Chrysler sales up 11 percent in April

NBC News staff and wire reports - 23: 00.

Big three automakers Detroit sales higher last month amid rising demand for larger vehicles such as SUVs and pickups.

Strong demand for the RAM pickup helped drive Chrysler sales growth of 11 percent last month, as the company its best April, six years booked. General Motors co. US sales rose by 11 percent in April for the continuation of the demand for pickup trucks and small cars. And Ford Motor Co. said U.S. sales rose 18 percent in April thanks to great demand for the redesigned SUV to escape.

The increase is another sign that Americans continue to cars and trucks despite high unemployment and mixed economic signals to buy.

Among the Japanese manufacturers, said Toyota 1.1 percent sales April, slid is missing the expectations of analysts. Nissan sales rose by 23 percent.

But U.S. automakers a pioneering role in April sales.

Chrysler said that it sold 156.698 cars and trucks last month under the leadership of RAM pickup with a turnover of 31.409. The Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV busy also strong numbers, sales by 27 percent to just over 15.000. Dodge brand sales rose 18 percent, posting the best month ever with a turnover of nearly 8,100 DART-subcompact. But the brand of Chrysler vehicles fought in April with sales falling 13 percent.

TRUCK and SUV sales helped the Chrysler its big boost the post. The company truck sales rose 14 percent, while car sales increased only 5 percent.

Chrysler predicted that US sales volume are taken an annual rate of 15.4 million in April. This is a little higher than most analysts predict. It is the sixth straight month of work sales over a 15 million annual pace.

The Ford Escape sales 52 percent to almost 26,000. It was the best April for the flight, since the vehicle went on sale first 13 years ago.

Ford's luxury Lincoln brand showed also signs for a turnaround after years of declining sales. Sale of new Lincoln MKZ sedan, which reached many U.S. showrooms in April, doubles more than compared to the previous year. Lincoln sales rose 21 percent for the month.

The Ford F-series pickup truck, the best-selling vehicle in the United States rose 24 percent over last April with growing demand from private builders and other companies. Ford sold more than 59,000 F-series-pickups in the United States last month.

GM Chevrolet Silverado full size pickup sales rose 28 percent more than 39.000 truck sales were strong throughout the year on increasing demand from home builders and other businesses.

GM saw even double-digit growth for its small cars, including the Buick Verano, the Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Sonic.

All GM saw higher sales than in the last April four brands. Cadillac sales rose 34 percent to hit the market, while Buick and Chevrolet were both 11 per cent as the new ATS and XTS.

Blocking an unexpected event which causes, a real estate price that reduce or soaring job losses, there is little to stop sales grow in the next years other industry analysts say.

"I don't see major obstacles on the horizon," said Alec Gutierrez, a senior market analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "I see no step back, we provided the unemployment rate holds at least stable."

Unemployment in the United States is unchanged high 7.6 percent, however, which has slowed down clearly still not auto sales.

Apart from unemployment, almost every factor that affects car and truck sales is positive. The interest rates are low--the average four-year loan on a new car is 2.4 percent, according to Bankrate.com. Credit is available everywhere, even for those with low levels. Used car values are high, so that car buyers can get good money if they trade in their old cars. Leasing offers are good. Gas prices have fallen since February.

In addition is home building on the rise by 7 per cent from February to March. This means usually better sales of large pickup trucks as companies and workers back to the market. Kelley Blue Book expects large pickup sales to more than 26 percent in April to rise compared to a year ago.

Many businesses and consumers need to replace older trucks and cars. The average age of a US vehicle is 11.2 years. In addition, automakers have rolled out dozens of exciting new models last year drawing buyers into showrooms.

"Relatively low gas prices coupled with small business demand improvement for truck a strong result for small and large pickups in April led", said Jesse Toprak, senior analyst for pricing website TrueCar.com car.

A category that is growing is small crossover SUV. Sales rise, expected 22.5 percent to Kelley Blue Book. Fuel-efficient models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-5 driving sales rise, Gutierrez said.

Kelley Blue book estimates, the car prices slightly in the opposite fell April to an average of $31.326 a year ago.


Though the year is to strong for auto sales, Gutierrez said not to expect the double-digit growth rates of the past two years. He expects U.S. auto sales to the end of the year around 15.3 million cars and trucks, up 5.5 percent from last year's 14.5 million.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Toyota: N. American plant closures likely in April

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - Toyota Motor Corp said Monday, that it is inevitable, that the company is forced to temporarily all shut down its North American factories because of parts shortages due to the earthquake, the Japan made.

The temporary shutdown are expected to take place later in the month relate to 25,000 workers, but no layoffs are expected, said Mike Goss spokesman. Only the planned shutdown last or whether all 13 of the Toyota will be affected the same factories, is unknown and depends on if parts production in Japan can start, he said how long.

So far that presented used parts in your inventory or relying on those who have the North American plants have been delivered to the earthquake, Goss. But these were low run.

"We where up to a point this month get this gap in the pipeline begins to show." So we have to suspend production for a while, "he said."

A March 11 earthquake and tsunami damaged auto parts plants in the north-eastern Japan, cause bottlenecks that hit the most car production of the nation. Japan's car daily output of more than 500,000 vehicles since the disaster, has fallen, Scotiabank senior says economist Carlos Gomes. Some manufacturers market plants back on line, but only at low speeds due to missing parts.

Manufacturers outside the country are the lack of parts from Japan. Just last week, several North American plants for part of this month, Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. said closed out, and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said that his company can expect to see errors.

Toyota only gets about 15 percent of its parts from Japan for cars and trucks built in North America, "but still have them all, to build the vehicles", said Goss.

Poured Kentucky said Monday before a show in Louisville, from Toyota's head of North American operations. Toyota has about 500 company provides parts in North America might, but many of them get components from Japan, which is not available, he said. During the planned shutdown, workers focuses on training and review the operations for ways to improve. You can take off even holiday or time without pay.

The planned shutdown all Toyota and Lexus models produced in the United States will have, he said. Several large car dealership chain predictions lack models of Japanese automakers in the spring and summer.

Goss would not estimate how long the Assembly lines would be shut down. "It depends on how quickly we can help these suppliers up and running again to get into Japan," he said. "Things change every day and we try hard to minimize any interruption of our production in North America."

Toyota runs behind the several parts, mainly electronics and paint pigments, said Yoshimi Inaba, Chief Operating Officer for North American operations. The company is looking for alternative parts supplier. He also said it is too early to predict the impact on the Toyota sales and their efforts to from a string of safety recalls last year, which have hurt sales.

"We have some inventory." So if the interruption of the production is short enough, then it would have any major impact, "he told reporters to at an event of literacy in Louisville." "It is too early to predict how big is the influence."

Toyota warned last month that production cuts in some North American factories were possible, but said it knew when or how long.

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