DETROIT, April 1 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co's March U.S. auto sales increased 12.7 percent, topping analysts estimates, on the strength of its mainstay sedans.
Nissan was the first of the major automakers to report March U.S. sales on Friday.
Nissan's car sales rose 15.6 percent while its SUV and truck sales were up 9.4 percent, the company said.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles , which normally is the first of the major automakers to report sales each month, delayed its press release until 9:30 a.m. ET because of an industry conference in Las Vegas, a company spokesman said.
March U.S. sales on an annualized basis are expected to come in around 17.25 million vehicles, a Reuters poll of 10 industry analysts showed, for a gain of about 7 percent from a year ago.
(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Steve Orlofky)