US car sales continued to slow in June

Washington : US car sales continued to ebb in June, marking the sixth straight monthly decline, even as appetite for larger SUVs and light trucks persisted, according to industry figures released Monday.

Industry-wide, sales for the month dropped three percent from the prior month, and compared to June of last year, according to Autodata figures.

The sales pace amounted to an annual rate of 16.51 million units, seasonally adjusted, down from 16.8 million at this time last year. 

"June sales numbers reaffirm we're in what we call a post-peak phase," Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader, told reporters.

"We still think the market's on track for a pretty strong year but certainly below the past."

Sales in 2016 were a record 17.55 million.

General Motors, the country's largest automaker, and Ford reported total sales fell about five percent for the month, with GM down for the second month in a row.

The US division of Fiat Chrysler fell 7.4 percent for the month

The shifting composition of the market was again clear: midsize vehicle sales fell 18 percent, and compact cars dropped six percent, said Alec Gutierrez of Kelley Blue Book.

But full-size pickups gained four percent and SUVs and crossover vehicles rose as much as 10 percent, Gutierrez told reporters.

GM said sales of SUVs and crossovers skyrocketed by 22 percent, with the Chevrolet Equinox gaining 36 percent and the Traverse SUV up a stunning 71 percent for the month.