[Perian]

Ward's Auto News

November 3, 2014

The Chevy Cruze had a great month, the Chevy Suburban and Cadillac SRX both had a not so great month.

Ward's Auto News offers a few pointers on the subject:

Article Quotes:

However, GM’s stable of large SUVs, also recently redesigned, witnessed a surprisingly bumpy month likely affected by lean inventories. Deliveries of the Chevy Tahoe rose 6.1% to 7,912, but sales of the larger Suburban tumbled 18.3% to 4,615. GMC Yukon sales dropped 1.5% to 2,977 and Yukon XL deliveries dipped 38.4% to 2,148.

Elsewhere at Cadillac, sales of the brand’s best-selling SRX 5-passenger CUV sank 32.3% to 3,640 and deliveries of the XTS large sedan tumbled 28.1% 1,976 units. Inventories of the SRX have moved largely to ’15 models, while much of its competition still reportedly has high stocks of less-expensive ’14 models on dealer lots.

Sales of the Cadillac CTS sports sedan gained 49.3% to 3,096, pushed higher by a new national lease program on ’14 models offering an attractive $409 monthly payment.

As a unit, Cadillac saw sales fall 8.0% to 13,615.

Sales of the Chevy Cruze small car were another bright spot, as GM used the month to clear out inventories of ’14 models and fleet buyers snatched up an estimated 7,000 units. Cruze sales rose a whopping 51.0% to 24,289.

 

[Perian]

Sales of the Chevy Cruze small car were another bright spot, as GM used the month to clear out inventories of ’14 models and fleet buyers snatched up an estimated 7,000 units. Cruze sales rose a whopping 51.0% to 24,289.

Looks like that Cruze information may also answer why Malibu, Sonic and Impala sales took a hit. Buyers (both fleet and retail) could not pass up the great deals on Cruze models in October.

 

[Dequindre]

SRX sales have been slumping for a few months straight though.

 

[L88-ZR1-Z06]

my mother just got 2014 Cruze LTZ RS. I was amazed by how nice a car it is. Has a premium feel for a small car and it looks good.

 

[BlackGTP]

There are so many factors that impact sales volume - weather, rebates, competitor rebates, manufacturing restraints, bad equipment forecasting (i.e. loading dealers with the wrong packages), etc.. I wish there was a way to really comprehensibly see the full picture to really understand what a particular model's sales being up or down really means.

 

[1958carnut]

All the deals available aside, it continues to amaze me at how well the "unchanged for years" Cruze continues to do. They really are nice little cars. I was checking one out while the 'bu was in for service and my only real beef was that it didn't seem to have the storage places my car does. If one gets the Pioneer sound system it looses the dash top cubby for a speaker.

 

[rsbaker]

I have relt that GM waited a bit too long for New SRX, Equinox and Terrain. There should have been new models introduced 2 years ago.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

I have relt that GM waited a bit too long for New SRX, Equinox and Terrain. There should have been new models introduced 2 years ago.

After only 3 model years? You're dreaming.

 

[b4z]

I have never like the looks of the 2014 srx. I leased one this year because I loved how it drives on the hwy and the lease price was right. $329mo.

 

[1999 White C5 Coupe]

Is GM still refusing to release the sales figures for the 2014 & 2015 Impala? Since the 2014 Impala was introduced, GM has combined sales figures with the Impala Limited. Anyone know why or when the figures will be reported separately?

 

[F14CRAZY]

Is GM still refusing to release the sales figures for the 2014 & 2015 Impala? Since the 2014 Impala was introduced, GM has combined sales figures with the Impala Limited. Anyone know why or when the figures will be reported separately?

There was a thread a week or two ago in which GM did separate the Limited and the new one

 

[T'Cal]

The looks of all three of these vehicles leaves much to be desired. The SRX looks too stubby and blingy. The Suburban looks like a station wagon rather than the big SUV it's always been. The Cruze looks straight out of the early '90s what with its black plastic shark fins. What a mess.

 

[mchicha]

I have never like the looks of the 2014 srx. I leased one this year because I loved how it drives on the hwy and the lease price was right. $329mo.

It does look like a fat pig

 

[b4z]

very much in the Lexus RX350 idiom.

 

[Quixote88]

The SRX is 5 years old, going on its 6th model year in the current body style. It should be seeing slumping sales... Not that it's a bad vehicle, it's still quite competitive, just getting a bit long in the tooth. Most all of its refreshes for its MCE a couple years back were on the inside (and the addition of the 3.6, which it should've had all along, but I won't cry about that anymore ), which were needed, but the buying public sees that the outside really hasn't changed much at all. It's getting stale.

I'm okay with the Cruze being sold to fleets, corporate/governmental/rental. Unlike GM's fleet queens of the recent past: W Body Impalas, Grand Prixs, G6's, Grand Ams, etc., the Cruze is quite competitive in its segment in most every measurable term. Folks who may happen to rent one, may actually want to buy one, unlike GM's former fleet queens...

 

[Ambalanche]

I have no doubt Suburban and Yukon sales have taken a dip because of availability. They are everywhere here!

 

[TruckMan]

Or maybe there's only so many people that want to buy $60,000 Chevys?

 

[TheNewStandard]

Or maybe there's only so many people that want to buy $60,000 Chevys?

The crazy thing is that Chevy outsells Cadillac in the $50K+ arena...

 

[ChrisGinNC]

Or maybe there's only so many people that want to buy $60,000 Chevys?

The GMT-900's easily hit $60,000 when loaded up, they had no problems selling them.

 

[paul8488]

There are so many factors that impact sales volume - weather, rebates, competitor rebates, manufacturing restraints, bad equipment forecasting (i.e. loading dealers with the wrong packages), etc.. I wish there was a way to really comprehensibly see the full picture to really understand what a particular model's sales being up or down really means.

Agreed, but it's impossible. I, like everyone here, like to latch onto single month increases or decreases and yell them from the rooftops, but in the end, only longterm trends truly indicate the performance of a car. Does anyone really believe that the Cruze jumped up because this late in life people suddenly realised that it's a great little car? No. If you look at the past few years of the Cruze you'll see that it quickly became a popular model and is still managing strong volume, and THAT is what is noteworthy, not a single month up or down due to whatever dozens of factors.