(February 13, 2011) DETROIT — There are numerous incentives available for new-car shoppers this winter, and General Motors has been at the forefront of making deals.

On top of already generous incentives, GM is offering to waive the last three payments on existing leases if holders buy a new car, adding an incentive onto deals that last month exceeded offers made by rivals.

The promotion began this month and is valid on most models with leases that expire between now and Aug. 31, according to the company. GM raised incentive spending in January by 16 percent to an average of $3,663 per vehicle, the highest among major automakers, according to researcher Autodata Corp. GM sales outpaced the industry that month.

GM said in a video presentation for its initial public offering in November that it intended to offer fewer incentives that crimped margins and created an impression that price was the main selling point for GM vehicles. Early-return leasing deals may conflict with the that pledge, said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst at Edmunds.com.

“I hope they're not walking down that road,” said Caldwell.

GM's U.S. sales rose 22 percent last month, topping the industry's 16 percent gain. Don Johnson, GM's vice president of U.S. sales, said on the company's monthly sales conference call with analysts and reporters that the company would begin discussing incentives “directionally” rather than giving specific data on a month-to-month basis.