Ward's forecast pegs sales of pickups, SUVs and minivans to reach a 16.56 million for the year, closely matching February's estimate of 16.63 million. Sales for March are estimated to top 1.53 million units, translating to a daily selling rate 1% below March of last year.
Ward's said the light vehicle market's show of strength means first-quarter 2002 will end with an annual sales forecast of 16.36 million, the third best start for any year on record. Ward's added that vehicle inventories will drop 1.8% by the end of March, helping to explain why production schedules for second-quarter North American production are set 2.2% ahead of last year.