The Detroit Three automakers reported both ups and downs in their third-quarter new vehicle sales filings. Stellantis in Auburn Hills posted a 3 percent sales increase while General Motors Co. in Detroit tallied a 6 percent dip and Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn showed a 6.6 percent decrease.
Stellantis sold 324,277 vehicles in the quarter with the Ram 1500 leading the way with a 42 percent improvement compared to last year. Total pickup sales increased 34 percent. Jeep Wrangler sales ticked up 5 percent while Cherokee hybrid sales increased 53 percent.
“Against a highly competitive industry backdrop, we delivered a disciplined third quarter, supported by our motivated dealer network, which continued to drive our retail business,” says Michael Orange, head of U.S. retail sales and network performance at Stellantis. “Retail sales increased for the Ram 1500 (42 percent), Dodge Durango (18 percent), Jeep Grand Wagoneer (14 percent) and Chrysler Pacifica (7 percent), while the Jeep Cherokee Hybrid posted its best retail sales month in September.”
GM sales in Q3 totaled 670,974 vehicles, down 6 percent, which the automaker says reflected the much smaller EV market and discontinued vehicles. Sales of GM’s highest volume vehicles, however, were in line with the level of a year ago.
“Our business is performing very well, the launch of our next-generation full-size pickup trucks is on track, and we are making investments in new vehicles, innovative technologies, and our U.S. manufacturing footprint to drive our next phase of growth,” says Duncan Aldred, president of GM North America.
GM’s top five best-selling vehicles were the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse, and Chevrolet Trax.
GM says it also extended its lead in full-size pickups, and in Q4 the next-generation 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra are scheduled to begin arriving in dealerships.
The Detroit-based automaker says its family of affordable, small SUVs – led by the Chevrolet Trax and Buick Envista – had its best quarterly sales ever in Q3.
GM claims the industry’s top spot in fleet sales, with a 10 percent year-over-year increase.
In Dearborn, Ford reported Q3 sales of 509,764 vehicles, down 6.6 percent, reflecting the planned portfolio changes. Adjusting for the discontinuation of Escape and Corsair, Ford’s total vehicle sales volume was essentially unchanged compared with an industry decline of about 1 percent, according to the company.
Overall F-Series production rose 4.5 percent in the third quarter to 266,777 trucks, driven by Super Duty’s strongest quarterly production performance in 19 years.
“We delivered a solid quarter and continued to gain retail share adjusted for the planned sunset of Escape and Corsair,” says Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e. “Customers continue to choose our trucks, SUVs and performance vehicles, with F-Series, Bronco, and our hybrid truck lineup posting standout results. Our dealers continue to turn our inventory quickly, and our vehicle stock is healthy as we head into the fourth quarter.”
