GMC just announced that its plans to expand into a trio of new markets worldwide – including Australia, China, and New Zealand – are moving ahead in the immediate future, confirming previous statements about these planned additions.
China will be the first to see GMC vehicle sales begin, with a date sometime in 2024 currently planned, while 2025 will be the year when Big Red’s vehicles arrive in Australia and New Zealand.
The first vehicle from the brand to go on sale in all three markets will be the GMC Yukon full-size SUV, which Big Red describes as offering a “high-growth” opportunity. The GM division is using its highly successful 2023 sales as a springboard to enter the new countries, with sales growing 6.5 percent between the start and end of the 12-month period. The previous growth at this rate was half a decade ago in 2017.
Big Red’s success was founded on high demand for the GMC Sierra and GMC Sierra HD pickup trucks, though the Hummer EV Pickup and Hummer EV SUV also saw rising sales. Strong selling of expensive upper-level trims helped make these sales more profitable, with 19 percent of sales being of AT4 trim vehicles and 34 percent of Denali trims.
Duncan Aldred, global VP of both GMC and Buick, declared that “we’re forging our future as a premium truck and SUV brand and our success shows our customers around the world are just as excited as we are.” The latest three countries come shortly after Big Red debuted the Sierra 1500 in South Korea during 2023.
Facilitating the arrival of the Yukon in China, The Durant Guild – GM’s premium import business unit recently established in the Asian country – will open showrooms and direct-to-consumer operations in major Chinese cities during 2024, bringing more Chevy models to the country as well as GMC’s full-size SUV.
Meanwhile, the GMC Yukon Denali will be brought to Australia by General Motors Specialty Vehicles, or GMSV. The director of GMSV notes that the Yukon will be “remanufactured” as a right-hand-drive vehicle at a facility in Melbourne before being sold on the Australian market.
Previous experience indicates Big Red’s expectation of an enthusiastic welcome for the Yukon may be borne out in its three new markets, after the 2023 GMC Sierra Denali sold out in 48 hours last year following its South Korean launch.
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Comments
Very smart! GMC is GM’s strongest brand and luxury truck is a special niche. GMC does what Chevrolet does, only better, and without a damaged brand image.
Buick is a black slate in Europe that, If linked, could sell w er ll tied to GMCs network.
Meanwhile, working Americans cannot afford these products.
Folks with brains will realize that they can buy a Cadillac for less, in many cases. This is an American thing (stupidly) and I doubt it’ll travel well.
In Australia we have been introduced to the acadia as a holden before they shutdown that brand they actually have a following for the acadia here which is loyal even with some of there issues as I hear from others I don’t understand why they wouldn’t actually work with that vehicle hear along with the Yukon as some owners are actually already putting gmc grills into there vehicles here