Four-Cylinder Vehicles Surpass 50 Percent for First Time

Sales of new cars and light trucks equipped with four-cylinder engines climbed to 51 percent of all new-vehicle sales in June, the highest level on record and the first time four-cylinder products have captured more than half of the market, according to the Power Information Network (PIN).

This rate has jumped five percentage points in just one month. Four-cylinder penetration climbed to almost 80 percent in June in the small crossover and midsize sedan segments, which are two of the largest segments in the industry. In contrast, sales of eight-cylinder vehicles dropped industry-wide to just 13 percent in June, driven in part by a shift to six cylinder powertrains in the large sedan market.

[Editor's Note: Perhaps the IRL would do well to take a hard look at a turbo-4 instead of a turbo-6 for their new engine. As for NASCAR, where does that leave them with their large V8s with carburetors? Answer – out of touch with reality and soon to be out to lunch.]