Honda Motor’s US subsidiary, American Honda, reported an 8% sales increase to 119,952 units in October, including its Acura premium brand, up from 111,095 units a year earlier, marking the company’s best October result in the US since 2020. Growth was driven by strong demand for its passenger cars, while the company also posted record light truck and hybrid vehicle sales.

Sales of passenger cars rose by 4.5% to 36,393 units, while light truck sales, including SUVs and MPVs, rose by almost 9% to 83,559 units. Hybrid vehicle sales increased by 5% to 32,519 units, with Civic hybrids accounting for 36% of sales and Accord hybrids accounting for45%. Acura sales were unchanged at 23,300 units.

In the first ten months of the year, American Honda’s sales rose by 5% to 1,269,213 units from 1,209,094 units a year earlier, with passenger car sales rising by over 14% to 401,152 units, while light truck sales, including SUVs and MPVs, rose by just over 1% to 868,061 units. Sales of electrified vehicles, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrids, were slightly lower at 366,770 units in this period, reflecting weak demand for BEVs.

The CR-V SUV was by far the company’s best-selling model with deliveries rising by almost 10% to 371,659 year-to-date, including 202,219 hybrid models, followed by the Civic with 213,095 units (+4.9%) and the Accord with 161,436 units (+30%). Acura sales increased by almost 4% to 114,458 units.

At the beginning of the year, Honda announced that it planned to increase production of cheaper internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the US, amid expectations of tougher market conditions.