With the exception of Mazda, manufacturers across the board realized steady sales growth in January. According to research firm Autodata, sales paced at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 15.29 million units, up from last January’s 13.98 million SAAR.
BMW: The German carmaker posted modest gains, with sales for BMW and MINI combined totaling 20,195 units, up 2.3 percent from the 19,739 units retailed in January 2012. BMW brand sales were up slightly (0.7 percent) over last year, with 16,513 units sold in January.
Chrysler: The domestic automaker reported sales of 117,731 units in January, a 16 percent increase from the year-ago period. The feat marked the 34th consecutive month of monthly sales gains. It also marked the best January for the automaker in five years.
Ford: Sales for the domestic automaker were up by 8 percent vs. the same month in 2012, with sales totaling 16,197 units. The bump in sales resulted in Ford posting its best January in 10 years, the company announced. Overall car sales were up 24 percent in January, with 3,634 unit sold in January 2013 vs. 2,928 sold in January 2012.
General Motors: The domestic automaker sold 16 percent more vehicles in January vs. the same month last year, with sales totaling 194,699 units. Year-over-year sales were up 32 percent at Buick, 23 percent at GMC and 11 percent at Chevrolet. Cadillac sales shot up 47 percent for the month, marking the brand’s best January in 23 years.
Honda: American Honda posted sales of 93,626 units, up 12.8 percent vs. January 2012. The Honda division reported 84,137 units retailed, up 12.7 percent from one year ago, while Acura posted sales of 9,489 units, up 13.2 percent over the same month last year. The Honda Accord was the marque’s top seller, with sales increasing 75 percent from last year.
Hyundai: Hyundai posted record sales gains in January, selling 43,713 total units, up 2.4 percent versus the same month in 2012. Sales of the Elantra, Santa Fe, Azera, Tucson, Veloster and Genesis were all up from January 2012.
Mazda: The manufacturer’s January sales fell 11.2 percent from a year ago, with sales totaling 21,319 units. Car sales came in at 13,959 this past month vs. the 18,649 posted for the same month last year, dropping car sales totals by 25.1 percent. Truck sales were up 37.6 percent, with 7,360 trucks sold in January vs. the 5,347 units sold last year.
Mercedes-Benz: The automaker’s USA brand realized its highest January sales on record, posting total sales of 24,059 units for the month. The total represented a 10.7 increase over the 21,726 vehicles retailed in January 2012. The Mercedes-Benz model line realized its highest January numbers, with sales increasing 10.8 percent vs. a year ago to 22,501 units sold.
Nissan: Nissan North America posted slightly increased sales of 2 percent vs. a year ago, with 80,919 units sold. Nissan Division sales totaled 73,793 units, up 1.8 percent over one year ago, making it the division’s best January ever. Infiniti sales retailed 7,126 units, up 4.9 percent from last January.
Toyota: Toyota Motor Corp.’s January sales rose 27 percent from a year ago to 157,725 units. Car sales totaled 93,873 units, while light truck sales totaled 63,852 units, according to Autodata. "The sales pace we saw in the fourth quarter of last year rolled into January, exceeding our expectations for the industry," said Bill Fay, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager of Toyota Motor Sales.
Volkswagen: Volkswagen realized its best January sales month since 1974, with company officials reporting a sales increase of 47.9 percent vs. January 2012. Sales for the German automaker totaled 27,209 units. Jetta Sedan sales totaled 9,564 units for the month, making it the third best January ever for the vehicle.
