General Motors recently hosted its Capital Markets Day webcast for investors and analysts, providing a cornucopia of insights with regard to the automaker’s strategy and latest successes. Among the tidbits of info was the revelation that more than 80 percent of GMC Sierra HD pickup sales are a mix of the Denali and AT4 trims.
The statistic was provided by GM’s Executive VP and President, North America, Barry Engle, during his presentation at the Capital Markets Day webcast.
“Additional production capacity will also allow us to better meet demand for these high-end trucks that carry the best ATPs in the industry,” Engle said. “Roughly 80 percent of our new GMC heavies have been either AT4’s or Denali’s with ATPs over $70,000. The success of these trucks shows there’s a real customer appetite for very capable, premium trucks.”
Engle’s acknowledgement that GMC Sierra HD average transaction price is in excess of $70,000 is also quite interesting, as it provides an indication of just how premium the truck segment has become – and how GMC has managed to leverage that evolution.
Furthermore, Engle said that nearly half of all Sierra sales, which includes both the GMC Sierra HD and the Sierra 1500, are with the Denali and AT4 trims, further underlining customer demand for high-end, premium pickups.
That said, the 80 percent figure that Engle quotes may be misleading, as GM launched the most profitable variants of the GMC Sierra HD prior to the lower trims. As we covered previously, GM launched the low-cost, Regular Cab entry trim levels for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra in the fourth quarter of 2019, thus completing the brand’s pickup rollout towards the end of the year. As such, with the higher trims available longer than the lower trims, it makes sense that the off-roader-spec AT4 and range-topping premium Denali would outsell the lower trims.
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Comments
Thats because all they are making is Denali and AT4s at the moment! Putting work trucks and lower trim levels to the wayside. Skewed stats
The GMC dealer we typically use for ship thru has yet to see WT 2020 GMC HDs. Strike, order availability, and so on, and so on. GM completely missed this year’s plow season for these. Missed opportunities like this really hurts.
Yea we have had a bunch of orders canceled (mostly work trucks) and we can’t even order cab chassis until next month, it sucks telling that to customers
That is great for ATP and I must say great job. But here’s what I don’t get. I work my tail off and put in over 55 hours per week. I live very modestly with no cable, no home internet (use my phones mobile hot-spot), have a very low cell phone bill, I don’t gamble, seldom drink, don’t do drugs, don’t go out to expensive restaurants much, almost never go to the movies and I actually make above the median household income for my area. But there is NO WAY IN HELL that I can afford a $70,000 truck or anything close to that.
How do people afford these things?
People that that don’t save, do not contribute to a 401k, do not save for their kids education, max out credit cards, live pay check to pay check, and don’t mind driving a vehicle that’s worth more than their house. That’s who buys.
I see it every day. Payment..$800 insurance…$200 fuel $300-$500 a month….. ouch!!!
@JWL and Cadillac Matt: I hear you. I guess I see that as well where I work (Mazda and Volvo dealer now). But where I come from in the mid-west, you don’t see as much of that as I do here in LA. Oh it’s there too, but just in a much smaller number.
What I’d like to see is real information on how these trucks (not just from GM, but Ford and Dodge as well) are being purchased. Are most people leasing them? If yes, how much money down? Or are they buying them and trading in vehicles with total 100% equity to use as a huge down payment? Oh well, guess I shouldn’t worry about all those people and just worry about myself. Outside of my 2018 Encore, I’m 100% debt free and love it!!!
So when do we see the AT4 Denali trim? Half joking, half serious…..
GM might sell even more units if they brought back the nice brown interior. Forced to take black with just a 1 inch strip of brown in seats. Replacing a 2019 AT4 for either Ford of Dodge They cater to customers
I want a standard cab pickup and to be able to pick better options like it used to be. I do not want a crew cab nor extended cab nor just a WT..
Dealers are only buying the AT4 and Denali trims. No real discounts for any HD models. 2+2=4.
Of course the AT4HD leads in sales numbers when that’s the only other option to choose besides the Denali HEat the moment in 90% of dealerships.