Toyota Sees Biggest Increase Since August 2013

Toyota posted its biggest U.S. monthly sales increase in 19 months, WardsAuto data shows.

February 2015 sales of 180,467 units were up 13.3% vs. February 2014. It was the automaker’s biggest year-over-year jump since August 2013’s 18.4% increase.

And Toyota says it was its best February by volume since 2008.

“Overall it was a strong month for (Toyota and) the industry in spite of the (cold and snowy winter) weather,” Bill Fay, Toyota group vice president-U.S. tells media today in a conference call.

As in recent months, Toyota could credit the good performance to strong light-truck sales.

Toyota-brand light trucks rose 17.1%, with increased sales of the Highlander Hybrid (up 143.8%), Sienna minivan (up 48.5%) and 4Runner SUV (up 37.7%).

The RAV4 CUV had a smaller increase but firmly remained Toyota’s best-selling light truck for another month, with 21,941 deliveries of the gasoline-engine model and two sales of the discontinued RAV4 EV.

As rival Honda has seen with its competing CR-V CUV and Civic C-car, the RAV4 is closing the gap with the Corolla in monthly sales. The Corolla was 5,898 units ahead of the RAV4 last month. The January gap was 7,533 units.

Notable light-truck decreases included the relatively new gas-engine Highlander (down 7.9%), which Fay blames on low inventory, although he notes that as the Toyota brand approaches its first national sales campaign this spring, inventories across-the-board are good. “The manufacturing side of the company is doing a great job reacting to consumer demand on the light-truck side,” Fay says.

The Venza CUV also declined for Toyota, down 8.1% last month. Toyota yesterday announced the vehicle is being discontinued. Production of the midsize CUV, which has suffered from underwhelming sales from nearly the very start of its ’09 introduction, will end for the U.S. market in June at Toyota’s Georgetown, KY, plant.

Toyota car sales rose 9.4%, with 31% or greater increases posted by the Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Camry.

The latter remained Toyota’s best-selling model, with 30,832 standard Camrys sold last month and 2,110 hybrid models.

The Prius liftback, V and plug-in models suffered declines last month, while the C subcompact was flat, up 0.75%.

As well as Toyota light trucks performed in February, Lexus did even better, posting a 46.4% jump due to strong sales of the new NX compact CUV, which added 2,666 units to Lexus’ tally.

“Our Lexus dealers are seeing new and younger buyers in their dealerships,” Jeff Bracken, Lexus group vice president-U.S., tells media, adding about half of NX buyers are new to Lexus, with many coming from other Asian luxury brands.

Sales of the RX 350 CUV, despite its advanced age, rose 18.5%. RX 400h hybrid sales fell 20.1%, however.

Lexus car sales increased 5.5%, with an 18.7% jump in GS 350 sales, and 984 deliveries of the new RC coupe, offsetting declines with the CT 200h (down 20.5%), ES 300 (down 19.8%) and IS lineup (down 3.8%).

Scion sales again underperformed, down 14.7%, although the tC and xB were bright spots, up 1.0% and 13.2%, respectively.

Toyota sales through February were up 14.4% in the U.S. to 349,661 units, WardsAuto data shows.

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