General Motors took a risk when it reintroduced the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, but that gamble has paid off. Combined with sales of its full-size pickups, the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado, GM now tops Ford in pickup truck market share.
The latest data comes from a Detroit Free Press published Thursday, which combines full- and mid-size pickup truck sales. Ford does not currently sell a mid-size pickup, but it will introduce the 2019 Ranger next year. For the first half of the year, GM sold 478,671 pickups to Ford’s 451,138 pickups. The figure represents a 12 percent gain for GM year-over-year.
GM and Ford were tied with 32 percent market share this time last year; GM now has 34 percent of the market as the numbers stand. Again, it’s worth noting the figures include all of GM’s trucks, while Ford’s figures just feature the F-series line.
Part of the spike in sales of Chevy and GMC full-size trucks comes from deep discounts on 2018 models. GM is busy clearing out inventory ahead of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra, which launch later this year. As a result, dealerships have begun offering cranked up incentives to move pickups.
A GM spokesperson told the Detroit Free Press that the booming sales are due to its three-truck strategy. Chevy and GMC offer a mid-size, full-size, and heavy-duty full-size truck, unlike Ford or Ram.
“Ford missed the market and they won’t have the Ranger until sometime early next year,” GM spokesman Jim Cain, said.
Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles will also introduce a mid-size pickup under the Jeep brand, likely to be called the Scrambler.
Comments
I think you meant to say Ford figures feature F-Series trucks, not just F150.
That’s for all F series including commercial
While Ford has a mid size coming GM also has medium duty coming.
It will be interesting.
GM is also doing this with less fleet sales and right now better profits as Fords material cost are hurting with high aluminum prices.
Will GM be including medium duty truck sales in Silverado sales numbers?
chevy is also being hit by higher steel and aluminum prices, but it is true that the 2015+ f-150s are more expensive to make in general. Chevy also has the 2500-3500 series poised for a reboot in 2020 and ford normally dominates in this market, if the new HD models are competitive than GM will just be even more popular. albeit good engines, the 6.0 v8 is a dinosaur
I don’t think manufacturers are being hit by higher steel and aluminum prices yet. They have long term contracts in place with pricelocks. GM has stated before that 90% of their suppliers are within the borders. I’m sure they can go for the remaining 10% to them as well.
I have been saying for the last four years that GM should be advertising the fact that they are the number one seller of pickup trucks. Expect that figure to grow even larger next year when that beautiful new Silverado gets up to speed saleswise.
Why not include the medium sized pickups in the sales numbers? Ford calls everything they make outside of cars and vans an F series to make the numbers look good. A Colorado/Canyon is more relevant than an F650.
There are plenty of pent up buyers waiting for the new Ranger. As long as Ford doesn’t price it out of the ball park, it will be a big hit. The Ford Ranger sold well because it was a low cost truck for alot a self employed people who clamored for it. I’d noticed a lot of women driving them in S. Florida with house cleaning supplies in the PU bed. My wife’s first serious auto accident was with a women driving a Ford Ranger and it T-boned the wife’s 2000 Mustang. Totaled the Mustang the wife broke a collarbone. The truck survived and so did the wife.
It won’t be the lost cost truck of old. It’s going to compete directly with the Colorado and Tacoma
The “pent up buyers” waiting for the new Ranger that I know have no idea what it looks like. Most of them think the next Ranger is going to be a compact truck. I think they’ll be in for a big disappointment when they realize that the next Ranger is closer to the size of a Dodge Dakota than it is the last Ranger.