Truck output jumps 17.3% in April.

* North American car and truck production for April was 4.5 percent higher than in 1997. Truck production rose 17.3 percent, and car production dropped 6.7 percent. The new Dodge Durango and Mercedes-Benz ML320 boosted the truck total. An extended changeover for the Pontiac Grand Am and late startups for the Chrysler LH cars were factors in the reduced car output.

* For the year to date, North American car and truck production is up 2.2 percent from 1997. Trucks are up 9.3 percent; cars are down 4.4 percent.

* The Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tenn., will he idle on Fridays through September.

* Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. already has surpassed its total 1997 production of the ML320 sport-utility. This year, 21,179 have been assembled at the plant in Vance, Ala.; 19,462 trucks were built in all of 1997.

* North American production shares for April were: General Motors, 31.3 percent; Ford Motor Co., 25.9 percent; Chrysler Corp., 22.5 percent; Honda of America Manufacturing, 5.1 percent; Toyota Motor Manufacturing, 3.8 percent; Nissan Motor Manufacturing, 2.9 percent; New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., 2.1 percent; Volkswagen, 1.6 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc., 1.3 percent; and other manufacturers, 3.5 percent.

              NORTH AMERICA CAR AND TRUCK PRODUCTION Vehicles are assembled in the United States unless noted. Vehicles are cars unless noted.                                       Est.  Actual                                      5-4-   4/27-    April                                    5/3/98  5/2/98    total   Cirrus                            1,093   1,115    5,738   Concorde (Can.)                   1,788   1,824   11,776   Neon (rhd)                            0       0        0   300M (Can.)                       1,025   1,046    1,044   LHS (Can.)                        2,174   2,218    3,042   Town & Country (trk.)             1,769   1,805    7,132  Total Chrysler Div.                7,848   8,008   28,731   Neon                              2,032   2,073    9,760   Breeze                            1,649   1,683    8,511   Prowler                              77      79      192   Voyager (trk.)                    1,843   1,881    7,212   Voyager (Can. trk.)               3,223   3,289   16,253  Total Plymouth                     8,825   9,085   41,928   Neon                              3,415   3,485   17,493   Intrepid (Can.)                   2,211   2,256   13,841   Stratus                           2,890   2,949   13,578   Viper                                36      37       52   Caravan (trk.)                    3,243   3,309   14,351   Caravan (Can. trk.)               5,352   5,461   26,801   Dakota (trk.)                     3,543   3,615   16,663   Durango (trk.)                    4,230   4,316   20,187   Ram pickup (trk.)                 5,883   6,003   27,065   Ram wagon (Can. trk.)               758     773    3,938   Ram van (Can. trk.)               1,321   1,348    7,134  Total Dodge                       32,881  33,552  161,103   Vision (Can.)                         0       0        0   Cherokee (trk.)                   3,742   3,818   19,740   Grand Cherokee (trk.)             5,952   6,073   34,596   Wrangler (trk.)                   2,470   2,520   11,418  Total Jeep-Eagle                  12,153  12,411   65,754  Total U.S. car                    12,218  12,467   56,368  Total Can. car                     6,172   6,298   28,659  Total Mex. car                     2,775   2,832   14,809  Total U.S. truck                  32,673  33,348  158,363  Total Can. truck                  10,654  10,871   54,126  Total Mex. truck                   4,620   4,714   22,899 CHRYSLER CORP.                     69,112  70,522  335,224   Escort                            5,163   5,269   17,816   Mustang                           3,628   3,703   14,837   Contour                               0       0    7,338   Taurus                            7,855   8,016   33,590   Thunderbird                           0       0        0   Crown …