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General Motors U.S. Sales Decrease 1.33 Percent To 3,002,241 Units In Calendar Year 2017

General Motors Company reported 3,002,241 new vehicle deliveries for calendar year 2017 in the U.S. market, a 1.33 percent decrease compared to calendar year 2016. Sales decreased at GMC, while decreased at Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick.

“We are winning customers in the fastest-growing parts of the market, and our momentum continues to grow because we have strengthened our brands, grown our Commercial and Government business, sharply reduced rental sales and successfully transitioned to a crossover- and truck-focused business,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations. “We are starting 2018 with very lean inventories for such a strong industry, and we see more room to grow because Chevrolet, Buick and GMC will have a full year of sales of their all-new crossovers, and we are going to launch the industry’s best full-size pickups.”

GM continues its focus on crossovers, a segment that is growing in volume and also carries higher margins than passenger cars. GM has significantly overhauled its U.S. crossover portfolio over the past 24 months with such vehicles as the 2018 Chevy Equinox, 2018 GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2018 Buick Enclave along with the Buick Regal TourX ruggedized wagon. An all-new Cadillac XT4 compact crossover will launch in 2018 to grow Cadillac’s crossover lineup. And though not officially confirmed, GM is also expected to introduce a new Chevrolet Blazer as a midsize crossover in 2018.

“In 2017, we had solid GDP growth and good news on employment, wages and consumer sentiment, which helped deliver very strong retail sales for the auto industry,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM chief economist.

Sales Summary - 2017 Calendar Year - General Motors - USA

SalesSales Mix
Total3,002,2413,042,775-1.3%-40,534100.0%100.0%
Sale Type201720162017 / 20162017 - 201620172016
Retail2,424,4192,446,582-0.9%-22,16380.8%80.4%
Fleet577,822596,193-3.1%-18,37119.2%19.6%

GM U.S. 2017 Calendar Year Sales Notes

General Motors sales overview:

Sale type:

  • Total sales volume decreased 1.3 percent to 3,002,242 vehicles or 40,534 units:
    • Chevrolet cumulative sales decreased 1.5 percent to 2,065,883 units
    • Cadillac cumulative sales decreased 8.0 percent to 156,440 units
    • GMC cumulative sales increased 2.6 percent to 560,687 units
    • Buick cumulative sales decreased 4.5 percent to 219,231 units
  • Retail sales volume decreased 0.9 percent or 22,163 vehicles to 2,424,419 units, representing 80.8 percent of total GM 2017 sales compared to 80.4 percent in calendar year 2016:
    • Chevrolet retail sales decreased 1.0 percent to 1,605,795 units
    • Cadillac retail sales decreased 8.8 percent to 135,350 units
    • GMC retail sales increased 0.8 percent to 477,980 units
    • Buick retail sales increased 1.6 percent to 205,294 units
    • Retail sales outperformed the industry, which saw retail deliveries slip roughly 2 percent
  • Fleet sales volume decreased 3.1 percent or 18,371 vehicles to 577,822 units, accounting for 19.2 percent of total GM 2017 sales compared to 19.6 percent in calendar year 2016:
    • Commercial and government deliveries exceeded 296,000 units, the highest since 2008
    • Commercial and government deliveries are now the largest component of GM’s fleet sales, following a cumulative reduction of 170,000 deliveries to rental fleets since 2014
    • 2017 marked the first year that GM Commercial and Government deliveries have been greater than daily rental deliveries in the last quarter century
    • Based on Polk registration data through October, GM has gained more Commercial and Government market share in 2017 than any other automaker.

Vehicle type:

  • Cumulative GM 2017 sales were composed of over 1.3 million trucks and 965,090 crossovers, setting new annual sales records for:
    • Pickup and crossover deliveries
    • Electric vehicles
    • Average Transaction Prices (ATPs)
  • Crossovers:
    • GM crossover deliveries increased 17 percent, driven by record sales of the Chevrolet Equinox, Traverse and Trax, as well as the Buick Encore, Buick Envision, and GMC Acadia
    • GM grew its retail share of the crossover market more than any other automaker, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates. GM’s retail share grew 1.6 percentage points to 13.1 percent; the only other major automaker to gain retail share was up less than one point.
    • Chevrolet:
      • Chevrolet became the industry’s fastest-growing crossover brand in 2017 based on retail market share, with the all-new Equinox and Traverse gaining more than one point of share in their respective segments.
      • Equinox retail deliveries were up 21 percent, Traverse was up 31 percent, and Trax was up 5 percent.
    • Buick:
      • Crossovers helped Buick deliver its best calendar year sales since 2004. The Buick Encore delivered its best year ever. The vehicle has been Buick’s volume leader for three straight years.
      • Crossovers now account for more than 80 percent of Buick’s retail deliveries, compared with about two-thirds last year. Retail crossover sales for the brand were up 26 percent year over year, with the Enclave up 14 percent, the Encore up 8 percent and Envision up 167 percent.
    • Cadillac: retail crossover deliveries at Cadillac increased 9 percent thanks to the brand’s only crossover, the XT5
  • Trucks:
    • GM sold a record 948,909 pickup trucks in 2017 – more than any other automaker in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row. This is largely a result of the automaker’s three-truck strategy: since 2014, Chevrolet and GMC have been the only brands to offer mid-size, full-size light and full-size heavy duty pickups.
    • More than half of GMC Sierra HD customers purchase Denali models
  • SUVs:
    • GM sold 239,719 full-size SUVs in 2017
    • The automaker has led the segment since the launch of the Chevrolet Suburban in 1935
    • Combined, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, have earned more than 75 percent retail market share for the fourth consecutive year
    • More than half of GMC Yukon customers purchase Denali models
    • The Cadillac Escalade has earned at least 30 percent of the retail market for large luxury SUVs for four consecutive years, with ATPs that are more than $20,000 above its closest domestic competitoir
  • Electric Vehicles:
    • Chevrolet delivered over 43,669 electric vehicles in 2017, including 23,297 Bolt EVs and 20,349 Volts

Average Transaction Prices (ATPs) & Incentive Spending:

  • GM’s Average Transaction Prices (ATPs), which are net of incentive spending estimates, were more than $35,400 for the year, setting a new record and significantly above the industry average of $31,600.

Inventory:

Year-end inventory was 752,554 units for a 63 days supply, representing:

  • A decrease of 92,388 units from the 844,942 units at the end of December 2016
  • A decrease of 8 days from the 71 days supply at the end of December 2016

SAAR:

  • The seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles was estimated to be 18.2 million vehicles in December 2017 and 17.3 million units for 2017 calendar year.

Chevrolet sales decreased 1.5 percent to 2,065,883 units:

Cadillac sales decreased 8 percent to 156,440 units:

Buick sales decreased 4.53 percent to 219,231 units, its best calendar year sales since 2004:

  • Buick Cascada sales decreased 21.78 percent to 5,595 units
  • Buick Enclave sales decreased 6.66 percent to 48,564 units; retail sales increased 14 percent
  • Buick Encore sales increased 12.05 percent to 88,035 units, marking its best year ever as well as its third consecutive year as Buick’s volume leader; Encore retail sales increased 8 percent in 2017
  • Buick Envision sales increased 189.16 percent to 41,040 units; retail sales increased 167 percent
  • Buick LaCrosse sales decreased 26.91 percent to 20,161 units
  • Buick Regal sales decreased 41.72 percent to 11,559 units
  • Buick Verano sales decreased 85.87 percent to 4,277 units
  • Crossovers now account for over 80 percent of Buick retail deliveries, compared with roughly two-thirds in 2016.

GMC sales increased 2.57 percent to 560,687 units:

Sales Results - 2017 - USA - Chevrolet

MODELCALENDAR YEAR 2017 / CALENDAR YEAR 2016 CALENDAR YEAR 2017CALENDAR YEAR 2016
BOLT EV+3,923.66%23,297 579
CAMARO-6.55%67,940 72,705
CAPRICE-32.13%693 1,021
CAPTIVA SPORT*4 *
COLORADO+3.93%112,996 108,725
COMMERCIAL TRUCK+18.93%8,348 7,019
CORVETTE-16.39%25,079 29,995
CRUZE-2.18%184,751 188,876
EQUINOX+19.93%290,458 242,195
EXPRESS+1.70%69,164 68,007
IMPALA-21.78%75,877 97,006
MALIBU-18.44%185,857 227,881
SILVERADO+1.91%585,864 574,876
SONIC-45.18%30,290 55,255
SPARK-36.39%22,589 35,511
SS+34.58%4,055 3,013
SUBURBAN-5.94%56,516 60,082
TAHOE-4.21%98,961 103,306
TRAVERSE+5.83%123,506 116,701
TRAX+0.35%79,289 79,016
VOLT-17.75%20,349 24,739
CHEVROLET TOTAL-1.46%2,065,883 2,096,508

Sales Results - 2017 - USA - Cadillac

MODELCALENDAR YEAR 2017 / CALENDAR YEAR 2016 CALENDAR YEAR 2017CALENDAR YEAR 2016
ATS-39.08%13,100 21,505
CT6+14.97%10,542 9,169
CTS-34.99%10,344 15,911
ELR-96.82%17 534
ESCALADE-2.58%22,994 23,604
ESCALADE ESV-5.09%14,700 15,488
SRX-99.30%156 22,139
XT5+73.01%68,312 39,485
XTS-26.59%16,275 22,171
CADILLAC TOTAL-7.98%156,440 170,006

Sales Results - 2017 - USA - Buick

MODELCALENDAR YEAR 2017 / CALENDAR YEAR 2016 CALENDAR YEAR 2017CALENDAR YEAR 2016
CASCADA-21.78%5,595 7,153
ENCLAVE-6.66%48,564 52,028
ENCORE+12.05%88,035 78,565
ENVISION+189.16%41,040 14,193
LACROSSE-26.91%20,161 27,582
REGAL-41.72%11,559 19,833
VERANO-85.87%4,277 30,277
BUICK TOTAL-4.53%219,231 229,631

Sales Results - 2017 - USA - GMC

MODELCALENDAR YEAR 2017 / CALENDAR YEAR 2016 CALENDAR YEAR 2017CALENDAR YEAR 2016
ACADIA+26.29%111,726 88,466
CANYON-14.27%32,106 37,449
SAVANA+44.02%29,679 20,607
SIERRA-1.69%217,943 221,680
TERRAIN-2.83%85,441 87,925
YUKON-7.98%49,183 53,447
YUKON XL-5.38%35,059 37,054
GMC TOTAL+2.57%560,687 546,628

Sales Results - 2017 - USA - GM Totals

BRANDCALENDAR YEAR 2017 / CALENDAR YEAR 2016 CALENDAR YEAR 2017CALENDAR YEAR 2016
CHEVROLET TOTAL-1.46%2,065,883 2,096,508
CADILLAC TOTAL-7.98%156,440 170,006
BUICK TOTAL-4.53%219,231 229,631
GMC TOTAL+2.57%560,687 546,628
GM USA TOTAL-1.33%3,002,241 3,042,773

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to GM 2016 sales, except as noted
  • Starting in September 2016, GM began reporting sales of the Chevrolet City Express and Low Cab Forward on a single line entitled Commercial Truck

Further Reading & Sales Reporting

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

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Comment

  1. Alex The first paragraph needs fixed GMC sales Increased instead of it saying decreased.

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