FCA leads Canada auto sales in March, GM sales jump 27 percent

TORONTO The Canadian arm of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N), which makes the Jeep and Chrysler brands, led auto sales in Canada for the month of March, but General Motors Canada (GM.N) posted the biggest surge in monthly sales.

FCA Canada sales were up marginally in March, with 26,531 cars and trucks sold during the month, compared with 26,469 a year ago.

Ford Motor Co (F.N) sold a total of 26,487 cars and trucks in Canada last month, up from 26,447, a rise of just 0.2 percent, as Ford car sales in Canada fell nearly 20 percent for the month.

GM Canada reported double-digit sales growth, driven by truck sales. It sold 21,979 total vehicles in March, an increase of 27.2 percent from a year ago when it sold 17,273 cars and trucks.

In the United States, March figures came in below market expectations, adding to concerns that the boom in U.S. auto sales may be waning. Shares of the three big automakers fell, with GM and FCA falling nearly 4 percent, while Ford was down 3 percent.

(Reporting by Solarina Ho; Editing by Matthew Lewis)