Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealers in the United States delivered 319,108 new vehicles in December 2016, a 10 percent increase compared to December 2015. Sales of all four GM U.S. brands — Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC — increased on a year-over-year basis, outperforming the industry during the month. The performance enabled GM’s cumulative U.S. market share to rise 1.5 points to 18.8 percent.
Of the 319,108 vehicles delivered in December, 249,983 were delivered to individual or “retail” customers in the U.S., an increase of 3.4 percent from December 2015. The results represent GM’s best U.S. December retail sales performance since 2007. What’s more, initial estimates show that GM was the fastest-growing full-line automaker in December and in 2016, led by strong retail sales gains at Chevrolet.
“We finished 2016 with a strong December, reflecting the continued strength of GM’s U.S. retail and commercial businesses,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s vice president of U.S. Sales Operations. “We begin 2017 well positioned to continue growing our U.S. retail business, driven by all-new products like the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse being launched into key, growing U.S. market segments.”
GM continues to benefit from a strong U.S. economy and strong retail demand for its products.
“Key economic indicators, especially consumer confidence, continue to reflect optimism about the U.S. economy and strong customer demand continues to drive a very healthy U.S. auto industry,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM’s chief economist. “We believe the U.S. auto industry remains well-positioned for sales to continue at or near record levels in 2017.”
Sales Summary - December 2016 - General Motors - USA
| Sales | Sales Mix | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 319,108 | 290,230 | +10% | +28,878 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0% |
| Sale Type | December 2016 | December 2015 | December 2016 / December 2015 | December 2016 - December 2015 | December 2016 | December 2015 | December 2016 - December 2015 |
| Retail | 249,983 | 241,724 | +3.4% | +8,259 | 78.3% | 83.3% | -4.9% |
| Fleet | 69,125 | 48,506 | +42.5% | +20,619 | 21.7% | 16.7% | +4.9% |
December 2016 sales notes and items of interest (vs. December 2015, except as noted):
General Motors sales overview:
Sale types:
- Retail sales increased 3.4 percent or 8,259 vehicles to 249,983 units, accounting for 78.3 percent of total sales. The results enabled GM’s retail market share to rise 0.3 points to 17.6 percent. The automaker has gained retail market share in 18 of the past 21 months.
- Chevrolet retail sales were up 8.1 percent to 163,452 units for its best December since 2005
- GMC retail sales were down 3.8 percent to 50,597 units
- Buick retail sales were down 0.6 percent to 18,873 units
- Cadillac retail sales were down 10 percent to 17,061 units
- Fleet sales totaled 69,125 units, up 42.5 percent or 20,619 units, over December 2015, accounting for 21.7 percent of total sales:
- Daily rental sales were up an unspecified amount, but finished 2016 down nearly 74,000 vehicles or 18 percent compared to 2015. GM’s daily rental sales in 2016 were 10.7 percent of total GM sales
- On a vehicle basis:
- Malibu Commercial deliveries were up 35 percent
- Large van Commercial deliveries were up 7 percent
- Large pick-up Commercial deliveries were up 4 percent
Average Transaction Prices (ATPs) & Incentives (based on JD Power PIN estimates through December 25, 2016):
- ATPs:
- GM’s ATPs, which reflect retail transaction prices after sales incentives, were $36,386 in December, over $4,000 above the industry average and up $470 from November 2016
- For the 2016 calendar year, GM ATPs were $35,371, more that $4,260 above the industry average and up $720 over the 2015 average
- Incentive Spending:
- In December, GM’s incentive spending as a percent of ATP was 13 percent, lower than in November
- For the year, GM’s incentive spending as a percent of ATP was 11.9 percent, well below the incentive spending of its domestic competitors and many of its global competitors.
Inventory:
- December month-end inventory was 844,942 units for a 71 days supply, a decrease of 29,238 units and 16 days from the 874,162 units and 87 days supply at the end of November 2016
SAAR:
- GM estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles in December was approximately 18.2 million units. On a calendar-year-to-date basis, GM estimates the light vehicle SAAR was 17.5 million units, a new calendar year record for the U.S.
Chevrolet sales increased 12.8 percent to 212,959 units:
- Chevrolet Bolt EV sales totaled 579 units
- Chevrolet Camaro sales increased 30.45 percent to 7,000 units
- Chevrolet Caprice sales decreased 43.64 percent to 124 units
- Chevrolet Colorado sales increased 19.24 percent to 9,431 units
- Chevrolet Commercial Truck sales totaled 729 units
- Chevrolet Corvette sales increased 10.44 percent to 2,709 units
- Chevrolet Cruze sales increased 2.82 percent to 17,324 units
- Chevrolet Equinox sales increased 24.59 percent to 27,195 units
- Chevrolet Express sales increased 5.46 percent to 7,763 units
- Chevrolet Impala sales increased 19.14 percent to 10,794 units
- Chevrolet Malibu sales increased 87.28 percent to 22,764 units
- Chevrolet SS sales decreased 29.85 percent to 94 units
- Chevrolet Silverado sales decreased 13.84 percent to 54,272 units
- Chevrolet Sonic sales decreased 12.59 percent to 6,375 units
- Chevrolet Spark sales increased 207.59 percent to 4,257 units
- Chevrolet Suburban sales increased 19.26 percent to 7,573 units
- Chevrolet Tahoe sales increased 21.73 percent to 11,897 units
- Chevrolet Traverse sales increased 13.54 percent to 10,381 units
- Chevrolet Trax sales increased 50.42 percent to 8,007 units
- Chevrolet Volt sales increased 74.6 percent to 3,691 units
Cadillac sales increased 3.2 percent to 21,446 units:
- Cadillac ATS sales decreased 33.58 percent to 2,292 units
- Cadillac CT6 sales totaled 1,293 units
- Cadillac CTS sales decreased 30.48 percent to 1,697 units
- Cadillac ELR sales decreased 97.78 percent to 3 units
- Cadillac Escalade sales increased 23.51 percent to 3,388 units
- Cadillac Escalade ESV sales increased 8.77 percent to 2,084 units
- Cadillac SRX sales decreased 98.24 percent to 124 units
- Cadillac XT5 sales totaled 7,436 units
- Cadillac XTS sales increased 1.92 percent to 3,129 units
Buick sales increased 2.8 percent to 21,288 units:
- Buick Cascada sales totaled 629 units
- Buick Enclave sales decreased 35.98 percent to 3,800 units
- Buick Encore sales increased 19.34 percent to 7,755 units
- Buick Envision sales totaled 3,931 units
- Buick LaCrosse sales decreased 10.51 percent to 2,826 units
- Buick Regal sales decreased 49.09 percent to 1,309 units
- Buick Verano sales decreased 59.21 percent to 1,038 units
GMC sales increased 5.8 percent to 63,415 units:
- GMC Acadia sales increased 67.75 percent to 12,189 units
- GMC Canyon sales increased 34.93 percent to 4,048 units
- GMC Savana sales increased 55.2 percent to 4,316 units
- GMC Sierra sales decreased 15.12 percent to 23,290 units
- GMC Terrain sales decreased 22.89 percent to 7,440 units
- GMC Yukon sales increased 19.07 percent to 6,276 units
- GMC Yukon XL sales increased 29.1 percent to 5,856 units
Sales Results - December 2016 - USA - Chevrolet
| MODEL | DEC 2016 / DEC 2015 | DECEMBER 2016 | DECEMBER 2015 | YTD 2016 / YTD 2015 | YTD 2016 | YTD 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOLT EV | * | 579 | * | * | 579 | * |
| CAMARO | +30.45% | 7,000 | 5,366 | -6.19% | 72,705 | 77,502 |
| CAPRICE | -43.64% | 124 | 220 | -44.66% | 1,021 | 1,845 |
| COLORADO | +19.24% | 9,431 | 7,909 | +28.78% | 108,725 | 84,430 |
| COMMERCIAL TRUCK | * | 729 | * | * | 7,019 | * |
| CORVETTE | +10.44% | 2,709 | 2,453 | -10.00% | 29,995 | 33,329 |
| CRUZE | +2.82% | 17,324 | 16,849 | -16.65% | 188,876 | 226,602 |
| EQUINOX | +24.59% | 27,195 | 21,827 | -12.75% | 242,195 | 277,589 |
| EXPRESS | +5.46% | 7,763 | 7,361 | +7.30% | 68,007 | 63,382 |
| IMPALA | +19.14% | 10,794 | 9,060 | -16.96% | 97,006 | 116,825 |
| MALIBU | +87.28% | 22,764 | 12,155 | +16.95% | 227,881 | 194,854 |
| SILVERADO | -13.84% | 54,272 | 62,992 | -4.27% | 574,876 | 600,544 |
| SONIC | -12.59% | 6,375 | 7,293 | -14.70% | 55,255 | 64,775 |
| SPARK | +207.59% | 4,257 | 1,384 | +8.09% | 35,511 | 32,853 |
| SS | -29.85% | 94 | 134 | +4.08% | 3,013 | 2,895 |
| SUBURBAN | +19.26% | 7,573 | 6,350 | +18.12% | 60,082 | 50,866 |
| TAHOE | +21.73% | 11,897 | 9,773 | +16.94% | 103,306 | 88,342 |
| TRAVERSE | +13.54% | 10,381 | 9,143 | -2.70% | 116,701 | 119,945 |
| TRAX | +50.42% | 8,007 | 5,323 | +25.36% | 79,016 | 63,030 |
| VOLT | +74.60% | 3,691 | 2,114 | +60.72% | 24,739 | 15,393 |
| CHEVROLET TOTAL | +12.80% | 212,959 | 188,794 | -1.36% | 2,096,508 | 2,125,347 |
Sales Results - December 2016 - USA - Cadillac
| MODEL | DEC 2016 / DEC 2015 | DECEMBER 2016 | DECEMBER 2015 | YTD 2016 / YTD 2015 | YTD 2016 | YTD 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | -33.58% | 2,292 | 3,451 | -19.98% | 21,505 | 26,873 |
| CT6 | * | 1,293 | * | * | 9,169 | * |
| CTS | -30.48% | 1,697 | 2,441 | -18.34% | 15,911 | 19,485 |
| ELR | -97.78% | 3 | 135 | -47.85% | 534 | 1,024 |
| ESCALADE | +23.51% | 3,388 | 2,743 | +11.18% | 23,604 | 21,230 |
| ESCALADE ESV | +8.77% | 2,084 | 1,916 | +5.43% | 15,488 | 14,691 |
| SRX | -98.24% | 124 | 7,031 | -67.84% | 22,139 | 68,850 |
| XT5 | * | 7,436 | * | * | 39,485 | * |
| XTS | +1.92% | 3,129 | 3,070 | -4.07% | 22,171 | 23,112 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | +3.17% | 21,446 | 20,787 | -3.00% | 170,006 | 175,267 |
Sales Results - December 2016 - USA - Buick
| MODEL | DEC 2016 / DEC 2015 | DECEMBER 2016 | DECEMBER 2015 | YTD 2016 / YTD 2015 | YTD 2016 | YTD 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASCADA | * | 629 | * | * | 7,153 | * |
| ENCLAVE | -35.98% | 3,800 | 5,936 | -16.19% | 52,028 | 62,081 |
| ENCORE | +19.34% | 7,755 | 6,498 | +16.31% | 78,565 | 67,549 |
| ENVISION | * | 3,931 | * | * | 14,193 | * |
| LACROSSE | -10.51% | 2,826 | 3,158 | -34.38% | 27,582 | 42,035 |
| REGAL | -49.09% | 1,309 | 2,571 | +1.69% | 19,833 | 19,504 |
| VERANO | -59.21% | 1,038 | 2,545 | -5.05% | 30,277 | 31,886 |
| BUICK TOTAL | +2.80% | 21,288 | 20,708 | +2.95% | 229,631 | 223,055 |
Sales Results - December 2016 - USA - GMC
| MODEL | DEC 2016 / DEC 2015 | DECEMBER 2016 | DECEMBER 2015 | YTD 2016 / YTD 2015 | YTD 2016 | YTD 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACADIA | +67.75% | 12,189 | 7,266 | -8.22% | 88,466 | 96,393 |
| CANYON | +34.93% | 4,048 | 3,000 | +24.51% | 37,449 | 30,077 |
| SAVANA | +55.20% | 4,316 | 2,781 | -6.30% | 20,607 | 21,992 |
| SIERRA | -15.12% | 23,290 | 27,438 | -1.10% | 221,680 | 224,139 |
| TERRAIN | -22.89% | 7,440 | 9,649 | -21.52% | 87,925 | 112,030 |
| YUKON | +19.07% | 6,276 | 5,271 | +25.07% | 53,447 | 42,732 |
| YUKON XL | +29.10% | 5,856 | 4,536 | +18.25% | 37,054 | 31,334 |
| GMC TOTAL | +5.80% | 63,415 | 59,941 | -2.16% | 546,628 | 558,697 |
Sales Results - December 2016 - USA - GM Totals
| BRAND | DEC 2016 / DEC 2015 | DECEMBER 2016 | DECEMBER 2015 | YTD 2016 / YTD 2015 | YTD 2016 | YTD 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEVROLET TOTAL | +12.80% | 212,959 | 188,794 | -1.36% | 2,096,508 | 2,125,347 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | +3.17% | 21,446 | 20,787 | -3.00% | 170,006 | 175,267 |
| BUICK TOTAL | +2.80% | 21,288 | 20,708 | +2.95% | 229,631 | 223,055 |
| GMC TOTAL | +5.80% | 63,415 | 59,941 | -2.16% | 546,628 | 558,697 |
| GM USA TOTAL | +9.95% | 319,108 | 290,230 | -1.28% | 3,042,773 | 3,082,366 |
About The Numbers
- There were 27 selling days in December 2016 and 28 selling days in December 2015
- Chevrolet totals include discontinued Captiva Sport
- Starting in September 2016, GM began reporting sales of the Chevrolet City Express and Low Cab Forward on a single line entitled Commercial Truck
Further Reading & Sales Reporting
- GM news
- Running GM sales results
- Running Chevrolet sales results
- Running Cadillac sales results
- Running Buick sales results
- Running GMC sales results
- December 2016 GM sales results
- U.S. December 2016 GM sales results
- December 2016 Chevrolet sales results
- December 2016 Cadillac sales results
- December 2016 Buick sales results
- December 2016 GMC sales results
- December 2016 GM China sales results
- December 2016 GM Canada sales results
- Global December 2016 Cadillac sales results
- U.S. December 2016 GM sales results
Comments
That’s a lot of fleet sales! Still down for the year, but GM was pushing product late in the year.
Cadillac is sobering. After all their work over the past ten years, starting with the CTS and then followed by ATS and CT6…they are still basically a large SUV and front-wheel drive company.
But, that’s kind of how it is for many luxury companies. Porsche fans like to think of themselves of the 911 company, but most of their sales now come from their CUVs (Cayenne and Macan).
Cadillac is GM’s failed experiment in trying to be BMW. As you point out, the Cadillac SUVs sell well, the large Cadillac FWD sedans sell well, the small RWD “sporty” Cadillacs (CTS and ATS) do not sell well. And to think that GM sees “the future of Cadillac” in the products that don’t sell well, rather than those that do. Cadillac needs to go back to being an American luxury brand, rather than trying to be a German sporty car brand. But I doubt they’ll admit failure, thus Cadillac sales will continue to decline for another decade or more.
Sure, when you consider the fact that the Cadillac brand has been serving the “soft luxury” segment for decades (nearly half a century, really) and has become one of the dominant forces in the segment, the sales performance of such vehicles as the XTS is easily explained. But that’s not the point.
What is the point? The point is that the luxury car market has moved away from the likes of the XTS in masses. Keyword: in masses.
What that means is that the XTS, Lexus ES, Buick LaCrosse, Lincoln Continental (and possibly the Lincoln MKZ) account for all the available sales volume in the “soft luxury” segment. Meanwhile, the other luxury car segments — the ones you like to refer to as “sporty” or “RWD” — have substantially eclipsed, are eclipsing, and will continue to eclipse the soft luxury space. We’re not talking about a handful of units, either… we’re talking about a difference of 50x (50 times) on a global level.
Before asking others to admit failure, it would be poignant to consider that it will take time to establish Cadillac in the highly-competitive “sport luxury” segments *in which it has never been dominant* and that, similarly, it will take time to establish positive brand mind share as a true alternative to the Germans, Lexus, Infiniti, Jaguar, etc. It just so happens that we are square dab in the middle of this colossal transition, so let’s not miss the forest for the trees.
Alex, don’t you think that the “sports luxury” segment is already well-served if not outright crowded? Cadillac used to own the segment you call “soft luxury” or I might call “American luxury” or “luxury cruiser” cars – roomy, comfortable, stylish, well-powered, comfortable luxury interior, etc. And the XTS and Escalade still fit that mold, and they SELL. Like it or not, that’s the Cadillac brand in the public’s mind. Whatever the ATS and CTS are, they aren’t selling as Cadillacs. Maybe under a German nameplate they would sell, I don’t know.
You say that “sporty luxury” sales have eclipsed “soft luxury” and will continue to eclipse them. Do you mean you think that from here, there will be far more growth in “sporty luxury” than “soft luxury”? If so, how can you know this to be true? Don’t demographics point to a physically larger and older population in the future? Might the fad of “sports luxury” fade at some point, with a tilt back toward “soft luxury”? Isn’t BMW themselves moving slightly toward more comfortable riding cars, and slightly away from “performance handling”?
Cadillac was so proud of itself that it out-BMWed BMW with the ATS, which did even better test-track times (and was even more cramped and hard-riding) than the BMW Series 3 – yet the ATS sales have been dismal. Just because the auto-writers loved the ATS for matching their personal standards, didn’t mean the public would embrace the ATS and buy it.
At some point a business has to decide what works for them, not what works for someone else. Let’s look at this realistically, either the move to remake Cadillac as a “sporty/performance” brand will either succeed or it will fail. You say the Cadillac needs to give the remaking more time, rather than admitting failure and focusing on what works for them (i.e. American luxury comfort, not German/sport luxury “performance”). But how long do you continue the same failed strategy before you realize it’s not working? The CTS is in its 3rd generation. It’s a nice-looking car, but it doesn’t have the ride that Cadillac owners want, and it doesn’t have the German badge that German/sports buyers want.
Michael Jordan once thought he could remake himself as a baseball player. Bruce Jenner thought he could remake himself as a woman. It seems to me that there are too many people at GM/Cadillac who are “sure” that remaking the company as a German/sports luxury brand, and conceding the American luxury cruiser market to Lincoln and Lexus is the right thing to do. They’ll just keep pounding their heads against the brick wall, convinced they are doing the right thing, that it will eventually work.
What a shame that Cadillac is throwing away 100 years of successful brand history on something that isn’t working. It’s not too late to turn back, but in another 5-10 years it will be. I just hate to see the premier American luxury cruiser brand killed off, in a failed attempt to create yet another German sport brand. There’s no way – despite whatever confidence you and GM may have – to “know” where the market will be in the future, or whether a strategy which is now failing for Cadillac will actually be a winner for them after more time. But we do know what is working for Cadillac now, and what is not working, and it seems silly to me to dump what works for Cadillac in favor of what does not work for them.
Alex, how can you say that people are moving away from the likes of the XTS when it outsold both the ATS and the CTS. May I point out that the 3 closest “American” cars (XTS, Escalade/ESV, SRX) were only 3,000 units away from out selling the 5 “German” cars (ATS, CTS, CT6, ELR, XT5). Maybe if Cadillac had kept the SRX, then they would not have sold 5200 units fewer than 2015.
Drew, I could not agree with you more. Cadillac is an american brand that is trying (and failing) to become as German as possible. Just look at their 2015 sales… they made the SRX/XT5 into a very “German” car and they just barely sold half the number of cars. Even after the SRX was replaced by the XT5, the SRX still came close to selling the same number of cars as the XT5 this year. Now I have hope for the CT6, its not a bad car, its biggest setback is the price. No matter how much Cadillac tries to create a younger image of itself, it will most likely always still have a mostly older customer base. Also, Cadillac needs to get rid of the CUE system, its a great concept, but I`m pretty sure no one likes the touch controls, BRING BACK REAL BUTTONS AND KNOBS CADILLAC!!! I was reading an article the other day, and this guy said “the reason why Cadillac is selling the most Escalades is because deep down its a true blue american truck”, and i have to agree, to me that and the XTS are the most american cars left in their lineup. I think its sad when both Buick and GMC out sell Cadillac and they both have 2 fewer models.
Thank you Henry. Not only do I feel that it makes more sense for Cadillac to provide the American version of luxury rather than the German one, but that’s how the public still perceives Cadillac, despite the recent attempts to turn Cadillac into a German wanna-be. When people think of “the Cadillac ride”, what comes to mind? What “the Cadillac ride” means is the smoothest, most comfortable ride on the road, not some harsh “feel the road” German-wannabe thing. Cadillac became the top luxury brand in the USA by offering a set of standards that no one else this side of Rolls Royce could match, but they seem determined to throw away that hard-earned legacy, just when the US population is aging and would appreciate a roomy comfortable ride.
There’s a theory that the people who prefer traditional Cadillac values are “dying off”, i.e. that eventually no one will want the roomy, impressive, well-powered, comfortable riding, nice interior technology cars segment that Cadillac used to rule. Dying off! As if people’s tastes never change as they get older. If that were true, adults would prefer bubblegum and cherry soda to steak and scotch. Yet this strange theory has taken a strong hold at GM/Cadillac, that if you love a sporty hard-riding car at age 25 to 45, you’ll still want that at age 55 to 95. Personally I liked the Cadillac ride even as a teenager, on those rare instances I had that opportunity. But even if age is important to most Cadillac sales, I don’t think people will stop getting older.
If GM wanted to create a division to compete with the German sports sedans – and there’s no reason they should have done this – they could have turned Corvette into a brand, instead of just one car. But why kill Cadillac in order to pursue a market that is already so competitive, and where established US brands are scorned out of habit? I don’t even think most people buy BMWs because they are sporty and can take turns at high speeds, I think they buy them simply as status symbols. The automotive press loves sport-riding cars with fast test track times, so they tell the public “buy this” and thus BMW sales grow. It’s amazing how many BMW owners get their status symbols and put up with the harsh ride, but that’s their problem. Most daily commuters and highway cruisers just want a nice comfortable ride, not a recreational toy that does fast times through winding mountain roads. Cadillac needs to sell the advantage of their traditional comfortable ride, rather than being embarrassed by it and running away from it.
As to the CT6, while that’s a step in the right direction vs. the BMW-wannabe ATS and CTS, it’s effectively a hybrid between German luxury and American luxury, not a truly American luxury car. It’s a little undersized for an American luxury flagship, and the ride is too harsh to be a true American luxury car as well.
JD Power reviewed the CT6 thusly: “Normal, Sport, and Snow/Ice driving modes adjust the car’s response, but even in Normal mode the CT6 feels too taut and stiff. Choose Sport mode and the steering is excessively heavy while the suspension delivers an almost brittle ride quality. Cadillac would do well to calibrate a Comfort driving mode, one supplying gentle throttle tip-in, light and effortless steering, and the wafting ride that affluent passengers may prefer.”.
As to the CUE system, yes everyone hates that. I’ve talked with Cadillac dealers who are very disappointed that the new Cadillacs don’t have the buttons and knobs that their customers want. I don’t know if they CUE was meant to be modern or just cheap, but it doesn’t seem to make anyone happy (well maybe a designer likes the look). Interestingly, Lincoln went to something similar, then abandoned it on the new Continental, going back to buttons and knobs. In fact the new Continental, while something of a knock-off of other cars rather than a style leader, makes some smart moves – it doesn’t try to imitate the Germans, but in fact presents a traditional American luxury experience. It would be sad if Cadillac concedes to traditional American luxury market to Lincoln (and Lexus), when it could be ruling it if it chose to do so.
The YTD numbers for Chevy do not add up correctly; hence the % down is way off.
Thanks for pointing that out. Fixed.
The cars in reserve are down 16 days. If they can continue this trend they should be back to levels near where they should be.
Now with higher gas it is possible we will see a jump in car sales for a few months to so that should help to.
While many saw the sky falling GM is in pretty good shape compared to most MFG and they should weather this well. The hunt for better numbers should never stop and I expect with the coming new small SUV models and already with the new car lines we should see a bump for the next few months.
The only real issue may be if Wall St continues to do well as many people keep their money in when it is up and take it out to buy cars and such when it drops.
The new admin coming in has spurred many MFG into expecting improved economic conditions for their growth and that will keep the market doing well.
My 401K should do much better this year.
Cadillac’s numbers are a mixed bag.
Escalade continues to bring home the bacon.
Sedans are struggling for almost all manufacturers.
Cadillac had no way to predict the SUV craze that was to come at the time the ATS was being approved and developed.
Cadillac crossovers are on the way.
JdN is shaping up as Cadillac’s version of the Bengals’ head coach, Marvin Lewis: 13 years, zero playoff wins. Why some guys get yanked after 4-5 weak years, and others get a pass, I’ll never know.
JdN could start by rethinking his marketing staff (Uwe and co.). But give a guy a $12b salary cap and the marque is riding on a.) the Escalade, and b) China. (And China could change pretty quickly, given the new man in the White House).
So we’ll see.
Porsche and BMW and Audi and Lexus) were way ahead of the crossover revolution – vehicles that seemed blasphemous to their respective brands at the time, but they laid a roadmap GM was unwilling or unable to follow.
EvDave – thank you for a sane, level-headed take of Cadillac’s developments.
Captain Carl — what do you want JdN to do, exactly? His options are:
1. Market product (and names) that are going to be replaced within the next two calendar years or less
2. Market product that has not shipped yet (crossovers and CT# replacements of current sedans and coupes)
3. Get the house in order by addressing retail-level issues and brand-level issues on the marketing side, while not sinking the boat with incentives on current products
4. Put as much focus on future product as possible to ensure their excellence and subsequent performance in the market place
The above are pretty much his only options at the moment. If I were in his shoes, I would be focusing on items 3 and 4 as much as possible. And guess what? Looks like him and his team are doing just that.
That said, it was an oversight in the product planning process to only green light one crossover for Cadillac. But guess what — that was pre-JdN.
Also, the marque is far from “riding on” China or the Escalade. China brings in only a fraction of the profits that GMNA does, while the rest of the lineup are highly profitable in their own right, including the ATS and CTS that everyone loves to pick on for their “lower than pie-in-the-sky expectations” of sales volume.
Can’t I just complain without having to justify my errant ways? Jeez.
Yeah, 3 and 4, most likely. Although I’d have considered a X3/Macan-sized version of the Escalade and work with what’s working. And … I’d try to not get distracted by men’s fashion and coffee,
The Marvin Lewis thing – well, someone who looks remarkably like me spent too much time watching football and dodging the in-laws.
I’m not a nabob of negativism. In any event,
here’s to an interesting 2017. Cheers — CC
Nothing personal Captain but you are not alone in thinking that JdN is the architect of the current Cadillac product mix.
He has only been on the job since July 2014 so all the current Cadillac models were not his doing.
Any products that he has green lit since he took over will not see the showroom for 2-3 more years.
As far as being distracted by fashion shows and coffee shops that takes very little away from their focus on vehicles. The engineers and product designers are not working on runway construction and coffee shop layouts.
Have you seen any of the Cadillac commercials lately, it is literally just a bunch of “hipsters” walking through a city with the car in the background. Don’t get me wrong, JdN isn’t the worst prez. in the world, but his current and future designs look…. eh. Many people (including myself) thought the 1st gen. SRX/CTS/XLR had great designs. Even the 2nd gen. CTS/SRX designs weren’t bad…. they were unique, How many other cars do you see that are still sharp and bold? None, they all have the same boring design.
Looks like the XT5 will be the bread and butter the SRX was . Very solid numbers .
It does seem the CT6 is struggling , its been out long enough that its numbers should be higher , even the old XTS sold almost 3 times as many cars .
Its going to be a tough 3 more years for Cadillac until JDN’s cars start to show up . That’s alot of lost revenue . But if they are looking log term this might just be the worst time before things start to turn around .
I do not think anyone thought that the CT6 would sell in large volumes. It will never sell as many as even the XTS. It has a much higher starting price and ATP.
I expect the flood of new products to begin 2 years from now.
Until then Cadillac should make special editions and performance versions of it’s newer models like the CT6 and XT5.
Does anyone know if the XT3 will debut at any of the auto shows this year?
i dont like this