jumpstart analyzes share of shopper interest regularly to gain insight into what consumers are considering when researching their next vehicle purchase, as well as how long it takes them to make a decision and how media influences their shopping process. These insights are based on the shopping patterns of more than 25 million in-market auto shoppers who are researching vehicles across the company’s portfolio of automotive publishers.
Interest In Body Styles
When comparing data between the first quarter of 2017 and the first quarter 2016, SUV/CUV interest is up 8% and interest in pickup trucks is down 11%. Of the top four most popular body styles (accounting for 78% of all shopping), SUV/CUV is the only style that is showing an increase (Sedan -6%; Sport -8%).
| Body Style | Q1 ’16 | Q1 ’17 | % Change |
| SUV/CUV | 28.0% | 30.2% | +8% |
| Sedan | 24.0% | 22.6% | -6% |
| Sport | 16.6% | 15.2% | -8% |
| Truck | 10.9% | 9.7% | -11% |
| Coupe | 4.2% | 4.5% | +8% |
| Performance | 4.1% | 4.3% | +5% |
| Hatch/Wagon | 3.6% | 3.9% | +10% |
| Compact | 3.1% | 3.3% | +9% |
| Van | 3.4% | 3.2% | -7% |
| Alt. Fuel | 2.2% | 3.0% | +35% |
Share of Shopper Interest, By Brand
Of the top 10 most popular brands, only Toyota (+7%), Honda (+1%), and Mazda (+10%) saw an increase in shopper interest from Q1 ’16 to Q1 ’17. Other notable increases include Kia (+35%), Cadillac (+15%), Volvo (+27%), Buick (+12%), and Jaguar (+20%). And although it represents less than 1% of the total share of shopping, Tesla saw the highest increase at +145%.
New vs. Used Shopping
Shopping for used cars and trucks across Jumpstart sites is up 6% in the first quarter of 2017. This growth is largely being driven by luxury shoppers, particularly since used luxury shopping is up 11% year over year. What’s more, people who are shopping used luxury vehicles are also more open to considering a new vehicle (32% vs. 28%).
“It’s surprising to see interest in trucks fall during a healthy economy since this style has been a large reason why annual sales crested above the 17 million mark,” said Libby Murad-Patel, vice president marketing & strategic insights for Jumpstart. “However, it’s not surprising to see the strength of SUV/CUV since we’re tracking a lot of in-market interest in these vehicles. Utility vehicles offer a wide range of versatility, roominess, comfort and features, and are now available at a price point for virtually every budget.”
About Jumpstart
Jumpstart Automotive Media, a division of Hearst Autos, offers high-impact and performance-driven marketing and advertising solutions that achieve optimum results. An industry thought-leader known for its in-depth shopping reports, Jumpstart connects automotive marketers with the largest, high-performing audience of car shoppers and enthusiasts through partnerships with: Car and Driver, U.S. News Best Cars, J.D. Power Cars, NADAguides, Autoweek.com, Autobytel, Autolist.com, Daily News Autos, LeftLaneNews.com, CarSoup, and CarBuzz.
