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U.S. GM Sales Down 10 Percent In Third Quarter 2020

GM sales decreased by 10 percent to 665,192 units during the third quarter of 2020 in the United States market. Sales decreased at all four GM brands in the market – including Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC.

“Our dealers are doing exceptionally well utilizing a combination of customer-facing online technologies – such as Shop. Click. Drive. – and showroom sales to deliver vehicles safely to our customers. This is contributing to retail share gains while we continue to refill the pipeline,” said Kurt McNeil, GM vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. “Industry-wide, dealers are selling a high mix of large pickups as the summer comes to an end. Our strong large pickup and all-new full-size SUV lineups from Chevrolet and GMC are selling extremely fast.”

GM Sales Notes – U.S. Q3 2020

  • Total GM sales during Q3 2020 decreased 10 percent to 665,192 units:
    • GM did not provide any information on retail vs. fleet deliveries, a significant and notable departure from the way it previously reported sales (on a monthly basis)
    • GM did not provide inventory information, representing a notable change in the details provided by GM for its sales reporting
    • GM also did not provide details surrounding average transaction prices for the third quarter
  • Like the entire industry, the company experienced declines due to the outbreak of COVID-19
  • Large pickups showed strength with heavy-duty year-over-year growth
  • Sales improved sequentially each month within the quarter, representing a sign of a recovering industry sales. In fact, industry and GM sales rebounded significantly in September, finishing the month with year-over-year sales increases.
  • Total industry SAAR was an estimated 15.9 million vehicles for the quarter, up about 4 million units from the previous quarter.
  • All-new crossovers continued to gain sales momentum, with the all-new crossovers – the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Buick Encore GX – continued to gain momentum, capturing a combined 11 percent of retail market share in the third quarter for the small SUV segment.
  • Year to date, GM’s combined light- and heavy-duty pickups gained 1.6 percentage points in retail market share to capture 37.5 percent of the segment, according to J.D. Power.
  • GM remains focused on producing the right mix of vehicles to meet demand. Large pickup and full-size SUV plants are all operating on three shifts and at maximum overtime. The automaker also states that robust, multi-layered COVID-19 safety protocols have been implemented across all of GM’s facilities to help keep employees safe and restore production to pre-pandemic levels.

Brand & Model Sales

Chevrolet sales decreased 11.2 percent to 450,317 units:

Cadillac sales decreased 17.5 percent to 32,965 units:

Buick sales decreased 2.9 percent to 49,163 units:

GMC sales decreased 5.7 percent to 132,747 units:

  • GMC Acadia sales decreased 10.36 percent to 18,231 units
  • GMC Canyon sales decreased 12.94 percent to 6,475 units
  • GMC Savana sales decreased 3.55 percent to 4,843 units
  • GMC Sierra sales increased 2.44 percent to 67,812 units, representing the Sierra’ best third quarter ever:
    • Sierra 1500 sales decreased 0.7 percent to 47,397 units
    • Sierra HD (2500HD, 3500HD) sales increased 10.6 percent to 20,415 units
  • GMC Terrain sales decreased 7.57 percent to 21,313 units
  • GMC Yukon sales decreased 24.89 percent to 14,073 units
    • GMC Yukon XL sales are included in this line item

During the first nine months of 2020 calendar year, U.S. GM sales decreased 17.4 percent to 1,776,016 units.

Sales Results - Q3 2020 - USA - Chevrolet

MODELQ3 2020 / Q3 2019Q3 2020Q3 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020YTD 2019
BLAZER+45.17% 29,48620,312+103.25%71,356 35,107
BOLT EV+17.64% 5,6824,830+7.18%14,053 13,111
CAMARO-31.85% 8,36612,275-39.59%22,226 36,791
COLORADO-13.90% 27,25631,657-29.22%68,529 96,820
CORVETTE+33.34% 6,3554,766-12.85%12,634 14,497
CRUZE-98.76% 725,799-98.33%754 45,276
EQUINOX-15.44% 67,47679,799-24.50%191,727 253,956
EXPRESS-32.58% 14,87522,062-38.84%37,190 60,805
IMPALA-80.12% 1,9169,638-74.84%8,914 35,433
LOW CAB FORWARD-19.74% 1,0901,358+8.44%3,494 3,222
MALIBU-21.51% 25,45532,432-24.80%73,399 97,603
SILVERADO-5.14% 147,484155,482+0.58%414,650 412,259
SONIC+102.37% 4,3472,148+1.57%10,799 10,632
SPARK+26.56% 8,3736,616+13.67%23,036 20,265
SUBURBAN-39.08% 7,54812,391-42.29%24,059 41,686
TAHOE-12.11% 23,12126,308-25.67%59,540 80,103
TRAILBLAZER* 10,322**17,024 0
TRAVERSE-23.14% 31,60341,116-25.97%84,012 113,491
TRAX-21.18% 29,48537,407-4.28%80,193 83,777
VOLT-99.43% 5874-98.52%67 4,540
CHEVROLET TOTAL-11.23% 450,317507,273-16.57%1,217,656 1,459,521

Sales Results - Q3 2020 - USA - Cadillac

MODELQ3 2020 / Q3 2019Q3 2020Q3 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020YTD 2019
ATS-89.23% 17158-89.53%110 1,051
CT4* 1,536**2,168 0
CT5* 4,001**9,576 0
CT6-74.03% 4221,625-47.63%2,972 5,675
CTS-86.88% 1481,128-92.07%476 5,999
ESCALADE-55.87% 4,53810,284-43.12%15,093 26,535
XT4-29.39% 6,3458,986-32.94%15,485 23,092
XT5-23.13% 9,46712,315-37.30%24,273 38,711
XT6+44.79% 6,2494,316+252.03%15,454 4,390
XTS-78.94% 2421,149-90.44%979 10,242
CADILLAC TOTAL-17.51% 32,96539,961-25.16%86,586 115,695

Sales Results - Q3 2020 - USA - Buick

MODELQ3 2020 / Q3 2019Q3 2020Q3 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020YTD 2019
CASCADA-99.75% 1400-99.51%12 2,458
ENCLAVE-25.14% 9,93713,274-36.26%26,142 41,013
ENCORE-55.44% 11,14325,008-52.08%35,414 73,905
ENCORE GX* 16,019**27,876 0
ENVISION+44.10% 11,6558,088+6.52%26,468 24,849
LACROSSE-99.50% 71,389-96.81%216 6,778
REGAL-83.67% 4012,456-72.60%2,425 8,849
BUICK TOTAL-2.87% 49,16350,615-24.90%118,553 157,855

Sales Results - Q3 2020 - USA - GMC

MODELQ3 2020 / Q3 2019Q3 2020Q3 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020YTD 2019
ACADIA-10.36% 18,23120,338-36.02%51,159 79,958
CANYON-12.94% 6,4757,437-38.47%16,183 26,300
SAVANA-3.55% 4,8435,021-43.06%12,009 21,090
SIERRA+2.44% 67,81266,198+6.75%174,645 163,601
TERRAIN-7.57% 21,31323,058-17.53%60,544 73,410
YUKON-46.62% 10,00218,737-53.65%24,891 53,707
YUKON XL* 4,071**13,790 0
GMC TOTAL-5.71% 132,747140,789-15.51%353,221 418,066

Sales Results - Q3 2020 - USA - GM Totals

BRANDQ3 2020 / Q3 2019Q3 2020Q3 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020YTD 2019
CHEVROLET TOTAL-11.23% 450,317507,273-16.57%1,217,656 1,459,521
CADILLAC TOTAL-17.51% 32,96539,961-25.16%86,586 115,695
BUICK TOTAL-2.87% 49,16350,615-24.90%118,553 157,855
GMC TOTAL-5.71% 132,747140,789-15.51%353,221 418,066
GM USA TOTAL-9.94% 665,192738,638-17.44%1,776,016 2,151,137

Chevrolet Silverado Sales Breakdown - Q3 2020

ModelQ3 2020 / Q3 2019Q3 2020Q3 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019YTD 2020YTD 2019
Total-5.1%147,484155,482+0.6%414,650412,259
Silverado LD-9.6%108,203119,641-1.1%310,593314,067
Silverado HD+9.1%37,32234,212+4.3%99,37495,249
Silverado MD+20.3%1,9591,629+59.1%4,6832,943

GMC Sierra Sales Breakdown - Q3 2020

ModelQ3 2020 / Q3 2019Q3 2020Q3 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019YTD 2020YTD 2019
Total+2.4%67,81266,198+6.8%174,645163,601
Sierra LD-0.7%47,39747,743+3.4%126,063121,958
Sierra HD+10.6%20,41518,455+16.7%48,58241,643

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to GM sales for Q3 2019, unless noted otherwise
  • There were 77 selling days for Q3 2020 and 76 selling days for Q3 2019
  • GM vehicle totals includes discontinued models

Further Reading & Sales Reporting

Deivis is an engineer with a passion for cars and the global auto business. He is constantly investigating about GM's future products.

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Comments

  1. So it seems GM knew what is what doing with the Blazer and Trailblazer. The name means nothing to most of the publice since the public is in love with CUV/Suv’s right now.

    Reply
  2. just do what Ford just did new CEO….
    put a fire under someone’s 🔥 A$$…
    Make GM Great Again….

    Reply
    1. The new Ford CEO hasn’t done much. All he did was reshuffle some chairs and create a few new C-level positions. All of these changes should have been made by the prior CEO (Hackett), but he was unqualified and complacent in enacting true change at the company. Let’s just say he should have never been CEO to begin with.

      For GM’s part, it already made all of these changes years ago under Barra’s leadership.

      Reply
      1. Lack of Leadership,
        something about Mary…

        Reply
  3. Barra and the rest of the GM execs are incompetent. Look at what is happening with Nikola. “Due diligence” my @ss!

    1999 – GM kills electric car
    2020 – Electric car kills GM

    Reply
  4. The epidemic had a great impact on the world economy!

    Reply

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