Chevrolet Cruze sales decreased in the United States and in Canada in October 2017.
Chevrolet Cruze Sales - October 2017 - United States
In the United States, Chevrolet Cruze deliveries totaled 11,129 units in October 2017, a decrease of about 35 percent compared to 17,126 units sold in October 2016.In the first ten months of the year, Cruze sales increased about 3 percent to 160,363 units.
| MODEL | OCT 2017 / OCT 2016 | OCTOBER 2017 | OCTOBER 2016 | YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 | YTD 2017 | YTD 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRUZE | -35.02% | 11,129 | 17,126 | +3.37% | 160,363 | 155,138 |
Chevrolet Cruze Sales - October 2017 - Canada
In Canada, Chevrolet Cruze deliveries totaled 1,668 units in October 2017, a decrease of about 32 percent compared to 2,460 units sold in October 2016.In the first ten months of the year, Cruze sales increased about 10 percent to 23,864 units.
| MODEL | OCT 2017 / OCT 2016 | OCTOBER 2017 | OCTOBER 2016 | YTD 2017 / YTD 2016 | YTD 2017 | YTD 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRUZE | -32.20% | 1,668 | 2,460 | +10.31% | 23,864 | 21,634 |
The GM Authority Take
Cruze sales continued an unfavorable trend in October, with the model seeing the highest year-over-year slump in its segment (not counting the discontinued Dodge Dart).
The performance places the Cruze in fifth place in its competitive set in terms of U.S. October sales volume, behind the Honda Civic in first, Toyota Corolla in second, Nissan Sentra in third and the Hyundai Elantra in fourth. The Cruze did, however, outsell the remaining segment contenders including the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Jetta and Golf (which combine for 10,074 sales), Kia Forte, Subaru Impreza, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, and the now-discontinued Dodge Dart.
We attribute the Cruze’s slumping October sales performance to the following factors:
- An ongoing shift in consumer buying dynamics that favors crossover utility vehicles at the expense of other vehicle types like sedans and hatchbacks
- An extremely strong launch for and market reaction to the new Honda Civic
- Aggressive sales tactics for Nissan Sentra and Hyundai Elantra, led by high incentives and prevalent fleet sales
- Product-related issues for the Cruze, including it being the only model in the segment that can’t be equipped with a roof rack (without drilling into the car), not offering all-wheel-drive or a performance variant
Sales Numbers - Compact Mainstream Cars - October 2017 - United States
| MODEL | OCT 17 / OCT 16 | OCTOBER 17 | OCTOBER 16 | YTD 17 / YTD 16 | YTD 17 | YTD 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIC | +15.02% | 30,319 | 26,359 | +1.47% | 314,699 | 310,142 |
| COROLLA | -17.04% | 24,667 | 29,735 | -9.04% | 289,940 | 318,739 |
| SENTRA | +29.45% | 18,341 | 14,168 | +0.22% | 184,052 | 183,644 |
| ELANTRA | -7.44% | 14,733 | 15,917 | -8.77% | 157,800 | 172,967 |
| CRUZE | -35.02% | 11,129 | 17,126 | +3.37% | 160,363 | 155,138 |
| FOCUS | +7.76% | 10,095 | 9,368 | -10.37% | 133,922 | 149,417 |
| JETTA SEDAN | +14.24% | 9,217 | 8,068 | +2.45% | 100,212 | 97,811 |
| GOLF | -14.73% | 857 | 1,005 | +13.64% | 11,994 | 10,554 |
| FORTE | +15.05% | 9,219 | 8,013 | +15.62% | 101,311 | 87,621 |
| IMPREZA | +123.69% | 6,733 | 3,010 | +48.34% | 71,322 | 48,080 |
| MAZDA3 | -34.73% | 4,534 | 6,946 | -20.27% | 64,641 | 81,077 |
| LANCER | -33.50% | 679 | 1,021 | -9.94% | 11,312 | 12,560 |
| DART | -92.85% | 172 | 2,407 | -75.26% | 9,815 | 39,674 |
| TOTAL | -1.71% | 140,695 | 143,143 | -3.36% | 1,611,383 | 1,667,424 |
The compact mainstream sedan and hatchback segment saw a 1.71 percent sales volume decrease in October. During the first ten months of 2017, segment sales are down 3.36 percent to 1,611,383 units.
About Chevrolet Cruze
2018 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback and Sedan Redline editions
The Chevrolet Cruze is a range of compact passenger cars currently consisting of a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. It slots above the Chevrolet Spark city car and subcompact Chevrolet Sonic and below the midsize Chevrolet Malibu and full-size Chevrolet Impala.
The current model was introduced for the 2016 model year and represents the second generation of the Cruze nameplate. It rides on the GM D2 platform shared with the second-generation Chevrolet Volt and Buick Verano (in China).
Compared to its first-generation predecessor, the second-gen model is an all-new vehicle that is slightly larger, sleeker and more modern. The first-generation Cruze family was produced in sedan, hatchback, and wagon body styles, but only the sedan was available in North America. By comparison, the second-generation model is available as a sedan and hatchback. Though a wagon variant of the second-gen model was never produced, the hatchback model was made available in North America.
The Chevrolet Cruze sedan is built by GM USA at the GM Lordstown factory while the Cruze hatchback is assembled by GM Mexico at the GM Ramos Arizpe factory.
About The Numbers
- All percent change figures compared to Chevrolet Cruze October 2016 sales
- In the United States, there were 25 selling days in October 2017 and 26 selling days in October 2016
- In Canada, there were 24 selling days in October 2017 and 25 selling days in October 2016
Related News & Info
- GM news
- GM incentives and offers
- Chevrolet Cruze information
Related Sales Reporting
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Comments
Ongoing shift consumer toward crossovers but the Civic sell very well??? Chevy has to offer more things such as a cross break,
more potent engines as the 1.5T 166hp and a 1.6T 200hp of the Cascada and a 2.0 diesel engine, sportier versions as the SS in sedan/hatch/break configuration. A better promotion and visibility especially in cinema, and perhaps the sells of the Cruze will rise to compete those of the Corolla and Civic.
I see 2 American cars on there and if we don’t watch out, there won’t be any.
The Cruze seems to not discount like the Nissan, Hyundia, and Toyota; so sales will suffer.
Don’t be so quick to judge the Cruze is up 3 percent for the year; 4th place overall, Civic is only up 1 percent. Don’t doubt that Chevy hasn’t broaden it audience.
The way I see it things could be much worse.
Honda and a Toyota sell to a loyal following that would buy them even they came with no steering wheel.
The Nissan and Hyundai sell mostly based on price as the try to under cut price. Though even a Honda discounted the Civic when it came out. Many claimed even at a loss just to get them on the streets.
Chevy has tried to keep the price up and give a little more content due to the fact they know they are not going to sell 300k units. This way they can make more profit than the others on less volume. In the end it is still about making money. It also gives them room for discounts if needed.
The real question never answered is how much I’d the hatch helping? Could it have been worse or are the hatch numbers flat?
Then GM also loses more sales to their own Cross overs as they have a good number of very good selling models.
I love the Cruze and cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would buy a Corolla or even a Civic over the Cruze. But Chevy its time to bring out an SS model to capture the younger buyers and advertise to the older buyers that here is a car worth looking at and owning.
The biggest problem is that Chevy is very late in making class-leading products in segment like this one. The same goes for the midsize and full-size sedan segments. Making vehicles that were at the bottom end of their respective segments for generations such as the Cavalier, Cobalt, Aveo, and pretty much every modern Malibu and Impala until the current generations has hurt the brand and product reputation. It has also pushed buyers to other brands like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan – and those brands have done a great job of retaining customers with those vehicles/models or within the brand but with other vehicles.
Today, Chevy does have good products in those segments… but it will take more than a few years and one or two generations of vehicles to undo the damage done by subpar products in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.
There are also competitive reasons that aren’t playing into Chevy’s favor in this segment. For instance, the Cruze is the only vehicle in its class that can’t be equipped with a roof rack (one that doesn’t require you to drill into the car’s roof).
It is also doing the bare minimum in attempting to conquest customers from rivals in these key segments. If Chevrolet were truly seriously about its long-term success in this segment (or the midsize or full-size sedan spaces), it would have had:
1. A product with AWD
2. A performance variant
3. More attention-grabbing colors
It’s not doing these things… which is representative of half-assing it.
I fully agree about the legacy of poor cars and like Cadillac Vhevy has to earn their rep back. This is not an issue on the CUV models as they are all new not all that long ago.
The only way to overcome this is with good product and aggressive marketing.
As for the other ideasi don’t agree so much.
AWD would add little to the volume and much more to the price. If you do performance the same would happen as AWD would also need to be included. Just look ATS Honda and a Ford as both of their performance models are sold in very small numbers at high prices. Also to make both profitable they both are built in Europe and imported then sold in multiple markets that zgM is not even in with these cars.
Colors are one of GM’s greatest mysteries as so often they leave off very popular colors like Blue even on the Camaro. They do need to look at colors and add to the selection.
But the only thing they can do now is continue to make the cars better and work to price them to be a better value and let time do it’s work to change hearts and minds. It is not like they are way off here of most models but only 4.
When I got ready to buy a new compact car in 2013, I started looking two years in advance. Narrowed the short list to two cars, Cruze & Civic. Comparably equipped (2LT RS w/moon roof & navi vs. EX-L with navi). The Civc had $1,500 lower MSRP and better crash tests and better reliability reports. Chevy dealers wouldn’t negotiate and I purchased a 2013 Civic for 1% over invoice.
But how does the standard options compare in the LT RS vs a EX? Was there $1500 more value?
Not sure what you mean, but you had to add the moon roof option and the RS package to the Cruze 2LT to equal the standard features of the Civic EX-L. Oddly enough, the navi option on the Civic was twice as expensive as the navi option on the Cruze. Since the Civic used the same navi head unit as Porsche was using, I figured it was worth it.
What I mean for the price difference what did the Cruze have the Honda lacked?
I am not well versed on a Honda packages and my impression is the EX is a lower end model while the LT RS was a mid level.
NAV systems in a Porsche mean little. My SS used a ZR1 steering wheel but it did not add any value to my SS.
“What I mean for the price difference what did the Cruze have the Honda lacked?”
Answer: At those trim levels, nothing. The Civic simply was a better value by $1,500 MSRP.
“I am not well versed on a Honda packages and my impression is the EX is a lower end model while the LT RS was a mid level.”
The DX had been the base trim level but the LX became the base level of Civics (=Cruze LS). EX was the mid-level (=Cruze 1LT). EX-L was the high end (=Cruze 2LT). RS was an add-on exterior package. The trim levels changed with the 10th gen. Civics, as they did with the second gen Cruze. Back then, you had to go to the 2LT to get rear disk brakes. The EX and EX-L both had rear disks. Actually, the Cruze content changed nearly every year during the first generation. Lots of people complained that from the 2013 MY on, Chevy was de-contenting the Cruze trim levels each year. So my comparisons for the 2013 MY became invalid after that year. If I had wanted a 2014 car, I would have done a whole new comparison between the two.
Alex’s comments on Chevy making class leading decisions made me recall an earlier Chevy product that suffered from not-so-good decisions. I recall the first generation Corvair and what really dismal design and engineering that produced. By the time the second generation Corvair showed up (really a cheaper, reverse engineered Porsche 911), the brand had been damaged beyond repair and after five more years, the model was withdrawn. I owned a ’65 Corvair Corsa with a 240 hp motor as a twenty something and it was a blast to drive (and humbled more than a few pony cars of the day). Why is there no Cruze SS in a era of Focus STs & RSs and Civic TypeRs? More of that poor decision making on the part of Chevy management. Look at how long it took for a Cruze hatchback to get to market when Focus hatchbacks were 40% of the Focus volumes.
The Corvair failed mostly due to the Mustang and Camaro.
The reality is many like to blame Nader and the rear swing arm the truth is you could buy a V8 cheaper and the 327 was cheaper to build.
Then forward to later on the air cooled engine would not have made the emissions standards. It even killed the VW. To meet the standards would have driven up cost even more.
We had 4 Corvairs in our family back in the day but Dad went to Chevelles as they were a better car for a little more.
The Corvair was a wrong car at the wrong Time and place in history.
They have added the hatch but yet sales drop? You could add an SS but how many will you really sell 5,000 units? Would that even make back the development cost?
The R and RS are both built in Europe and sold globally with most sales in a Europe. Chevy is not in Europe so they would never make the needed numbers for a car just for image.
Also to do this right you need to do it right with AWD. Then you are looking at $40k plus per car.
I would love a performance car but unless you could provide proof of large sales from the Chevy and at the price of a Camaro it is not going to change the sales much here.
May also note most other small cars are struggling too the Sonic is is dying too.
Do younger kids care about performance in a car? Mine aren’t. My oldest only cares about MPG and my youngest only cares about technology. Both want 4 door sedans or CUVs to haul buddies around without spending alot on gas.
Roof rack and not having AWD is not a reason sales are down. GM is looking at profit now and not volume.