GM's October Sales Up 16%, Cruze Sales Down 15.9%
DETROIT -- General Motors Co. says its dealers delivered 226,402 vehicles in the United States in October, up 16% versus a year ago. Retail sales were also up 16% and fleet sales were up 14%.
But sales of the Lordstown, Ohio-built Chevrolet Cruze actually fell in October, down 15.9% compared to October 2012. In September, Cruze sales were down 50% compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date, Cruze sales remain up 6.1% with 211,862 of the vehicles moving off dealers’ lots.
Said GM’s vice president of U.S. sales operations, Kurt McNeil, “Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick-GMC all performed well in the month, and the sales tempo really picked up after the government shutdown ended. We are particularly pleased with our truck momentum. … and we are gearing up for the second, third and fourth phases of our strategic truck plan.”
The premium Chevrolet Silverado High Country and GMC Sierra Denali will hit showrooms this month, GM noted, followed in the first quarter by a redesigned range of heavy-duty pickups. All-new Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac full-size SUVs also arrive in the first quarter, and later in the year, GM will introduce clean-sheet redesigns of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-size pickups, the company said.
In its October sales release, GM highlighted the following comparisons to October 2012:
- Buick total sales increased 31% and retail sales were up 25%for the 18th consecutive month of year-over-year growth. Regal sales increased 47%.
- Cadillac’s sales increased 10% and have grown in each of the last 13 months thanks.
- GMC was up 16% with the Terrain having its best October sales ever.
- Chevrolet was up 15%. Thirteen nameplates posted double-digit increases, including every SUV and crossover nameplate.
- Retail sales of Chevrolet passenger cars were up 32%.
- Deliveries of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra were up 10% and 13%, respectively.
Sales of the new 2014 light duty Silverado and Sierra increased 62% from September 2013. They accounted for about 76% of GM’s light duty deliveries, the company said.
Strong calendar-year-to-date sales have helped Chevrolet and GMC earn a 30% share of light-duty pickups priced $40,000 or above, up 5 percentage points compared to 2012, GM said.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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