NEW YORK - The combined new vehicle sales in the United States of four major Japanese automakers rose 1.9 percent in July from a year earlier to 446,544 units, buoyed by robust demand for hybrids amid continuing tensions in the Middle East.
The deteriorating situation in the region has pushed up gasoline prices across the globe, providing a tailwind for fuel-efficient hybrids, with Japanese automakers strengthening their lineups as demand for new cars remains resilient in the United States.
While sales of Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest automaker by volume, edged down 0.8 percent to 216,361 units, electrified vehicles, including hybrids, accounted for 55.7 percent of the total, up 12.3 percentage points from the previous year.
Honda Motor Co.'s sales climbed 12.8 percent to 136,549 units, supported by strong demand for hybrids and relatively affordable models.
Subaru Corp.'s sales increased 0.8 percent to 54,454 units, while those of Mazda Motor Corp. slid 13.0 percent to 39,180 units, partly due to weak sales of its mainstay sport utility vehicle model.
