GM sales decreased 7 percent to 665,840 units during the first quarter of 2019 in the U.S. market compared to very strong Q1 2018 sales results. Sales decreased at all four GM brands – Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick.
GM Sales Notes – U.S. Q1 2019
Sale types:
- Total GM sales during Q1 2019 decreased 7 percent to 665,840 units
- GM did not provide any information on retail vs. fleet deliveries, a significant and notable departure from the way it reported previously (on a monthly basis), and the way in which it promised to continue to report after beginning to report sales on a quarterly basis
- GM saw its selling mix of trucks, SUVs and crossovers above 80 percent. The automaker’s focus on these segments helped it earn the highest average transaction prices for any first quarter in the company’s history.
Full-size pickup truck launch:
- GM says that its all-new full-size pickups, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, are also off to a very strong start. “Our production launch was very smooth and crew cab sales are brisk, especially those with premium trims,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations. “We look forward to improving availability of our wide-range of cabs, trim series and powertrains.”
- First-quarter 2019 average transaction prices for GM’s all-new, light-duty pickups were $8,040 higher compared to their outgoing models in the first quarter of 2018, with the GMC Sierra leading the segment, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates.
- Combined sales of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cabs – the first of GM’s all-new full-size pickups to launch – were up 20 percent year over year.
- Crew Cab production mix is currently running above 70 percent to meet strong customer demand, up 10 percentage points on average from the previous-generation trucks.
- More than 95 percent of the all-new GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab sales are high-end trims including SLT, AT4 and Denali.
- Availability of all-new Regular Cab and Double Cab pickups was very limited during the quarter due to launch timing, but full production of all cab styles started in March and they currently are arriving in dealer showrooms.
- GM will begin the next phase of its full-size pickup truck launch in the second half of the year with the all-new 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD.
- “We are bullish on pickups and expect to gain sales momentum throughout the year,” said McNeil. “We are installing capacity in Flint to build more HD pickups in total, more crew cab models, more dualies and diesel models, too, all in response to dealer and customer demand.”
New vehicle launches:
GM plans to launch several other new models this year, including the Cadillac XT6 – Cadillac’s first three-row crossover – and the Cadillac CT5 luxury-sport sedan.
Economic factors:
- “After a slow start to the year, the retail SAAR has risen each month since January,” said Elaine Buckberg, GM chief economist. “Consumer sentiment continued to recover in March and the other key drivers of auto sales like employment, wage growth and household balance sheets are healthy. The Fed paused in raising interest rates, which eases a headwind facing auto sales. Overall, the U.S. economy is in solid shape, which bodes well for the industry outlook.”
- GM’s Commercial deliveries, which are a barometer of economic strength, grew at an average annual rate of more than 7 percent from 2012 to 2017 and were up 11 percent year over year in 2018. Commercial deliveries were close to flat when compared to a very strong first quarter 2018, even with limited availability of regular light- and heavy-duty pickups, and heavy-duty crew-cab pickups.
Average Transaction Prices (ATPs) & Incentive Spending:
- Average Transaction Prices (ATPs) rose $938 to a first-quarter record of $35,881, according to J.D. Power PIN.
- Incentive spending as a percent of ATP was 13 percent, down close to a full percentage point year-over-year, according to J.D Power PIN.
- GM’s per-unit incentive spending was down $175 year-over-year, as domestic competitors increased their spending in the quarter, according to J.D. Power PIN.
Inventory:
- Inventory is a healthy 818,967 units heading into the second quarter, which tends to be a strong quarter for industry sales.
SAAR:
- GM did not provide SAAR information for the first quarter, but did state that the metric has risen each month since January after a slow start to the year.
Brand & Model Sales
Chevrolet sales decreased 7.8 percent to 452,401 units:
- Chevrolet Blazer sales totaled 3,023 units; GM says that the model is gaining momentum, and the brand will begin national advertising for the vehicle during the second quarter as production ramps up.
- Chevrolet Bolt EV sales decreased 1.35 percent to 4,316 units
- Chevrolet Camaro sales increased 2.47 percent to 12,083 units
- Chevrolet Colorado sales increased 16.06 percent to 33,494 units, setting a first-quarter sales record
- Chevrolet Corvette sales decreased 11.53 percent to 3,943 units
- Chevrolet Cruze sales decreased 41.51 percent to 23,311 units; the vehicle has been discontinued
- Chevrolet Equinox sales increased 7.41 percent to 88,500 units, setting a first-quarter sales record
- Chevrolet Express sales decreased 12.94 percent to 17,215 units
- Chevrolet Impala sales decreased 5.74 percent to 13,259 units; the vehicle is being discontinued
- Chevrolet Low Cab Forward sales totaled 559 units
- Chevrolet Malibu sales increased 0.14 percent to 34,197 units
- Chevrolet Silverado sales decreased 15.66 percent to 114,313 units
- Chevrolet Sonic sales decreased 25.46 percent to 4,460 units
- Chevrolet Spark sales decreased 7.52 percent to 6,423 units
- Chevrolet Suburban sales decreased 25.1 percent to 11,029 units
- Chevrolet Tahoe sales decreased 11.8 percent to 20,853 units
- Chevrolet Traverse sales decreased 10.41 percent to 34,223 units
- Chevrolet Trax sales increased 20.01 percent to 24,580 units, setting a first-quarter sales record
- Chevrolet Volt sales decreased 27.54 percent to 2,520 units; the vehicle has been discontinued
Cadillac sales decreased 2.0 percent to 35,995 units:
- Cadillac ATS sales decreased 86.82 percent to 522 units; the vehicle is being replaced by the upcoming Cadillac CT5 and the only ATS models currently in production are the ATS Coupe and ATS-V Coupe – since the ATS Sedan was discontinued after the 2018 model year
- Cadillac CT6 sales decreased 11.31 percent to 2,188 units
- Cadillac CTS sales decreased 0.57 percent to 2,428 units
- Combined Cadillac Escalade sales decreased 16 percent to 6,819 units; GM no longer provides a breakout of Escalade sales by body style (regular vs. ESV)
- Cadillac XT4 sales totaled 7,026 units; GM claims that the XT4 became the best-selling vehicle in its segment
- Cadillac XT5 sales decreased 10.56 percent to 13,278 units
- Cadillac XTS sales decreased 23.76 percent to 3,734 units; the vehicle is being discontinued
Buick sales decreased 8.7 percent to 51,867 units:
- Buick Cascada sales decreased 18.74 percent to 746 units; the vehicle is being discontinued
- Buick Enclave sales increased 27.47 percent to 12,580 units
- Buick Encore sales decreased 3.38 percent to 24,606 units
- Buick Envision sales decreased 21.38 percent to 7,623 units
- Buick LaCrosse sales decreased 58.93 percent to 2,902 units; the vehicle is being discontinued
- Buick Regal sales decreased 8.09 percent to 3,408 units
GMC sales increased 4.4 percent to 125,577 units:
- GMC Acadia sales increased 4.35 percent to 31,200 units, its best-ever quarterly sales performance
- GMC Canyon sales decreased 3.59 percent to 6,954 units
- GMC Savana sales increased 36.88 percent to 6,566 units
- GMC Sierra sales decreased 2.22 percent to 40,546 units
- GMC Terrain sales decreased 23.06 percent to 25,364 units
- GMC Yukon sales decreased less than 1 percent to 14,947 units; GM no longer provides a breakout of Yukon sales by body style (regular vs. XL)
Sales Results - Q1 2019 - USA - Chevrolet
| MODEL | Q1 2019 / Q1 2018 | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLAZER | * | 3,023 | * |
| BOLT EV | -1.35% | 4,316 | 4,375 |
| CAMARO | +2.47% | 12,083 | 11,792 |
| COLORADO | +16.06% | 33,494 | 28,859 |
| CORVETTE | -11.53% | 3,943 | 4,457 |
| CRUZE | -41.51% | 23,311 | 39,855 |
| EQUINOX | +7.41% | 88,500 | 82,398 |
| EXPRESS | -12.94% | 17,215 | 19,774 |
| IMPALA | -5.74% | 13,259 | 14,067 |
| LOW CAB FORWARD | * | 559 | * |
| MALIBU | +0.14% | 34,197 | 34,150 |
| SILVERADO | -15.66% | 114,313 | 135,545 |
| SONIC | -25.46% | 4,460 | 5,983 |
| SPARK | -7.52% | 6,423 | 6,945 |
| SUBURBAN | -25.10% | 11,029 | 14,725 |
| TAHOE | -11.80% | 20,853 | 23,643 |
| TRAVERSE | -10.41% | 34,223 | 38,198 |
| TRAX | +20.01% | 24,580 | 20,482 |
| VOLT | -27.54% | 2,520 | 3,478 |
| CHEVROLET TOTAL | -7.85% | 452,401 | 490,919 |
Sales Results - Q1 2019 - USA - Cadillac
| MODEL | Q1 2019 / Q1 2018 | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATS | -86.82% | 522 | 3,962 |
| CT6 | -11.31% | 2,188 | 2,467 |
| CTS | -0.57% | 2,428 | 2,442 |
| ESCALADE | +35.43% | 6,819 | 5,035 |
| ESCALADE ESV | -100.00% | 0 | 3,076 |
| XT4 | * | 7,026 | * |
| XT5 | -10.56% | 13,278 | 14,845 |
| XTS | -23.76% | 3,734 | 4,898 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | -1.99% | 35,995 | 36,727 |
Sales Results - Q1 2019 - USA - Buick
| MODEL | Q1 2019 / Q1 2018 | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CASCADA | -18.74% | 746 | 918 |
| ENCLAVE | +27.47% | 12,580 | 9,869 |
| ENCORE | -3.38% | 24,606 | 25,468 |
| ENVISION | -21.38% | 7,623 | 9,696 |
| LACROSSE | -58.93% | 2,902 | 7,066 |
| REGAL | -8.09% | 3,408 | 3,708 |
| BUICK TOTAL | -8.69% | 51,867 | 56,804 |
Sales Results - Q1 2019 - USA - GMC
| MODEL | Q1 2019 / Q1 2018 | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACADIA | +4.35% | 31,200 | 29,900 |
| CANYON | -3.59% | 6,954 | 7,213 |
| SAVANA | +36.88% | 6,566 | 4,797 |
| SIERRA | -2.22% | 40,546 | 41,468 |
| TERRAIN | -23.06% | 25,364 | 32,964 |
| YUKON | +68.06% | 14,947 | 8,894 |
| YUKON XL | -100.00% | 0 | 6,108 |
| GMC TOTAL | -4.39% | 125,577 | 131,344 |
Sales Results - Q1 2019 - USA - GM Totals
| BRAND | Q1 2019 / Q1 2018 | Q1 2019 | Q1 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEVROLET TOTAL | -7.85% | 452,401 | 490,919 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | -1.99% | 35,995 | 36,727 |
| BUICK TOTAL | -8.69% | 51,867 | 56,804 |
| GMC TOTAL | -4.39% | 125,577 | 131,344 |
| GM USA TOTAL | -6.98% | 665,840 | 715,794 |
About The Numbers
- All percent change figures compared to GM Q1 2018 sales, except if noted
- There were 76 selling days in Q1 2019 and 76 selling days in Q1 2018
- Starting in September 2016, GM began reporting sales of the Chevrolet City Express and Low Cab Forward on a single line entitled Commercial Truck. Upon discontinuing the City Express, GM stopped reporting sales of that model and began to report Low Cab Forward sales separately.
- Vehicle totals include discontinued models, possibly including Verano, ELR, SRX, Caprice, Captiva Sport, City Express and SS. GM refused to break out sales for these models upon request. We have broken out sales results of these discontinued models where possible. When doing so was not possible, we bundled these models into the “other” line item, per brand.
Further Reading & Sales Reporting
- GM news
- Running GM sales results
- Running Chevrolet sales results
- Running Cadillac sales results
- Running Buick sales results
- Running GMC sales results
Comments
Told you GM is failing badly under Miss Mary Barra and it was about to get a lot worse. The excuses for her performance and the complete stupidity of senior management who thought China was the Holy Grail is really starting to show now. How is China and those electric cars doing these days for you, GM?
Insert insecure whining and excuses from Alex below……..
The only one doing any “insecure whining” here is you, dear troll. Why do you feel the need to create and post comments under multiple handles/user names from various IPs in the Chicago area? Is it because you have a major insecurity, or is troll lyfe truly that good?
Back to the point at hand: if you think that record ATPs and respectable sales volume while not offering 50% of core truck models is “failing”, then you don’t just need to get smarter, you need a brain transplant. Also, they didn’t “bet” on China… they actually bet on the U.S. China is a “nice to have” for diversification, but not the core. That has never been the sentiment within the leadership team.
Electric cars are a long-term investment, and no one knows whether it will pay off. If it does, GM will win big time. But hey, I’d much rather trust a room of GM managers and product planners than a web troll with multiple personality disorder (referring to you, “Steve”).
If electric is everything why is the competition also developing fuel cells and other means?
Sorry, GM keeps making big mistakes so don’t have much faith in then anymore. Diversification is important, not putting your eggs into one basket.
Electric is ready for mass commercialization while “fuel cells and other means” remain in the research and development phase, a far cry for mass commercialization. In case you didn’t know, GM is developing fuel cells. Educate yourself:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/06/gm-and-honda-reveal-fuel-cell-system-manufacturing-company-logo/
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/02/gm-not-being-nearsighted-with-future-fuel-efficiency-vehicle-investments/
http://gmauthority.com/blog/category/powertrain/fuel-cell/
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/10/meet-surus-gms-glimpse-into-a-flexible-and-self-driving-fuel-cell-platform/
Global Auto sales fell every where except South America. The SAAR was projected at 16.7, I think a 7 percent decrease and rising ATP is pretty respectable in a slowing, cyclical auto market.
Looks like FCA got hammered (including Jeep). Waiting for all the Ford fans to spin thier failing sales..
Subaru USA sales are up 4.7%
They don’t sell pickups
Ascent, Impreza, Outback, Legacy are built in the USA
Subaru is ok..One thing is there quality is not as it used to be and those cvt transmissions are having problems.
The point is they are succeeding while building , selling cars, not trucks, in the USA, something GM says is not possible. Subaru is a more honest company, less driven by greed.
While the segment is booming, many of GMs SUVs across all brands are seeing double digit decreases. That’s concerning.
Q1 2019: Silverado sales down 15.66%,
Ram pick-up sales up 15.44%
GM loves trying to spin it too…..”crew cab sales are up…” Of course they are , that’s basically all they build now! Not only that, those are the ones with the hefty incentives.
Not exactly. The Silverado incentive is for the Crew Cab with a specific package and of a specific trim level. The rest of the models are not even discounted:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/03/chevrolet-discounts-all-new-2019-silverado-over-9000-in-march-2019/
When Double and Regular cabs launch, they’ll also see the same kind of sales volume boost as the Crews are experiencing currently.
What segment is the XT4 in?
Please advise.
GLA, X1, XC40?
RDX, X1,2, GLC, NX?
XT5 vs Q5, X3, MDX, RX, etc…?
Doesn’t GM know the secret of their success will be selling only 2 cars at an ATP of 50 million each. That is the Barra formula.
“Higher ATP” is GMspeak for “lower sales”
Sales are not bad compared to last year which had a strong first quarter because of decent weather. So many forget so quickly. This first quarter weather was to put in nicely, a pain in the butt for a lot of the country. Places out west are going to have ski resorts open until July 4th. Other place until Memorial day or longer. Plus the Midwest had record low temperatures. People aren’t buying cars in those temperatures or weather. The higher ATP which probably also resulted in higher profits. So sales can be down but profit can be up. The GM of today is not chasing sales over profits like they use to. Which any good business person knows sales without profits mean nothing.
Bigger ATP lower sales volume. I would love to have both grow. But my first choice would be to have ATP hold steady or even decrease slightly with an increase in sales volume. While increase ATP is a good thing ,continued sales decrease can have a ripple effect. Things like plant closing and layoffs from not only GM but suppliers. Not to mention the local businesses that relie on plant employees to purchase their goods,food and drinks.
You are right. The clowns at GM like to slam the Ram as being poor quality and chiding FCA for putting too many incentives on their own trucks. However, it is a lot harder to get a conquest customer than to keep one that you already have. In the future, GM will have to win a lot of buyers back through “competitive product” incentives that will eat away at their ATP.
I know the Silverado is now getting more available and has less money on them then Ram but GM dropped the ball on these trucks. Ram is going to keep growing and Ford will stay stable and GM will have to do an emergency refresh to these trucks. The interior can’t compete and the lack of simple things is stupid. GM owner but Ford and Ram are better trucks right now.
Wish I was enough of a math genius to sort out a drop in sales, plus higher ATP, minus incentives.
I suspect they’re doing ok – crew cab trucks with premium trim … like, Sierra’s atp is way up yoy, but sales are down 2%. So I’d guess that’s a plus.
Yukon’s up, Escalade’s up, Silverado’s a puzzler, and Buick needs a new game plan for the US. (Guessing China’s Ok).
Here’s the plan for Buick:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/02/buick-seems-to-be-planning-major-crossover-offensive-exclusive/
Obviously, only the U.S.-specific parts apply.
GM needs to keep an eye on their pricing , just read an article on Jalopnik where some consumers are shying away from the high sticker prices on GM’s trucks and turning to SUV’s or going to RAM . Wha ever happened to the day when market penetration meant something , and still making a profit . If GM isn’t careful the rest of the industry will grow stronger . The competition is fierce , Lincoln , Genesis and Kia are turning peoples attention for value .
You are right. The clowns at GM like to slam the Ram as being poor quality and chiding FCA for putting too many incentives on their own trucks. However, it is a lot harder to get a conquest customer than to keep one that you already have. In the future, GM will have to win a lot of buyers back through “competitive product” incentives that will eat away at their ATP.
Or maybe, just maybe, those crazy managers at the Ren Cen have come up with a formula that calls for fewer sales at more profitable levels, resulting in higher revenue and profit. Can that be a possibility?
I am sure Toyota, Ford, FCA, etc are loving the market share they are being handed by GM. I bet they are liking the higher profits and revenue they are receiving as a result at GM’s expense.
Hi Alex,
Where do the new Medium Duty trucks get posted? Are they lumped in with regular Silverado?
Joe – it’s part of the Silverado line item.
Unfortunately, they’re not breaking out Medium Duty sales from that figure at this time… I’ve asked.
As a former loyal GM owner GM used to be the best value for me.
I would tell everyone to buy a GM, the cost of ownership and trouble free ownership is a value.
I no longer believe either of those statements.
With GM having a terrible ownership experience and sending letters out to owners saying this part might fail but we will do nothing for you.
This is “normal operation” no warranty will apply.
The well known faulty parts GM will not cover.
The outright lack of value to cost compared to the competition.
The “that’s good enough attitude”.
The profit is king attitude.
The lack of any average performance unless you buy a race car.
There is no longer added value in a GM.
Like the RAM 1500, GM says they play the long ball, what.
How is there added value ?
Even if the GM was better, and I no longer believe that, is GM really saying after paying the added price, there truck in the end will be a cheaper vehicle to own.
Not to mention the time value of your money.
In my opinion this is not good I was one of the last people who I thought would think this.
But here we are.
And look at the sales numbers on the RAM to Silverado.
I am not alone.
I will not buy a RAM.
But I will no longer recommend GM.
GM should listen more and speak less.
GM should concentrate on there CUSTOMERS, there OWNERS.
All new average overpriced vehicles with a horrible owner experience is not ” playing long ball”
For sure not in a downturn auto market.
Agree. Despite Machete Mary’s delusional visions for what GM will look like 50 years from now, I have news for her. There will not be a GM 50 years from now or perhaps even 10 years from now if they do not focus on the needs of TODAY’s CUSTOMER. Look at the Silverado versus the Ram. A buyer gets much better value with the Ram- a better overall truck for less money. The customer GM lost did not feel like paying an extra $5,000 or more for a truck with less content to a company who wants to appease Wall Street first and drop endless dollars into a black hole of technology the market may not even want.
It will be interesting to see how much more GM sales will drop when the Cruze, Sonic, Impala, Volt, Lacrosse, Cascada and XTS are gone from the lineup and depleted. Will also be interesting to see how the overpriced Blazer and 2019 Silverado/Sierra play out.
Bingo!
While they may not be many, GM will lose quite a few sales with the loss of the Sedans.
Plus, I recently read an article (I want to say Business insider, but I’m not sure) where GM is purposely putting higher end trucks on dealer lots to raise ATPs. Not gonna happen. I’ll simply look at Ford (cant stand RAMs hockey puck gear selector), or I’ll buy used. GM is not going to push me into a more expensive truck. Hell, I’d factory order one and wait before I pay for an LTZ with equipment that I’ll never even touch!
Henry – the scenario you’re describing is part of a normal launch process for most, if not all, automakers. They launch a new vehicle with the higher-end models first, with less expensive models following thereafter. That’s exactly what’s taking place with GM and the new trucks. No one is trying to “push” you into anything, or to raise ATPs artificially. In a few months, this won’t even be part of the conversation.
GM needs to speak less. Old saying money talks and BS walks.
And in which way is GM talking too much?