The Associated Press

DETROIT - The debut of 2004 models helped automakers reduce incentives almoat 7 percent last month, but analysts say consumers soon can expect another escalation in bargains as dealers make year-end sales pushes.

The average industry incentive fell to $2,715 a vehicle in October, $202 lower than September, aided by the seasonal shift to new models, according to Autodata Corp.

"October sales came in weaker than expected after two strong months, and inventories are above normal," Merrill Lynch analyst John Casesa said in a research report Friday. "We expect to see acceleration of incentives on 2004 models soon."