January 2015: General Motors Co.

[William Maley]

GM’s January Sales up 18 percent on Crossover, Truck Demand

• Chevrolet up 20 percent with Silverado up 25 percent


• GMC up 29 percent as every truck and crossover posts gains


• Cadillac up 3 percent driven by XTS, Escalade

DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) dealers in the United States delivered 202,786 vehicles last month for the company’s best January sales in seven years. Total sales were up 18 percent compared to a year ago. Retail sales were up 14 percent and fleet deliveries were up 32 percent.

 

“Consumers feel very good because more people are working, the U.S. economy is expanding and fuel prices are low,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “Consumer and commercial demand for trucks and crossovers is really driving our business, and our move into the small crossover segment with the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore, and mid-size pickups with the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, was well-timed.”

 

Year-over-year pickup deliveries increased 42 percent, following last month’s 43 percent increase. Large pickup sales were up 22 percent and more than 8,000 all-new mid-size trucks were delivered. GM is the only U.S.-based automaker competing in this segment.

 

Sales of crossovers and SUVs were up 36 percent year over year, with the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse, the GMC Terrain and the Buick Encore all posting their highest January sales ever. Chevrolet will unveil a redesigned Equinox at the Chicago Auto Show on February 12. 

 

Highlights (vs. 2014 except as noted)

 

Chevrolet:

• Chevrolet had its best January total and retail sales since 2008.


• Silverado deliveries increased 25 percent and in just five months, the all-new Colorado has overtaken the Nissan Frontier to become No. 2 in retail market share in the mid-size pickup segment. 


• Tahoe sales were up 88 percent, Suburban sales more than doubled and the Traverse was up 89 percent.


• The Chevrolet Cruze, which had its best annual sales ever in 2014, began 2015 with its best January sales ever, as did the Spark.

GMC:

• GMC had its best retail sales since 2004.  


• Sierra sales were up 14 percent.


• Every GMC crossover and SUV saw higher sales: Yukon and Yukon XL sales more than doubled; Terrain was up 25 percent and Acadia was up 8 percent. 


• The Canyon had its best January in 10 years following the launch of the all-new model late last year.  

Buick:

• Encore deliveries rose 46 percent for its best January ever.

Cadillac:

• Deliveries of the XTS were up 14 percent.


• Demand for the new Escalade continues to exceed expectations, with deliveries up 149 percent.

Average Transaction Prices (ATPs):    

• ATPs were $34,800, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates through Jan. 25, up $2,400 per unit compared to a year ago.    

Incentives: 

• Month over month, GM reduced incentive spending as a percentage of ATPs, according to PIN estimates. The company has had the lowest incentives of all domestic automakers on an ATP basis in 11 of the last 13 months.


• Incentive spending as a percentage of ATPs was 10.5 percent in January, down 0.3 points month over month, while industry average spending was 9.6 percent of ATPs, down 0.7 points.  

Fleet and Commercial:

• Commercial deliveries were up 17 percent, for the 15th consecutive monthly year-over-year increase.  Truck, SUV and crossover deliveries all were higher.


• Sales to government customers were up 27 percent driven by crossover and SUV deliveries, including the new Chevrolet Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle. 

Industry Sales: 

• GM estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles in January was 16.6 million.  

[G. David Felt]

Love the layout of information. Great to know the details without having to look at the spreadsheet.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Hell Yeah.. Bravo to both of the two American Automakers 

Very proud.

Fseries came back to outsell the GM twins this month by 5643 units, but then.. interesting enough.. the Colorado and Canyon swooped in to steal back 8147 sales. Sonic beats Fiesta, Cruse beats the Focus, but then outta no where the Mustang kicks the *** outta the Camaro by 3700 units. The Equinox and Terrain murder the Escape and MKC by 6700 units, and YUP!!!n the Fusion knocks the snot outta the Malibu by 7800. Then outta the woodwork the mighty IMPALA jumps over the rope and clobbers the Taurus by 6900 units.. and the Tahoe, whit a lil less 3rd row space   gives a wedgy to the Expedition by an additional 6800 sales.. and some extra gravy from the Suburban to add to that total another 4100 (Totaling over the Expy by 10,900)... 

JEEEZUS.. Lo and Behold.. the Yukon beats the Expy and Navigator COMBINED total of 3376 with its number of 4614!!! 


And what will the press write POSITIVE about Cadillac being up almost 3%??? How will the spin it??? What Doom and Gloom will we have to wade thru?   
 

[Cmicasa the Great]

I will say that Cadillac really needs to start marketing soon. The exemplary CTS should be selling better than this.. and there simply is no reason in the world why there is not a new SRX on the way to dealers RIGHT NOW.

 

WTF happened to the Regal? Did they stop production?

[2QuickZ's]

Those are impressive sales numbers for the Colorado and Canyon and they seem to have done it without stealing too many sales from the Silverado and Sierra.

 

My Dad was one of the Equinox sales.  They had some ridiculous lease deals on the Equinox and Terrain last month and I believe in December.  He really liked his T&C minivan but when the lease was up, he couldn't resist going back.  He had a Terrain before the T&C so at least he switched it up a bit by going Equinox this time. lol  When is the refresh coming again?

[Cory Wolfe]

Cadillac's only bright spot sales-wise seems to be the Escalade. Let's hope that the CTS and ATS can make some sort of shift in popularity this year. I know some on here will argue for the prestige of lower sales/higher profits, but let's face it... These decreases aren't helping. De-Nysshen needs to start a marketing blitz, like, now. 

 

Otherwise, I'm surprised to see the Sonic down by half. Perhaps those buyers were swayed into a Trax. 

[G. David Felt]

I honestly do not have much expectation of De-Nysshen doing anything of real positiveness with Cadillac. He knows how to kiss ass and play politics but his career shows he really does not know how to build and sell world leading auto's IMHO.

[2QuickZ's]

Probably true on the Trax vs. Sonic.

 

I wish GM would release Cruze diesel sales numbers.  I'm sure they are a minuscule percentage but I would still like to know.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Cadillac's only bright spot sales-wise seems to be the Escalade. Let's hope that the CTS and ATS can make some sort of shift in popularity this year. I know some on here will argue for the prestige of lower sales/higher profits, but let's face it... These decreases aren't helping. De-Nysshen needs to start a marketing blitz, like, now. 

 

Otherwise, I'm surprised to see the Sonic down by half. Perhaps those buyers were swayed into a Trax. 

 

 

 

I agree on the Cadillac points. They really do need to get with marketing. I have not seen a Cadillac commercial in over a month. U cannot sell a product if no one knows about the product. They are currently, and still the reigning the MT Car of the Year, but have not advertised the hell out of it. Its crazy. I think that massive advertising budget they have is essentially shredded in a shredder and then thrown out into a dumpster behind COBO

 

Your TRAX comment may be spot on. I've been seeing them a lot lately. This is another CLASSIC situation where GM creates a whole new name for a vehicle that should simply be a variant. It should be the Sonic XUV or something.. then we are talking Sonic sales of 5400 last month, not to mention the additional 3100 Spark sales that would have probably bought a Sonic instead. Chevy, including the Volt and Cruze, sold 27,765 small cars last month from 5 different cars.. 3 (Gammas)+2 (Deltas) are on the same damn platform and could have shared the same damn name.

 

Sonic, Trax (Sonic X), and Spark (Sonic Mini or M)

Cruze, Volt (Cruze EV)

Edited February 5, 2015 by Cmicasa the Great

[smk4565]

I honestly do not have much expectation of De-Nysshen doing anything of real positiveness with Cadillac. He knows how to kiss ass and play politics but his career shows he really does not know how to build and sell world leading auto's IMHO.

I'd agree with that.  Cadillac's advertising is fairly week, espeically on the ATS and CTS and what are supposedly the future of the brand.