DETROIT (TheStreet) -- Rising fuel prices meant that sales of fuel-efficient vehicles surged in March, and it wasn't just cars.
TM The symbol of the new reality, in which fuel efficiency is key and U.S. automakers are competitive, is the Chevrolet Cruze. Who said GM(GM) can't build a viable small car?
At Ford (F), inventories of the relatively fuel-efficient Ford Explorer shrank to just 11 days. Sales of the Ford F-Series truck, the nation's most popular vehicle, were strong because of the introduction of new fuel-efficient engines and because businesses bought trucks as the economy improved.
Another winner in March was the Chrysler 200, the star of the best 2011 Super Bowl ad, which benefited from increasing availability.
Toyota(TM) was the only major automaker to report a down month, as sales fell 5.7%. But sales of the Prius gas-electric hybrid bucked the trend. Nissan North America, meanwhile, had its best month in history, led by sales of the Nissan Sentra.
Here are five of the most popular vehicles in March.
March Cruze sales totaled 18,018 units, of which 86% were retail sales. Overall, March was the best month ever for Cruze, which sold more than 50,000 units in the first quarter.
The Cruze was introduced in September 2010. Its March retail sales were 287% higher than the year-ago retail sales of the predecessor car, the Cobalt. Overall at GM, passenger car retail sales rose 34%.
"The lead story here is Cruze," said Don Johnson, vice president for U.S. sales operations, during the GM sales conference call with analysts and reporters. "Cruze is bringing new customers to Chevrolet."
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March sales of the Explorer rose 111% to 12,482.
The Explorer, which gets 25 miles per gallon on the highway, is the fastest-turning vehicle at Ford dealers for the third straight month.
"A dealer has one or two on the lot," said Ford sales analyst George Pipas, on the company's sales conference call. "Customers are ordering out of what the dealer has in transit. As soon as it hits the dealership, it's sold."
Still, Pipas discouraged suggestions that Ford would either diminish its incentives or ramp up production. "We have been served well by being consistent in the marketplace," he said. "I wouldn't look for Ford to make a knee-jerk reaction to some situation that we face today."
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March sales of the Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan, rose 191% from February to 6,750.
Also, the even-newer Chrysler 300 began arriving in dealerships in March and Chrysler brand sales improved 38% year over year. The 300 was unveiled at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.
Meanwhile, success of the Super Bowl ad inspired Chrysler to begin introducing merchandise with an "Imported from Detroit" logo.
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March sales of the Prius rose 52% to 18,605.
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused a brief halt in production of the Prius at a time when demand was increasing due to rising fuel prices.
Consumers maintained their confidence in Toyota. "Our shopping data are telling us that not even this devastating earthquake was able to shake consumer confidence in Japanese cars," said Edmunds.com analyst Ivan Drury, in a prepared statement. "In fact, the natural disasters may actually strengthen the determination of consumers to remain loyal to their Japanese brands
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March sales of the Sentra rose 105% over last year to 17,851 units.
That gain helped Nissan North America to boost sales 27% to 121,141, a record for any month in the company's history.
"Nissan enjoyed our best month ever, with the foundation of our fuel-efficient vehicles such as Altima, Sentra and Rogue leading the way," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, in a prepared statement. "Nissan is well-positioned to take advantage of the shifts in the market."
-- Written by Ted Reed in Charlotte, N.C.
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