The results translate to a 15.3 million SAAR, nearly even with the prior month’s 15.2 million but well above year-ago’s 14.4 million. If not for poor weather, the figure may have reached 15.4 million-15.5...
Driving the higher production forecast is an increase in WardsAuto’s overall LV sales outlook, pushed up by some 300,000 units to 15.3 million, as well as some fine-tuning in demand at the vehicle-line level.
Last year’s rate was the highest since WardsAuto began tracking the data in 2005, well above 2011’s 83.4%, and the most recent trough year of 2009, when manufacturers built to just 51.9% of their capacity.
Growth in Western Europe will resume in 2014 with a 1.5% increase. However, the region is not expected to come close to its pre-recession output of 16.0 million units in 2007 through at least 2019.
Last month’s 15.2 million SAAR built on the momentum of fourth-quarter 2012’s 15.0 million-unit total. It was the best January since 15.5 million in 2008 and well above year-ago’s 13.9 million.
Light-truck output in 2013 will see a gain of 151,000 units. Nearly three-fourths of the increase will be in large pickups, with most of the remainder coming from the freshened Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The final 2012 tally reached 14.4 million light vehicles, 13.4% above 2011 and the best year since 16.1 million in 2007. It marked the third straight year-over-year increase since the industry bottomed out at 10...
The month’s volume of 1.139 million units equaled a daily selling rate of 45,565, 14.9% above year-ago’s 39,650. It marked the 27th-straight month-over-month increase.
Sales in 2012 are expected to end on a strong note amid indicators such as improving construction and home sales, relatively low fuel prices and demand that has been building since the recession year of 2009.