六月美国汽车销量猛增势

    作为消费者信心的关键衡量指标，美国汽车销量6月份增长了22%——丰田汽车公司（Toyota Motor）业绩强劲反弹，领跑群雄。与去年6月相比，丰田利润增长了60%。而当时，丰田正经历震后灾情，又因海啸而迁址，境况颇为糟糕。

    汽车行业6月份的这张销售成绩单比分析人士先前预期的要好。而仅仅两周前，这些分析师还预测，汽车销量将连续第二个月表现不佳。截至今年4月，鉴于销售步伐明显放缓，一些华尔街分析师调低了对2012年的销量预测。而汽车网站TrueCar.com的市场情报副总裁杰西•托普拉克则表示：“尽管过去两个月来销量相对放缓，但是，凭借与去年同期相比更强劲的销量、处于历史高位的成交价格和精准的消费刺激投放，汽车业的盈利状况将会继续改善。”

    据汽车网站Edmunds.com的分析师杰西卡•考德威尔推测，由于汽车厂商纷纷在6月底加大促销力度，每销售季调整一次的全年汽车销量预测被上调到略高于1,400万辆。她还说，当5月份发布的全年预计销量不足1,400万辆时，厂商都使出浑身解数，希望保住销售增长的势头——尤其是因为6月底也标志着第二财季收尾。而一年以前，6月份发布的2011年预计销量是1,180万辆。

    据TrueCar网站称，通过比较新车的成交价可以看出，与去年相比，今年购车者要为每辆车多花约900美元。6月的平均成交价是30,508美元，高于一年前的29,659美元。其中大众公司（Volkswagen）新车的平均成交价最高，达到33,368美元，起亚/现代（Kia/Hyundai）最低，为22,121美元。

    丰田公司有两款车最为畅销，分别是中级车凯美瑞（Camry）和紧凑车卡罗拉（Corolla）。在丰田大为改观的成绩单上，它们占据了极大的份额。凯美瑞的销量增长超过了50%，而卡罗拉则超过了40%。

    无独有偶，本田公司（Honda）的销量也增长了近50%，这表明两大日本汽车巨头正重回正轨，夺回失去的美国汽车市场份额。而通用汽车（General Motors）和福特公司（Ford Motor）却要奋力保住既有的份额。今年通用的市场份额是18.1%，而去年中旬是19.9%；福特今年的市场份额是15.7%，与去年的15.9%相比略有下滑。

    位于密歇根州奥本山（Auburn Hills）的克莱斯勒公司（Chrysler）62%的股份为意大利汽车厂商菲亚特（Fiat）持有。一年前，它在美国市场的份额是10%，今年则升至11.2%。总体来看，乘用车的销售增长要高于皮卡、运动型汽车和小型货车的销售增长。这是因为，更新、更小也更轻的车型，如雪佛兰科鲁兹（Chevrolet Cruze）、福特福克斯（Ford Focus）、现代伊兰特（Hyundai Elantra）和道奇达特（Dodge Dart）等，油耗更低、里程数更长，因此它们在经销商处亮相的第一个月，消费者就纷纷下单购买。

    美国汽车销售的持续稳步增长与其他关键指标产生了矛盾，比如由美国经济咨商会（Conference Board）发布的消费者信心指数（Consumer Confidence Index）。6月份这一指数已经连续4个月下滑。汽车老化时，消费者往往只能推迟购买新车，直到维持旧车正常运行的费用超过了购置新车的费用时，才会购置新车。

    U.S. auto sales, a fundamental measure of consumer confidence, rose 22% in June -- led by a rebounding Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota posted a 60% gain over last June when it was beset with post-earthquake and tsunami dislocation.

    June results came in stronger than expected by analysts, who just two weeks ago were predicting a second straight month of less-than-stellar sales. Some Wall Street analysts cut back their 2012 forecasts based on the apparent slowdown from the year's pace through April. "Despite the relative slowdown in the last two months, the auto industry continues to experience improved profitability with strong year-over-year sales, historically high transaction prices and precise incentives spending," said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Market Intelligence for TrueCar.com.

    Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for automotive website Edmunds.com, speculated that an end-of month sales push by manufacturers increased raised the seasonally adjust annual rate to just over 14 million units. After a sub 14-million rate in May, automakers were eager to maintain the industry's sales momentum -- especially because the end of June also marked the end of the second fiscal quarter, she said. A year ago June's sales rate was 11.8 million.

    A comparison of transaction prices for new vehicles shows that consumers are spending about $900 more per vehicle this year than they were a year ago, according to TrueCar. The average transaction price in June was $30,508, up from $29,659 a year earlier. Volkswagen had the highest average transaction price on new vehicles sold last month at $33,368 and Kia/Hyundai the lowest at $22,121.

    Toyota's (TM) two best-selling sedans, the midsize Camry and the compact Corolla, accounted for a disproportionate segment of the automaker's improvement. Camry sales were up more than 50% and Corolla more than 40%.

    Honda (HMC) sales rose nearly 50% as well signifying that two of the big Japanese makers are on track to regain lost market share in the U.S., while General Motors Co. (GM) and Ford Motor Co. (F) fight to hang on to share. GM's share this year is 18.1%, compared with 19.9% at the midpoint of last year; Ford's share is 15.7%, down from 15.9%.

    Chrysler, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and 62% owned by Italian automaker Fiat SpA, raised its share of the U.S. market at mid year to 11.2% from 10% a year ago.

    The increase in passenger car sales outpaced the increased sales of pickup trucks, sport utilities and minivans, as consumers took advantage of better-mileage in newer, smaller, lighter models like the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Dodge Dart, in its first month at dealerships.

    The steadily strengthening U.S. auto sales contradict other key indicators, such as the The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, which declined in June for the fourth month in a row. As vehicles get older, consumers can only delay purchases for so long until the expense of keeping clunkers in running order outstrips the cost of replacement.