General Motors sold a grand total of 10.01 million vehicles globally during the 2016 calendar year, an increase of 1.3 percent or 123,516 units over the 9.995 million vehicles sold during 2015. We have taken a deep dive into the automaker’s 2016 calendar year fiscal reporting to see how those sales break out by brand and region.
Sales Results - General Motors - 2016 Calendar Year - By Brand
| Brand | 2016 Calendar Year Sales | 2015 Calendar Year Sales | Percent Change | Unit Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | 4,177,484 | 4,422,261 | -5.5% | -244,777 |
| Buick | 1,432,679 | 1,231,981 | +16.3% | +200,698 |
| Wuling | 1,359,638 | 1,464,900 | -7.2% | -105,262 |
| Opel/Vauxhall | 1,180,645 | 1,134,949 | +4.0% | +45,696 |
| Baojun | 688,399 | 463,542 | +48.5% | +224,857 |
| GMC | 661,154 | 679,672 | -2.7% | -18,518 |
| Cadillac | 308,699 | 277,857 | +11.1% | +30,842 |
| Holden | 108,615 | 100,259 | +8.3% | +8,356 |
| All Others | 47,934 | 49,598 | -3.4% | -1,664 |
Chevrolet remained GM’s volume leader, selling 4.1 million vehicles, down 5.5 percent over 2015. Buick was the second most-popular brand with 1.4 million sales, an increase of 16 percent compared to 2015.
Wuling, a Chinese domestic market commercial vehicle brand in which GM is a joint owner, was the third most popular overall, accounting for 1.3 million vehicles sold, a 7 percent year-over-year decrease. Meanwhile, the European Opel-Vauxhall division was fourth with 1.1 million vehicle deliveries, an increase of 4 percent.
With 688,399 units sold, Chinese entry-level Baojun came in fifth place, growing an impressive 48.5 percent, while North America’s GMC brand was in sixth place, seeing a 2.7 percent year-on-year decrease to 661,154 deliveries.
The Cadillac prestige luxury brand took seventh with 308,699 deliveries, an 11 percent growth rate, while eighth place went to the Holden brand sold in Australia and New Zealand, which saw sales increase 8.3 percent to 108,615 units.
Sales Results - General Motors - 2016 Calendar Year - By Region
| Market | 2016 Calendar Year Sales | 2015 Calendar Year Sales | Percent Change | Unit Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 3,870,588 | 3,612,636 | +7.1% | +257,952 |
| GM North America | 3,629,576 | 3,612,517 | +0.5% | +17,059 |
| GM Europe | 1,208,026 | 1,176,442 | +2.7% | +31,584 |
| GM International | 673,499 | 794,708 | -15.3% | -121,209 |
| GM South America | 583,549 | 645,419 | -9.6% | -61,870 |
With 3.87 million vehicles sold, China remained GM’s largest geographic region. The performance represents a 7.1 percent increase over 2015 sales volumes. North America was The General’s second-biggest market with 3.63 million vehicle deliveries, a slight improvement of 0.5 percent year-over-year. We feel it vital to note that the high sales volumes in China do not contribute a significant amount to GM’s bottom line due to tight margins and the necessity to share profits with GM’s joint venture partner, SAIC.
The third-largest region by volume was Europe with 1.2 million deliveries, a 2.7 percent increase over 2015 volumes. GM International was fourth in the rankings, with sales down 15 percent to 673,499 units. The unit typically includes China along with Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and various Asian markets, but we have split China out for this particular report to paint a clearer picture of the Chinese market.
Accounting for 583,549 sales, South America was GM’s smallest region by volume in 2016. The performance represents a 9.6 percent decrease over 2015 levels.
The GM Authority Take
GM delivered what we would characterize as a solid 2016, especially for a company that’s seven years out of bankruptcy and is still in the midst of around and optimizing various facets of its business and operations.
Looking ahead to 2017, the biggest change to GM’s global sales performance will be the loss of volume in Europe as a result of divesting the European Opel-Vauxhall unit to French automaker PSA Groupe. The deal is expected to be finalized later on in 2017. Meanwhile, GM has previously gone on record in stating that it expects the Cadillac and Baojun brands to continue growing in 2017.
Further Reading & Sales Reporting
Running GM sales results:
- Running Chevrolet sales results
- Running Cadillac sales results
- Running Buick sales results
- Running GMC sales results
Comments
Ironic that China, while huge, fails to earn GM very much profit. Nonetheless, Buick has huge growth potential throughout Asia and maybe Latin America where Cadillac is seen as too American.
GM, now that Opel is history, should maybe consider FCA or other merger candidates. Honda, while a US rival, only competes strongly with Chevrolet on the coasts and would offer entry into Japan.
I’m convinced that Chevrolet will always be viewed as damaged in many markets and that a rival mainstream global brand would benefit GM much like Hyundai and Kia.
Merger? Nope.
I believe GM’s issues are reliability. The perception that a Chevy is probably crap. Now I know J.D. Powers this and that, but the point is much like those parody ads suggest: who the —k is J.D. Powers and who the —-k therefore cares?
When car companies have quality perception issues they often fix this by extending the warranty. When you see a car offering 10 years/100,000 miles there’s a bit of relief. If something is messed up, THEY fix it.
I’d say instead of bragging about some dumb @$$ awards that no one cares about Chevy and Buick and GMC should phase in 7 years/70,000. Lucky 7. Such coverage would force GM to get things right since it comes out of their butts if they don’t.
I agree! People view Chevrolet drivers as bad credit, lower income and unsophisticated–sad but true.
I’ve driven almost all of the major value midsizers and driving dynamics of Malibu wins, however, most people ignore the product and even prefer the numb, road noise filled Fusion. The same thing happened to Regal (and Chrysler 200 which was as nicer than average ride).
Opel in the US could have played Kia to Chevrolet’s Hyundai with all GM vehicles getting big warranties. I’m convinced that it will take another generation to repair the damaged GM brands with Buick, GMC and Opel having the best odds.
China is making slim margins for GM. But it is the incredible future growth of the middle classes that GM has to keep their eye on. The last stats I saw were that the Chinese “middle class” (which is where the lion’s share of the new car market will grow) represented some 250-280 million citizens, out of a total 1.5bn people. Those are yuuuge numbers, particularly for the burgeoning part of the population yet to shift into the “middle class”. If you use developed Western democracies as a benchmark, “middle class” societies represent 62 to 65% of the general total population on average. Applying this logic to the Chinese market 65% of 1.5bn people is 975,000,000. Technically then (all things being economically similar) some 695 million people will transition to the middle classes in China, with their middle income earning and purchasing power. That potential is twice the size of the entire US population. That’s what I mean by potential. GM really has to play the long game in China – it’s a gold mine, not a gold rush!
Very good observations!
I agree that China is buying more into GM high end cars, such as the Cadillacs and Buicks, incuding models that have not been even seen in the North American market. But GM must show these Chinese-only cars to North America and gain better margins in the domestic market. My best example is the Cadillac CT6 plug-in hybrid or “EREV”. Many Chevy Volt owners would love to buy that model as an upgrade to their Volt experiences since the Volt is a compact and they want a full sized sedan. Another example would be the Buick Regal Wagon which will take away foreign CUV and wagon sales in the North American market, and maybe in the international markets, too.
All this hype about Chinese market share but GM makes almost nothing from car sales in China. I think last year; it amount to only 1/2 billion in operating profits.
It’s now 2024 and the world has changed. American and European car manufacturers have suddenly decided EVs aren’t the way forward, probably because they have realised it’s very difficult to make money selling them.
Meanwhile, China is set to flood all markets with cheap EVs without missing a heartbeat.