General Motors Co.'s U.S. sales in January rose more than analysts' estimates, aided by bigger discounts, pickups and new models, and Toyota Motor Corp. rebounded from a year ago when a recall halted deliveries.

GM sales in the month gained 22 percent to 178,896 vehicles, topping four analysts' average estimate for a 9.2 percent increase. Toyota's sales rose 17 percent to 115,856 vehicles, beating the average estimate for a 16 percent gain, Bloomberg reported.

Industrywide deliveries may have reached the second-fastest pace in 17 months with a seasonally adjusted 12.4 million vehicle annual rate in January, the average estimate of six analysts. GM's discounts and sales incentives last month rose 28 percent from a year earlier to an average of $3,762 per vehicle as the company sought new buyers, according to Edmunds.com.

"GM was very aggressive with some of its incentive spending," Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with Santa Monica, California-based Edmunds, said in a telephone interview. "They had some loyalty programs in the market."

Toyota's sales climbed from January 2010, when the Toyota City, Japan-based company temporarily halted sales of eight U.S. models after recalling millions of vehicles for unintended acceleration.

Ford Motor Co.'s light-vehicle sales rose 9.2 percent to 126,981, the company said in a statement. That trailed the average of four analysts’ estimates for an 18 percent gain.

GM fell 10 cents to $36.39 at 3:53 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Through yesterday, the Detroit-based company’s shares had gained 11 percent from the $33 initial public offering price. Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford was unchanged at $15.95.

Incentive Spending

GM's incentive spending increased "modestly," and its sales gains were fueled by more advertising and strong new models, Don Johnson, GM’s vice president of U.S. sales operations, said today.

"We're not going to return to the days of driving production with incentives," Johnson said on a conference call. "We know that is not going to be a recipe for success for us."

Chevrolet deliveries gained 19 percent to 125,389 vehicles, GM said today in a statement. Sales of the Equinox small SUV climbed 35 percent to 12,847. Deliveries of the new Chevrolet Cruze compact, which is replacing the Cobalt, rose 25 percent from December to 13,631 in January.

Retail customers accounted for 88 percent of Cruze sales in the month, compared with 40 percent for the Cobalt in January 2010, said Alan Batey, vice president of Chevrolet sales.

'Tremendous' Momentum

"For GM, the new products are pulling consumers into showrooms," said Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with IHS Automotive, a researcher in Lexington, Massachusetts. "They have a tremendous amount of momentum."

GMC Sierra pickup sales increase 46 percent to 10,627, and Chevrolet Silverado deliveries rose 24 percent to 28,172.

Buick sales climbed 32 percent to 13,269, led by the Enclave sport-utility vehicle. GMC deliveries gained 30 percent to 27,658.

Cadillac sales rose 49 percent to 12,580. Deliveries of CTS sedans, coupes and wagons increased 70 percent to 4,362.

Since filing for bankruptcy in 2009, GM has closed Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn and sold Saab to focus on Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. Sales of GM’s four remaining brands rose 23 percent from January 2010, the company said.

Sales of Ford’s Explorer SUV surged 73 percent to 7,351, the company said today in a statement. Overall deliveries for the namesake brand climbed 22 percent, tempered by a decline in sales of the Focus compact car.

'Out of Their Caves'

"Consumers are coming out of their caves and spending money again," George Pipas, Ford's sales analyst, said yesterday during a briefing with reporters in Dearborn.

Deliveries of the Lincoln luxury brand declined 21 percent in January to 5,558.

Chrysler, the automaker controlled by Fiat SpA, said January sales rose 23 percent to 70,118 vehicles. The average estimate of four analysts was for a 27 percent gain.

Car sales dropped 22 percent to 11,425, driven by declines for the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Avenger sedans, the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company said today in a statement. Jeep Grand Cherokee deliveries more than doubled to 7,612.

U.S. consumer confidence rose more than forecast in January to the highest in eight months, the Conference Board reported last week, while the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment fell less than analysts estimated. Gross domestic product grew at a 3.2 percent annual pace in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department reported.

Nissan Tops Estimates

Nissan Motor Co., Japan's second-largest automaker, increased sales of Nissan and Infiniti brand vehicles by 15 percent last month, Al Castignetti, Nissan's vice president of U.S. sales, said in an interview. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was for a gain of 14 percent.

Honda Motor Co., Japan’s third-largest carmaker, increased U.S. sales of Honda and Acura brand autos 13 percent last month to 76,269, said Chris Martin, a company spokesman.

The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was for a rise of 24 percent for Tokyo-based Honda.

Kia Motors Corp., the second-biggest South Korean automaker, said in a statement today its U.S. sales rose 26 percent in January.