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in: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130402/CARNEWS/130409963 UPDATED-Honda Motor Co. and Detroit's three automakers, setting the pace, posted March sales gains of 5 to 7 percent, signaling the spring selling season is off to a solid start for the U.S. auto industry. General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group, were helped by strong sales of large pickups, crossovers and new models. At Honda, volume rose 7 percent last month, with deliveries at the Honda division up 5 percent on a surge in Accord demand and Acura sales advancing 26 percent. Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. said March sales edged up 1 percent. "A strong first-quarter close and increased consumer confidence continue to position the auto industry as a leader in the economic recovery," Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations at Toyota Motor Sales, said in a statement. Overall, volume was flat at the Toyota division, while Lexus sales rose 15 percent. Toyota's results reflected the second consecutive, double-digit decline in Camry sales. At the VW Group, sales rose 8 percent, led by a 42 percent increase at Porsche and a 14 percent gain at Audi. VW brand sales edged up 3 percent. But at Hyundai Motor America, March sales slid 2 percent to 68,306, according to a Twitter post by CEO John Krafcik. At GM and Ford Motor, volume climbed 6 percent. Cadillac set the pace at GM, with sales up 50 percent, followed by a 37 percent rise at Buick. GMC rose 12 percent while volume edged up 0.5 percent at Chevrolet, GM's biggest division. Car sales, down 3 percent, were the only drag on GM's results last month. While the company benefited from deliveries of the new Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Spark and Buick Enclave, sales of the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Regal slumped. At Ford, sales at the Ford division rose 7 percent, but Lincoln deliveries were down 23 percent. Sales of the Fusion mid-sized sedan and Escape crossover set all-time monthly records, and F-series pickup deliveries climbed 16 percent, Ford said. Overall, Ford Motor's car sales slipped 0.2 percent, while utility deliveries advanced 14 percent and truck volume rose 6 percent, the company said. Chrysler results Chrysler Group, helped by strong car and Ram pickup volume, said its March deliveries rose 5 percent, extending the company's stretch of U.S. sales gains to a record 36 months. The sales milestone tops a previous U.S. sales streak of 35 consecutive months from February 1992 through December 1994, Chrysler said. Car sales rose 21 percent while light-truck volume slid 2 percent last month at the company. Deliveries rose 3 percent at the Fiat brand and 15 percent at Dodge. Sales of the Ram pickup jumped 25 percent to 33,831, an all-time monthly record, helping overall Ram brand sales rise 24 percent. But volume slipped 2 percent at the Chrysler brand and 13 percent at Jeep. It was the sixth straight monthly sales decline at Jeep. The discontinuation of the Jeep Liberty SUV in August 2012 and the launch of a refreshed Grand Cherokee have dampened Jeep inventories and sales. Forte supplies dent Kia At Kia, deliveries fell 15 percent in March to 49,125 vehicles, with sales of Forte compact accounting for much of the shortfall. Forte volume tumbled 29 percent to 5,931 vehicles last month as the brand sold down remaining inventory of the current model ahead of the redesigned 2014 Forte's arrival this month. Overall, Kia sold 126,932 vehicles in the first quarter, down 8 percent from the same period last year. The initial March tallies come as some analysts and automakers raise their industry sales forecast for the year, citing diminishing risks from Europe's economic woes, higher taxes and federal budget talks in Washington. U.S. light-vehicle sales are forecast to climb 4.2 percent in March to 1.46 million from a year earlier, based on the average estimate of 10 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales have climbed 8 percent this year through February, with light-truck demand up 11 percent and car volume rising 6 percent. 15.4 million SAAR? The seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate, a broad sign of the U.S. market's overall health, is forecast to rise to 15.4 million, based on the average of 15 analysts' estimates tracked by Bloomberg. If that pace holds for March, it will be the fifth consecutive month the SAAR has topped 15 million -- the longest such stretch in five years. Chrysler said today it estimated the March SAAR, including medium and heavy trucks, will hit 15.6 million units. GM today forecast a March light-vehicle SAAR of about 15.2 million. In March 2012, the light-vehicle SAAR came in at 14.1 million. Automakers are counting on pent-up demand, new models, and a favorable financing and credit environment to keep the industry's recovery on track this year. At the same time, pickup and SUV demand is getting a lift from the steady rebound in housing and construction markets. At Colonial Automotive Group in Acton, Mass., which operates 15 Chevrolet, Mazda, Subaru, Dodge, Chrysler Jeep, and VW stores in the Boston area, COO Patrick Browne expects March sales to rise about 8 percent. "Particularly here, the Subaru brand continues to be very strong," Browne said. "Chrysler Jeep has jumped back and is going strong … Mazda and Chevy are also very strong. "We're looking for a record year …[even with] significant margin pressure on both new and used cars," he added. Rising wealth The rise in U.S. stock indices and home prices this year -- coupled with mortgage refinancing -- is also lifting household wealth and serving as a boost to new car and light-truck demand. At Jaguar Land Rover North America, March sales increased 4 percent, with sales for the year rising 14 percent. The new BRZ sports car and Crosstrek crossover, along with the redesigned Forester, helped March sales at Subaru rise 13 percent to 36,701 units - a monthly record for the company. Edmunds.com, an online shopping site, today raised its full-year sales forecast to 15.5 million, citing healthier household finances, pent-up demand and an increase in leases scheduled to end in the second half of the year compared to the last six months of 2012. "Car shoppers seem unfazed by fiscal issues in the news," Edmunds.com Chief Economist Lacey Plache said Monday. "Even though consumer confidence has been up and down so far this year, there are 'wealth effects' that are making Americans feel comfortable finally buying the new cars they've been waiting for." Ryan Beene and Brianna Valleskey contributed to this report.