By Chelsey Dulaney
Auto makers reported Tuesday that U.S. sales lost steam in
February, after a string of strong months, hurt by the bitter cold
that crippled much of the country.
Ford Motor Co. said its sales fell 2% in February, while Toyota
Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and
Nissan Motor Co. all posted sales growth that missed expectations.
General Motors Co. was a stand out, posting a better-than-expected
4.2% increase as truck sales surged 36%.
The U.S. auto industry has posted a streak of monthly sales
improvements, fueled by low gasoline prices and easier credit. Much
of the continued strength in the industry comes from higher sales
of sport-utility vehicles and trucks, which benefit from declining
fuel prices. Automotive information provider Kelley Blue Book said
transaction prices of new light vehicles rose 4% to $33,299 in
February compared with a year ago.
General Motors' GMC brand, which focuses mainly on trucks and
SUVS, posted a 19.3% increase in sales, while its Chevrolet sales
picked up 3.8%. Cadillac sales fell 12.6%, and Buick sales fell
9.2%.
Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 13.3% increase in February sales
to 180,467 units, boosted by 22% higher Lexus sales and strong
truck demand. Still, Edmunds.com had projected a 16% sales
increase.
Ford sales came in just below Toyota's as it delivered 180,383
vehicles in February, while its namesake brand posted a 1.7% drop
and its Lincoln brand had a 7.5% decrease. Ford's car sales fell
8.1%, offset in part by a 4% increase in truck sales.
Honda said its sales grew 5% to 105,466 units in February, while
Edmunds.com had projected an 11.3% gain.
Fiat Chrysler, which has posted consistent double-digit monthly
sales increases, said it sales increased 6% to 163,586 in February,
while Edmunds.com had called for an 8.2% increase. Its Ram brand
reported a 12% increase in sales, as the Jeep brand posted a 21%
surge in sales.
Chrysler projected total industry sales in the U.S. to be a
seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 16.5 million units. Edmunds
had forecast 16.6 million units.
Nissan said its February sales grew 2.7% to 118,436, missing
expectations for a 7.2% increase, as truck sales grew 11.5% and car
sales fell 2.9%. In its Infiniti division, sales grew 19.8%, while
Nissan division sales inched up 1.1%.
Volkswagen AG said its February sales fell 5.2% from a year
ago.
Write to Chelsey Dulaney at Chelsey.Dulaney@wsj.com
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