Chevrolet Cruze sales surge 20 percent

Chevrolet Cruze sales surge 20 percent

LORDSTOWN

Sales of the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze surged 20 percent in March compared to a year ago and General Motors sales jumped 11.8 percent, the Detroit automaker said Tuesday.

GM sold 21,607 Cruzes in March; last March, it sold 18,018.

GM’s fleet of vehicles that get better than 30 miles per gallon were the driving force behind the sales bump. The automaker said it sold 100,000 cars and crossovers that achieve an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated 30 mpg or better, a one-month record.

“The economic recovery and a deep bench of fuel-efficient cars and crossovers have been driving our sales for more than a year, but the combined impact has never been stronger than it was in March,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. “Since the last time fuel prices spiked, both the economy and GM’s product portfolio are undeniably stronger. We’re now strong across the board in cars, crossovers and trucks.”

GM has now sold 57,083 Cruzes during the first three months of 2012, up 13.7 percent from the same period a year ago.