Nissan sales rise more than 13 pct. as low gas prices and consumer confidence drive increase

Nissan's U.S. sales rose more than 13 percent in October, a sign that auto sales continue to be strong.

The Japanese automaker said its Nissan and Infiniti brands sold just over 113,000 cars and trucks last month. Nissan sales rose almost 15 percent while Infiniti was down 1 percent.

Nissan says high consumer confidence and low gas prices raised sales of everything from small cars to SUVs. Marketing chief Fred Diaz says he expects the same factors to boost sales in November and December.

Nissan says it had a record October, led by the Rogue small crossover SUV with sales up almost 14 percent. Versa subcompact sales rose nearly 29 percent.

Analysts expect a 6 percent increase in October U.S. sales when automakers release numbers on Monday.