TRANSPORTATION

Suzuki Sales Up: American Suzuki Motor Corp. has been having a good year in what otherwise has been a pretty dismal one for auto sales in the United States.

In September--the last month of the 1992 model year, the Brea-based importer reported U.S. sales of 2,383 sports utility vehicles and passenger cars, up 36% from September, 1990. And for the first nine months of the calendar year, Suzuki’s total U.S. sales of 18,999 vehicles represent a 12% increase from the year-ago period.

American Suzuki imports and distributes the Sidekick and Samurai sports utility vehicles and the Swift subcompact passenger car. Its U.S. sales figures don’t include the Sidekicks imported directly by General Motors Corp. and sold by Chevrolet-Geo dealers as the Geo Tracker.

Other Orange County-based auto importers and their sales for the first nine months are: Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley, 84,226 cars, down 10% from the same period a year ago; Mazda Motor of America Inc., headquartered in Irvine, 262,763, down 3.5% from 1990; and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, headquartered in Cypress, 131,449 cars and trucks, down 9%.