U.S. sales of Alabama-built vehicles rose 4 percent in March, as consumers continued to open their wallets for big-ticket purchases, notably trucks.
Total U.S. light vehicle sales reached about 1.5 million last month, up 3.4 percent from March 2012, according to Autodata Corp. Light trucks -- which include pickups and SUVs -- were the drivers; those sales rose 9 percent from a year ago, compared to a decline of 1.3 percent for passenger cars.
Combined sales of the eight models produced at Alabama's auto factories totaled 74,335, a 4 percent improvement from a year ago, according to automakers' sales reports issued today.
The strongest performers were the Hyundai Elantra compact, the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class SUV and the Honda Ridgeline pickup.
said it sold 26,153 Elantras last month, up 33 percent from a year ago. But sales of the Montgomery-made Sonata sedan fell 22.6 percent.
reported sales of 2,803 for the GL-Class, a 42.4 percent year-over-year improvement. But sales of the other key model built in Tuscaloosa County, the M-Class SUV, fell 14 percent. Sales also fell again for the Alabama-built R-Class, but the company is phasing out U.S. sales of the crossover.
For
Talladega County operations, sales rose 40 percent for the Ridgeline, with 1,712 sold last month. Sales were mixed for the plant's other two models: up 11 percent for the Pilot SUV and down 2.4 percent for the Odyssey minivan.
Across the industry, it was a strong month, with most major automakers reporting increases in their overall sales. Here's a look at key companies' performance:
1) General Motors, +6.4 percent
2) Ford, +6 percent
3) Chrysler, +5 percent
4) Toyota, +1 percent
5) Honda, +7 percent
6) Hyundai, -2 percent
7) Mercedes-Benz, +6.5 percent