North America Q1 Output Steady

With Ford joining in the review process, North American auto makers are adding a net 12,100 light vehicles to the first-quarter slate with an increase of 23,200 units in March and 3,500 in February that more than offsets an expected January shortfall of 14,600 vehicles.

As it stands now, Q1 output of 4,027,500 units moves to within 99.1% of like-2012’s 4,065,300 assemblies.

Although still trailing year-ago by 3.4%, Q1 light-truck production grows by 52,800 units to 2,231,900 from prior-year’s 2,309,500. The added volume is spread across all three months, with January picking up an estimated 11,300-unit overbuild, while February is set for a 16,300 increase and March adds 25,200.

Chrysler and Ford account for the bulk of the boost to truck output, upping their schedules by 19,500 and 15,900 units, respectively. Toyota adds 6,100 vehicles and General Motors, 2,000.

Smaller gains at Kia and Subaru more than offset a 3,100-unit cutback in pickup-truck production at Nissan and smaller negative adjustments at Honda, Mercedes and Mitsubishi.

Car production falls 40,700 units in the current output plan, including an estimated January underbuild of 25,900, the elimination of 12,800 assemblies in February and a 2,000-vehicle cut in March volume.

Ford, which last month delayed making revisions to its January-March schedule, adds 9,400 Q1 car assemblies: 2,900 are in February and 6,200 in March, in addition to a modest January overbuild of 300 units.

Chrysler is offsetting its truck increase by trimming car output by a nearly equal 19,400 units, spread throughout the quarter. The reduction focuses mainly on U.S.-built small and midsize cars in overabundant supply on dealer lots.

GM’s game plan for cars shows a net reduction of 20,000 midsize and luxury models with high inventory numbers, many well in excess of 100 days’ supply.

Operating at 99.9% of prior-year levels, the Detroit Three will account for 52.5% of Q1 output compared with 52.1% in like-2012.

The transplants’ production share is 45.2%, with output slated to reach 98.4% of year-ago levels when they accounted for 45.5%.

After adding 2,900 assemblies to their first-quarter schedules, dedicated medium- and heavy-duty truck makers are slated to build 91.9% of prior-year’s volume, accounting for 2.3% of industry production, down from 2.4%.

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