US sales of GM, Toyota stand out as others falter in August

AFP,  WASHINGTON:  General Motors and Toyota saw rising new car sales in August, riding strong demand for SUVs and light trucks, while other automakers sagged at summer’s end, according to industry figures released Friday.

Fiat Chrysler and Nissan each saw double-digit declines compared to August of last year, while Ford and Honda were also lower.

After record 2016 sales and falling fuel prices, automakers have struggled to maintain momentum this year.

Automakers were expected to act aggressively to boost sales in the US Gulf Coast region, as it recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.

“Toyota simply beat the snot out of its competitors in August with the compact RAV4 sport utility selling a dazzling 43,000 units,” Autotrader executive analyst Michelle Krebs said in comments released by Cox Automotive.

“It appears Toyota took those sales from Honda, Ford and Nissan.”

GM reported a 7.5 per cent bump in sales over the same month of last year. Sales of Chevrolet’s crossover Traverse model soared 83 per cent and the Equinox gained 67 per cent, while the Silverado LD crew cab pickup jumped 21 per cent.

The company also boasted of rising sales for its all-electric Chevy Bolt EV hatchback, which GM said had its “strongest sales ever” in the month. Deliveries remained comparatively low, however, at 2,052 cars.

US sales of GM, Toyota stand out as others falter in August

AFP, WASHINGTON: General Motors and Toyota saw rising new car sales in August, riding strong demand for SUVs and light trucks, while other automakers sagged at summers end, according to industry figures released Friday. Fiat Chrysler and Nissan each saw double-digit declines compared to August of last year, while Ford and Honda were also lower. After record 2016 sales and falling fuel prices, automakers have struggled to maintain momentum this year. Automakers were expected to act aggressively to boost sales in the US Gulf Coast region, as it recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. Toyota simply beat the snot out of its competitors in August with the compact RAV4 sport utility selling a dazzling 43,000 units, Autotrader executive analyst Michelle Krebs said in comments released by Cox Automotive. It appears Toyota took those sales from Honda, Ford and Nissan. GM reported a 7.5 per cent bump in sales over the same month of last year. Sales of Chevrolets crossover Traverse model soared 83 per cent and the Equinox gained 67 per cent, while the Silverado LD crew cab pickup jumped 21 per cent. The company also boasted of rising sales for its all-electric Chevy Bolt EV hatchback, which GM said had its strongest sales ever in the month. Deliveries remained comparatively low, however, at 2,052 cars.