The sales figures for 2018 are starting to roll in. So far, we have already seen Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis announce decreases in their sales volume along with General Motors. Clearly, 2018 was a tough year for automakers but one plucky Japanese manufacturer was still able to report a sales increase. That company was Mazda.

Mazda failed to finish 2018 off strong with 25,870 vehicles sold, a decrease of 3.8% compared to December 2017. Even so, the company sold a total of 300,325 vehicles in 2018, an increase of 3.7% compared to 2017. This sale increase is even more impressive given the fact Mazda doesn't build any pickup trucks, the most popular vehicle type in the US.

Mazda also managed this feat without selling any engines larger than a four-cylinder, cementing the company's status as one of the most fuel-efficient automakers in the US. It is easy to see how Mazda achieved these sales figures when looking at the sales breakdown. All three of the company's SUVs, the CX-3, CX-5, ad CX-9, saw sales increases compared to 2017.

The CX-3 sold 16,899 units (an increase of 3.3%), the CX-5 sold 150,622 units (an increase of 18.1%), and the CX-9 sold 28,257 units (an increase of 9.4%). By far and away, the CX-5 was Mazda's most popular model in the US, with the Mazda3 coming in second place.

Despite the Mazda3's popularity, all of Mazda's non-SUV models saw sales decreases in 2018. The Mazda3 sold 64,638 units (down 13.8%), the Mazda6 sold 30,938 (down 7.4%), and the MX-5 Miata sold 8,971 units (down 20.6%). Even after adding a more powerful and more fuel-efficient engine, the MX-5 still saw the biggest sales decrease across the board.

The sale decrease for the Mazda3 is also alarming but with an all-new model on the way, we don't think Mazda has too much to be concerned about. These sales figures are indicative of the market and prove what we already knew - SUVs and crossovers are dominating.