The last remaining “build-shy” examples of the 2021 Chevy Colorado midsize pickup truck will be shipped to Chevrolet dealers before production resumes at the GM Wentzville plant on July 19th, GM Authority has learned. The facility has been shut down since the week of May 24th.
To clarify, a build-shy vehicle is one which left the factory in an incomplete state and in need of further work before it can be delivered to the customer. As GM Authority exclusively reported last month, the Chevy Colorado has been manufactured in this manner due to the ongoing global microchip shortage.
At first sight, it may seem strange that a manufacturer would build vehicles which could not immediately be sold. However, by using this method, GM has created a stock of Chevy Colorado units which require only a relatively small amount of work to complete before being sent to dealerships (and ultimately sold to customers) once the microchips are available. GM has also applied the same strategy to other models.
Automakers around the world have been affected by the shortage, which was created by both a lack of demand in the auto industry during the climax of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a spike in demand for electronic goods in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supply of the Chevy Colorado has been hit particular hard, and this has led to a dramatic loss of sales.
Sales Numbers - Midsize Mainstream Pickup Trucks - Q2 2021 - USA
MODEL | Q2 21 / Q2 20 | Q2 21 | Q2 20 | Q2 21 SHARE | Q2 20 SHARE | YTD 21 / YTD 20 | YTD 21 | YTD 20 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TOYOTA TACOMA | +42.66% | 72,847 | 51,063 | 42% | 39% | +33.04% | 139,296 | 104,699 |
FORD RANGER | +36.78% | 34,205 | 25,008 | 20% | 19% | +26.93% | 58,371 | 45,988 |
JEEP GLADIATOR | +53.12% | 29,962 | 19,568 | 17% | 15% | +40.08% | 48,784 | 34,827 |
NISSAN FRONTIER | +77.53% | 15,612 | 8,794 | 9% | 7% | +38.37% | 26,392 | 19,074 |
CHEVROLET COLORADO | -25.54% | 14,776 | 19,843 | 9% | 15% | -5.85% | 38,859 | 41,273 |
GMC CANYON | +2.33% | 5,347 | 5,225 | 3% | 4% | +28.67% | 12,491 | 9,708 |
TOTAL | +33.40% | 172,749 | 129,501 | +26.85% | 324,193 | 255,569 |
Among midsize mainstream pickups trucks sold in the United States, the Colorado was the only one to post a decline in sales volume both during the second quarter of 2021 and during the first six months of the same year. While Colorado sales had not previously been close to the segment-dominating Toyota Tacoma, it was at least a strong second-place contender that challenged the Ford Ranger for the position while outselling the Jeep Gladiator. But in Q2 2021, the midsize Chevy truck has fallen to a distant fifth in its segment.
Although the microchip shortage and the associated reduction in supply is largely responsible for the downturn, another factor working against Chevy’s smallest truck is its age. The 2021 model year vehicle is not very different from the 2015 Chevy Colorado, which represented the launch of the present generation in the U.S. and Canada.
Throughout its lifespan, the current-gen Colorado received a few minor upgrades, but no significant changes are in store until the introduction of the overhauled 2023 Chevy Colorado.
Once the build-shy units of the (current) Colorado arrive at dealers, we expect sales volume to rebound sharply. We should see that take place during the third quarter sales results, which will be reported during the first few days of October.
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Can you tell me when you going to start shipping the 2022 XT5