Strong truck demand drives U.S. auto industry toward April increase

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co both reported stronger-than-expected U.S. auto sales in April on Friday as robust demand for trucks, and crossover and sports utility vehicles kept the industry on track for its best year in almost a decade.

GM sales rose 6 percent, while Ford's were up 5.4 percent. Sales at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Nissan Motor Co <7201.T> increased 5.8 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively, but both results missed expectations.

The early sales results were largely in line with estimates for the market as analysts polled by Reuters expected industry sales last month to rise 6 percent.

?Consumer and commercial customer demand for pickups and utility vehicles has been building since last fall, and that?s a clear sign that the slowdown in GDP growth during the winter months was caused by factors that are mostly transitory in nature,? said Kurt McNeil, GM?s U.S. vice president of sales operations. ?The auto industry continues to be on track to have its best sales year since 2006.?

Auto sales are an early monthly snapshot into consumer demand. GM expects the industry's annual sales rate in April was 16.7 million vehicles, compared with 16.05 million last year.

Sales of higher-profit pickup trucks and SUVs have been strong this year at the expense of smaller cars amid lower gasoline prices and easy consumer credit.

GM's sales rose to 269,056 vehicles as truck and crossover sales rose 13 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Large SUV sales fell, due more to limited availability because of sustained high demand. Sales of GM's Cadillac Escalade large SUV, one of its most profitable vehicles, rose 144 percent to 3,237.

Ford's sales hit 222,498 vehicles as retail sales rose 7 percent. Ford-brand SUVs had their best April ever, with sales up 12.3 percent while retail sales of the new F-Series pickup truck increased 8 percent. The automaker is ramping up production of the redesigned truck through the second quarter, which will allow it to meet fleet demand.

Fiat Chrysler's sales rose 6 percent to 189,027 vehicles as Jeep brand sales jumped 20 percent, the Ram brand was up 4 percent, and pickup truck sales added 3 percent.

Nissan sales totaled 109,848 vehicles as demand for Nissan crossovers, trucks and SUVs set an April record, up 23.7 percent.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall and Ben Klayman; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)