Hyundai didn’t offer 0 percent car loan incentives in April like a lot of its competitors did. Hyundai offered auto loans with 2.9, 3.9 or 4.9 percent financing in April and was still able to do well. The automaker was up 30 percent compared to April 2009. Hyundai said it achieved an all-time sales record for April.
"Widespread acceptance of our new products and growing recognition of our brand’s inherent value has also allowed us to significantly reduce incentive spending at a time when some of our top competitors were taking a different approach," said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America’s vice present of national sales, in a statement.
GM’s four core brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC) were up 19.7 percent compared to last April.
"Clearly, our launch vehicles are hitting the mark with consumers who are looking for bold styling, quality, safety and fuel efficiency," said Steve Carlisle, vice president of GM U.S. Sales Operations, in a statement. "But our results aren’t limited to just our newest vehicles. Sales of our full-size pickups and our mid-sized crossovers continue to strengthen."
Even Chrysler, who was lagging behind its domestic competitors in recent months, saw an increase of 25 percent in April compared to the same month a year ago.
"April was a very positive month for Chrysler Group, with concrete results that highlight the company is on-track and gaining momentum," said Fred Diaz, president and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and lead executive for the sales organization, in a statement. "We are proud of our Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram truck dealers, who supported the new company from day one. They are as excited about our future as we are, and their enthusiasm is spreading to consumers, resulting in increasing showroom traffic and sales."
April 2010 U.S. auto sales
GM: up 19.7% (core brands only)
Ford: up 24.7%
Chrysler: up 25%
Mercedes-Benz: up 21%
smart USA: down 49.4%
Porsche: down 6%
BMW: up 10%
MINI: up 5.1%
Audi: up 32.9%
Nissan: up 33.8%
Infiniti: up 46.2%
Toyota: up 23.8%
Lexus: up 29.3%
Honda: up 11.7%
Acura: up 21.6%
Hyundai: up 30%
Volkswagen: up 42%
Kia: up 17.3%
Subaru: up 48%
Mazda: up 17.3%
Mitsubishi: up 0.3%
Suzuki: down 23%
