WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — January new-vehicle sales rose 13.7% from a year ago to 1.51 million units, according to Autodata Corp. January’s seasonally adjusted annual rate was 16.66 million, a slight dip from 16.92 million SAAR. However, December 2014 was a record-setting December and the second best month of 2014. The following is a breakdown of sales performance by manufacturer.

BMW: January new-vehicle sales increased 6.8% from a year ago to 22,276 units. Mini sales surged 26.9% from a year ago to 3,338 vehicles sold, which BMW attributed to better availability of new models.

The 3 and 4 series experience a 13.2% increase from a year ago, with sales totaling 7,348 units. The 7 series also realized an increase, with sales rising 10.8% from a year ago to 637 units. The X5 realized the largest individual increase (16.7% vs. a year ago) in sales with 3,214 units sold, while BMW’s light-truck sales dipped slightly overall, falling 7.7% from a year ago.

Chrysler: Fiat Chrysler Group posted a 14% sales increase from a year ago, which the company claimed was the best January sales month since 2007. FCA reported sales of 145,007 units in January, which is the automaker’s 58th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains.

Jeep brand posted the biggest gain, with sales increasing 23% from a year ago — the brand’s best January sales performance ever. The Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass all recorded their best-ever sales performance in the month of January.

Ram Truck brand sales were up 14% from a year ago, with Ram light-duty pickups posting the biggest gain for a model. Sales of the Ram ProMaster, ProMaster City and Cargo Van were all up as well, with each achieving record January increases. Sales of the Chrysler-brand vehicles increased 11%, marking the brand’s best January performance since 2008. Company officials attributed the increase to its new Chrysler 200 sedan, which realized a 30% sales increase from a year ago.

Ford: Ford realized its best January retail sales results since 2004, with sales increasing 15% from a year ago to 178,351 units sold. Passenger car sales were up 6%, while sales of SUVs increased 10%.

Sales of F-Series trucks posted a 23% increase from a year ago, while Van sales recorded their best January performance since 2001 behind sales of the OEM’s Transit Connect.

The F-150 was the best selling product on dealer lots in January, with sales of F-Series trucks totaling 54,370 units. Ford said the F-150 is averaging 12 days on dealer lots, with the high-end Platinum and King Ranch F-150 turning over at a faster 9- to 10-day rate.

Mustang sales more than doubled in January, with the model posting a 124% sales increase from a year ago. It also recorded its best January sales performance since 2007. Transit Connect was another big winner, with sales increasing 72% from a year ago to 3,689 units sold.

Lincoln recorded an 11% sales increase from a year ago, with sales totaling 6,619 vehicles. This was the best January performance for the brand in five years. Sales were driven by the Navigator, which realized a 144% increase from a year ago, and the MKC.

General Motors: General Motors delivered 202,786 vehicles in January, a sales increase of 18% from a year ago and the OEM’s best January performance in seven years. Retail sales were up 14% from a year ago, while fleet sales were up 32%.

Consumer demand for trucks and SUV was a big driver of GM’s January sales performance. Officials called the release of the OEM’s new mid-size pickups, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, well-timed. Crossover and SUV sales also got a boost from sales of the Chevrolet Equinox, Traverse, GMC Terrain and Buick Encore, all of which posted record January sales.

Overall car sales for General Motors fell by 7.3% in January, with 65,395 vehicles sold.

Honda: Honda reported a new January record of 102,184 units sold, an increase of 11.5% compared with last year. The Honda brand posted an 11.6% sales increase, while Acura realized a 10.7% sales increase from a year ago.

Light trucks led way for both brands, with sales increasing 52.2% from a year ago to 52,169 units sold. Honda’s top-selling model was the CR-V with 23,211 units sold, while Pilot sales nearly doubled from a year ago to a January sales record of 5,802 units sold.

Acura posted its best January performance behind sales of the MDX and RDX SUV’s. The MDX was the brand’s best-selling vehicle of the month, posting a January sales record of 4,381 units sold. Sales of the RDX grew 28.8% from a year ago to 3,517 units sold.

Hyundai: Hyundai posted its best January sales performance ever, with sales rising 1% from a year ago to 44,505 units sold. Hyundai officials said it was 7th consecutive January with a sales increase.

Leasing the way was the Genesis, with sales increasing 76% from a year ago to a record 2,573 units sold. Sales of the Sonata were up 26%, with sales totaling 12,363 units, while sales of the Santa Fe increased 15% from a year ago to 7,749 units sold.

Mazda: Mazda sales were up 7.7% from a year ago, with sales totaling 20,271 units. The Mazda3 was the company’s best seller in January, with sales increasing 26.7% from a year ago to 7,896 vehicles sold.

The CX-5 posted its best January sales month ever, with sales increasing 19% from a year ago to 5,949 units sold. The Mazda6 posted its best January sales performance in three years, with sales increasing 18.7% from a year ago to 3,766 vehicles sold.

Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz reported the highest January retail volumes in its history behind sales of 24,413 units, a slight increase from last January’s 24,413 sales total.

Gains were made across all brands, with the Mercedes-Benz brand posting its best-ever January sales performance. Sprinter Van sales increased 19.6% from a year ago, while smart sales increased 8.3%.

Mitsubishi: Mitsubishi posted a 33.4% sales increase in January, with sales totaling 6,493 vehicles sold. The brand’s performance marked the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.

The Outlander Sport was the brands top-selling model with 2,267 units sold, a 23.3% sales increase from a year ago and the model’s best-ever January performance. The Mirage posted its best sales month since the model was introduced in 2013, with sales totaling 1,705 units sold. The Lancer realized its fourth consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, with sales increasing 68.3% from a year ago to 1,515 units sold.

Nissan: The Nissan Group posted a 15.1% sales increase from a year ago with 104,107 units sold. The Nissan Division set a January record with a 15.9% sales increase, while Infinite sales grew 7.3% from a year ago.

The Altima also set a January sales record with 26,408 units sold, up 17.3% from a year ago. The Rogue, Versa, Sentra, and Murano all posted year-over-year sales increases, while Infinity’s crossovers and sport utility models were up 7.7% for the month.

Toyota: Toyota reported January 2015 sales of 169,194 vehicles, a 15.6% increase from a year ago. Sales were up 11.2% on a daily selling rate basis thanks to an extra selling day in January, the automaker noted.

Lexus posted its best sales month ever, with sales increasing 31.2% from a year ago to 23,131 units sold. A Lexus official said the company received a boost in sales from new models like the NX SUV and RC Coupe.

Truck and SUV sales had a strong month, with sales of the 4Runner increasing 75.5% from a year ago. Additionally, the Tacoma, RAV4 and Highlander all posted significant sales increases, while sales of the Lexus RX increased more than 17% from a year ago.

Volkswagen: Volkswagen USA reported January sales of 23,504 units, a 0.4% increase over last January. The Golf and GTI both had successful months, with sales increasing 143% and 129%, respectfully, from a year ago.

Audi reported sales of 11,541 units in January, a 14.3% sales increase from a year ago and the OEM’s 49th consecutive month of record U.S. sales. The brand also recorded its best-ever January performance. Officials noted strong demand for Audi’s SUVs (Q3, Q5 and Q7 models), which posted a 15.8% sales increase from a year ago.

Porsche posted record January sales of 3,937 units sold, a 27.2% increase from a year ago. The 911 range was especially strong in the month, with 1,052 deliveries.

Originally posted on F&I and Showroom

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