General Motors (GM) has seen a significant fall in its US car sales in March.

The auto manufacturer saw year on year sales fall by 14 per cent during the month, to 365,375. February had also seen a decline in sales for the firm, albeit by a much gentler 2.6 per cent.

Car sales fell by a worrying 22 per cent, with trucks being a bit more resilient, falling by 9.3 per cent.

Ford also reported a decline in its US auto sales, which fell by 4.6 per cent in March, compared to a year earlier.

Market analysts have been looking carefully at GM's progress after it recorded a $10 billion loss last year.

Other vehicle manufacturers managed to boost their sales, however, with overseas companies proving popular in the world's largest automobile market.

DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler boosted sales by 1.6 per cent, with Mercedes-Benz USA faring even better, registering an 18 per cent yearly increase.

Hyundai also increased its sales by 4.3 per cent to 41,766.

Toyota said that its US car and truck sales climbed 6.9 per cent for the month to 217,286 units, primarily driven by truck sales.

Some analysts believe that rising fuel prices and interest rates in the US have damaged demand for new vehicles. In particular, traditional US-built SUVs that use a lot of fuel are proving unpopular.


Ÿ Adfero Ltd