Page 7 - Aruba Today
P. 7
U.S. NEWS A7
Wednesday 6 January 2016
US Financial Front:
American automobile sales hit an all-time high in 2015
This photo shows a row of new 2015 Ford Fusions on the sales lot selling individual brand for the Nissan Rogue small SUV ping below 12 percent of
at Butler County Ford in Butler, Pa. Automakers reported record the sixth straight year, with jumped 44 percent. the U.S. auto market. Now,
December and full-year sales Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. sales of just over 2.5 million. FUEL EFFICIENCY BLUES: Low with more lower-priced
Volkswagen, meanwhile, gas prices also have a vic- luxury vehicles on the mar-
(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) saw sales plummet after tim: Small cars, hybrids and ket like the Mercedes CLA-
it admitted in September electrics. Sales of Nissan’s Class, luxury sales are rising.
DEE-ANN DURBIN the huge generation of un- that its diesel cars cheated Leaf electric car dropped Luxury vehicles made up
AP Auto Writer der-34 millennials — found on U.S. emissions tests. VW’s 43 percent last year to just 15 percent of sales in De-
DETROIT (AP) — Americans they could finally afford a sales fell 5 percent for the over 17,000, while Toyota cember and are expected
are buying more new cars new car. People who held year. Prius hybrid sales fell 11 per- to make up around 13 per-
than ever before. off purchases during the SUV LOVE AFFAIR: As gas cent to around 185,000. cent of total U.S. sales in
U.S. auto sales hit a record recession were also lured prices fell, Americans up- Subcompact cars were 2015, according to Kelley
high of 17.47 million in 2015, back into the market by sized. This fall, small SUVs also hurting. Chevrolet Son- Blue Book.
topping the old record of enticing new vehicles like became the largest seg- ic sales fell 31 percent for DECEMBER TO REMEMBER:
17.35 million set in 2000. the Jeep Cherokee and ment of the market, at 14 the year. It was the best December
Analysts expect sales could the revamped Ford F-150 percent, beating out small LAP OF LUXURY: Mercedes- in history for the U.S. auto in-
go even higher this year as pickup. Ford sold 780,354 and midsize cars, KBB said. Benz took the crown as the dustry, with sales of 1.6 mil-
unemployment continues F-Series trucks last year — Unlike 2000, when the mid- top-selling luxury brand in lion cars and trucks. Warm
to decline and more young more than one every min- size Ford Explorer SUV was 2015. Mercedes’ sales rose weather helped, along
buyers enter the market. ute — making it the na- the nation’s third-best sell- 4 percent to 380,461, a U.S. with the usual round of holi-
Automakers reported De- tion’s top-selling vehicle. er, small SUVs like the Hon- record for the brand. BMW day promotions. TrueCar.
cember and full-year sales Analysts say the growth da CR-V are the now the and Lexus were close be- com said incentive spend-
Tuesday. should continue this year, vehicle of choice. Honda hind. Even during the re- ing rose 4 percent over last
Low gas prices and histori- but at a slower pace. One sold more than 900 CR-Vs cession, luxury vehicle sales December to an average
cally low interest rates left reason: Millions of cars will every day in 2015; sales of held steady, never drop- of $3,063 per vehicle.q
more money in buyers’ be coming off of two- and
pockets. Nationwide, gas three-year leases and into
prices ended the year at the used car market, so
an average of $2 per gal- some buyers who would
lon, according to AAA. have purchased new cars
And while the Federal Re- will go for used ones in-
serve raised a key interest stead. New-vehicle sales
rate in December, it re- could rise as much as 3
mains near zero. By com- percent to 18 million, says
parison, that rate was 6.2 Kelley Blue Book. That’s half
percent in 2000. the pace of 2015, when
Oliver Strauss, the chief full-year sales were up 6
economist at car buying percent.
site TrueCar.com, says the Here are more details of
interest rate would have 2015 sales:
to reach 3 percent before WINNERS AND LOSERS:
it would cause car sales to General Motors led all auto-
stagnate. makers in the U.S. last year,
Employment numbers also with sales up 5 percent to
improved last year, so just over 3 million cars and
more buyers — particularly trucks. Ford was the best-
