GM December 2015 Sales Up 5.7%, 290,230 Units Sold; CY2015 Sales Up 5%

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GM, Chevrolet Lead with the Industry’s Largest Retail Market Share Increases of 2015
General Motors

January 5, 2016

• GM full-year retail sales up 8 percent; retail share up 0.4 percentage points
• Chevrolet grew retail market share faster than any other full-line brand in the industry in 2015
• GM Commercial deliveries up for 26th consecutive month

DETROIT – General Motors’ (NYSE: GM) Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands delivered 290,230 vehicles in December 2015, driven by an 8 percent year-over-year increase in retail deliveries and the company’s 26th consecutive month of Commercial sales growth. Total sales were up 6 percent.

For the year, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers delivered 3.1 million vehicles, driven by an 8 percent increase in retail deliveries compared to 2014. Total sales were up 5 percent.

“The momentum that the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra have carried all year, hits like the Chevrolet Trax and Colorado, and innovative designs like the GMC Canyon and Buick Encore, have had a tremendous positive impact on our sales results,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “In a record year for the industry, GM gained significant retail market share and we grew our Commercial business by 12 percent.”

GM’s retail deliveries have grown every month since March 2015, driven by strong crossover and truck sales. Retail market share for 2015 is estimated to be up 0.4 percentage points, the largest increase of any automaker, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates.

Chevrolet, GM’s largest brand, has increased its retail sales every month since March, and the brand’s 2015 retail market share is up 0.4 percentage points compared to 2014, according to PIN – the largest increase of any full-line brand.

"Chevrolet is the hottest retail franchise in the strongest market we have seen in this country,” said McNeil.

The GMC brand gained 0.2 percent points of retail market share.

Combined, Chevrolet and GMC sold 1.2 million trucks in 2015, up 14 percent compared to 2014. This includes 939,198 pickups. GM’s retail share of the full-size pickup segment improved by more than one percentage point to 39.2 percent, according to PIN. GM’s retail share of the mid-size pickup segment is now 32.5 percent, up from less than 5 percent in 2014, the launch year for the all-new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

In the crossover market, the Chevrolet Equinox has increased its sales for seven consecutive years. Five other crossovers, the Chevrolet Traverse, the Buick Encore, the GMC Acadia and Terrain, and the Cadillac SRX had their best-ever annual sales.

“The U.S. economy continues to expand and the most important factors that drive demand for new vehicles are in place, so we expect to see a second consecutive year of record industry sales in 2016,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM’s chief economist. “The single most important pieces are the ongoing gains in employment and the growth in personal income. When you add in lower energy prices, it’s easy to see why consumer spending is strong.”

December Sales Highlights vs. 2014 (except as noted)
Chevrolet

• Chevrolet had its best December sales since 2006 and its highest retail sales since 2005.
• Crossover deliveries were up 20 percent – the 13th consecutive monthly year- over-year increase.
• Truck deliveries, which include pickups, vans and SUVs, were up 10 percent. Silverado had its best December since 2005.
• Retail deliveries of the Suburban were up 24 percent and the Tahoe was up 25 percent.
• Volt retail deliveries, which are nearly all 2016 models, were up 41 percent and the retail days’ supply is only 10 days.
• The Sonic was up 34 percent in total and Cruze retail deliveries were up 20 percent for a December retail sales record.

GMC

• Truck deliveries were up 23 percent. The Sierra was up 17 percent, the Yukon was up 12 percent and the Yukon XL was up 39 percent.

Buick

• Buick had its best retail sales for any December since 2005.
• Regal total sales increased 42 percent and Encore total deliveries increased 110 percent.

Cadillac

• Cadillac had its best December sales since 2007.
• ATS and XTS deliveries were up 40 percent and 35 percent, respectively.
• SRX deliveries were up 44 percent and the Escalade was up 25 percent.

Full-year Sales Highlights vs. 2014 (except as noted)
Chevrolet

• Chevrolet had its best sales year since 2007.
• Silverado and Colorado deliveries totaled 684,974 units, up 27 percent.
• Crossover deliveries were a record 470,902 units, up 23 percent.
• Malibu sales increased 3 percent, and the new model is building momentum as dealers build their stock.

GMC

• GMC had its best year since 2005 and has grown its total and retail sales for six consecutive years.
• Sierra and Canyon sales totaled 254,216 units, up 18 percent.
• Acadia and Terrain sales were a record 208,423 units, up 10 percent.
• Yukon and Yukon XL sales were up 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
• Denali penetration was 23 percent – the highest ever – and the Sierra, Canyon, Yukon and Yukon XL had the highest average transaction prices in their respective segments.

Buick

• Encore sales were up 38 percent to a record 67,549 units.

Cadillac

• Cadillac sales were driven by a 28 percent increase in SRX deliveries and an 18 percent increase in Escalade deliveries.

Average Transaction Prices (J.D. Power PIN)

• GM’s average transaction prices (ATPs) were a record $37,000 in December, up $1,150 year over year. Full-year ATPs were a record $34,500, up $630 year over year.
• In December, GM’s incentive spending was 10.7 percent of ATP, down 0.1 percentage point year over year. Industry average spending was 10.7 percent of ATP, up 0.4 percentage points.
• GM’s full-year incentive spending was 11.2 percent of ATP, up 0.3 percentage points. Industry average spending was 10.5 percent, up 0.5 percentage points.

Fleet and Commercial

• During December, deliveries to Commercial customers were up 2 percent and government deliveries were up 8 percent. Deliveries to rental customers declined 14 percent, or 3,300 units, per plan.
• In 2015, Commercial deliveries were up 12 percent and government deliveries were up 2 percent. Rental deliveries were down 11 percent, or nearly 50,000 units, per plan. In the last two years, GM has grown its Commercial business by 38 percent to approximately 213,000 units.
• GM expects another significant reduction in rental deliveries during 2016.

SAAR

• The seasonally-adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles was an estimated 17.8 million units in December.
• Light vehicle volumes for 2015 are projected to be a record 17.5 million units, surpassing the year 2000, when 17.4 million vehicles were delivered.