April is poised to end as a strong month for car sales. New-car sales are predicted to end up around 1.3 million for the month, which keeps yearly sales on pace to surpass 15 million, according to data from Kelley Blue Book.
Compact crossovers and full-size pickup trucks had the largest gains in April. Sales for these segments increased by 17.6 percent and 21.3 percent, respectively, thanks in large part to new redesigns and introductions, falling fuel costs and a rebounding housing market. More construction and small businesses need pickup trucks and SUVs as well, so workers are looking out for automobiles that require low vehicle maintenance and are strong enough to stave off auto repair.
"Relatively lower gas prices coupled with small business demand improving for trucks resulted in a strong showing for small and large pickups in April, a trend we expect to see strengthen even further for the rest of 2013," Jesse Toprak, an analyst with TrueCar.com, told Fox Business.
As gas prices continue to fall and other industries rise, the new car market will benefit. The news source reports that brands like GM are expected to introduce a new line of pickups in the near future, which should also boost sales throughout the year.