Chevy Sonic Decrease 70 Percent To 1,946 Units In December 2017

Chevrolet Sonic sales decreased in the United States and in Canada in December 2017.

Chevrolet Sonic Sales - December 2017 - United States

In the United States, Chevrolet Sonic deliveries totaled 1,946 units in December 2017, a decrease of about 69 percent compared to 6,375 units sold in December 2016. The results represent the Sonic's lowest December sales results ever.

During the complete 2017 calendar year, Sonic sales decreased about 45 percent to 30,290 units.

Chevrolet Sonic Sales - December 2017 - Canada

In Canada, Chevrolet Sonic deliveries totaled 315 units in December 2017, a decrease of about 18 percent compared to 383 units sold in December 2016. The results represent the Sonic's lowest December sales results since 2014.

During the complete 2017 calendar year, Sonic sales increased about 2 percent to 4,491 units.

The GM Authority Take

Sonic sales continued their downward spiral in December, a circumstance that has been taking place during all of 2017. The December sales performance puts the Sonic family in sixth place out of nine by sales volume, behind the Nissan Versa in first, Hyundai Accent in second, Ford Fiesta in third (see Ford Fiesta sales), Honda Fit in fourth and the Toyota Yaris in fifth. The Chevy outsold the Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Mirage, and Fiat 500 (see Fiat 500 sales). It’s worth noting that the 70 percent decrease in Sonic sales was the biggest drop in its segment, and significantly greater than the 23 percent drop for the segment as a whole.

We attribute the Sonic’s notably steep sales slump to the following factors:

1. The lack of marketing support by GM/Chevrolet for what is still a rather new nameplate in the segment
2. Lack of motivation for dealers to move the current model from GM
3. GM’s strategy of decreasing sales to daily rental fleets, which was a popular channel for Sonic volume
4. A good product that appears to have lost its presence and associated competitive edge with the 2017 facelift; prior to the update, the Sonic enjoyed a unique position in its segment due to its unique headlamps and character

We maintain that a weakening of the mainstream compact segment is not to blame for the plunge in Sonic sales volumes. Instead, we attribute this to poor execution of various factors related to product, sales and go-to-market strategies on the part of General Motors and/or Chevrolet.

Sales Numbers - Subcompact Mainstream Cars - December 2017 - United States

The mainstream subcompact car segment contracted about 23 percent in December and about 19 percent during the complete 2017 calendar year.

About Chevrolet Sonic

The Chevrolet Sonic is a subcompact family of vehicles that include a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. Having replaced the Aveo in the Chevrolet lineup, the Sonic is currently Chevrolet’s second-smallest car, slotting above the Chevrolet Spark city car but below the compact Chevrolet Cruze, midsize Chevrolet Malibu and full-size Chevrolet Impala.

The current model was introduced for the 2012 model year and represents the first generation of the Sonic nameplate. The model rides on the GM Gamma platform shared with the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore.

The 2018 Chevy Sonic represents the sixth model year of the first-generation Sonic. The model was given a midcycle refresh for the 2017 model year. The vehicle remains highly competitive in its segment and the 2018 model year brings a handful of changes, including a new exterior color, a change to the Sun and Sound Package, and the standardization of the seven-inch diagonal color touchscreen.

For the U.S. and Canadian markets, the 2018 Chevy Sonic sedan and hatchback are assembled by GM U.S.A. at the GM Lake Orion plant in Orion Township, Michigan, USA.

About The Numbers

• All percent change figures compared to Chevrolet Sonic December 2016 sales
• In the United States, there were 26 selling days in December 2017 and 27 selling days in December 2016
• In Canada, there were 25 selling days in December 2017 and 27 selling days in December 2016