GM dealers in the United States delivered 323,453 vehicles in December, down 5 percent compared with a year ago. With 257,469 retail vehicle deliveries, retail sales for the month were up 1.5 percent.
GM delivered 3.87 million vehicles in 2007, down 6 percent compared with 2006. GM's retail market share is anticipated to be flat for the year, with daily rental share down significantly, as planned.
"We've executed our Go-to-Market strategy throughout the year, and the results show stabilized retail share and net price, reduced daily rentals, improved residual values, smaller inventories and outstanding launch vehicle performance," said Mark LaNeve, GM North America vice president, Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. "Growing our share in key car segments is integral to our strategy. The retail performance of the new Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, Saturn AURA, Pontiac G6 and the fuel-efficient Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt and Pontiac G5, demonstrates the enthusiasm customers have for these outstanding vehicles."
December Performance Highlights:
- Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, GMC and Saturn divisions saw retail increases year-over-year
- GM's retail car deliveries increased 15 percent based on the strength of the all-new Chevrolet Malibu, 2008 Cadillac CTS and fuel-efficient Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, Pontiac G5 and G6. Aveo sales were up 82 percent
- Chevrolet Impala and Malibu combined were 24,000 retail sales, the best Chevrolet mid-car month since July 2006
- Enclave, OUTLOOK and Acadia crossovers exceeded 14,000 retail sales; GM's mid-utility crossover segment was up 275 percent. Enclave had a record month.
- Chevrolet Silverado, Avalanche and GMC Sierra full-size pickups built retail market share with more than 69,000 vehicles sold
- Retail vehicles, as a percent of total deliveries, increased more than 5 percentage points to 80 percent
- Dealer inventories were down 147,000 vehicles year-over-year
"The Malibu, CTS and Enclave have some of the fastest turn rates in the industry and we've seen Malibu retail sales increase nearly 100 percent compared with a year ago," LaNeve added. "I was particularly encouraged to see that even though we doubled Malibu sales and basically sold them as soon as they hit dealer lots, the Impala also had a terrific month. More and more customers are realizing that the best mid-car values are no longer at an import dealership."
2007 Performance Highlights:
- Dealer inventories were at their lowest level going into January in 13 years
- GMC and Saturn divisions had total and retail increases for the year
- Enclave, OUTLOOK and Acadia crossovers exceeded 122,000 retail sales; GM's mid-utility crossover segment was up 333 percent retail
- Daily rental sales were reduced 108,000 vehicles; GM was at its lowest level of daily rental sales in 9 years (about 596,000 vehicles), while significantly boosting content and resale value. Commercial/government fleet sales were up about 5,000 vehicles
- Anticipated retail share stabilized at about 21 percent
- Retail vehicles, as a percentage of total deliveries, increased 1 percentage point to 74 percent
"The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and Malibu, Buick Enclave and Cadillac CTS have been named finalists in the North America Car and Truck of the Year Awards, so our vehicles are being recognized as world-class," LaNeve said. "While we've seen a challenging market in 2007, we are offering shoppers the best products and value available. A shining example is Saturn's roughly 12-percent retail increase in 2007, being driven by the AURA, SKY, VUE and OUTLOOK. We believe the industry will be much more resilient than many forecasts and look forward to 2008."
Quality, reliability and durability (QRD) remain key factors for customers when purchasing a new vehicle. GM's 5 Year/100,000 Mile Powertrain Limited Warranty continues to make GM a better choice for customers. GM's coverage focuses on the complete ownership experience and includes other provisions that competitors do not offer, including transferability to the next owner, more complete coverage of parts, and coverage for new and certified used vehicles. In addition, GM offers superior complementary programs, such as courtesy transportation and roadside assistance.
Certified Used Vehicle Sales
December 2007 sales for all certified GM brands, including GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, were 35,930 vehicles, down 14 percent from last December.
GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified brand, posted December sales of 30,375 vehicles, down 15 percent. Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 3,369 vehicles, down 15 percent. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 1,564 vehicles, up 16 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 480 vehicles, down 18 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 142 vehicles, up 9 percent.
Total 2007 sales for all certified GM brands were 516,039 vehicles, down 1 percent. Annual sales for GM Certified Used Vehicles were 451,565 units, up 1 percent from its category-leading sales results in 2006, while Chevrolet again finished the year as the industry's top-selling single-make certified used vehicle brand.
Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles finished 2007 with sales of 38,777 vehicles, down 8 percent from 2006. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 7,348 vehicles, down 12 percent, while Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 17,008 vehicles, down 12 percent, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 1,341 vehicles in 2007, a 33 percent increase.
"In a challenging sales environment, GM Certified finished 2007 as the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified brand for the sixth consecutive year, while Chevrolet again ranked as the industry's top-selling single-line make certified used brand," said LaNeve.
"GM's reduction in sales to daily rental customers in 2006 and 2007 will have an impact on the GM Certified business in 2008, since daily rental buy-backs have long been a primary source of GM Certified inventory for dealers," LaNeve added. "However, GM Certified shoppers can look forward to finding better-equipped cars and trucks to choose from as higher-contented off-rent vehicles make their way into GM Certified inventory this year."
GM North America Reports December and Fourth-Quarter 2007 Production, 2008 First-Quarter Production Forecast Unchanged at 950,000 Vehicles
In December, GM North America produced 252,000 vehicles (71,000 cars and 181,000 trucks). This is down 66,000 units or 21 percent compared to December 2006 when the region produced 318,000 vehicles (124,000 cars and 194,000 trucks). (Production totals include joint venture production of 15,000 vehicles in December 2007 and 16,000 vehicles in December 2006.)
GM North America built 1.042 million vehicles (358,000 cars and 684,000 trucks) in the fourth-quarter of 2007. This is down 65,000 vehicles or 6 percent compared to fourth-quarter of 2006 when the region produced 1.107 million vehicles (446,000 cars and 661,000 trucks). Additionally, the region's 2008 first-quarter production forecast remains unchanged at 950,000 vehicles (344,000 cars and 606,000 trucks).