DETROIT – Asian companies grabbed more of the nation’s auto market in January, dampening the good news for U.S. rivals that had their first monthly sales increases since employee discount deals ended in the summer.
Sales by Asian automakers jumped 11.4 percent for the month, while the traditional Big Three – General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group – saw their sales rise 4.6 percent, according to Autodata Corp.
The results were surprisingly strong for January, which is usually a slow month for the industry. Automakers said warm winter weather in much of the country and heavy fleet sales pushed up the numbers. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was 17.6 million vehicles, indicating what sales would be for the full year if they remained at the same pace for all 12 months. Last year’s annual sales totaled 17 million vehicles.
Toyota Motor Corp. said its January sales were up 14 percent, largely due to increases in the sales of the Prius hybrid, as well as gains in the automaker’s youth-oriented Scion brand. Toyota also bucked a trend toward lower truck and sport utility vehicle sales, reporting a 13 percent increase for those vehicles.
“January’s bright job market outlook and the uptick in consumer confidence bode well for the industry, as do signs the economy has bounced back from the Gulf Coast hurricanes,” said Jim Press, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
Honda Motor Co. said its sales were up 20.7 percent in January, its eighth consecutive record-breaking month. Honda reported strong sales of the 2006 Honda Civic as well as its small SUV, the Honda Pilot. The company said its truck and SUV sales were up 15 percent, while car sales rose nearly 25 percent.
South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. also saw a 16 percent increase in January. Hyundai’s truck and SUV sales dropped 19 percent, but car sales were up 32 percent.
General Motors reported a 5.8 percent increase for the month, due to strong car sales. Truck sales were flat for the year, although GM said it saw a 23 percent rise in full-size SUV sales as its redesigned 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe hit the market.
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