SUBARU: Sales jump 23% in March with Crosstrek record

Subaru of America’s sales rose for an eighth-straight month in March, up 23 percent to 53,213, including a March record for the Crosstrek, the brand’s top-selling nameplate. For the quarter, the Japanese brand’s sales were up 8.3 percent to 143,376.

Brand: Up 23% in March, 8.3% for the first quarter

Notable nameplates: Crosstrek, up 4.3%; Outback, down 4.1%; Forester, up 56%

Incentives: $859 per vehicle in the first quarter, down 4.7% from a year earlier, TrueCar says.

Average transaction price: $34,704 for the first quarter, up 0.1% from a year earlier, according to TrueCar.

Quote: “Enthusiasm for Subaru vehicles remained high in March, and we anticipate continued excitement as the weather warms up and car buyers begin planning spring and summer adventures,” Troy Poston, Subaru’s newly appointed senior vice president of sales, said in a written statement.

Did you know? After having its launch stymied last year by the stop-sale that also derailed the Toyota bZ4X, the Subaru Solterra electric vehicle posted 1,359 sales during the first quarter.