Top US, Korean Automakers See Sales Rise; Top Japanese Carmakers Struggle

VOA News
August 3, 2010 at 6:31 pm

The top U.S. and Korean automakers say their sales are increasing in the United States.

General Motors said Tuesday U.S. sales rose 5.4 percent in July compared to a year ago.

GM said sales of its core four brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac – were especially strong, increasing 25 percent. Sales of GM’s other brands, which are being sold or closed, fell drastically.

Ford said Tuesday its total July sales rose 3.1 percent over last year, led by strong demand for its pick-up trucks.

Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia also reported stronger July sales. Hyundai said sales jumped 19 percent over July of last year while Kia reported a 21 percent increase.

Meanwhile, the top Japanese carmakers saw their U.S. sales slip in July.

Toyota said year-over-year sales slid 3.2 percent. Honda said its July sales were down two percent.

Two other Japanese automakers saw sales increase.

Nissan said July sales jumped by 15 percent, while Subaru said July sales improved by 10 percent.

Also Tuesday, U.S.-based Chrysler said July sales were up five percent. Chrysler is owned by European carmaker Fiat.

Earlier, GM and Ford said sales of their Chinese brands were strong but slowing.

GM said Chinese sales grew 22 percent in July compared to the same time last year, slower than the 45 percent growth rate for the first seven months of the year.

Ford said its total China auto sales grew 8 percent in July, compared to 38 percent for the first seven months of 2010.

Ford said the company was seeing a more traditional sales pattern compared to what it described as “blistering hot” sales in 2009.

China last year became the world’s biggest auto market, with 13.6 million vehicles sold compared to 10.4 million in the United States. China’s Automotive Technology and Research Center said Monday that it expects auto sales to slow in August.

General Motors says it has sold more cars in China than it has in the United States this year.

That is a first for GM, which remains the biggest U.S. auto maker despite a painful bankruptcy reorganization last year. It reported selling 1.21 million vehicles in China during the first six months of this year, compared to 1.07 million sold in the United States. Some information in this story was provided by AP, Bloomberg and Reuters.