August’s toasty temperatures didn’t deter US car buyers. Light vehicle sales posted their best results for the summer holiday month since 2007, up 19.9% compared to August 2011 and 11.4% ahead of July 2012. Nearly 1.3m cars and light trucks changed hands producing a seasonally adjusted annualised rate (SAAR) of 14.52m units, second only to February’s 15.1m.
Volkswagen was the hottest of the hot: sales rocketed up 62.5% as the US-built Passat and Mexican-built Jetta performed wonders for the German carmaker. Close behind was a resurgent Honda with a 59.5% gain thanks to big jumps in sales of the Accord, Civic and Odyssey.
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Toyota reported sales up 45.6% with triple-digit gains from the Prius, Rav4 and the Scion line. Lexus finished the month 33.9% ahead of last August and took the top spot in the luxury segment for the first time this year.
Subaru didn’t set a new record but sales did rise 35.8% so there was still some celebrating. The new Infiniti JX helped boost Nissan sales up 7.6%
Mazda sales hit a 1.8% bump last month, partly due to short supplies of the popular CX-5.
Suzuki took a tumble in August with every line missing its mark. The same was true for Mitsubishi where sales plunged 46.8%. The tiny i electric car is proving to be a tough sell in the US market with just 403 units shifted in the first eight months of the year.
All three Detroit automakers beat analyst expectations. Chrysler posted its 29th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains. The new Dodge Dart hit its 3,000-unit projection with room to spare.
Sales of the Fusion and Focus drove Ford sales up 12.6% last month. Lincoln’s results were boosted by the MKZ sedan and MKT and MKX crossovers.
General Motors’ sales rose 10.1% with improvements across all four brands. Buick led the way, thanks to big numbers posted by the new Verano sedan. Chevy sold 2,800 Volt plug-in hybrids.
Hyundai and Kia both reported new monthly sales records; Kia noted it has now set new records every month for two years. Hyundai’s upscale Azera sedan enjoyed a sales surge in August.
Among the European carmakers, Audi set another sales record; it’s now crowding Cadillac in the premium segment. Mercedes-Benz got past BMW in both monthly and year-to-date sales, only to have Lexus snatch the crown for August. Mercedes holds the lead for the first eight months of 2012. Porsche sales rose 38.6%, driven by double-digit gains from all lines. Jaguar Land Rover came in 31.5% ahead of last August and Volvo sales rose 21.2%.
The Japanese automakers grabbed another heaped helping of market share last month and the Europeans added a small slice to their plate. The Detroit Three were the big donors, giving up 3.2 points, while the Koreans chipped in 0.7%.
Examining the trends, the industry remains on track for 14.3m to 14.5m sales this year but there are some wild cards, among them the November elections and the continued meandering of the economic recovery.
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