Just over a year ago, American Honda celebrated its best sales month ever, selling 137,238 in June 2021 and setting a new record in the process. In the space of 12 months, things have changed considerably for the Japanese brand. Last month's sales figures were less than impressive, and the latest numbers are nothing to be impressed by, either.

In July, Acura and Honda sales totaled 71,235, which represents a decline of 47.4% from the same period last year. So, what's the reason for this massive drop in sales? Are people falling out of love with the company's offerings? Well, it's the opposite - demand for Honda and Acura products remains strong. But the ongoing chip crisis and supply chain issues have crippled the automaker's production capabilities, leading to limited inventory.

For the year to date, Honda has shifted 577,442 vehicles in the USA. Unsurprisingly, it's the CR-V that led the sales charge. 21,799 examples were delivered in July, contributing to the overall figure of 138,401 for the year so far. The figures will only grow stronger when the all-new CR-V hits showroom floors.

The Pilot put on a good showing as well, with Honda shifting 10,615 examples last month. Weirdly, the midsize SUV beat out the popular Civic; a mere 9,243 examples were sold in July. To put this poor performance in perspective, 28,318 customers took delivery of the Civic in July 2021. The latest-generation HR-V is proving rather popular with consumers, with Honda selling 4,322 examples.

The weakest model in the lineup (sales-wise) is the Insight, with just 1,175 units leaving dealership floors last month. Curiously, Honda managed to sell just one example of the Clarity. Overall, total sales were carried by strong demand for SUVs and trucks, accounting for nearly 72% of the company's total sales in July 2022. Electrified vehicles also contributed to the bottom line, with more than 6,500 units sold. This was mostly made up of Accord and CR-V hybrid models, says Honda.

Moving onto Acura, it's the new Integra that's posting strong sales figures. In fact, in terms of sales, it's only behind the MDX (2,150) and RDX (1,575), with total sales reaching 1,429 for the month of June. Honda notes this is the second month in a row the Integra has topped 1,400 units, despite limited supply.

According to the automaker, the sporty Integra is attracting younger first-time buyers to the Acura brand. Just one vehicle in the Acura family managed to increase sales year-on-year, and it was the halo NSX supercar. In July 2021, Acura managed to sell just seven examples. Cut to 2022, and that figure has since increased to 34.

As the chip crisis starts to ease and supply chain issues slowly become a thing of the past, we anticipate Honda will recover from slow sales and build enough vehicles to meet demand. In the coming months, new and exciting products like the latest CR-V and Civic Type R will only bolster interest and, therefore, sales.