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More than half of Mazdas sold in 2018 are CX-5s, and other interesting sales facts

Last year was a seriously good year for carmakers. Overall, more vehicles were sold than in 2017, and the total number wasn't far off of the all-time record in 2016. Digging deeper into the numbers, you'll find some pretty usual stuff including the Ford F-Series still being the bestselling pickup truck in America, and a continued trend toward crossovers. But there are also some oddball factoids tucked in these sales reports, some that defy the trends, and some that are extremes of the public's buying preferences. We've compiled several interesting tidbits from last year's sales right here for your enjoyment. More than half of Mazda's sales were of CX-5s Yes, over half of all Mazda sales were of this one model. The company sold 300,325 cars in America last year, and 150,622 of them were CX-5 crossovers, or 50.1 percent. Just for emphasis, that means the other 49.8 percent of Mazda's sales were split among five other models, the Miata, 3, 6, CX-3 and CX-9. Breaking that down further, the second-best seller was the Mazda3 at 64,638, which isn't even half of the CX-5's sales. People are crazy for Mazda's middle crossover. Volkswagen actually sold more cars than crossovers It's clear that the crossover is the future king of car sales. For most mainstream brands, it already is. Chevy, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and Nissan all sold more crossovers and SUVs than they did conventional sedans and hatchbacks. There are holdouts, though, and one of them is Volkswagen. At the end of 2018, the company sold 189,343 cars and 164,721 crossovers in the U.S. So that's one win for the classic car set, and it's justification for VW to maintain its car line for the foreseeable future. It's a bit of a hollow victory, though. Look closer and you'll see that car sales were down 28 percent from 2017, when VW sold 262,029 cars. Crossovers, on the other hand, jumped 112 percent from 2017 when 77,647 crossovers moved through U.S. dealers. So expect the tables to turn very soon. Mustang is still the muscle-car sales king, but Challenger is the only one to improve Once again, the Ford Mustang topped the muscle-car sales charts, beating out the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro. Ford moved 75,842 of the ponies in 2018, while Dodge sold 66,716 Challengers for second place, and Chevy sold 50,963 Camaros to bring up the rear.

VW Golf GTD wagon makes us swoon ahead of Geneva reveal

The European market is just crammed with power wagons we can't get our hands on: big ones like the Audi RS6 Avant and Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake, but also little ones like the new Mercedes CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake, Skoda Octavia RS and Seat Leon ST Cupra. Now there'll be one more, and as you might have guessed, it comes from the Volkswagen Group. At the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, VW will present the new Golf GTD Variant. And if you're wondering what it's all about, it's all right there in the name: those three letters tell us it's a performance diesel, and the Variant name tells us it's a wagon (which we'd more readily recognize as the SportWagen on this side of the Atlantic). So there you have it: a performance-oriented diesel wagon, but not one we're never likely to see on American roads. If you ever did see one up close, though, you'd find a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four under the hood with 181 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque – enough to send this nimble oil tanker to 62 in 7.9 seconds, all the while returning over 53 miles per gallon (on the lenient European cycle, anyway). Along with the engine, VW has thrown in other GTD performance-minded bits, including a sports suspension and progressive steering. Visual telltales include unique front and rear bumpers, grilles, 17-inch alloys, blacked-out roof rails, smoked taillight lenses and an interior with plaid sports seats, stainless steel pedals... the works. European buyers will be able to enjoy all this and more while hauling all their stuff down the Autobahn, passing gas station after gas station in oil-burning bliss. World premiere of the new Golf GTD Variant - The perfect all-round package: sporty, economical, comfortable and spacious - Launch set for Geneva Motor Show Since 1982 Volkswagen's GTD logo has stood for Gran Turismo Diesel, with its promise of sporty yet economical motoring. Now for the first time, the GTD initials grace the Golf Variant, which like the Golf GTD, boasts the 184 PS (135 kW) TDI engine. The new Golf GTD Variant is set for its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, and is available to order as of now at a price of 31,975 euros. The Golf GTD Variant* is excellently placed to establish itself as an iconic long-distance cruiser.

VW delivers first XL1 in Germany

Volkswagen has delivered the first XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid to a customer from Berlin, Germany. Dr. Christian Malorny received his Oryx White XL1 with black and grey interior from Volkswagen Germany's director of sales and marketing for passenger cars, Thomas Zahn, at the company's Transparent Factory in Dresden. The super-efficient XL1, which first debuted at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, is powered by a 0.8-liter, two-cylinder TDI engine and electric motor, with electricity supplied by a 5.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a seven-speed DSG transmission. With a curb weight of 1,753 pounds and a drag coefficient of just 0.189, the XL1 is rated at 261 miles per gallon on the lenient European cycle. It is capable of traveling solely on electric power for up to 31 miles. "The XL1 has inspired me from the beginning and I am very pleased to now be driving my own," said Malorny, (translated). "With its visionary design and high-tech appearance, Volkswagen has dared something new and innovative." The futuristic XL1 seats two passengers, and can carry 4.2 cubic feet of cargo. It features a carbon fiber reinforced plastic body, and a low center of gravity. It is diminutive of stature, as you can see in the photo, measuring 153.1 inches long, 65.6 inches wide, and just 45.4 inches tall. It is being billed as the world's most efficient production car, but it's unlikely Dr. Malorny will be making his money back on fuel savings any time soon; despite the first sale and the vehicles appearing on the German VW site, Volkswagen has not officially announced the price tag for the XL1. In the past, we've heard it will cost approximately $145,000. Only 250 are being produced. Check out our drive review of the Volkswagen XL1 here or read on for more information in the Google-translated press release, below. Volkswagen XL1 delivers first from First vehicle goes to Berlin Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars Dr. Christian Malorny (left) took over his Volkswagen XL1 by Thomas Zahn, Director of Sales and Marketing Germany Volkswagen Passenger Cars Volkswagen has delivered yesterday at the Transparent Factory in Dresden the first XL1 to a customer. Together with his family accepted Dr. Christian Malorny from Berlin's innovative diesel plug-in hybrid.