April 2 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor North America (TMNA)

reported an about 20% rise in first-quarter U.S. auto sales on

Tuesday, helped by demand for its affordable sedans, crossovers

SUVs and pickup trucks.

TMNA, a unit of Japan's Toyota Motor Corp ( TM ), sold

565,098 vehicles compared with 469,558 units a year earlier.

The automaker has also been modernizing long-running

nameplates such as its Land Cruiser, 4Runner, Tundra and Prius

models.

Sales of RAV4 crossover surged 47.4% to 124,822 units from a

year earlier, extending its run as TMNA's largest selling model.

Sales of electrified vehicles, which includes hybrids, EVs

and hyrdogen fuel cell vehicles, rose about 74% to 206,850

units.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj

Kalluvila)