New vehicle sales in the month of March are expected to see an increase of 6 percent from 2011due to strong demand in the retail market, according to a market research.

Research firms J.D. Power and Associates and LMC Automotive expect March to end with a total sale of 1,372,400 new vehicles. That figure would represent a 6 percent improvement over the 1,244,009 cars and trucks sold in the U.S. during March of 2011.

“Each month of strong sales brings with it increased optimism and positive energy that the pace of growth represents a true recovery for the car sector,” says John Humphrey, senior vice president of global automotive operations at J.D. Power, in a statement.

The report also said buyers are snapping up small cars instead of larger cars and trucks, the firm states in the report.

Industry experts say March’s strong sales could be an indication that the U.S. auto market is fully on the path to recovery.

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