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General Motors (GM) U.S. Auto Sales Rose 4.2% in Feb., Missing Expectations

March 3, 2015 9:30 AM EST

(Updated - March 3, 2015 9:33 AM EST)

General Motors (NYSE: GM) dealers in the United States delivered 231,378 vehicles last month. Total sales were up 4 percent compared to a year ago. Retail sales were up 1 percent. Commercial and fleet deliveries were up 12 percent. Sales of trucks, including SUVs, vans and pickups, were up 36 percent year over year.

*** The Street was looking for a gain of 5.9 percent.

“Our new SUVs and crossovers, combined with the three-pickup strategy we outlined more than a year ago, are dovetailing perfectly with the growing U.S. economy and a stronger job market,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations.

“Six months into its launch, the Chevrolet Colorado is the industry’s fastest-selling pickup, regardless of brand or model year,” he added. “The Silverado had another great month, with sales, market share and average transaction prices up sharply. And when you add the GMC Sierra and Canyon to the mix, GM’s year-over-year pickup deliveries increased 37 percent. That follows January’s 42 percent increase and December’s 43 percent increase.”

According to J.D. Power PIN data, the average Chevrolet Colorado – Motor Trend magazine’s unanimous choice for 2015 Truck of the Year – spends just 15 days in dealer stock from the day it arrives on the showroom floor.

PIN also estimates that the Chevrolet Silverado’s retail market share in the full-size pickup segment was 27.2 percent in February, up 1.5 percentage points from a year ago, at the expense of Ford’s F-Series and FCA’s Ram. Average transaction prices rose by almost $1,700 per unit from a year ago. In addition, strong truck and crossover sales drove the GMC brand to its best February since 2002.

Highlights (vs. 2014 except as noted)

Chevrolet:

  • Chevrolet had its best February since 2008.
  • The new Trax small crossover, which began arriving in showrooms in December 2014, saw deliveries of 3,821 units.
  • The Camaro, Corvette and Spark were up 3 percent, 7 percent and 4 percent, respectively.
  • Tahoe sales were up 49 percent, Suburban sales more than doubled and the Traverse was up 28 percent for its best-ever February. The Equinox also had its best-ever February sales, with deliveries up 1 percent.
  • The Silverado was up 24 percent for its best February since 2007.

GMC:

  • The Yukon and Yukon XL were up 43 percent and 85 percent, respectively.
  • The Sierra, which has the highest average transaction prices of any pickup line in the industry, was up 6 percent.
  • GMC dealers delivered more than 2,500 Canyons, AutoWeek magazine’s “Best of the Best/Truck” for 2015. It was the vehicle’s best-ever February sales.
  • The Acadia was up 4 percent and Terrain was up 17 percent for its best-ever February.
  • The Denali series vehicles are now 21 percent of all GMC vehicles, up from 18 percent.

Buick:

  • Encore deliveries rose 60 percent for its best February ever. It remains the best-selling vehicle in the small crossover segment.

Cadillac:

  • Demand for the new Escalade continues to grow. Sales were up 86 percent for the vehicle’s best February since 2008.

Average Transaction Prices (ATPs):

  • ATPs were $34,700, according to PIN estimates through Feb. 22, up $2,700 per unit compared to a year ago.

Incentives:

  • Incentive spending as a percentage of ATPs was 9.7 percent in February, down 0.9 percentage points month over month, according to PIN estimates, while industry average spending was 9.9 percent of ATPs, up 0.1 points.

Fleet and Commercial:

  • Strong pickup, large SUV and crossover sales drove a 35-percent increase in Commercial deliveries, the 16th consecutive monthly year-over-year increase.
  • Strong pickup and SUV sales drove a 25-percent increase in government deliveries.

Industry Sales:

  • GM estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles in February was 16.5 million units.
  • Trucks, including pickups, SUVs and vans, accounted for 17.3 percent of the retail industry, according to PIN estimates, up 1.6 percentage points. Crossovers represented 39.2 percent of the market, up 1.2 percentage points, and cars represented 43.5 percent, down 2.8 percentage points.



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