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Buick Encore Sales Drop 78 Percent During Q4 2020

Buick Encore sales decreased in the United States, Canada, and Mexico during the fourth quarter of 2020.

Buick Encore Sales - Q4 2020 - United States

In the United States, Buick Encore deliveries totaled 6,338 units in Q4 2020, a decrease of about 78 percent compared to 28,497 units sold in Q4 2019.

During the complete 2020 calendar year, Encore sales decreased about 59 percent to 41,752 units.
MODEL Q4 2020 / Q4 2019 Q4 2020 Q4 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020 YTD 2019
ENCORE -77.76% 6,338 28,497 -59.23% 41,752 102,402

Buick Encore Sales - Q4 2020 - Canada

In Canada, Buick Encore deliveries totaled 895 units in Q4 2020, a decrease of about 63 percent compared to 2,440 units sold in Q4 2019.

During the complete 2020 calendar year, Encore sales decreased about 36 percent to 6,480 units.
MODEL Q4 2020 / Q4 2019 Q4 2020 Q4 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020 YTD 2019
ENCORE -63.32% 895 2,440 -36.45% 6,480 10,196

Buick Encore Sales - Q4 2020 - Mexico

In Mexico, Buick Encore deliveries totaled 365 units in Q4 2020, a decrease of about 3 percent compared to 377 units sold in Q4 2019.

During the complete 2020 calendar year, Encore sales decreased about 31 percent to 1,091 units.
MODEL Q4 2020 / Q4 2019 Q4 2020 Q4 2019YTD 2020 / YTD 2019 YTD 2020 YTD 2019
ENCORE -3.18% 365 377 -31.25% 1,091 1,587

Competitive Sales Comparison (USA)

Buick Encore sales during the fourth quarter of 2020 decreased significantly, with the subcompact crossover falling to 15th place in its competitive set in terms of cumulative sales volume, from 11th place in Q3 2020, and eighth place in Q2 2020. Notably, the Encore was sitting as high as second place in its segment during Q2 2019.

Meanwhile, the Jeep Compass held onto first, staying ahead of the Encore’s corporate cousin – the Chevrolet Trax (see Chevrolet Trax sales) – by 4,054 units. The Hyundai Kona came in third, followed by the Honda HR-V in fourth, the Chevrolet Trailblazer in fifth, Jeep Renegade in sixth, the Encore’s newer corporate sibling – the Buick Encore GX – in seventh, the all-new Kia Seltos in eighth, Kia Soul in ninth, Nissan Kicks in tenth, Ford EcoSport (see Ford EcoSport sales) in 11th, Mazda CX-30 in 12th, Toyota CH-R in 13th and the all-new Hyundai Venue in 14th.

The Buick Encore beat out the rest of the pack, including the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, Kia Niro, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Mazda CX-3 (which has been replaced by the CX-30; see Mazda CX-3 sales), and the Fiat 500X.

Sales Numbers - Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q4 2020 - United States

MODEL Q4 20 / Q4 19 Q4 20 Q4 19 Q4 20 SHARE Q4 19 SHARE YTD 20 / YTD 19 YTD 20 YTD 19
JEEP COMPASS -9.33% 30,160 33,263 12% 14% -24.99% 107,969 143,934
CHEVROLET TRAX -20.98% 26,106 33,039 10% 14% -9.00% 106,299 116,816
HYUNDAI KONA +28.88% 23,440 18,188 9% 7% +3.99% 76,253 73,326
HONDA HR-V -22.79% 22,228 28,790 9% 12% -15.21% 84,027 99,104
CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER * 17,268 * 7% 0% * 34,292 0
JEEP RENEGADE -13.19% 17,027 19,615 7% 8% -18.26% 62,847 76,885
BUICK ENCORE GX * 16,965 * 7% 0% * 44,841 0
KIA SELTOS * 16,771 * 6% 0% * 46,280 0
KIA SOUL -18.99% 16,531 20,406 6% 8% -26.70% 71,862 98,033
NISSAN KICKS +45.86% 16,218 11,119 6% 5% +1.14% 58,858 58,193
FORD ECOSPORT -5.02% 13,345 14,051 5% 6% -6.43% 60,545 64,708
MAZDA CX-30 +1,042.49% 10,271 899 4% 0% +4,134.04% 38,064 899
TOYOTA C-HR -16.33% 9,332 11,153 4% 5% -12.25% 42,936 48,930
HYUNDAI VENUE +564.90% 7,161 1,077 3% 0% +1,675.77% 19,125 1,077
BUICK ENCORE -77.76% 6,338 28,497 2% 12% -59.23% 41,752 102,402
MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT -42.19% 4,332 7,494 2% 3% -14.29% 28,836 33,644
KIA NIRO -35.40% 4,202 6,505 2% 3% -28.74% 17,434 24,467
MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSS -59.39% 1,544 3,802 1% 2% -47.52% 10,319 19,661
MAZDA CX-3 -70.26% 1,323 4,449 1% 2% -48.64% 8,335 16,229
FIAT 500X -29.19% 313 442 0% 0% -42.69% 1,443 2,518
TOTAL +7.45% 260,875 242,789 -1.89% 962,317 980,826

From a segment share standpoint, the Encore accounted for 2 percent segment share, down from the 12 percent in the year-ago quarter.

GM’s cross-town rival, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles – now known as Stellantis, fields three offerings in this segment – the Jeep Compass, Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X. The trio accounted for an impressive 47,500 deliveries during the quarter.

Sales Numbers - FCA Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q4 2020 - USA

MODEL Q4 20 / Q4 19 Q4 20 Q4 19 YTD 20 / YTD 19 YTD 20 YTD 19
JEEP COMPASS -9.33% 30,160 33,263 -24.99% 107,969 143,934
JEEP RENEGADE -13.19% 17,027 19,615 -18.26% 62,847 76,885
FIAT 500X -29.19% 313 442 -42.69% 1,443 2,518
TOTAL -10.92% 47,500 53,320 -22.87% 172,259 223,337

Meanwhile, the four GM offerings – the Buick Encore, Chevy Trax, as well as their all-new cousins, the Chevrolet Trailblazer and Buick Encore GX – accounted for a cumulative 66,677 deliveries. As such, GM outsold FCA by nearly 19,200 units in the segment, marking the sixth time that The General sold more units than FCA since the introduction of the second-generation Jeep Compass. GM held a combined 29 percent segment share to FCA’s 20 percent.

Sales Numbers - GM Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q4 2020 - USA

MODEL Q4 20 / Q4 19 Q4 20 Q4 19 YTD 20 / YTD 19 YTD 20 YTD 19
CHEVROLET TRAX -20.98% 26,106 33,039 -9.00% 106,299 116,816
CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER * 17,268 * * 34,292 0
BUICK ENCORE GX * 16,965 * * 44,841 0
BUICK ENCORE -77.76% 6,338 28,497 -59.23% 41,752 102,402
TOTAL +8.35% 66,677 61,536 +3.63% 227,184 219,218

Comparatively, the five Hyundai and Kia offerings in the segment sold a combined 68,105 units, outselling GM by nearly 1,500 units. Notably, the Hyundai Venue and Kona outpaced the segment, posting sales gains of 565 and 29 percent, respectively. The Mazda CX-30 reported a 1,042 percent increase and the Nissan Kicks saw sales jump 46 percent.

Sales Numbers - Hyundai - Kia Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - Q4 2020 - USA

MODEL Q4 20 / Q4 19 Q4 20 Q4 19 YTD 20 / YTD 19 YTD 20 YTD 19
HYUNDAI KONA +28.88% 23,440 18,188 +3.99% 76,253 73,326
KIA SOUL -18.99% 16,531 20,406 -26.70% 71,862 98,033
KIA SELTOS * 16,771 * * 46,280 0
KIA NIRO -35.40% 4,202 6,505 -28.74% 17,434 24,467
HYUNDAI VENUE +564.90% 7,161 1,077 +1,675.77% 19,125 1,077
TOTAL +47.49% 68,105 46,176 +17.29% 230,954 196,903

That said, it’s worth mentioning that the Kia Soul could be considered part of a smaller A-segment. Removing the Soul from the Hyundai and Kia sales totals leaves the Korean duo with 51,574 units, or over 15,000 units fewer than GM.

Sales Numbers - Hyundai - Kia Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers (excluding Soul) - Q4 2020 - USA

MODEL Q4 20 / Q4 19 Q4 20 Q4 19 YTD 20 / YTD 19 YTD 20 YTD 19
HYUNDAI KONA +28.88% 23,440 18,188 +3.99% 76,253 73,326
KIA SELTOS * 16,771 * * 46,280 0
HYUNDAI VENUE +564.90% 7,161 1,077 +1,675.77% 19,125 1,077
KIA NIRO -35.40% 4,202 6,505 -28.74% 17,434 24,467
TOTAL +100.13% 51,574 25,770 +60.91% 159,092 98,870

The mainstream subcompact crossover segment expanded nearly 8 percent to 260,875 units during Q4 2020. As such, the Encore’s 78 percent decrease in sales volume significantly under-performed the segment average.

The GM Authority Take

We attribute the decline in Buick Encore sales volume during Q4 2020 to a combination of supply-related issues plus internal competition from the Buick Encore GX, a newer, more premium and more attractive offering. While the Encore lost 22,159 units in Q4 2020 compared to Q4 2019, the Encore GX gained 16,965 units. The Encore family is still down 5,194 units on an annual basis, but we expect that to change as supply of the Encore GX improves.

Together, the Encore and Encore GX should be able to perform very well in this space as supply returns to more optimal levels.

The Buick Encore GX complements the "regular" Encore in the Buick crossover lineup.

The Buick Encore GX complements the “regular” Encore in the Buick crossover lineup.

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to Buick Encore sales in Q4 2019, unless noted otherwise
  • In the United States, there were 79 selling days in Q4 2020 and 78 selling days in Q4 2019
GM Q4 2020 sales reports:

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Comments

  1. Christopher

    I think GM did it to themselves by naming two vehicles so closely together, by making them into products so closely together, and letting the Encore grow stale.

    Reply
  2. h4cksaw

    lowercase gm all but abandons the largest market in the US. Brilliant! Bye market share. When are share holders going to realize that not everything is going well under Mary’s regime anymore. Everyone likes to think full size trucks are the high selling segment, but that’s simply not the case. Subcompact plus is the most competitive and best selling segment, especially excluding fleet and commercial sales. lowercase gm is absolutely rudderless in the b/c segment, demand for the BEVs simply isn’t there, and the TB is a flop.

    Reply
  3. Guestt

    As usual the gums run before the fact came out. The GX is taking the sales, are some going to the competition?, yes but not as much.

    Reply
    1. Steve Colmar

      It’s a shocking drop, Encore GX has not been as well received by critics as Encore, but Buick still has market share. What’s amazing is how Trax, a vehicle GM was
      reluctant to bring here, has held on in such a significant way. The shock really comes when one compares the twins.
      GEM Encore, which needs a new name, can’t come quick enough. GEM Trax should be readied as well and, for the sake of Chevrolet sales, produced on one line outside of China. GEM is Gamma 2 so should be an easy job to Federalize and enhance.

      Reply
      1. h4cksaw

        Why waste money on an antiquated platform? Take the VSS-F platform, bring production to the U.S. and put in a decent motor, like the 2.0t lsy, already made in the U.S. It would instantly shoot the platform to the top of the segment, and probably be my next vehicle. Seems like a no brainier, which might require too much common sense for Mary and her cronies.

        Reply
  4. Dan Berning

    I must agree with the others above. I feel (opinion) that Buick made a huge mistake bringing the new Encore GX to market and calling it an Encore at all. Confuses people. There were other great names that could have been used. The reason I don’t say they should have called the GX the all new Encore and changed the old Encore is because of them being sold side by side.

    I’m a GM guy and really like Buick, but they have been making some really bone headed decisions IMO.

    Reply
  5. eyexist

    I think we need to wait until the end of March or June before we get a more accurate picture of things. This article is pointless and foolish.

    Reply
    1. h4cksaw

      lowercase gm doesn’t seem to have any plans to make the GX and Trailblazer any better, so why would you think they’ll magically sell more units or grab more market share? If anything it will sell less and less, especially as all the lack luster reviews from third parties keep rolling in.

      Reply
  6. Julius Rosen

    The obvious has been said by many people above the encore is stale doesn’t have all the safety equipment of other cars. It has the same name as the GX series which was just foolish I think the marketing department could have been fired over this. Plus the sales department and the pricing department simply does not understand that senior citizens which are still the bulk of Buick sales wanted a vehicle for $20,000 and not 25 or 30.

    Reply
  7. Julius Rosen

    This is a suggestion for general motors not necessarily a comment about the encore. I think you should rotate your internal marketing staff and pricing staff and all of management, place them into the actual car dealerships as sales trainees for one or two weeks to show them how difficult it is to actually sell cars. Let them actually find out what customers are looking at, what the price objections are and how intense competition actually is to get the dollar from the consumer. Just my two cents but sales is hard work especially when you have real competition which obviously gm does today compared to the 1950s

    Reply
    1. Dan Berning

      Julius: I couldn’t agree more! I’m not in actual sales any more but now work in the fleet department at a dealership. However, I’ve been in auto related sales and/or service related for over 20 years total with almost 19 of those in sales. I’ve said this same thing for years. These people just don’t know what it’s about unless they have been on the front lines where the feet hit the ground. I also think a lot of people on here just don’t understand the problem names, lack of names or letters/numbers for names can create and thus lose sales. Example: You have someone who has purchased a certain model for years and then that brand changes the name. Customer doesn’t get the memo and leaves the brand. This may be going back some years, but here are some examples:
      Regal into LaCrosse
      Century into LaCrosse
      LeSabre and Park Avenue into Lucerne
      Cavalier into Cobalt into Cruze
      DeVille into DTS into XTS

      And then you have the lettering/numbers games that no customers understand. So yes. Maybe if these people you mention above had to word the front lines, just maybe they would finally get it and see the value of sticking with a name that customers will stay with.

      Reply
  8. h4cksaw

    It’s not even really a competition, the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona, and Mazda Cx-30 are all just straight up better vehicles than GX and Trailblazer. Kia and Hyundai even offer a way better warranty. You’d literally have to be out of your mind to choose the Trailblazer imho.

    Reply
    1. Mick1

      Trying to get Kia and Hyundai to honor their warranty is like pulling teeth in my personal experience.

      Reply
      1. h4cksaw

        Trying to get any manufacturer to cover warranties is like pulling teeth. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

        Reply
  9. Evo69

    gm planned this. The Encore GX took the sales away as buyers looked to the updated version, and bought those.

    Reply
  10. Tony

    Almost the same as the Chevy Trax, so why spend the extra money on the stale looking Buick.

    Reply
  11. Mick1

    Encore Encore GX Trax Trailblazer Venue Kona Soul Seltos. Get it!

    Reply
  12. Donna

    I’ll never own anything remotely close to a Buick again. I had the 2016 Buick Encore, all the bells and whistles, spent so much money in Repairs. It just about broke me, I got out of that vehicle and bought a Mazda cx5!

    Reply
    1. Dan Berning

      That’s funny. I work at a Mazda store and had an Encore. I’ve seen the (many) issues Mazda encounters and I never had one single issue with my Encore. And it drove nicer with much better ergonomics than the CX5. On top of that, what you say doesn’t add up with what JDP shows. Maybe you had a bad one, who knows.

      Reply
  13. Gary English

    Mary doesn’t know which end is up. I thought that GM was in a self destruct mode.

    Reply

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