GM new vehicle sales in US drop 7 percent in first quarter

General Motors on Tuesday reported a 7 percent drop in U.S. new vehicle sales for the first quarter, hit by reductions in passenger car sales.

The No. 1 U.S. automaker stated it sold 665,840 vehicles in the first quarter, compared with 715,794, a year previously.

American customers have been abandoning conventional passenger cars in favor of more comfortable SUVs, although demand in the recent quarters has also been weak for the more popular larger automobiles.

Sales of high-margin vehicles such as Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks and Chevrolet Suburban SUV dropped during the quarter.

GM’s rival Ford Motor is due to report quarterly sales figures on Thursday.