Auto sales strong in July on SUV, luxury demand - Los Angeles Times
Luxury sales were up 10 percent in the first six months of this year. in the same time period, mass-market vehicle sales rose just 3 percent, according to car shopping site TrueCar. Sales of new cars and trucks were expected to rise 3 percent to nearly 1. 5 million. General Motors and Fiat Chrysler both saw 6 percent sales gains over last July, while Honda and Nissan saw 8 percent gains. sales rose 5 percent. Toyota's sales were flat, hurt by a big dip in car sales. Sales of Nissan's new Rogue jumped 51 percent, while sales of GM's Buick Encore jumped 68 percent. Sales of midsize sedans have been struggling as Americans pass them over for small SUVs, so automakers enticed buyers with zero-percent financing deals on the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima and other sedans. Altima sales rose 27 percent and set a new July record. Luxury brands made up 11. 5 percent of vehicles purchased so far this year, up from 10. 2 percent three years ago, according to TrueCar. Audi saw its best July ever in the U. S. , with sales up 21 percent to more than 17,500 cars and SUVs. Lincoln's sales jumped 21 percent. Source: www.latimes.com
