Mazda’s Mx-5 Miata Jumped 60% While Its $40k Suvs Tanked

April sales are in, and for Mazda, the picture isn’t very pretty. The Japanese automaker moved 31,128 vehicles in the U.S. last month, a 17.3 percent drop from the same period a year ago. Year to date, the brand is down 15.1 percent at 125,601 units sold through April. Models that one might expect to be sure successes are floundering, and on the flip side, the brand’s most passion-forward nameplate is flying off dealer lots.

The drop was driven largely by weaker SUV demand across much of the lineup. The CX-90 fell 39.2 percent in April, while the CX-70 dropped 42.6 percent. The CX-30 was down 35 percent, and the CX-5 declined 18.9 percent. There were a few exceptions. The CX-50 posted a 5.8 percent gain and recorded its best April for hybrid sales. Certified pre-owned sales also increased 3.3 percent compared to last year.

Read: This Miata Looks More Like An Aston Martin Than Some Real Aston Martins Do

Ultimately, though, it’s cars that are giving Mazda the best performance so far. The Mazda3 is down 0.3 percent for the year but managed to stay perfectly flat for April. The MX-5 Miata is the real success story, though. While it’s down 9.9 percent year over year through the first four months, it was up 60 percent in April. That includes a 44.8 percent bump for the soft top and a whopping 81 percent increase in RF sales.

It’s a small-volume win in the context of Mazda’s overall business, but it stands out given the direction of everything else. The Miata remains one of the few vehicles in the segment that prioritizes low weight, rear-wheel drive, and a manual-first driving experience. These are attributes that continue to resonate with a specific group of buyers.

Zoom out, and April’s results highlight a split within Mazda’s lineup. The vehicles responsible for most of the brand’s volume are under pressure, while one of its most niche products is growing at a rapid pace. Other manufacturers, like Ford, have seen the same sort of start to the year with its performance car, the Mustang, looking a lot healthier than just about everything else.

Mazda US Sales April