Gas prices are paving the way for a resurgence in U.S. sales of sport-utility vehicles, a turnabout from six years ago, when rising fuel costs stalled SUV demand. Sales of more than doubled last month while deliveries of smaller Nissan Rogues jumped 52 percent from a year earlier, as cheap fuel and brought American shoppers back to the high-riding rigs they love. SUV and crossover utility vehicle sales rose 17 percent in September, outpacing the industry’s 9.4 percent gain, according to researcher Autodata Corp. For the year, SUV and crossover sales are up 12 percent, more than double the industry’s overall gain of 5.5 percent. The price of a gallon of gasoline has stayed between $3 and $4 for more than three years, encouraging U.S. drivers to snap up SUVs they shunned six years ago and switch out of sedans. The new crop of sport-utility vehicles are lighter, nimbler and more […]

Posted in: USA