“‘Mid’ is in,” say Kelley Blue Book analysts in their latest monthly report, which finds smaller SUVs contributing to a sub-$50,000 average transaction price. +

Dealertrack’s Credit Availability Index rose to 104.6 in June, registering its biggest increase so far this year and its highest mark since December 2015. +

A supplier fire and high demand helped the Honda CR-V outsell the Ford F-Series by more than 16,000 units in the first half of the year. +

Amit Maheshwari, Max Steckler and Jason Barrie will serve as the AI-enabled dealership conversation platform’s executive leadership team. +

Spyne and Cox Automotive have joined forces to automate CRM updates with real-time data generated by Vini AI’s sales and service calling, chat, scheduling and follow-up communication suite. +

A narrowing yield spread and a remarkable recovery in approval rates pushed Dealertrack’s Credit Availability Index to 103.7 in May, improving by 7.3% year over year to reach its highest level since April 2022. +

Kelley Blue Book reports an average transaction price of $49,220 in May, down 0.5% from April but up 1.2% year over year amid heavier incentive spending. +

Healthy March and April sales improved many dealers’ moods, but Cox Automotive’s Q2 survey finds growing anxiety over factors beyond their control. +

The Cox Automotive/Moody’s Analytics Vehicle Affordability Index increased from 35.1 in March to 35.2 in April after five months of incremental improvement. +

Kelley Blue Book reports trucks and SUVs are largely to blame for April’s average new-vehicle transaction price of $49,461, a 1.8% year-over-year increase. +