General Motors June 2013 US Sales: Up 6 Percent, Boosted By A Jump In Sales Of Compact Sedans; Chevy Cruze Sales Leaped 73%; Best Monthly Sales Since September 2008

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM), North America’s largest automaker, announced Tuesday that it sold 264,843 cars and light trucks in June, a 6 percent rise from the same month last year as robust demand for two of its pickups trucks -- the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra -- boosted the bottom line and sales of the Cruze sedan and the company’s crossovers saw robust gains.

The company beat estimates from auto intelligence providers Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book and TrueCar.com, which all expected sales around the low 250,000s. GM also reported a rise from May, up 4.2 percent, unlike its Detroit Three competitors Chrysler and Ford, which experienced month-over-month sales decline. GM spends the most on incentives compared to its domestic and foreign competitors.

“We have good momentum heading into the second half of 2013: the economic outlook is solid and our launch vehicles are performing well in the marketplace,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of U.S. sales operations.

Like Ford, GM saw strong demand for small and compact cars in June; it reported a combined rise in sales of 59 percent for this category. Sales of the new ATS and XTS luxury sedans boosted the Cadillac segment by 38 percent.

GM sold 1.42 million vehicles in the U.S. in the first six months of the year.