Auto sales jumped sharply in the United States last month as consumers came back to showrooms to check out the newest models. The world's top two automakers gained the most traction in February, bolstered in part by consumers migrating to more fuel-efficient vehicles. Toyota and General Motors posted the biggest year-over-year gains but other automakers are also reporting robust sales.
2月份新推出的各种车款把大批美国人吸引到车行，导致美国当月汽车销量激增。全球最大的两家车商丰田和通用的销售业绩最为突出。当然，消费者对省油车的兴趣日增对于销量也起到一定作用。除了丰田和通用的年度销量增长创下历史新高外，其他车商也有不俗表现。
Auto dealerships enjoyed their best month since August 2009, when the government's cash for clunkers program gave the industry a much needed boost. Auto analyst George Magliano says U.S. sales surged 27 percent in February, easily beating already high expectations.
自从2009年2月美国政府推出“现金换旧车”计划之后，美国的汽车销售就再没有这么红火过。不过，汽车行业分析师乔治·马格里亚诺说，今年2月，美国车市又火了一把，销量同比上升了27%，大大超过业界的预期。
"We are getting this with less incentives, better pricing, higher transaction prices," he said. "The mix of vehicles is better. The people are buying the top end of the line as opposed to the entry model."
他说：“这次的特点是优惠手段少了一些，价格更具优势，成交价格更高。市场上的车型更加优化。人们热衷于购买高端车款，而不只是专注于底端产品。”
General Motors, which emerged from bankruptcy last year, led the pack with a 46 percent increase in business. And number one Toyota, which was hurt by massive recalls last year, was up 42 percent.
刚刚在去年走出破产保护的通用2月份销售业绩最为抢眼，上涨了46%。全球最大车商丰田去年一度陷于召回困境，2月份的销量也大幅上涨了42%。
Ford Motor Company, the only U.S. automaker to refuse a bailout, gained 14 percent - while Chrysler posted a 13 percent increase ahead of its public offering expected later this year.
福特是美国唯一一家拒绝接受政府就助的汽车公司。其销量上升14%，克莱斯勒预计今年晚些时候实施公开募股，其销量上升13%。
Ford sales analyst George Pipas attributed the higher numbers to improved consumer confidence and pent-up demand.
福特公司的销售分析师乔治·皮帕斯说，销售业绩主要来源于消费者信心的改善和需求在长期抑制后得以释放。
"Consumers have been sitting on the sidelines for two years and deferring purchases of automobiles," he said. "And so one of the built up things in our industry is that now the age of cars and trucks on the road is over 10 years and that's a historic high. So at some point in time and in fact already we are starting to see those vehicles being traded for new cars and trucks."
他说：“过去两年里，消费者一直处于观望的状态，推迟了他们的购车计划。所以，我们这个行业的一个积累因素就是现有车辆当中车龄超过10年的比例处在历史的最高水平。所以积累到一定程度后，事实上我们已经看到一些旧车开始被车主们折旧换新。”
But the gains may be temporary. Investors fear rising oil prices due to the unrest in Libya could foil the economic recovery, leaving consumers with less money to buy cars. Magliano disagrees, saying higher gas prices might actually be a selling point.
不过，2月份火爆的汽车销售也可能只是昙花一现。投资人担心，利比亚动荡局势导致的油价上扬可能会阻碍经济复苏，打压消费者的购车能力。但是，马格里亚诺不认同这种判断。他说，高油价反而会成为一些车型的卖点。
"With gasoline prices higher, certain people might want to go out there and get a much more fuel-efficient vehicle and I don't mean even a hybrid or an electric vehicle which they could do, but the gasoline engine vehicles get 25, 30 percent better mileage today than they did three or four years ago," he said.
他说：“汽油涨价，一些人可能会动起买省油车的念头。我不是专门指油电混合动力车或者电动车。当然他们也可以买这些车，我特别指的是那些燃油效率比三、四年前提高了25%或者30%的传统汽油引擎车辆。”
Auto executives say cheaper leases and easier credit helped boost the industry's bottom line. Based on last month's rate, total U.S. sales could top 13 million vehicles this year.
车商认为，汽车租赁成本的下降，以及信贷条件的改善也有助于改善汽车行业的盈利状况。根据2月的销售数据，今年美国市场的汽车销量有望突破1千3百万辆。 |