GM June U.S. Sales Improve 11 Percent on Strong Retail Demand for Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

DETROIT, July 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — General Motors dealers in the United States reported 215,358 total sales in June, an 11-percent gain compared to June 2010. The gain was the result of continued solid retail demand for the company’s wide selection of fuel-efficient vehicles. Retail sales for GM’s brands rose 16 percent for the month, compared to a year ago, and were 4 percent higher than May.

For the month, Chevrolet Cruze had retail sales 153 percent higher than the Chevrolet Cobalt it replaced, and total sales above 20,000 for the third straight month. The 32 MPG highway-rated GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox compact crossovers saw a combined retail sales increase of 78 percent during the month. Passenger car and crossover retail sales also rose substantially, up 33 percent and 24 percent, respectively.

Total sales for GM’s full-size pickups – Chevrolet Silverado and Avalanche, and GMC Sierra, rose 15 percent compared to May, while retail sales increased 20 percent from last month.

“With continued strong consumer demand for GM’s fuel-efficient vehicles, June was another solid month for us,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. “The month caps a successful first half of 2011 for us in the U.S. market – our sales are up and we’ve gained share profitably.”

In the first half of 2011, GM dealers in the United States have reported 1,261,633 vehicles sold – a 192,056 unit increase over the first half of 2010 – leading to total and retail market share gains.

Compared to last year, June fleet sales decreased 1 percent due to a planned decline in sales to rental accounts. Sales to commercial accounts rose 31 percent – the 15^th consecutive month of commercial sales gains. Fleet deliveries accounted for 27 percent of GM’s total sales for the month.

Passenger Cars

Total sales of GM passenger cars increased 28 percent during June, compared to a year ago. Retail sales for cars rose 33 percent for the month on the continuing strength of the Cruze, which was up 153 percent compared to the Chevrolet Cobalt it replaced. The Cruze Eco, which delivers an estimated 42 miles-per-gallon highway, accounted for 17 percent of the model’s sales during the month.

The all-new Buick Regal continued to appeal to new consumers, recording 3,497 retail sales. For the month, approximately 30 percent of Regal sales were turbo models. Cadillac CTS retail sales rose 16 percent, spurred by continued strong demand for the all-new CTS Coupe.

Year-to-date through June, retail sales for GM’s passenger cars rose 43 percent.

Crossovers

Total crossover sales declined 2 percent, due to a planned reduction in sales to fleets, while retail sales were up 24 percent compared to last June. Retail sales of Equinox and Terrain were up 79 percent and 75 percent respectively.

For the first half of 2011, retail sales of GM’s crossovers were up 26 percent.

Pickups

Total combined sales of Silverado and Avalanche, and Sierra increased 5 percent, with retail sales down 2 percent versus a year ago. Total sales of Chevrolet Silverado HD rose 23 percent year-over-year, while GMC Sierra HD sales improved 39 percent. Total sales for both the Silverado and Sierra were the best of any month in 2011.

For the year to date, retail sales for GM’s full-size pickups are up 12 percent, while total sales of 259,101 units represent a 12-percent increase compared to the first six months of 2010.

Month-end dealer inventory in the United States stood at about 605,000 units, up about 21,000 units compared to May and about 168,000 units higher than June 2010.

Brand Key Facts:

• Chevrolet: Chevrolet dealers delivered 156,848 total vehicles in June, an 11-percent increase over June 2010. Retail sales for Chevrolet were up 16 percent, for the tenth straight month of retail sales increases for the brand. Cruze retail sales were 153 percent higher than the Chevrolet Cobalt. Equinox retail sales rose 79 percent. For the third straight month, sales of passenger cars were higher than trucks and crossovers for the brand – something that hasn’t happened since 1991. Through the first half of 2011, Chevrolet sold 904,548 total vehicles – up 122,105 units, or 16 percent.
• Buick: Buick reported 14,868 total sales, a 13-percent increase compared to last year. This includes a 19-percent increase in year-over-year retail sales, led by demand for the all-new Regal and Regal Turbo, which accounted for approximately 30 percent of June sales. June was the 21st consecutive month of year-over-year total and retail sales gains for the brand. Year-to-date Buick total sales of 93,599 are 34 percent higher than the first six months of 2010.
• GMC : GMC reported total sales of 32,782, a 15-percent increase compared to the same month last year. Retail sales rose 18 percent for the brand on strong demand for the Terrain (up 75 percent) and the Acadia (up 23 percent). Sierra retail sales rose 6 percent and marked the best year of 2011 for the pickup truck. June also marked the 21st consecutive month of year-over-year total and retail sales increases for the brand. Through June, GMC total sales are up 23 percent to 187,364 .
• Cadillac: Cadillac reported total sales of 10,860 for June, an 8-percent decrease versus last June due to planned reductions in sales to rental accounts. For the month, retail sales increased 5 percent. June was the 17th consecutive month of year-over-year retail sales gains. CTS retail sales continued to be brisk – up 16 percent – driven by the popular CTS Coupe. For the year-to-date, Cadillac total sales are up 18 percent to 76,122.
• Fleet sales for GM’s four brands were 58,661 for the month, a 1-percent decline for the month, compared to last year’s June – driven by a planned 4 percent decrease in sales to rental accounts. Sales to commercial customers increased 31 percent – the 15th consecutive month of commercial fleet sales gains. Fleet accounted for 27 percent of GM total sales during the month – lower than the 31 percent fleet mix in June 2010.

About General Motors – General Motors (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 202,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 30 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Italy.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.