CHICAGO, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Both Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) reported year-on-year sales increases in the United States in August this year.
Ford sales went up 4.2 percent in August thanks in part to strong fleet sales.
The Dearborn-based automaker's car sales dropped 21.3 percent in August year on year, while its SUVs went up 20.1 percent, trucks were up 5.7 percent, and Lincoln brand sales went up 2.7 percent. F-Series, a brand product of Ford, reported 16 straight months of sales gains.
Total Ford sales were down 1.2 percent in the first eight months of the year.
Ford plans to cut sedans completely out of its product line-up in the next few years and replace those models with new crossovers. It plans to have nearly 90 percent of its sales volume in the United States to be trucks, SUVs or commercial vehicles by 2020, the Detroit News reported Tuesday.
FCA sales rose 10 percent in August year on year supported by Jeep and Ram brands sales. Ram light-duty sales rose 55 percent to 36,798 units in August.
To be specific, Jeep sales reached 87,502 units in August, with Wrangler setting a new record; Ram brand sales rose 27 percent; Chrysler and Dodge brands slipped 3 percent and 18 percent, respectively.
Toyota Motor North America August sales in the United States went down 2 percent year on year. It sold 223,055 units of Toyota and Lexus brands.
Toyota's Corolla sales dropped 5.4 percent in August and 7.8 percent in the first eight months. The Japanese automaker's car sales in the United States slipped 9 percent in the first eight months of the year, while its SUVs went up 11.7 percent in the same period. Toyota trucks sales rose 16.7 percent, with Tacoma midsize trucks growing 25 percent in the first eight months.
After consecutive years of record sales, automakers are coming to a sales standoff in the United States. Meanwhile, they are struggling with dwindling U.S. interest in sedans and compact cars and a glut of used vehicles coming back to dealers.
As consumers turn to trucks and SUVs, average transaction prices are expected to rise to 31,836 dollars, up nearly 600 dollars compared to a year ago, according to the local newspaper.
