• by Karl Greenberg , March 5, 2007

February auto sales reflected consumers' reawakened affection for all things small and car-based, and a disaffection with big truck-based vehicles. And, consumers' ongoing, torrid affair for crossovers.

Ford and Chrysler reported slower volume, although smaller vehicles sold well, and several import brands posted record sales for the month versus the period in 2006.

Probably to nobody's surprise, Toyota posted record sales for the month of 187,330 vehicles--up 12.2% versus the month last year. Also not a shocker: Lexus and Toyota's sales gains were driven by cars--with volume up 21.1%--not SUVs and trucks, which saw a 2.4% sales gain, supported by a compact SUV, RAV 4 (a car-based vehicle).

On the car side, Toyota's Camry saw a 17.5% sales gain, with the hybrid version posting 3,332 units sold. Partially because of tactical incentives, the Prius hybrid posted a sales record of 12,227--an increase of 87%.

Both Hyundai and Kia posted record sales for February, and Audi, which has seen its fortunes turn in the past two years, reported sales up 37.5%. American Honda, comprising both Honda and Acura brands, also reported that it broke sales records last month.

Torrance, Calif.-based Honda attributed 110,026 deliveries of Acura and Honda vehicles--up 3.2 versus February 2006--to strong CR-V sales, and a 20% increase in Accord sales. Honda CR-V sales were up 31%, to 13,524 units delivered last month. It was the third consecutive month for that vehicle, which was relaunched last fall. Honda also saw an 8.1% increase in sales of hybrid Civic cars.

Hyundai sold 34,500 vehicles--a record--and Kia posted sales of 23,512, a 13.5% improvement versus February 2006.

Ford is off 13% versus February 2006, although the company said 5 percent of that is consequent to a deliberate 30% draw-down in daily rental fleet sales.

Although it may be too early to call off the coroner, Mitsubishi seems to have returned from the dead--with the Cypress, Calif., company reporting sales up 22% last month to 9,726--this is a far cry from five years ago, when the brand was at its peak in the U.S., and sold 31,565 vehicles in a month.