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Buick Enclave Sales Fall To Third Place In Segment During Q3 2021

By Francisco Cruz

November 24, 2021 2:03 pm

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Buick Enclave sales decreased in the United States and Mexico while remaining flat in Canada during the third quarter of 2021.

Buick Enclave Sales - Q3 2021 - United States

In the United States, Buick Enclave deliveries totaled 7,623 units in Q3 2021, a decrease of about 23 percent compared to 9,937 units sold in Q3 2020.

In the first nine months of the year, Enclave sales increased about 28 percent to 33,336 units.
MODEL Q3 2021 / Q3 2020 Q3 2021 Q3 2020YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 YTD 2021 YTD 2020
ENCLAVE -23.29% 7,623 9,937 +27.52% 33,336 26,142

Buick Enclave Sales - Q3 2021 - Canada

In Canada, Buick Enclave deliveries totaled 518 units in Q3 2021, flat compared to 518 units sold in Q3 2020.

In the first nine months of the year, Enclave sales increased about 35 percent to 1,788 units.
MODEL Q3 2021 / Q3 2020 Q3 2021 Q3 2020YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 YTD 2021 YTD 2020
ENCLAVE 0.00% 518 518 +35.15% 1,788 1,323

Buick Enclave Sales - Q3 2021 - Mexico

In Mexico, Buick Enclave deliveries totaled 86 units in Q3 2021, a decrease of about 26 percent compared to 117 units sold in Q3 2020.

In the first nine months of the year, Enclave sales increased about 15 percent to 336 units.
MODEL Q3 2021 / Q3 2020 Q3 2021 Q3 2020YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 YTD 2021 YTD 2020
ENCLAVE -26.50% 86 117 +15.07% 336 292

Competitive Sales Comparison (USA)

Buick Enclave sales performance during the third quarter of 2021 places the large three-row crossover in third place out of seven rivals in its competitive set in terms of overall sales volume.

The segment was led by the Acura MDX in first and by the Volvo XC90 in second (see running Volvo XC90 sales). In fact, the Volvo was the only model to post an increase in sales volume during the quarter. The Audi Q7 (see running Audi Q7 sales) followed the Enclave in fourth place, followed in turn by the Enclave’s corporate cousin – the Cadillac XT6 – in fifth. The Lincoln Aviator placed sixth, and the Infiniti QX60 took seventh (and last) place. It’s worth noting that the reasons for the Infiniti’s significant drop is the generational changeover, which has resulted in a depletion of inventory.

Sales Numbers - Premium Three-Row Crossovers - Q3 2021 - United States

MODEL Q3 21 / Q3 20 Q3 21 Q3 20 Q3 21 SHARE Q3 20 SHARE YTD 21 / YTD 20 YTD 21 YTD 20
ACURA MDX -24.39% 11,023 14,579 26% 26% +46.88% 47,814 32,553
VOLVO XC90 +17.14% 10,116 8,636 24% 15% +33.56% 30,097 22,535
BUICK ENCLAVE -23.29% 7,623 9,937 18% 17% +27.52% 33,336 26,142
AUDI Q7 -24.41% 4,636 6,133 11% 11% +33.12% 22,341 16,783
CADILLAC XT6 -26.69% 4,581 6,249 11% 11% +14.68% 17,722 15,454
LINCOLN AVIATOR -40.86% 3,618 6,118 9% 11% -2.06% 15,474 15,800
INFINITI QX60 -98.72% 68 5,334 0% 9% -75.01% 4,374 17,505
TOTAL -26.89% 41,665 56,986 +16.61% 171,158 146,772

From a segment share standpoint, the first-place MDX claimed 26 percent while the second-place XC90 took 24 percent. The Enclave followed with 18 percent, and the Q7 took 11 percent, tying with the Cadillac XT6. Meanwhile, the Lincoln Aviator took 9 percent, and Infiniti QX60 accounted for less than 1 percent.

The premium/luxury three-row crossover segment contracted nearly 27 percent to 41,665 units in Q3 2021, meaning that Buick Enclave sales performed slightly better than the segment average.

For the sake of reference, we are providing sales figures for the Lexus RX below. The vehicle is now offered in both two- and three-row variants, the latter of which competes in the general space as the aforementioned three-row models. Since Lexus does not break out sales of the two-row RX from the three-row RXL, not all RX sales can be applied to the premium three-row CUV segment. Instead, a more apt comparison would be to compare RXL sales to combined sales of the Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6 and Buick Enclave.

Sales Numbers - Lexus RX Family - Q3 2021 - United States

MODEL Q3 21 / Q3 20 Q3 21 Q3 20 YTD 21 / YTD 20 YTD 21 YTD 20
RX -1.56% 27,981 28,425 +27.73% 84,625 66,251
TOTAL -1.56% 27,981 28,425 +27.73% 84,625 66,251

The Lexus RX family accounted for 28,703 deliveries during the quarter, while GM’s three entries – the XT5, XT6 and Enclave – saw a cumulative 17,710 sales.

Sales Numbers - GM Premium Crossovers - Q3 2021 - United States

MODEL Q3 21 / Q3 20 Q3 21 Q3 20 YTD 21 / YTD 20 YTD 21 YTD 20
XT5 -41.84% 5,506 9,467 +2.39% 24,852 24,273
XT6 -26.69% 4,581 6,249 +14.68% 17,722 15,454
ENCLAVE -23.29% 7,623 9,937 +27.52% 33,336 26,142
TOTAL -30.96% 17,710 25,653 +15.24% 75,910 65,869

The GM Authority Take

The 23 percent decrease in Buick Enclave sales during the third quarter of 2021 was caused by sub-optimal availability of the premium crossover at the retail level, as the GM Lansing Delta Township plant in Michigan that produces the vehicle has been idle for several weeks so far this year. The pause in production was caused by GM diverting chips to more lucrative vehicle lines, such as full-size trucks and SUVs. Luckily, production restarted the week of October 4th.

Despite the decrease in sales volume, the Enclave has managed to retain a very strong position in a very competitive segment while also growing its market share from 17 to 18 percent. What makes the feat even more impressive is that it managed to do so following industry-wide setbacks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We believe that Buick Enclave sales will rebound to grow in the near- to medium-term future as inventory improves. In addition, the flagship Buick crossover is receiving a mid-cycle refresh for the 2022 model year, consisting of a freshened exterior and improved interior.

The upcoming, refreshed 2022 Buick Enclave

Originally, GM planned to launch the refreshed model for the 2021 model year, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the model back by one model year. The updated version will now launch as the 2022 Buick Enclave.

About The Numbers

  • All percent change figures compared to Buick Enclave sales in Q3 2020, unless noted otherwise
  • In the United States, there were 77 selling days in Q3 2021 and 77 selling days in Q3 2020
GM Q3 2021 sales reports:

Enclave News

All Enclave News

By Francisco Cruz

A car-loving millennial. We Are!

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  1. where are the 2022 buick enclaves / I ordered on august 17th 2021 and haven’t heard from dealer yet last time i checked was in november.

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