http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070601/UPDATE/706010459General Motors sales jump 9.6%
Detroit News staff and wire reports
General Motors Corp.'s sales jumped 9.6 percent in May, to 371,056 vehicles; it marks the automaker's second monthly increase of the year.
Car sales, including the Chevrolet Impala and Saturn Aura, rose 16.2 percent to 150,979, while light truck sales, including the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, gained 5.6 percent to 220,077. GM's sales include the European Saab brand.
"We saw strong total and retail sales increases," Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of North American sales, service and marketing, said in a statement. "Our significant market share gains in full-size trucks and crossovers validates the decision we made to invest in industry-leading fuel economy in these important segments."
Divisions with retail sales increases for the month included Saturn (up 59 percent), GMC (up 18 percent) and Pontiac (up 8 percent). Chevrolet was up 5 percent.
Also reporting sales results today:
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG said U.S. vehicle sales increased 8.7 percent, helped by demand for its 3-Series and revamped X5 sport-utility vehicles. BMW sold 30,819 cars and SUVs in May in the U.S., compared with 28,360 a year earlier.Year-to-date sales climbed 4.2 percent to 134,944 units.
Porsche AG's North American sales rose 1.7 percent in May. Sales in the U.S. and Canada increased to 3,600 cars and SUVs from 3,541 units a year earlier. The carmaker sold 1,320 of the 911 model, a gain of 13 percent. Sales of the Cayenne increased 8.7 percent.
Kia Motors America announced its best May ever with sales of 28,494 units, a 7.5 percent increase over the same period last year. Year-to-date sales totaled 128,104, also a 7.5-percent increase over the same period last year. Sales for the month were led by the Kia Spectra at 8,512 units, showing its best month of the year.
Hyundai Motor America reported sales of 43,885 for the month, up 3 percent. It also was its best May company history. Hyundai's 2007 Santa Fe saw a sales jump of 101 percent over May 2006. The 2007 Accent increased almost 10 percent and the Elantra 5 percent over May 2006.
Nissan's sales up 7.4% in May. Nissan said its U.S. sales rose on good performances by its larger sedans and fuel-efficient small cars. The company said it sold 93,062 vehicles, up from 86,667 during the same month last year. It said it pushed the fuel-efficient Versa subcompact and Sentra compact cars in May advertising as gas prices were rising.
"Obviously people responded to that," said Brad Shaw, Nissan's senior vice president for sales and marketing.
Nissan-brand sales were up 2.9 percent, to 82,314 units, and Infiniti sales were up 5.6 percent, to 10,748 units.
Patriot, Wrangler drive 4% jump in Chrysler sales; Mercedes up 1%. DaimlerChrysler AG had a 4 percent bump in U.S. sales of its Chrysler Group and Mercedes-Benz vehicles in May, with total sales of 221,164 units for the month, the automaker said today.
Chrysler Group, with its Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands, posted sales of 199,393 vehicles in the U.S., an increase of 4 percent. Dodge brand sales were up 3 percent and total Jeep brand sales increased 20 percent. Big sellers were the Jeep Patriot SUV, with a 55 percent month-over-month sales boost, and the Jeep Wrangler, up 114 percent year over year.
Mercedes-Benz USA recorded its highest May on record with sales of 21,771 units, an increase of 1 percent over the 21,621 vehicles sold in May 2006. Year-to-date, Mercedes-Benz' U.S. sales are 98,651, a 5 percent increase over sales over the same period in 2006.
Crossovers give Ford boost; sales still down 7% for month. Ford Motor Co.'s new crossovers helped the automaker to its best showroom sales month of the year in May, the automaker said today. Still, retail sales were off 3 percent from a year ago and total sales, including sales to fleet customers, were down 7 percent.
The decline in total sales reflects the company's planned reduction in sales to daily rental companies.
The good news was in the sales of the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, which set May sales records. Edge sales were 12,701, up 39 percent from April and besting the previous highest monthly sales of 10,915 in March. Lincoln MKX sales were 3,490, up 20 percent from April and eclipsing the previous best monthly sales of 3,054, also in March.
"Consumer demand for the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX has exceeded our original expectations, so we're raising the bar," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas. "We now expect Ford Edge sales to reach 120,000 this year -- 20 percent higher than our original forecast."
Sales of Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover brands, including fleet sales, totaled 258,391 last month, including 169,265 light trucks and 89,126 cars. Truck sales were essentially flat from a year ago, but car sales dropped 17.7 percent. Ford said its Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid sport utility vehicles did well for the month.
In the third quarter of 2007, Ford plans to produce 640,000 vehicles, essentially equal to the 642,000 vehicles it produced in the same period a year ago. In the second quarter of 2007, the company plans to produce 810,000 vehicles, unchanged from the previous forecast.
Audi sales up 23.4%. Audi of America Inc. posted record sales in the U.S. in May, the automaker said today. Audi sold 8,788 vehicles during the month, a 23.4 percent increase over last May.
It was the company's highest-selling month so far in 2007 and the luxury brand's seventh-straight month of year-over-year gains. For the year, Audi has sold 37,922 vehicles so far, a 17 percent increase from last year.
Dealers reported strong response to the newly Audi TT models and sales increases for the A4/S4 Cabriolet and Avant models. The Audi Q7 also continued its strong sales performance, selling 1,958 units.
Toyota sales climb 14.1% in May on strength of cars. Sales of Toyota Motor Co. vehicles climbed 14.1 percent in May to 269,023 units, giving the Japanese automaker its best ever U.S. sales month, the automaker reported today. The former record was 242,675 units in March 2007.
A big jump in sales of passenger cars, including the Camry and Prius gasoline-electric hybrid, fueled Toyota's gains.
Toyota, which overtook General Motors Corp. to lead the world in sales during the year's first quarter, is expected to gain U.S. market share again, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
The Toyota Division sold 237,176 vehicles in May, while the Lexus Division reported sales of 31,847 units. Car sales rose 16.2 percent to 168,270, while light truck sales, including the Tundra, rose 10.9 percent to 100,753.
For the month, Toyota outsold Ford Motor Co., which saw sales fall 6.9 percent as it continued to cut low-profit sales to rental companies.
Toyota said its sales gains came as rising retail gas prices were met by increasing consumer confidence.
"Despite the industry's shift toward passenger cars, Toyota's all-new Tundra hit an all-time high in May," Jim Lentz, executive vice president of Toyota's U.S. division, said in a statement. "As for hybrids, the market's appetite continues unabated, with Prius also establishing an all-time record."
Also today, Subaru of America Inc. reported May sales of 16,282 total units.
