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General Motors China Sales Up 16 Percent To 345,448 Vehicles In March 2017

General Motors and its joint ventures recorded 345,448 new vehicle deliveries in China in March 2017, an increase of 16 percent from March 2016. The results represent a March sales record and the company’s largest year-over-year growth since last August.

The Buick, Cadillac and Baojun brands each posted new March sales records. Deliveries of GM SUVs jumped 45 percent year-over-year, while MPV deliveries increased 23 percent. The Baojun 510, Cadillac XT5, and Buick GL8 remained hot. SUVs, MPVs and luxury cars accounted for roughly half of GM’s March sales in China.

“SUVs, MPVs and luxury vehicles will help us further tap into the market’s growth potential,” said GM Executive Vice President and GM China President Matt Tsien. “We will continue to expand and upgrade our offerings across segments. Many of our new models will be on display at this month’s Auto Shanghai 2017.”

GM will launch 18 new and refreshed models this year in China to support continued growth in the company’s largest retail market. Half of the models being introduced in 2017 under the Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands will be SUVs or MPVs.

Shanghai GM Sales – March 2017

March 2017 sales at Shanghai GM — GM’s primary joint venture in China responsible for Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac vehicle sales — were as follows.

Chevrolet China Sales – March 2017

Chevrolet sales increased 4.3 percent to 34,750 units, with:

  • Chevrolet Malibu sales increased over 54 percent; the model represents Chevy’s flagship in China
  • Chevrolet Cavalier sales surpassed 10,000 units for the fourth time since its launch in September

The brand’s best-selling global SUV, the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, goes on sale today in China. In addition, Chevrolet is also expanding its engine and transmission lineup in China, with the upcoming introduction of a 1.0T engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Buick China Sales – March 2017

Buick sales increased 21 percent to 88,519 units, with:

  • Buick GL8 sales jumped 92 percent, fueled by the new GL8 and GL8 Avenir launched in November
  • Buick Envision sales topped 16,000 sales

Last month, the brand announced the Buick Velite 5 — its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV). Essentially a Buick-badged second-generation Chevrolet Volt, the vehicle has fuel consumption as low as 0.9 liter/100 kilometers. In the coming two years, the brand will launch plug-in hybrid and pure battery electric vehicles to expand its green car lineup. In addition, the brand will also announce the all-new 2018 Buick Regal at the Auto Shanghai 2017 next month. It will build on the success of the popular premium sedan nameplate.

Cadillac China Sales – March 2017

Cadillac sales jumped 63 percent to 12,369 units, representing the brand’s 13th consecutive month of double-digit sales growth:

SAIC-GM-Wuling Sales – March 2017

Sales results at GM’s other Chinese joint venture — SAIC-GM-Wuling — were as follows:

Baojun China Sales – March 2017

Baojun sales grew 81 percent year-over-year to 81,353 units:

  • Baojun 510 sales totaled 16,443 units in its first full month on the market
  • Baojun 310 sales exceeded 10,000 units for the sixth consecutive month, growing in popularity in the small sedan market
  • Baojun 730 MPV sales increased 38 percent to exceed 30,000 units, strengthening its segment-leading position

Wuling China Sales – March 2017

Wuling deliveries totaled 128,501 units, cementing its dominant position in the commercial vehicle market despite the segment’s continued contraction.

Hong Guang S MPV sales increased 22 percent to 46,000 units, making further inroads into the passenger car segment

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to March 2016, except as noted
  • Starting with April 2015 sales results, GM began reporting retail sales rather than wholesales in China. All numbers above represent retail sales.

Further Reading & Sales Reporting

GM Authority Executive Editor with a passion for business strategy and fast cars.

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Comments

  1. Buick is going nowhere but up!!

    Reply
  2. Reply
  3. They gm will recover.

    Reply
  4. Chevrolet, GMs global brand, is weak in China with a heavy Delta based Cavalier leading the sales pack.
    How does Chevrolet stack up againt other “value” marquees?

    Reply
    1. It’s not Delta-based and it’s not heavy:

      http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/09/all-new-d2xx-based-cruze-as-much-as-276-pounds-lighter-than-outgoing-model/

      Chevy is comparable from a sales standpoint to other mainstream brands. It’s facing two primary challenges in China:

      1. Local/domestic brands (like SGMW’s own Baojun) that are much cheaper and have worse product
      2. Lack of crossovers: until the new Equinox, the brand has only had the Captiva in China… which is not competitive nor is it built in high volumes.

      The new Cruze along with the Trax, Equinox and next-gen Blazer should all significantly help Chevy in China.

      Reply

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