New vehicle production in North America continues to increase and according to two major forecasters production will surpass last year’s 15.5 million units.
LMC Automotive expects production to reach 16 million units while IHS Automotive predicts 16.1 million. If those come true, North American production will have crested levels not seen since the North American auto industry turned out 16.5 million in 2002.
Strong demand for pickup trucks is helping Ford to raise production while Fiat and Chrysler are riding on the popularity of the Grand Cherokee.
Other highlights in LMC’s prediction include Nissan boosting production 20 percent with a warm reception for the new Altima and the Versa Note. Toyota is also expected to rise on increased production of the RAV4 and Avalon.
[Source: Automotive News]