GM Inside News Forum banner

GM May 2015 Sales Up 3%, 293,097 Units Sold

17K views 151 replies 57 participants last post by  Ed753 
#1 ·
GM’s Sales Beat Analyst Expectations, Buck Industry Trend
General Motors

June 2, 2015

  • Total sales up 3 percent, retail deliveries up 7 percent
  • Chevrolet pickups up 30 percent: Silverado gains 3 points of retail market share; Colorado still the fastest-selling pickup
  • GMC up 12 percent as crossovers and pickups surge
  • Commercial deliveries up for the 19th consecutive month

DETROIT – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers in the United States delivered 293,097 vehicles in May 2015, for General Motors Co.’s (NYSE: GM) best May sales since 2007 and its best month since August 2008. Total sales were up 3 percent year over year and retail sales were up 7 percent in a month when most major competitors lost ground. Pickup trucks and crossovers were especially strong sellers.

“Chevrolet has the hot hand in the pickup market thanks to our three-truck strategy,” said Kurt McNeil, General Motors’ U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “Our market share is growing and our strategy is to retain these customers with the best overall ownership experience.”

The Chevrolet Silverado’s estimated retail segment share was 27 percent in May, according to J.D. Power PIN data, up 3 percentage points year over year. Calendar year to date, the truck’s retail segment share is 26 percent, up 1 percentage point.

Demand for the all-new Colorado midsize pickup is rising faster than GM’s ability to increase production, even with the addition of a third production shift in March. With 8,881 sales in May, the Colorado controls about one-quarter of the retail market for midsize pickups and it has been the industry’s fastest-selling pickup for four consecutive months. Its “days to turn” is only 13 days, according to PIN, and retail inventory is 11 days.

Demand is also soaring for Chevrolet crossovers, which had their best sales ever in May. The Equinox was up 30 percent compared to a year ago and the Traverse rose 2 percent. Retail deliveries for the Equinox and Traverse were up 15 percent and 30 percent, respectively. The all-new Trax small crossover also continues to gain momentum, with 5,707 deliveries.

Growth at GMC, which focuses exclusively on trucks and crossovers, is far outpacing the industry. The brand had its best May since 2005, up 12 percent year over year.
The GMC Sierra was up 4 percent. Terrain had its best May sales ever, with sales up 11 percent, the Acadia had its best month ever, with sales up 67 percent, and the new Canyon contributed 2,901 units. Calendar year to date, GMC sales are up 15 percent.

Additional Highlights vs. 2014 (except as noted)
Chevrolet

  • Chevrolet pickup sales totaled 60,483 units, up 30 percent. Silverado deliveries were up 11 percent and the Colorado had its best month since launch.
  • Sonic deliveries were up 3 percent, Malibu was up 11 percent and Corvette was up 6 percent, for its best May since 1986.
  • Chevrolet continued to have the lowest passenger car incentives in the industry on average transaction price (ATP) basis compared to other full-line manufacturers, according to PIN.*

Cadillac

  • The SRX saw a 21-percent increase and Escalade sales were up 6 percent.

GMC

  • GMC pickup sales were up 19 percent, and the Sierra and Canyon have the highest ATPs in their respective segments, according to PIN.

Buick

  • Buick sales were up. Enclave deliveries were up 23 percent and the Encore was up 21 percent, for its 17th consecutive year-over-year sales increase.

Fleet and Commercial

  • Commercial deliveries were up 5 percent in May, with full-size pickups up 9 percent. Deliveries of medium crossovers and the Chevrolet Malibu more than doubled. Through May, commercial deliveries have grown year over year for 19 consecutive months and they are up 24 percent calendar year to date.
  • State and local government sales were up 29 percent in May, and 23 percent calendar year to date.
  • GM’s total sales increase in May came despite a planned 7,000-unit decline in rental deliveries. The decline reflects the discontinuation of the fleet-only Chevrolet Captiva, as well as lower production of the fleet-only Chevrolet Impala Limited and lower sales of large SUVs.
  • June rental deliveries are planned to be down more than 20,000 units, year over year.
  • GM is prioritizing retail deliveries of large SUVs due to strong demand and low inventories, which currently stand at 62 days supply.

General Motors

  • May ATPs were approximately $34,000, up $550 per unit year over year, according to PIN. They are up about $1,300 calendar year to date.
  • Incentive spending as a percentage of ATPs was 10.6 percent in May, equal to a year ago, according to PIN. Industry average spending was 10 percent of ATPs, also equal to a year ago.
  • GM estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles in May was 17.6 million units, above GM’s full-year outlook of 16.5 million to 17.0 million units.
 
See less See more
#69 · (Edited)
Industry Reports May 2015 Sales

General Motors Corp. (+3.0%)





Ford Motor Co. (-1.3%)





F.C.A. (+4.0%)







Toyota Motors U.S.A. (-0.3%)






American Honda (+1.3%)







Nissan Group (-0.8%)






Subaru of America (+12.2%)






Mazda N.A. (-0.4%)






Mitsubishi Motors N.A. (+31.7%)






Hyundai Motor America (-10.3%)






Kia Motors America (+3.9%)






BMW Group (+4.3%)







Volkswagon of America (+8.1%)






Audi N.A. (+11.0%)







Porsche Cars of N.A. (-7.4%)






Mercedes-Benz U.S.A. (+12.2%)







Volvo Cars of N.A. (+0.2%)





U.S. Sales Summary by Brand / MFG.
GoodCarBadCar






Best Selling Car
GoodCarBadCar




Best Selling SUV
GoodCarBadCar




Best Selling Truck
GoodCarBadCar

 
#74 ·
May 2015 will go into the books as a very good month for GM. They are making the most of Ford's stumbling with the F150 launch. The Midsize pickups are proving to be real winners and adding handsomely to sales numbers for GM. The only concern I have is will the Silverado/Sierra sales gains hold up when Ford finally gets their production numbers up?
 
#78 ·
Re: Industry Reports May 2015 Sales

Because they generally ride like crap, and are loud as hell inside.

I love the way they handle, and they are a hoot to drive. However, how often in the typical day do you get a good chance to explore that without risking your license??

My Mother has a Mazda 6. Love the way it performs. It drives me crazy as a daily driver.
 
#94 · (Edited)
Re: Industry Reports May 2015 Sales

Im pretty sure that the Ford percentage is wrong is it not?
Nope. Right there in their presser chart. Third item , third line down.

So GM is flat overall? Marketshare wise that is.
With the sop 'over' rounding up about 2 / 10ths for the month and just about the same for YTD.


One of the smaller minority up on both ( meaning up a positive amount sufficient to increase share as well ie more than the averages ) although the YTD, which has a far bigger group is obviously, with five months in it - of the far greater worth, far more often.
 
#80 ·
I think the numbers are down on the Yukon, Suburban, Tahoe because while they are certainly good vehicles, they are priced out of reach for the majority of folks who need them. GM may need to taper off their huge margins on the big SUV's a bit to keep the factory's rolling on those IMHO. Maybe only profit $9000 per vehicle! :)
 
#82 ·
There is truth to this. My GM parts guy who I've been using for 15 years, who I started using after my dad who's used him for decades as well, used to buy a new Suburban for every body style. He said this will be the first one where he will not, it's just priced too far out of his price range, especially going into retirement sometime soon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: richmond2000
#90 ·
With modern 4-door pickups coming as well equipped and comfortable as SUVs like the Tahoe and Suburban, I think that the lines have been blurred. A Silverado is, for all intents and purposes, a Tahoe / Suburban without the 3rd row and covered cargo area. When you combine all of GMs large truck and SUV sales for the month, it's an impressive performance for sure, and the customer really has a lot of choice.
 
#107 · (Edited)
Re: Industry Reports May 2015 Sales

Meanwhile, in the not so trivial automotive trivia category, we have a new pecking order in terms of MAY YTD car only sales which goes as follow;

1. Toyota 535, 722

2. 'Hyundai / Kia' 414,110

3. GM 406,585

4. Nissan 352,702

5. Ford 351,512

6. Honda 316,935

7a. 'Old Chrysler' / all US brands 225,523

7b. FCA US 244,479

7c. FIAT Chrysler Automobiles 249,709

8. 'VW Group' / all 186,395

9. Subaru 126,420

10. 'BMW Group' / all 118,204

11. 'MB Group' / all 86,631

12. Mazda 75,075

13. Mitsubishi 14,709

14. Tesla 6,950 estimated

15. Jaguar 6,619

This incomplete list accounts for 3,248,278 of the 3, 264,673 car only units for May 2015 YTD and uses the Autodata / Motorintelligence.cooom definitions & numbers as presented in the WSJ Auto Data presentation.

For useful perspective, the corresponding number YTD for all other ie non cars labeled " Trucks " over there is 3,779,912 and the Total shows as 7,044,585.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ed753
#134 ·
Re: Industry Reports May 2015 Sales

Interesting and AMAZING! Added Market Share ( ##.#% )

Meanwhile, in the not so trivial automotive trivia category, we have a new pecking order in terms of MAY YTD car only sales which goes as follow;

1. Toyota 535,722 ( 16.4% )

2. 'Hyundai / Kia' 414,110 ( 12.7% )

3. GM 406,585 ( 12.5% )

4. Nissan 352,702 ( 10.8% )

5. Ford 351,512 ( 10.8% )

6. Honda 316,935 ( 9.7% )

7.
- a. 'Old Chrysler' / all US brands 225,523 ( 6.9% )
- b. FCA US 244,479 ( 7.5% )
- c. FIAT Chrysler Automobiles 249,709 ( 7.6% )

8. 'VW Group' / all 186,395 ( 5.7% )

9. Subaru 126,420 ( 3.9% )

10. 'BMW Group' / all 118,204 ( 3.6% )

...................................
 
#133 ·
If you'd consider a FWD Trax...why not save some $$ and consider a Sonic? They're built on the same platform. Sit in both of them and I think you'll see the interiors are very similar. (Hey I'm biased, I bought a 2015 Sonic in Feb....checked out the Trax too...4500 miles, going great.) Then pick up an updated Cruze or something in a couple of years. Just a thought.
 
#125 · (Edited)
About the bigger K2XX SUVs.....

Three things that are in it some how - for the month of May number drops.

Last May's numbers and what was behind them....

Fuel prices just ticked up........ during the later half of the month especially...

They have been stiff as hell about incentives, and discounts, leases etc etc - on top of the new higher pricing. While many alternative class products became more aggressive.

And really, given how the numbers are YTD plus the inventory / production - why the hell not play it that way ?

Also a little perspective -




http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2015/06/usa-large-suv-sales-figures-may-2015-ytd.html#more


And also from there the percent changes and unit volume for the chart above - plus YTD.

Suburban -19.3 / +20.0..... 4,315 / 20,390
Tahoe -22.9 / +3.5..... 7,119 / 35,899

Expedition ( both sizes ) -17.5 / -3.7.....4,147 / 16,831

Yukon -21.6 / +0.4..... 3,455 / 14,719
Yukon XL -20.5/+18.0.....2,516 / 11,031

Armada +34.8 / +9.3..... 1,488 / 5,971

Sequoia +7.2 / -13.2.....1,145 / 4,948

Total -17.6 / +6.0..... 24,245 / 109,789

GM's share was 71.79 % for the month, and stands @ 74.72 % YTD.


***

Escalade ( not included above ) is nothing but net - basically.
 
#132 ·
Good point, GM has typically had 40~50% of the Tahoe/Suburban going to fleet; rental sales are immediate, if inventory was sent to dealers, it'll show up in a month or two.

Found this in the May presser: (Probably explains most of the Tahoe/Suburban drop, and the Equinox & Malibu spike)

Fleet and Commercial:

- Commercial deliveries were up 5 percent in May, with full-size pickups up
9 percent. Deliveries of medium crossovers and the Chevrolet Malibu more
than doubled.
Through May, commercial deliveries have grown year over year
for 19 consecutive months and they are up 24 percent calendar year to date.

- State and local government sales were up 29 percent in May, and
23 percent calendar year to date.

- GM’s total sales increase in May came despite a planned 7,000-unit decline
in rental deliveries. The decline reflects the discontinuation of the fleet-only
Chevrolet Captiva, as well as lower production of the fleet-only Chevrolet
Impala Limited and lower sales of large SUVs.


- June rental deliveries are planned to be down more than 20,000 units, year
over year.

- GM is prioritizing retail deliveries of large SUVs due to strong demand and
low inventories, which currently stand at 62 days supply.
 
#146 ·
Re: Industry Reports May 2015 Sales

Wow, BMW sold almost the same number of units as Caddy and Buick combined.
For start it has more cars than both of them combined.
 
#145 · (Edited)
Sidebar: 124 Caprices? 287 SS's? 241 and 297 the year before? Really? Is this worth the cost anymore? What are they thinking / doing at the RennCen???
Why, on God's green earth, don't they just cut their losses and make an Impala SS based on the XTS V-sport, which is quite easily done?? I guarantee they will sell more than 287 of those a month!
 
  • Like
Reactions: AMERICA 123
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top