• by Karl Greenberg , May 1, 2015

T.S. Eliot, be damned; April was the kindest month for people selling SUVs and crossovers. Huge demand and warmer weather brought people out of their igloos in droves to buy pickups, SUVs, wagons, and tall vehicles in various configurations. 

Ford Motor is probably happier than anyone. The automaker, which has been spinning gears between old and new F-Series trucks, had some positive numbers in April. The company saw a 5% increase in total U.S. sales in April with 222,498 vehicles sold. The retail portion of that increased 7% versus the month last year. Mark LaNeve, Ford's VP marketing, said F-Series, Mustang, the Transit van lineup and Edge crossover drove volume. “Our SUVs are in particularly high demand, and the new F-150 is off to an outstanding start.”

Ford said that for SUVs accounting for 62,730 units delivered, it was the automaker's best April ever. Ford posted record sales of the new Edge, with sales up 78%, and vehicles on lots for only 10 days. Industry average is about 60 days. Sales of the Escape compact SUV increased 5%. Edge is now turning on dealer lots in just 10 days.

The F-Series saw an 8% increase in volume, even as the automaker is changing manufacturing over to the new truck, and therefore dealing with tight supply. The automaker says that once the Kansas City plant is up to full operation, Ford will be able to fill fleet orders. The new Mustang saw an 81% lift, the nameplate's best April since 2006. Ford's luxury division, Lincoln, posted its best April since 2008, with a 25% increase in sales.  

Said Akshay Anand, Kelley Blue Book senior insights analyst: "The Edge hits the sweet spot for plenty of midsize utility vehicles shoppers, as it looks stylish yet unique and brings a more upscale feel than some of its competitors." Also in question is Ford's Apple Watch moment: the F-150 is taking an awful long time to get near filling demand. "Though it’s good F-Series sales are up in the retail environment, one wonders if additional production lines taking this long to come online may start hurting the brand," says Anand, who says Lincoln has the same need with the new MKX and Continental, as its cars dipped in sales. 

General Motors' trucks and crossovers were double-digit gainers. The automaker posted sales of 269,056 vehicles, constituting 6% year-over-year, with retail deliveries up 5%. GM’s trucks and crossovers were up 13% and 25%, respectively, giving the automaker 31% of the market for midsize pickups.

“Consumer and commercial customer demand for pickups and utility vehicles has been building since last fall, and that’s a clear sign that the slowdown in GDP growth during the winter months was caused by factors that are mostly transitory in nature,” Kurt McNeil, General Motors’ U.S. VP of sales operations, said. “The auto industry continues to be on track to have its best sales year since 2006.”

Chevrolet's biggest sales gains were for the Equinox, with a huge 42% lift to 28,856 units. Overall, Chevrolet was up 3.4% As in prior months, the sales were driven by crossovers and trucks. The only car in Chevrolet's line that saw gains was Sonic. Cruze, Impala, Malibu, and Spark were all down in sales. 

Up in Auburn Hills, Fiat Chrysler Automobile U.S.A. reported a 6% increase versus last year, giving the company its best April since 2007. The gains were led by Chrysler, Jeep and Ram Truck. Chrysler's 26% gain, led by the Chrysler 200 sedan, was the largest increase of any FCA U.S. brands. Reid Bigland, head of U.S. sales, said, in a statement, that the company hit nine vehicle sales records for the spring selling season.