GM sales jumps 11.4% in March on strong demand

     CHICAGO, April 1 (Xinhua) -- General Motors Co. said on Friday that it sold 206,621 vehicles last month, up 11.4 percent from a year ago, as higher gasoline prices triggered demand for smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

    The U.S. automaker said total U.S. sales in March for its four brands jumped to 206,621 vehicles(车辆) from 185,406 last year.

    The GM increase in March was far below analysts'expectation of a 17 percent jump for overall U.S. sales, as well as February's stronger-than-expected 49 percent gain, as GM backed off the high incentives¹ it had been offering. GM said it cut rebates² and other incentives in March by 600 to 800 dollars from the previous month.

    But the largest U.S. car company said it expected slower sales in March as it pulled back on discounts.

    The company said its new Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan led the way in sales, reflecting a shift in demand, as U.S. gas prices jumped 25.1 cents per gallon in the past month, offering a strong boost to the sales of smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicle.

    "Our plan was to get out of the gates quickly in the first quarter and we succeeded," said Don Johnson, vice³ president, U.S. Sales Operations. "Consumers responded favorably to the value of our broad lineup of fuel-efficient cars, trucks and crossovers."GM shares were up 2.5 percent or 78 cents to 31.81 dollars on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday morning.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 rebates   

n.退还款( rebate的名词复数 )；回扣；返还（退还的部份货价）；折扣

参考例句：

• The VAT system offers advantages, such as rebates on exports. 增值税有其优点，如对出口商品实行回扣。 来自辞典例句
• In more recent years rate rebates have been introduced for households. 近年地方税的减免已适用于家庭。 来自辞典例句

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。