Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealers in the United States delivered 229,296 new vehicles in November 2015, a 1.5 percent increase compared to November 2014. Sales of Chevrolet and Cadillac were up, while those of Buick and GMC were down.
“The phenomenal growth of crossovers in a record-setting market is the biggest sales story of 2015,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “Buick was one of the pioneers of the fast-growing small crossover segment with the Encore. Chevrolet’s crossover sales growth is far outpacing the rest of the industry, thanks to the Trax, Equinox and Traverse. And the GMC Terrain is on track to have its best year ever.”
Crossovers remained a hot-ticket item, with total Chevrolet crossover sales up 35 percent at Chevrolet, 11 percent at Buick, 12 percent at GMC, and 53 percent at Cadillac. Industry-wide, crossovers now account for 40 percent of the retail industry, up from 37 percent a year ago.
“We believe U.S. auto sales will continue to grow in 2016, based on the underlying strength of the economy, and we expect customers will continue to embrace crossovers and SUVs because they are meeting their fundamental needs for utility, comfort and fuel efficiency,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM chief economist.
November 2015 highlights (vs. November 2014, except as noted):
- General Motors:
- Sales types:
- Total sales grew 1.5 percent to 229,296 units
- Retail sales were up 4 percent
- Total fleet sales were down 9 percent and represented 20.1 percent share of total sales (roughly 46,000 units):
- Deliveries to commercial customers were up 6 percent
- Government deliveries were up 2 percent
- Rental sales were down 16 percent per plan
- Calendar year to date, commercial deliveries are up 13 percent, government deliveries are up 1 percent, and rental deliveries are down 11 percent
- November 2015 had two fewer selling days than November 2014, and GM’s sales incentives were below the industry average. On a selling-day-adjusted basis, GM’s total sales were up 10 percent and retail sales were up 14 percent.
- GM gained an estimated 1.0 points of retail market share to reach 16.5 percent during the month for the company’s eighth consecutive year-over-year increase.
- Based on J.D. Power PIN estimates, Average Transaction Prices (ATP) were a record $35,800, up about $740 from October 2015 and up about $580 year-over-year.
- GM’s incentive spending was 10.0 percent of ATP, down 1.6 percentage points from October 2015 and down 1.2 percentage points year-over-year.
- Industry average spending was 10.5 percent of ATP in November, down 0.3 percentage points month-over-month and up 0.2 percentage points year-over-year.
- The seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles was an estimated 18.2 million units in November. The six-month moving average for the SAAR is now estimated to be 17.9 million units. The industry’s best sales year ever was 2000, when 17.8 million light vehicles were delivered.
- Inventory at month end was:
- 691,133 units
- 69 days supply (selling day adjusted)
- Sales types:
- Chevrolet sales were up 4.83 percent to 156,907 units:
- Chevy retail deliveries were up 13 percent, the highest of any manufacturer in November, marking the eighth straight month of retail sales growth:
- Retail crossover sales were up 26 percent
- Retail truck sales were up 12 percent
- Retail car sales were up 5 percent
- Camaro sales were up 20.94 percent to 5,303 units
- City Express sales were up 3,370 percent to 833 units
- Chevrolet truck sales grew 10 percent for the 20th consecutive monthly increase:
- Colorado sales were up 163.31 percent to 6,230 units
- Silverado sales were up 5.14 percent to 45,001 units, the highest for any November since 2003; Silverado retail sales were the highest for any November since 2006, having now increased for 16 consecutive months.
- Chevrolet crossover sales grew 35 percent for the 12th consecutive monthly increase:
- Equinox sales were up 5.92 percent to 19,634 units, its best November ever
- Traverse sales were up 10.82 percent to 8,684 units while posting its best November retail sales result
- Trax sales totaled 6,481 units
- Express sales were up 19.94 percent to 5,371 units
- Impala sales were up 11.37 percent to 10,494 units
- SS sales were up 40.95 percent to 148 units
- Suburban sales were up 3.39 percent to 5,216 units
- Volt sales were up 48.20 percent to 1,980 units, its best November on both a total and retail basis
- All other Chevrolet models posted year-over-year decreases in sales
- Chevy retail deliveries were up 13 percent, the highest of any manufacturer in November, marking the eighth straight month of retail sales growth:
- Cadillac sales were up 1.84 percent to 13,390 units:
- Cadillac had the highest ATPs among full-line luxury brands at approximately $55,000, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates
- ATS sales were down 9.95 percent to 2,055 units
- CTS sales were down 49.96 percent to 1,224 units
- ELR sales were down 56.77 percent to 67 units
- Escalade sales were down 20.61 percent to 1,672 units, and Escalade ESV sales were up 16.05 percent to 1,309 units
- SRX sales were up 52.72 percent to 5,087 units
- XTS sales were up 16.44 percent to 1,976 units
- Buick sales dipped 16.63 percent to 15,960 units:
- Enclave sales were up 9.37 percent to 4,658 units
- Encore sales were up 12.15 percent to 5,133 units and retail sales of the subcompact CUV were up 50 percent; the Encore is on track to set a full-year sales record.
- All other Buick models posted year-over-year declines in sales
- GMC sales dipped 1.86 percent to 43,039 units:
- Acadia sales were up 5.74 percent to 6,776 units
- Canyon was up 161.83 percent to 2,236 units
- Savana was up 100.98 percent to 1,439 units
- Terrain was up 16.31 percent to 8,999 units
- Yukon was up 23.47 percent to 3,925 units while the Yukon XL was up 29.84 percent to 3,137 units
- Sierra sales were down a notable 26.69 percent to 16,527 units
Sales Results - November 2015 - USA - Chevrolet
| MODEL | NOV 2015 / NOV 2014 | NOVEMBER 2015 | NOVEMBER 2014 | YTD 2015 / YTD 2014 | YTD 2015 | YTD 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAMARO | +20.94% | 5,303 | 4,385 | -9.46% | 72,136 | 79,669 |
| CAPRICE | -31.94% | 196 | 288 | -52.75% | 1,625 | 3,439 |
| CAPTIVA SPORT | -100.00% | 0 | 78 | -99.84% | 55 | 35,353 |
| CITY EXPRESS | +3,370.83% | 833 | 24 | +38,212.50% | 9,195 | 24 |
| COLORADO | +163.31% | 6,230 | 2,366 | +1,829.43% | 76,521 | 3,966 |
| CORVETTE | -17.91% | 1,952 | 2,378 | -1.31% | 30,876 | 31,287 |
| CRUZE | -29.68% | 16,073 | 22,857 | -17.83% | 209,753 | 255,260 |
| EQUINOX | +5.92% | 19,634 | 18,536 | +15.76% | 255,762 | 220,944 |
| EXPRESS | +19.94% | 5,371 | 4,478 | -24.03% | 56,021 | 73,741 |
| IMPALA | +11.37% | 10,494 | 9,423 | -15.27% | 107,765 | 127,192 |
| MALIBU | -9.87% | 10,813 | 11,997 | +6.40% | 182,699 | 171,702 |
| SILVERADO | +5.14% | 45,001 | 42,799 | +13.91% | 537,552 | 471,918 |
| SONIC | -24.71% | 3,653 | 4,852 | -34.73% | 57,482 | 88,062 |
| SPARK | -43.10% | 1,628 | 2,861 | -12.95% | 31,469 | 36,152 |
| SS | +40.95% | 148 | 105 | +15.72% | 2,761 | 2,386 |
| SUBURBAN | +3.39% | 5,216 | 5,045 | -7.74% | 44,516 | 48,248 |
| TAHOE | -10.09% | 7,217 | 8,027 | -9.13% | 78,569 | 86,467 |
| TRAVERSE | +10.82% | 8,684 | 7,836 | +16.28% | 110,802 | 95,289 |
| TRAX | * | 6,481 | * | * | 57,707 | * |
| VOLT | +48.20% | 1,980 | 1,336 | -23.31% | 13,279 | 17,315 |
| CHEVROLET TOTAL | +4.83% | 156,907 | 149,673 | +4.76% | 1,936,553 | 1,848,504 |
Sales Results - November 2015 - USA - Cadillac
| MODEL | NOV 2015 / NOV 2014 | NOVEMBER 2015 | NOVEMBER 2014 | YTD 2015 / YTD 2014 | YTD 2015 | YTD 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | -9.95% | 2,055 | 2,282 | -14.60% | 23,422 | 27,425 |
| CTS | -49.96% | 1,224 | 2,446 | -40.12% | 17,044 | 28,463 |
| ELR | -56.77% | 67 | 155 | -25.42% | 889 | 1,192 |
| ESCALADE | -20.61% | 1,672 | 2,106 | +7.48% | 18,487 | 17,201 |
| ESCALADE ESV | +16.05% | 1,309 | 1,128 | +34.08% | 12,775 | 9,528 |
| SRX | +52.72% | 5,087 | 3,331 | +26.99% | 61,819 | 48,679 |
| XTS | +16.44% | 1,976 | 1,697 | -9.14% | 20,042 | 22,059 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | +1.84% | 13,390 | 13,148 | -0.08% | 154,480 | 154,600 |
Sales Results - November 2015 - USA - Buick
| MODEL | NOV 2015 / NOV 2014 | NOVEMBER 2015 | NOVEMBER 2014 | YTD 2015 / YTD 2014 | YTD 2015 | YTD 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENCLAVE | +9.37% | 4,658 | 4,259 | +2.25% | 56,145 | 54,907 |
| ENCORE | +12.15% | 5,133 | 4,577 | +33.33% | 61,051 | 45,790 |
| LACROSSE | -34.07% | 3,351 | 5,083 | -16.27% | 38,877 | 46,434 |
| REGAL | -37.96% | 1,172 | 1,889 | -18.39% | 16,933 | 20,749 |
| VERANO | -50.64% | 1,646 | 3,335 | -27.96% | 29,341 | 40,726 |
| BUICK TOTAL | -16.63% | 15,960 | 19,143 | -3.00% | 202,347 | 208,606 |
Sales Results - November 2015 - USA - GMC
| MODEL | NOV 2015 / NOV 2014 | NOVEMBER 2015 | NOVEMBER 2014 | YTD 2015 / YTD 2014 | YTD 2015 | YTD 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACADIA | +5.74% | 6,776 | 6,408 | +16.28% | 89,127 | 76,649 |
| CANYON | +161.83% | 2,236 | 854 | +1,661.68% | 27,077 | 1,537 |
| SAVANA | +100.98% | 1,439 | 716 | -22.90% | 19,211 | 24,916 |
| SIERRA | -26.69% | 16,527 | 22,544 | +4.41% | 196,701 | 188,397 |
| TERRAIN | +16.31% | 8,999 | 7,737 | +8.93% | 102,381 | 93,984 |
| YUKON | +23.47% | 3,925 | 3,179 | +1.69% | 37,461 | 36,840 |
| YUKON XL | +29.84% | 3,137 | 2,416 | +1.16% | 26,798 | 26,492 |
| GMC TOTAL | -1.86% | 43,039 | 43,854 | +11.13% | 498,756 | 448,815 |
Sales Results - November 2015 - USA - GM Totals
| BRAND | NOV 2015 / NOV 2014 | NOVEMBER 2015 | NOVEMBER 2014 | YTD 2015 / YTD 2014 | YTD 2015 | YTD 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHEVROLET TOTAL | +4.83% | 156,907 | 149,673 | +4.76% | 1,936,553 | 1,848,504 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | +1.84% | 13,390 | 13,148 | -0.08% | 154,480 | 154,600 |
| BUICK TOTAL | -16.63% | 15,960 | 19,143 | -3.00% | 202,347 | 208,606 |
| GMC TOTAL | -1.86% | 43,039 | 43,854 | +11.13% | 498,756 | 448,815 |
| GM USA TOTAL | +1.54% | 229,296 | 225,818 | +4.95% | 2,792,136 | 2,660,525 |
About The Numbers
- 23 selling days for November 2015 and 25 for November 2014
- Totals contain discontinued models, including Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT
Comments
Why are GMC Sierra sales down? Availability or some other issue?
Anyone else curious that 3 “non Gm Cadillacs” are struggling while 3 old time Cadillacs are selling at the same rates. The outdated srx, soon to be cut xts and the unstopbbable escalade which is a truck are all selling at great numbers. Sales of Ats, cts and elr are falling at a troubling rate.
The ELR is as GM as it gets.
The reason for your observations on the ATS and CTS is that this is the first time EVER that Cadillac has competed directly with Germans in their segments, rather than competing between segments. So yes, sales volume will suffer for those vehicles in the short and medium terms until people get used to the fact that Cadillacs are as good as the German completion and until the brand image improves.
Eric you need to go test drive an ATS. (seriously, or even the CTS if you like a bigger car since it’s a midsize-)- I’m not saying purchase ,just go drive one. And also read the part of the reviews that matter about that car.
The ATS is a serious competitor to the Germans. the consumers are just waking up to what Cadillac is now putting out there.
Right there with you, DeliveryMan.
Today’s luxury car world is defined by the German three. To play in the luxury car space today, you must compete with them head-on, otherwise you’ll be relegated to Acura and Lincoln status — making affordable premium cars for people who don’t really want to buy them, but do so because they can’t afford a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Audi. So, you either play with the Germans… or you become an also-ran.
In that respect, Cadillac is just now starting to compete head-on with the German brands. And it’s doing relatively from a product standpoint. It will take a bit for sales to catch up/catch on, as sales volume in this space is highly dependent on brand image, cachet, etc, and Cadillac doesn’t yet have the same pull as, say, BMW or Mercedes-Benz. But one day, it will… and the way to get there is by making cars like the ATS, CTS, and CT6.
You may need to see my post elsewhere but the future of the current iteration of the ATS is not good.
Sales have tanked, just look at November sales with $1,500 incentives at the beginning of the production run! This is with a new V-6 and eight speed automatic, some fairly substantial improvements.
You can belittle CR all you want, but the ATS reliability ratings as reported by their OWNERS have been unreliable for 3 years running–pathetic. Furthermore in the satisfaction ratings in the current issue, the ATS is near the bottom in the compact luxury category of owners indicating they would buy the car again–pathetic.
Just to clarify the CR situation, the two ratings can be independent. As an example both the current Corvette and Escalade are rated unreliable by their owners. Nevertheless, those owners indicate they would very likely purchase again. In the Corvettes situation, it has the highest percentage in the performance category and the Escalade is close to the top in the luxury SUV category. Guess owners with a warranty are willing to accept some level of mediocrity.
I personally drive a 2014 ATS Premium that stickered for just shy of $55K. It is one beautiful car and handles spectacularly. Reliability has been abysmal. Complete DIC replaced, part of blind side alert system in right side replaced, windshield replaced week after delivered since car delivered with delaminating windshield, one of FOBs replaced stopped working, steering knuckles replaced, and yes 6-7 warranty recalls–totally out of character for any vehicle claiming to be the standard of the world. Yet in spite of this, I might consider purchasing another. As a side note, the car only has 25K miles and has been given meticulous maintenance.
Let’s go a step beyond and talk about the ATS-V–respected yes, but not aware of any one comparison test where it finished first.
Current iteration of ATS is damaged goods and Cadillac needs to turn around the reliability reputation because long-term will be a big drag on the next iteration.
Hey, I totally agree with you. The ats and cts are amazing cars if not on par with the Germans maybe even better. You don’t win a motor trend coy award for nothing my point was as I have said many times before those two are a bit over priced for the market.
Like the article on here said yesterday you have to earn your reputation in the luxury market so they have now priced the CT6 and most likely the XT5 accordingly. You have to get people in your cars and over time build the price as mid cycle refreshes come along or successors. When I said non gm I didn’t mean they weren’t great cars they are but people need incentive to get into a unfamiliar product and price can be a driving force.
But how are the cars overpriced? The ATS and CTS offer more for a bit less (bigger savings on the CTS, actually) than the direct German competitors.
Not over priced in terms of quality, over priced in terms of not many people are going to jump ship from a BMW or Mercedes to a cadillac right now. You should do what Audi and Lexus did about 5 years ago and aim on the bottom end of the luxury market (which is still a premium market) and get a reputation.
This is the first time cadillac is going to roll out a full line up in a long time. Time to entice people who want to enter the luxury market not people already in it. Most people in it are already brand loyalist and the main way to get new people is price. Don’t do what 2003 cadillac did and sell them for just above Chevys but there is room to go down.
The ats is in it’s 4th model year and has won countless awards and comparisons and sales are dreadful. Same can be said about the cts.
A few things to that, Eric:
1. Cadillac is already following the “underprice and overdeliver” strategy.
The ATS is priced thousands below the C-Class and the Audi A4, while offering more. The BMW 320i costs less than the ATS by $100, but that’s for a bare-bones model that offers significantly less than the ATS 2.5 in the Standard trim level.
2. That said, I disagree about taking that approach. I would rather see Cadillac prices at or slightly below the competition, but offer more. Though that’s already happening with the ATS, CTS, and CT6, I think the strategy can be taken just a little further.
As Cadillac reputation and customer base grows, new trim levels with less equipment can be added back into the lineup.
3. Also, I would contend the notion that the most effective way to attract new customers is price. Nay, the most effective way involves a significant amount of effective marketing, which Cadillac currently has close to none.
4. The ATS is indeed in its fourth model year and has won notable awards and accolades. Sales are not “dreadful” — it’s the brand’s first-ever effort in a highly-competitive segment, and the car was developed using bankruptcy money. Even so, the car receives nearly no marketing. When’s the last time that we saw a hard-hitting, catchy, and enticing TV commercial for the car that made you want to go buy one, or at least check it out online and then test drive it at a dealership? Not since its launch (the Green Hell campaign)… and that was a rather short-lived venture.
Ultimately, Cadillac currently has a brand image problem that is overcome with 1) great product and 2) great marketing to communicate the new direction of the brand and the greatness of the new product. Cadillac has achieved #1… but has yet to come close to taking care of #2.
The replacement for 3 buick sedans just can’t come soon enough (except for LaCrosse)
Some good news, some bad.
But why does GM hold-up Buick’s marketing plan as some sort of success?
Even with the Encore in there, Buick is down 16%? Surprising – other than the LaCrosse, the drop-top and maybe the Chinese CUV, there’s nothing in the pipeline to wait for …
If that’s the second-most effective automotive marketing scheme, it makes you wonder what their metrics were.
As a whole, sedan sales are down in the current hot-for-crossovers market. This is the case for the industry and for Buick — hence the increase of the downright old Enclave and aging Encore.
The only sedans whose sales were up for the month are ones that either had 1) a significant amount of incentives on them or 2) are highly-desirable because they are all-new. Buick’s sedan lineup is either old (LaCrosse) or getting old (Regal and Verano). So yes, sedan sales are down. No amount of marketing will save that when market trends are swinging so far towards CUVs.
Yes, we get that it’s a CUV/SUV world.
But I still wonder why Buick’s marketing is held-up as 2nd most effective (MBenz being #1) when they’re sedan-dependent, their sales are sinking, and a new LaCrosse and the Cascada aren’t gonna solve the
problem. The Envision might help.
A cool hatchback Verano, a Regal that can compete w the A4.
“That’s not a Buick” – right, most of them are still on dealer’s lots, waiting for a buyer. Seems like things are getting worse pretty quickly – so again, you wonder why Buick marketing is held-up as a success…
The numbers don’t bear that out.
Wait (pun fully intended), the ATS is the competitor to the A4, not the Regal. Not in price, not in features, not in quality or refinement. And a hatchback Verano will be cool… but will appeal to a limited market and isn’t likely to be a runaway sales success, especially in light of the upcoming Cruze hatch.
Now, the marketing effectiveness award you are referring to is based on consumer perception and conquest rate. Buick ranked first in the industry for three or four quarters running in both of those, which is a significant achievement for a brand that has been associated with… well, you know the kind of image Buick has achieved over the last 2-3 decades. So yes, marketing was very effective and Tony DiSalle & company know exactly what they are doing. In fact, they’re probably the most focused and most effective marketing group within GM U.S.
The significance of the achievement is even more astonishing given the fact that Buick has one very old crossover (Encalve) and one not-so-old-but-getting-there crossover (Encore) in a market hot for crossovers and colder for sedans. In effect, Buick did it with a weaker lineup than its competitors… mostly thanks to marketing.