Chevy Attracted More New Customers In 2020 Than Ever Before
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In 2020, Chevy attracted more new, non-GM customers in the U.S. than ever before. In other words, the Bow Tie brand had its highest ever sales percentage to new customers from outside GM. That much was revealed by Chevrolet Vice President, Steve Hill, who shared the information during a call with the media attended by GM Authority.
And while that’s an impressive statistic in and of itself, we were left wondering about the actual figures behind the statement. Turns out, the actual statistic is quite impressive.
“We were approaching nearly half of our sales being from conquest customers,” Chevrolet communications manager, Megan Soule, confirmed to GM Authority executive editor Alex Luft.
Chevrolet sales for the complete 2020 calendar year fell 11.19 percent to 1,739,792 units, a slightly better performance than the overall GM downturn of 11.77 percent. Both figures would of course have been very different had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, which among other effects caused a complete shutdown of GM vehicle production for two months, if not more.
Sales Results - Q4 2020 - USA - Chevrolet
| MODEL | Q4 2020 / Q4 2019 | Q4 2020 | Q4 2019 | YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 | YTD 2020 | YTD 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLAZER | +1.02% | 23,243 | 23,008 | +62.78% | 94,599 | 58,115 |
| BOLT EV | +102.63% | 6,701 | 3,307 | +26.41% | 20,754 | 16,418 |
| CAMARO | -34.21% | 7,549 | 11,474 | -38.31% | 29,775 | 48,265 |
| COLORADO | +8.73% | 27,709 | 25,484 | -21.31% | 96,238 | 122,304 |
| CORVETTE | +157.58% | 8,992 | 3,491 | +20.22% | 21,626 | 17,988 |
| CRUZE | -98.89% | 30 | 2,699 | -98.37% | 784 | 47,975 |
| EQUINOX | -13.93% | 79,267 | 92,092 | -21.69% | 270,994 | 346,048 |
| EXPRESS | +7.74% | 17,941 | 16,652 | -28.82% | 55,131 | 77,457 |
| IMPALA | -89.23% | 1,028 | 9,545 | -77.90% | 9,942 | 44,978 |
| LOW CAB FORWARD | -10.21% | 1,143 | 1,273 | +3.16% | 4,637 | 4,495 |
| MALIBU | -14.75% | 29,252 | 34,314 | -22.19% | 102,651 | 131,917 |
| SILVERADO | +9.86% | 179,444 | 163,341 | +3.21% | 594,094 | 575,600 |
| SONIC | -33.87% | 2,208 | 3,339 | -6.90% | 13,007 | 13,971 |
| SPARK | -5.21% | 10,442 | 11,016 | +7.02% | 33,478 | 31,281 |
| SUBURBAN | +32.56% | 13,577 | 10,242 | -27.52% | 37,636 | 51,928 |
| TAHOE | +36.10% | 28,698 | 21,086 | -12.80% | 88,238 | 101,189 |
| TRAILBLAZER | * | 17,268 | * | * | 34,292 | 0 |
| TRAVERSE | +23.50% | 41,534 | 33,631 | -14.67% | 125,546 | 147,122 |
| TRAX | -20.98% | 26,106 | 33,039 | -9.00% | 106,299 | 116,816 |
| VOLT | -98.92% | 4 | 370 | -98.55% | 71 | 4,910 |
| CHEVROLET TOTAL | +4.55% | 522,136 | 499,404 | -11.19% | 1,739,792 | 1,958,925 |
However, in Q4 of 2020, Chevrolet sales rose by 22,232 vehicles, or 4.55 percent, compared with the same period in 2019. The gains were made across three particular areas: crossovers, SUVs, and pickups.
Sales of Chevy trucks – the Colorado and Silverado – increased 9 and 10 percent, respectively:
- Chevrolet Colorado sales increased 9 percent to 27,709 units
- Chevrolet Silverado sales increased 10 percent to 179,444 units
- Silverado 1500 sales increased 1 percent to 125,688 units
- Silverado HD (2500HD, 3500HD) sales increased 39 percent to 51,020 units
- Silverado MD (4500HD, 5500HD, 6500HD) sales increased 35.6 percent to 2,736 units
Additionally, sales of the Chevrolet Express commercial van family increased 7.74 percent to 17,941 units
Chevy SUVs saw a very healthy growth thanks to the launch of the all-new, 2021 Tahoe and 2021 Suburban:
- Chevrolet Tahoe sales increased 36 percent to 28,698 units
- Chevrolet Suburban sales increased 32.6 percent to 13,577 units
Chevy crossovers saw very healthy growth rates:
- Chevrolet Trailblazer sales totaled 17,268 units; the new small crossover is experiencing significantly more demand than there is supply
- Chevrolet Traverse sales increased 23.5 percent to 41,534 units
- Chevrolet Blazer sales increased 1.02 percent to 23,243 units
Additionally, the Bolt EV electric as well as the mid-engine Corvette posted triple-digit growth rates:
- Chevrolet Bolt EV sales increased 102.63 percent to 6,701 units
- Chevrolet Corvette sales increased 157.58 percent to 8,992 units
If it wasn’t apparent before, it should be clear now that the high proportion of customers conquested by Chevy (and from non-GM brands, to boot) is extremely impressive, and shows just how effective the portfolio is at attracting new clientele, despite the criticisms of many an armchair CEO. It’s also worth noting that, had it not been for the pandemic, Chevy sales would have likely reached even higher levels.
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Funny how an article about sales growth and new conquests has no comments, but a new logo has people crying about women and feminizatiom or whatever.
While it’s great that Chevy is growing, the article doesn’t talk about GM as a whole. I wonder if the other brands are growing so much, I kind of doubt it. Buick is basically on life support. As far as the new logo and direction of GM, it’s a little disappointing… Just this Chevy owners take.
The logo is just a logo. It doesn’t affect the vehicles at all. What is disappointing in the new direction?
@h4cksaw
“While it’s great that Chevy is growing, the article doesn’t talk about GM as a whole.”
You must be having a glass half empty kind of day, huh? Why not eschew the blues and recognize the results for what they really are – a very impressive achievement.
Want to talk about other brands? Sure, here are some examples:
– Cadillac outperformed the retail luxury industry and recorded its best fourth-quarter retail share and sales since 2016… and that’s with EXTREMELY tight supply of the new Escalade.
– Q4 2020 GMC retail deliveries were up 14 percent.
– Q4 2020 Buick Enclave retail sales jumped 21 percent and the best is yet to come, as Buick will soon launch the all-new 2021 Envision – a key vehicle in a key market segment. It will be closely followed by the Envision GX. That’ when you’ll see Buick simply the show.
But all that kind of misses the bigger picture, which is this: one of the many reasons to field multiple brands like GM does is to mitigate the natural ups and down of a brand and of the industry as a whole. With GM’s very fresh and highly attractive vehicle lineup across all North American brands, the results described here for Chevrolet will quickly extend to the rest of the brands over the next several months.
Buick is a dying brand just like their owners. No one wants a old persons car. When I was in high school about 10 years ago we made fun of who had a Buick and that they were on life support
Might want to wake up and smell the coffee. Today’s Buick is far from what it was 20 years ago. Heck, it’s far from what it was 10 years ago.
Kind of sad that people shop a brand rather than shop value.
Don’t forget, to everyone’s surprise, the new Escalade that is priced at $100,000.00+ is outselling the entry model that starts just slightly over $77,000.00 along with the HUMMER EV Pre-Orders that is already on ” Sold Out” status, so GM is holding up nicely even in the midst of this Pandemic.
They say you can tell a person by the car they drive. With Buick their owners are on life support just like the brand😂
There are many critics here who said GM was wrong to kill the slow selling cars for new CUV models.
Most will not admit they were wrong.
We will get down voted for pointing this out.
The emblem is a safe critic. Right or wrong in the end it will not affect sales. It is like arguing color choice of shade of grey.
Yes, in the end it is about the vehicles, and Chev seems to have made the right choices.
GM’s Q4 2020 US market share was 18.0% vs 17.0% in the year ago period. A 1% gain in market share equates to 146,000 additional units at an annualized SAAR of 14.6 million units or 43,000 sales in Q4. In other words, of the 4.3 million people who bought a vehicle in Q4 2020, 43,000 more people opted for a GM vehicle in 2020 vs. 2019.
Honestly, the reason for the new customers is probably because the weird fruity abnormal add campaigns that were targeting these normally non GM buyers. I’m a GM guy because of LS engines and the old “like a rock” campaign. These adds aren’t for guys like me, though I will comment that GMC add from last year where the husband buys matching Denalis truck and SUV and the wife calls dibs on the truck was in my opinion verry effective in marketing the Denali line.
Another internet tough guy projecting, it seems. Appealing to a broader base than macho is not “fruity”. GM didn’t take away your trucks and V8 engines.
It is possible to be tough without talking down on people with different tastes, you know. GM’s new ads won’t make you gay.
I’m agreeing with you Troy, Im just saying GM is branching out with their marketing. Its no longer just truck guys, drag racers and off roaders wanting to see a dually pull a train. Its targeting who would be your traditional honda or VW buyer.
But the Honda ridgeline adds, Those will make you Gay, and not just Gay, the farting rainbows and wearing unicorn shirts and sandals with you man bun gay.
Steven, last I checked (I am a gay man) the bun wearing guys were the “straight” macho guys who would consider Chevy’s new ad’s to be fruity. All you homophobes are truly hiding something deep down if you feel your sexuality is threatened by an advertisrment!!!
All their commercials are the same. Literally and they had the same script but different people. The Chevy commercials talk about their JD Power crap or employee pricing, GMC recycles their commercials, Buick ads are just sad, and I haven’t seen a Cadillac comercial yet but every time I do I usually like them.
Just one year let him say no the truck is mine!
Maybe you should explore why you are threatened by so-called feminine ads as opposed to the macho manly ones you seem so attracted to.
IF YOU ARE REALLY A GM GUY then you should be happy for their success.
GOOD JOB CHEVY!, would be the more appropriate response from a “GM GUY”
GOOD JOB CHEVY!!! from a lifetime Chevy owner and GM guy. I am pleased with GM’s plan and execution , GOOD JOB!!!!
GUYS like you??? do you think you are better or different???
Guys like you ,meaning f*cking idiots that say they are fans but don’t like the ads???
My wife drives my Silverado from time to time, sometimes she needs to pick up things that are too big for Her car.
Is this wrong?? I worked construction for over 25 years and know I am more MAN than YOU, letting my wife borrow my truck doesn’t take that away. YOU SOUND LIKE A MALE CHAUVINIST PIG!!!!!!
YOUR JUST TOO MUCH OF A MAN FOR TODAYS CHEVY!!!! F*CKING IDIOT!!!!!
LIKE A ROCK go jump off a cliff
let me know when there is an article that says gm’s overall market share and operating margin is growing.
YOUR A DOUCHE BAG !!!! marketshare??MArgin?? both have been some of the best numbers in 2020 for the automotive industry, GM has been quite good this year.
I noticed something about you Steve and Steven both Steves here are dumbass douche bags
NEW RULE >>>>> NO MORE GUYS NAMED STEVE OR STEVEN ALLOWED!!!!! DOUCHEBAG ALERT!!
It shows they must be doing some things right.
If more than half are conquest sales, less than half comes from loyal customers—ah the down side! Conquest sales are fine but keeping loyal customers is probably more important!
Those were my thoughts too.
Exactly what I was thinking as I read the article.
Could also be the employee pricing special that was used in the 4th quarter. However just like we have seen on this very website when you compare the sales versus the competition model for model Chevy only has a few sales winners. Vette, Tahoe\suburban.
would love to see another series of Baseball, hotdog, apple pie, and Chevrolet commercials.
Once they see the new logo, they’ll scramble back to their old brands according to some here….
Still very low amount for EV sales for a company going so strong in this “market”. Don’t see it vs Tesla.
The BEV market in the US is just small period. Tesla and GM sell way less than 300k BEV units combined per year. It’s just a little alarming to push so hard in one direction when clearly the market isn’t there. I truly hope Mary knows what she’s doing, but it’s looking more like she is in over her head. GM seems rudderless right now. I’ll take my business to the Japanese manufacturers.
“The BEV market in the US is just small period.”
Today, the EV market is small. How about in the medium-term future? That’s the timeframe GM is targeting with the EV push.
One thing I’ve learned during a decade of obsessively covering GM at GM Authority is that General Motors doesn’t do anything on a whim or on a hunch. The decisions are typically supported by a substantial amount of data in order to minimize or otherwise eliminate risk. They might not get it right every single time, but they get it right the overwhelming amount of time. GM’s EV push is supported by a substantial amount of data, studies, and observation so as to warrant the multi-billion investment in EVs. I wouldn’t bet against it.
Also, keep in mind that GM is not abandoning ICE models. It’s adding EVs and will keep ICE models around. This positions it perfectly to capitalize on both ends.
Keep in mind that other automakers are also doing what GM is doing, including Toyota and Ford. Both have just begun to develop their respective EV roadmaps, and both are at least an entire cycle behind GM when it comes to developing and bringing to market their BEV portfolios.
“I’ll take my business to the Japanese manufacturers.”
Okay. But they’ll also be discontinuing most of their sedan lineup very soon. It’s already started with the Lexus GS, Acura RLX, and Infiniti Q70. The mainstream brands will follow, since they’ll soon be faced with the same budgetary constraints as GM was a few years ago.
You can keep spinning for your homie Mary in Detroit, but I’m liking the looks of Mazda’s inline 6 and RWD biased platformed developed in conjunction with Toyota. As far as GM not getting it right, I’m pretty sure GM went bankrupt less then a dozen years ago and Mary is just riding that bailout wave… sad really. Do you own a Bolt, Trailblazer, or GX? Probably not, because for for the price, there are better options.
i’m looking forward to the next gen mazda 6 too. i think it will be a special vehicle. mazda is too small of a company to put in a half-assed effort. they only have so many bullets in the chamber so each one counts.
h4cksaw
Mazda? Really?
Mazda is selling about as many vehicles in the U.S. as Pontiac, right before GM shut down Pontiac.
Mazda’s tech is outdated, and it’s models are improperly sized. If Toyota was smart, they would have nothing to do with Mazda.
“They might not get it right every single time, but they get it right the overwhelming amount of time.”???? are you serious????
is that why they went bankrupt? is that why they went from dominating the us market to having the japanese come in and steal their customers?
i’m rooting for gm but delusional statements like that are not helping.
See, I would have though that a couple of highly intelligent beings like h4cksaw and steve would have figured out that my statement refers to the New GM formed over the past decade and not to ALL of GM throughout history.
In case you both still do not get it, I’ll spell it out for you: the GM of today (under the current leadership) takes highly calculated risks with data-driven decision making throughout the enterprise.
In fact, that’s something that the old GM (pre bankruptcy) had no way of doing because it lacked sufficient data and insight into its own business. When the new leadership came in, the business-level IT systems were overhauled in order to change that, enabling decision making led by exact facts and figures.
Clear enough for ya?
what you said made no sense if you look at gm over the last 50 years. don’t make excuses like gm’s failure was due to lack of data. did toyota have more data than gm? the only data point gm needed to pay attention to was seeing their market share plummet. don’t over complicate things. they just offered the customer more for less. i would’ve thought an intelligent person like you would’ve figured that out.;)
Steve – you might want to read my comment a few more times, as it seems like you didn’t even begin to grasp its meaning.
To make it crystal clear for you, I’m not referring to the past 50 years; I’m referring to the past 10 years (2010-2020) when compared to the 10 years before that (2000-2010).
Now then – the general strategy, direction and mind set of the company was very different pre and post bankruptcy. The same goes for its decision making abilities. Figure it out.
you might want to re-read your own comment :
“In fact, that’s something that the old GM (pre bankruptcy) had no way of doing because it lacked sufficient data and insight into its own business. ”
blaming old, pre-bankrupt gm failure on a lack of data? give me a break.
since you seem to be a big proponent of big data, please write an article on how gm is using big data. do you really need big data to figure out customers don’t want mediocre products and pay premium prices?
Steve
“Article on how GM is using big data”
Does Alex need to write the whole article? Because I think just the headline would put most people to sleep.
Steve, I know exactly what I wrote. It is you who is either misinformed, trolling, or a healthy mix of both.
Big data? Who said anything about big data? I’m talking about regular data and business intelligence.
Prior to the efforts of Dan Amann and Randy Mott post bk, GM had surprisingly little insight into profitability of its own product line. Yes, that’s hard to imagine but it’s true. Once that data did come to light, it was often too late to be actionable. That’s not big data. That’s just business intelligence, plain and simple.
All that has changed substantially since those days. Around the turn of the last decade, GM opened four IT innovation centers around North America, each staffed with around 1k employees to revamp its very antiquated and highly fragmented technology and data infrastructure. There is now real-time / near real-time insight into the business across the globe. This is what has led to withdrawal from some product segments and some markets.
I don’t even know what you’re arguing about… but those are the facts.
alex –
fine. if gm with its army of accountants can’t figure out why they are losing market share, that explains a lot.
i assumed you were talking about big data because i figure with 100 years of experience, gm would have mastered business 101. instead you were talking about incompetence. now i understand.
Steve, They didn’t go bankrupt for quality or performance reasons. They went bankrupt 90% because of the UAW and the corruption that they bring to Detroit. IDK if you remember but in 2003 when gas was just starting to go up dramatically, GM had a tremendous fight with the unions because they wanted to retool an SUV factory making the chevy blazer to produce more fuel efficient passenger cars. The unions didnt like it because smaller cars required less labor hours, so they striked and GM conceded. The Japanese brands came in during the oil crisis and the American vehicles were being assaulted by the carter administration so the point that good old small block chevy’s were just getting hammered by emission taxs and GM put out fast tracked vehicles to avoid being taxed to oblivion. The Japanese cars weren’t even that good, just they were just efficient enough to not be taxed to oblivion and werent fast tracked so they were decently reliable. Id like to see toyota deal with the UAW and survive as well as GM Ford and FCA has.
LOLOL not get it right every time??? what about your previous post saying MAZDA never puts in a half assed effort…. dude your an idiot!!!
You are rooting for GM??? umm do you go see any sporting events?? rooting usually is done by saying good things for and hoping for success. More simply put with fans like you, who needs enemies??? your rooting for GM, ROFLMAO read your posts again rooting is far from what You are doing. You are playing both sides against the middle and making up YOUR own facts to make sure your story is making You look right!!!!
Bankrupt? again how about giving GM some credit from their chapter 11.
The article is about gaining back those very customers you point out bought Japanese cars.
So again you could be a little more positive about what GM is doing, bringing up a 12 year old bankruptcy is pretty stupid. Have you ever made a mistake in the past? how would you like it if you kept getting reminded every time its convenient to win an argument. GM f*cked up but have done a good job moving in the right direction IMO Its a big company with old habits and old habits die hard.
One more thing, GM didn’t go Bankrupt, that would be a Chapter 7
GM filed for a chapter 11 bankruptcy, which simply means a COURT supervised/ court ordered restructuring of their debt. 2 companies currently in chapter 11 Hertz and JCPenny . Both will probably exist after bankruptcy. So using the term Bankrupt is actually wrong, GM filed for chapter 11 debt restructuring, paid back every dime of BK financing. Think about it GM had to drop hummer,Oldsmobile,Pontiac,Saab and build the VOLT it was part of their BK finance package . Chapter 11 also ensures that all bond debt get repaid, thats the thing about bonds, they are secure and once a Companies debt and worth converge, bondholders are going to want a Chapter 11 to guarantee payment. Boyscouts of America have done the same thing, Chapter 11 guarantees anyone with a claim against the organization/company can be heard in court and paid if necessary.
Great article. I don’t agree with many above making this about some other story. I agree with Alex above in looking at this as a positive. One thing that would make this article stellar would be to know where these new customers came from. Brands? Models?
As for the comment about being wrong for killing the sedans, I think that is kind of short-sighted in terms of the market will shift again. Not will it shift, but when will it shift. There is zero reason why GM couldn’t keep two sedans to share among Buick and Chevrolet to keep some of those customers while expanding the SUV/CUV line.
As for the logo, that has nothing to do with this article. Why bring that up here? Some of us don’t like the new logo, some love it, some could care less. For me, it’s about staying the course and bringing new and improved product to market instead of spending so much time and effort and money to design a “new” logo.
As for bringing up “fruity” advertising, that only seems to show a lack of confidence for them personally. If GM was only about selling brute trucks with the Like A Rock slogans, the company wouldn’t be around too long. Diversity is not our enemy.
I didn’t need any of the marketing and whatever other gimmicks to lure me into ordering a 2021 Camaro 2SS Redline Edition. I had my sights set on a Camaro since the fugly 2019 model (I sure as hell wasn’t gonna get that particular year though). I originally wanted a more simple LT1 model for cheap but my dad convinced me to go a bit crazy with the build and he would provide some of the financial aid if necessary.
I’m not a fan of electric cars. But if you think GM is not smart about going Electric on some vehicles then the 10k Hummer orders within in 10 minutes should change your mind. Especially when its a 100k vehicle.
I contributed to those numbers 😀 I bought my first GM car in summer 2020, it was a brand new Camaro 1LT, and I love it so far.