GM dealers in the United States delivered 375,682 vehicles in May, up 4.7 percent compared with year-ago monthly sales. On an unadjusted basis, sales were up 8.8 percent. GM's May retail sales of 279,731 were up 8.5 percent. On an unadjusted basis, retail sales were up 12.8 percent compared with a year ago.
May sales reflected the continuing strength of GM's new product portfolio. Increased sales of Chevrolet Impala and Saturn AURA as well as the new industry leading mid-size crossovers GMC Acadia, Saturn OUTLOOK and Buick Enclave demonstrate GM's strong positioning in the marketplace for fuel-efficient and alternative fuel (E-85) vehicles. The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks - fuel efficiency leaders in their class - pushed GM's large pickup segment sales up 10 percent in total and 14 percent retail compared with May 2006.
Divisions with retail sales increases for the month included Saturn (up 59 percent), GMC (up 18 percent) and Pontiac (up 8 percent). Additionally, Chevrolet was again the sales leader in the industry (up 5 percent).
"Our May results were extremely positive as we saw strong total and retail sales increases. Our significant market share gains in full-size trucks and crossovers validates the decision we made to invest in industry-leading fuel economy in these important segments," said Mark LaNeve, vice president, GM North American Sales, Service and Marketing. "We are particularly pleased with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, which pushed our full-size truck sales up more than 10 percent for the month. As with many of our vehicles, these great all-new trucks offer what the customer is looking for - best-in-class fuel economy, terrific performance and tremendous value. And our newest entry to the crossover segment, the Buick Enclave, is performing ahead of our expectations. Dealers are selling them as soon as they arrive from the plant. Our mid-size crossover segment performance, including the GMC Acadia and Saturn OUTLOOK, continues to grow at a blistering pace."
The product renaissance at Saturn continued to accelerate with total sales increasing almost 69 percent compared with a year ago, highlighting the tremendous public acceptance of the new lineup of Saturn vehicles including SKY, AURA and AURA Hybrid, OUTLOOK, VUE and VUE Hybrid. Saturn's ION small car is soon to be replaced with the popular ASTRA. Saturn is the fastest growing brand in the industry this year.
Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, Malibu, Impala, HHR, Silverado, Suburban, and Avalanche; Pontiac G6 and Solstice; Saturn SKY and VUE; Saab 9-3, GMC Sierra and Yukon XL; Buick Lucerne; Cadillac SRX, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT; and HUMMER H3 all had May retail sales increases compared with a year ago. Pontiac G5, Saturn AURA and OUTLOOK, GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave are newly offered products and continue to contribute retail sales momentum.
The GMC Acadia, Saturn OUTLOOK and Buick Enclave had retail sales of more than 12,800 vehicles, pushing a significant retail increase in GM's mid-crossover segment. GM's total sales of more than 16,600 vehicles in this segment pushed monthly performance up more than 211 percent, compared with the same month last year.
"We're seeing positive results, including increased residual values for our products, as a result of staying aligned and disciplined to our North American turnaround and market growth plans. For customers, this means providing industry-leading products in terms of design, segment fuel economy, warranty coverage and performance," LaNeve added. "This translates to a beneficial cost of ownership experience. With new products such as the Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet Malibu coming to dealer showrooms later this year, we expect to build on this customer enthusiasm."
Certified Used Vehicles
May 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 45,892 units, up 3 percent from last May. Total year-to-date certified GM sales are 227,365 units, up 3 percent from the same period last year.
GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified used brand, posted 40,306 sales, up nearly 5 percent from last May. Year-to-date sales for GM Certified Used Vehicles are 199,715 units, up 4 percent from the same period in 2006.
Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles posted May sales of 3,102 units, down 6 percent from last May. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 1,603 units in May, down 13 percent. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 797 units, comparable to last May, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 84 units, down 6 percent.
"GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling certified brand, had another category-leading performance with sales of 40,306 units, up nearly 5 percent," said LaNeve. "GM Certified also set a new all-time high with year-to-date sales through May of 199,715 units, up 4 percent from its 2006 segment record performance for the same period."