GM U.S. December vehicle sales down 5.2 percent

The General Motors Corp. headquarters (R) is seen down the street from a GM auto showroom on Jefferson avenue in downtown Detroit, Michigan, November 7, 2007.

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp (GM.N) said on Thursday its U.S vehicle sales fell 5.2 percent in December as consumer demand softened amid a weak housing market and higher gas prices.

GM said it sold 319,837 cars and light trucks in the United States last month, down 4.4 percent from 334,501 vehicles a year earlier. Including heavier trucks, total vehicle sales were down 5.2 percent to 323,453 units in December, GM said.

(Reporting by Poornima Gupta, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)