Nissan, Honda Post U.S. Auto Sales Gains in December -- Update

By Michael Calia 

Nissan Motor Co. on Monday posted a 6.9% jump in U.S. sales in December, capping a record year for the auto maker's sales in the country, while Honda Motor Co. had a smaller increase in sales for the month.

Car makers are expected to conclude a strong year with a robust performance in December, traditionally a strong month for auto sales. Holiday deals and incentives, along with falling gasoline prices and improvement in the U.S. job market, are among the main factors driving consumers to showrooms.

The question now becomes whether the industry can sustain its 2014 growth in 2015. Auto information service Kelley Blue Book said it expects auto makers to sell 16.9 million cars in the U.S. this year--the highest sales number in 10 years--indicating more growth, albeit at a slower rate.

December also marked the highest average transaction prices on record for light vehicles, according to Kelley Blue Book, as the figure grew nearly 3% year-over-year to $34,367. The average price grew 1.6% from November.

In December, Nissan said it sold 117,318 vehicles, an increase from 109,758 a year earlier. Much of the increase in December was due to a surge in car sales, which rose more than 12%. The company's Sentra, Altima and Leaf posted strong gains in the car category.

For the whole year, the company said it set a record with nearly 1.4 million U.S. sales, an increase of 11%.

Honda said it sold more than 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. during 2014, the company's second-best total.

The company's U.S. sales last month rose 1.5% to 137,281 vehicles, as growth in truck sales offset a decline in car sales.

Overall, Kelley Blue Book projected total industry sales in the U.S. at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 16.7 million units, and Edmunds.com expected 16.8 million.

Write to Michael Calia at [e-mail]

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